# What Does a First AD Do? A Guide for Actors > The first assistant director runs the set so the director can direct. Who the first AD is, who else is on the AD team, which questions go to whom, and what every call you'll hear means for you: picture's up, rolling, back to one, checking the gate, moving on. - URL: https://www.offbook.com/blog/what-does-a-first-ad-do - Published: 2026-11-05 - Last updated: 2026-11-05 You're standing on your first mark. The director has just given you a note, walked back to the monitors, and gone quiet. Then someone with a radio on their belt, who isn't the director, calls out "Picture's up!" and the whole set goes still. A few seconds later the same voice says "Rolling," somebody answers "Speed," and you realize you have no idea whose voice you're supposed to be listening for. That voice belongs to the first assistant director. On a film or TV set, the first AD is the person running the day: the schedule, the safety, the order of things, and many of the calls you'll hear between takes. The short version: the director shapes your performance, and the first AD runs everything around it. Logistics questions go to the AD team, performance questions go to the director, and the AD's calls tell you exactly where the set is in the shot. Learn the calls below and a strange set starts to read like a clock. ## The first AD runs the set so the director can direct The Directors Guild's own training program puts it in one line: ["The First Assistant Director is the Director's right hand."](https://dgatrainingprogram.org/what.html) The same page says assistant directors are responsible for assembling everything needed for filming and for the daily operation of the shooting set. They look after the cast, direct the extras, and oversee the crew while each shot is prepared. The job starts long before your call time. [Central Casting's guide to AD roles](https://www.centralcasting.com/spotlight/blog/what-does-an-assistant-director-do-a-guide-to-ad-roles-in-film-and-tv/) explains that the 1st AD breaks the script down into everything each scene needs, builds the shooting schedule from it, and then runs that plan during filming. On the day, they act as the go-between for the director and every department. They also call the roll and make sure the scene is ready before the director calls "action." So while the director thinks about the scene, the first AD is also thinking about the next setups and whether the day will finish on time. Crews call that "making the day." They're also in charge of safety. Cinematographer Bruce Logan, ASC, writes in [a No Film School piece on set etiquette](https://nofilmschool.com/2017/08/film-set-etiquette-6-rules-when-to-speak-and-when-to-shut-up) that the first AD is considered the primary safety officer on set, and can yell "cut" if the choreography of a shot is going wrong. Loyola Marymount's [student production handbook](https://sftvproductionhandbook.lmu.build/index.php/2021/06/01/the-role-of-the-first-assistant-director/) adds that the AD holds a safety meeting at call time every day. If a stunt, a moving vehicle, or a fight worries you, the first AD is who you tell. The good ones care how you feel, too. In the DGA Quarterly feature ["The Director's Right Hand"](https://www.dga.org/craft/dgaq/issues/1703-summer-2017/1st-ads), Tommy Gormley, first AD on *Star Wars: The Force Awakens*, says so much revolves around the actors that the set should be "a warm, comfy place for them to be in." The LMU handbook tells its student ADs the same thing more bluntly: ["Actors are the most vulnerable people on the set."](https://sftvproductionhandbook.lmu.build/index.php/2021/06/01/the-role-of-the-first-assistant-director/) ## Meet the rest of the AD team The first AD doesn't work alone. The DGA training page describes the chain neatly: the second AD is the first's right hand. Here's who's who, based mostly on Central Casting's guide: - **The first AD** runs the shooting set itself, working beside the director and calling the roll. - **The second AD** handles talent and paperwork. They make the daily call sheet from the first AD's schedule, make sure principal and background actors arrive on time and camera ready, and move you from hair and makeup to set. - **The second second AD** is added on big productions or heavy days to support the second AD, mostly with background actors: check-in, schedules, and vouchers. - **Production assistants** support the ADs; Central Casting notes they can give background actors direction. Names change by country. A [Sky Studios Elstree guide to set language](https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt503028c22aee071c/bltc106c8b96abb151c/675c64879628e1841f1e6302/SSE_Careers_Common_Language_on_Set.pdf) notes that British crews call the 1st AD "the First" and the 2nd AD "the Second," and that the call sheet comes from the Second. If you hear "check with the Second," now you know who that is. The AD team's names and phone numbers are on your call sheet. Our guide on [how to read a call sheet](https://www.offbook.com/blog/how-to-read-a-call-sheet) shows where to find them, and what the rest of the sheet is telling you. ## Know who to ask, and when New actors often ask the director where the bathroom is, or ask a production assistant whether to play the scene angrier. Neither is the right person. A simple split to start from: - **Where, when, and how long:** the second AD or a PA. Your call time, where to wait, whether you have time to eat, when you're likely to be used, whether you're released. - **The performance:** the director. Ask at a natural break, such as after a cut or while they're giving you a note, not while they're deep in a conversation with the camera team. - **Safety:** the first AD. Say it out loud and early. - **Continuity:** the script supervisor, who tracks which hand held the cup. Logan notes they'll quietly come and tell you if a prop is in the wrong hand. - **Leaving your spot:** tell the ADs. If you wander off and the set is ready for you, everyone waits. One rule is worth a whole paragraph. Don't stop a take yourself. Logan calls the actor who "cuts" themselves mid-take one of the most visible etiquette errors on a set, and in theory the director is the only one who says cut. You may think the take is dead when the director is getting exactly what they wanted. Keep going until you hear the word. ## What the AD's calls mean, in the order you'll hear them Every set has its own rhythm, and the exact words change between productions and countries. But most of the core calls are standard enough that the performers' union ACTRA Toronto keeps them in its [glossary of production terms](https://actratoronto.com/glossary-of-production-terms/). Here they are, roughly in order, with what each one asks of you. ### While the shot is being set up - **"First team" and "second team."