Working Together: Intro to the Production Office & Assistant Directing

About the class

The aim of this two-day class is to look at where the roles and responsibilities of the Production Office typically end and the On-Set / Assistant Directing team begins then address issues that can arise during that transition.

This course is recommended for those with experience and newcomers alike.

The course will address the potential pitfalls that tend to be overlooked or not immediately dealt with during “the heat” of production. It will provide practical advice to prepare you to work on productions so that the environment won’t feel as intimidating.

Centering on the interaction between the Production Office and Assistant Directing departments, the topics to be covered include:

  • Office Personnel, Office Services & Location
  • Prepping the Production Office
  • Assigning Offices and Departments
  • Assigning Craft Services, Copier Space, Supply Space
  • Travel Wall, Cast Wall and Distribution Center
  • Phones, Internet and Fax
  • Relating to other Departments & The Set
  • Assistant directing workflow and requirements
  • Effective communication strategies and how to work with other departments

About the Instructors
AARON GRAHAM is a full member of the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) and serves on the  Manitoba District Council of the Director’s Guild of Canada. He has worked on such local Manitoban productions as Midnight SunCult of Chucky, A Dog’s Purpose, Breakthrough, Fracture, and a number of Hallmark productions. Aaron also has an extensive background in freelance film writing and studying the art of screenwriting. A partial list of his interview subjects include: Terry Gilliam, John Landis, James Gray, Richard Franklin, Charles B. Griffith, Stuart Gordon and Richard Linklater. He was also selected to the Berlinale Talent Campus at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival.

REED MAKAYEV began his career as a film & television industry professional by fluke being hired as a Locations PA in 2004. Wanting to round out the on-the-job training he received working on set he attended the Film Production program at Confederation College (Thunder Bay). Upon graduating in 2007 Reed returned to Winnipeg and worked various entry-level positions in many departments before becoming a member of the Director’s Guild of Canada in 2009. Now working interchangeably as a 1st AD and 2nd AD, Reed has held the position of Vice Chair of the DGC’s Manitoba District Council since 2016 and during that same time has also increased his participation as an instructor through Film Training Manitoba


When: November 6 & 7, 2021 – 12:00PM – 4:00PM
Where: Virtual – Zoom Video Session

Price:

  • Registration $50
  • DGC-MB members and permits $20

You can register here – select ‘Working Together’ from the list and ‘discounted’ if you’re a DGC-MB member/permit


Cancellation Policy

  • Participants must cancel up to 4 full business days prior to the course start date to receive an 80% refund.
  • No refund will be given to participants who cancel within 4 full business days before the course start date, or if they do not attend the course.
  • Film Training Manitoba reserves the right to cancel, or postpone, any course where a minimum registration level has not been met. Participants registered for a course that is canceled will receive a full refund.

Film Training Manitoba is committed to creating an inclusive and healthy workplace where participants, instructors, and staff are treated with dignity and respect. We will not tolerate any forms of harassment and reserve the right to remove any patron creating an unsafe environment.


FTM is a member of the Province of Manitoba’s sector council program through the Department of Economic Development and Training. FTM builds a highly skilled and adaptable film industry workforce to support the activities of Manitoba production companies. FTM collaborates with members of the film and television industry to identify the training needs within the community.

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