I’ve had the fantastic opportunity to work on some great sets over the years as 1st AD. I’ve found there is a lot of overlap in skills between 1st AD and Project Manager. The 1st AD is the Project Manager on a film set, and responsible for the planning, execution and closing on a film set. This includes being the point of communication for all teams on the set, coordinating diverse departments efforts and ensuring timely, on-budget delivery.
In my role as 1st AD, I planned for our set days by optimizing the shot list into a daily call sheet that sought the most efficient way to film the shots we needed to get. This meant taking into account what sets, actors and equipment is needed for each shot and seeking an order that results in the least amount of swapping, be that props, sets, actors or camera lenses.
From there the plan has to be executed. I worked with a diverse assortment of departments to coordinate efforts on the day to ensure we completed the work we needed to get done that day and prevent the addition of extra shoot days which drive up production costs. This is a very involved role as I balance the needs of various stakeholders across the project, including negotiating with the director to both preserve their creative vision, while still keeping the filming schedule—a clear parallel to managing stakeholder expectations and keeping a project on track in any industry.
Moreover, as 1st AD, I facilitated daily production meetings, provided clear direction, and managed schedules to meet tight deadlines, akin to the meticulous planning and communication essential in project management. These experiences have honed my ability to solve problems on the fly, maintain team alignment, and drive projects to successful completion, underscoring the key transferable skills from being a 1st AD to excelling as a Project Manager.
Below you can find call sheets from two different projects. The Call Sheet on a film set is similar to a Project Charter you’d find in other Project Management fields, and also functions as a sort of snapshot of the shot list, which in more detail would be akin to a Product Backlog.