** First team is the cast; second team is the stand-ins. "Second team in" means the stand-ins are taking your places so the crew can light, which usually means you have a few minutes. "First team" means you're wanted back on set now. Our guide to [what a stand-in does](https://www.offbook.com/blog/what-does-a-stand-in-do) explains that hand-off. - **"Crossing."** A courtesy anyone says before walking in front of the camera during setup. Use it yourself. - **"Hot set."** A set that's still being used. Don't move the props or sit on the furniture, even if it looks empty. - **"Last looks."** Hair, makeup, and wardrobe step in for a final touch-up right before rolling. Stand still and let them work. ### When the camera is about to roll - **"Picture's up" or "Lock it up."** ACTRA defines it as stop what you're doing and be quiet, because the camera is about to roll. For you, this is the moment to stop chatting, go to your first position, and get into the scene. - **"Roll sound" and "Rolling."** The start of the process that leads to recording. In Britain you may hear "turnover" instead, which the Sky Studios guide defines as the camera starting to roll. - **"Speed."** The sound department's answer: they're recording. - **The slate.** As Sky Studios Elstree's guide to set language puts it, the clapperboard marks each shot so the editor can sync picture and sound. It isn't your cue; keep waiting. - **"Background action."** The extras start moving. Wait for your cue. - **"Action."** Your cue. The cast starts the scene. - **"Holding" or "hold the roll."** Something has delayed the take for a moment, such as a plane overhead. Stay in position and stay in the scene; the take is still coming. ### After "cut" - **"Cut."** Stop. Then stay where you are and listen, because the next call tells you what happens. - **"Back to one."** Everyone, cast and camera, goes back to where they started for another take. ACTRA also lists "first marks" and "first positions" as the same call. - **"Checking the gate."** The AD calls it after the shot is done, and a camera assistant inspects the camera's gate for dust or hair. - **"Moving on."** The set is going to the next shot or setup. - **"Turning around."** The crew is shooting the reverse angle, so the camera is about to face the other way. - **"Martini shot."** The last shot of the day, according to the Sky Studios guide. ## Why "checking the gate" means you're nearly done Checking the gate comes from film cameras. The gate holds each frame still behind the lens, and anything stuck there shows up on every frame of the take. A [recent No Film School explainer](https://nofilmschool.com/check-the-gate-meaning) walks through the ritual: the AD calls for the check when the director is ready to move on, the first camera assistant looks, and "good gate" means the company moves on. If the gate isn't clean, the take is flagged and shot again. Digital cameras have no film gate, but the call survives. The same article says it still means reviewing the shots before the set moves on. For an actor, that makes it a useful signal. The director is happy with the setup, but it isn't over yet. Stay near your mark and keep the scene warm until you hear "moving on," because the check can still send you back to one. ## Turn the calls into habits Knowing the words is half of it. The other half is a reflex for each one, so your head stays in the scene. - **Treat "picture's up" as your starting gun.** Stop talking, find your first position, and drop into the moment before the scene starts. Don't wait for "action" to begin getting ready. - **Make "back to one" fast and exact.** Know your starting spot, what's in your hands, and how you were standing. Our guide to [hitting your mark on set](https://www.offbook.com/blog/hitting-your-mark-on-set) has drills for exactly this. - **Reset your inner state, not just your feet.** Between takes, go back to what your character wants at the top of the scene, not where the last take left you. - **On "moving on," check in.** Ask the second AD whether you're in the next setup. If you're not, ask where they want you to wait. - **On "turning around," keep playing.** Your partner's coverage is coming, and they'll be reacting to whatever you give them off camera. ## Arrive with the lines settled Sets move fast, and scenes are shot out of order. The actors who look calm through all of it are the ones who did their line work before the call time. Our guide on [memorizing lines for film and TV](https://www.offbook.com/blog/how-to-memorize-lines-for-film-and-tv) covers how. Offbook helps with that part. Upload your sides as a PDF or a photo, pick your role, and realistic voices read every other character while Offbook listens and cues the next line when you finish yours. Hide your own lines while everyone else's stay visible, so you're tested the way the set will test you: on the cue, with nothing to read. Rehearse on your laptop with the full script on a big screen, and listen to your scenes on your phone anywhere, including in holding. No account? The free [run lines online tool](https://www.offbook.com/tools/run-lines-online) lets you rehearse classic scenes and waits for your line. Then let the first AD run the day. When you hear "picture's up," you'll already be ready. ## Questions actors ask ### What is a first assistant director? The first assistant director, or first AD, runs a film or TV set on the director's behalf. They break the script down, build the shooting schedule, keep the day on time, act as the link between the director and every department, call the roll before each take, and are in charge of safety on set. The DGA calls the role the director's right hand. ### Who do actors talk to on set? For logistics, the second AD or a production assistant: call times, where to wait, meals, and when you're released. For the performance, the director, at a natural break. For safety, the first AD. For continuity questions, the script supervisor. ### What does "back to one" mean? It means go back to your starting position for another take. Everyone resets, the cast and the camera. You'll also hear "first positions" or "first marks" for the same call. ### What does "checking the gate" mean on a digital shoot? On film it means a camera assistant checks the camera's gate for dust or hair before the set moves on. On digital sets the call survives and means the shot is being reviewed before moving on. For you, it means stay close: if there's a problem, you'll go again. ### What's the difference between the first AD and the second AD? The first AD runs the shooting set and calls the roll. The second AD handles cast and paperwork: the call sheet, getting actors through hair and makeup on time, and bringing them to set. Much of your day-to-day contact may be with the second AD, who handles talent.