For those interested in pursuing a career as an Assistant Director or Unit Production Manager in the DGA, there is a great opportunity to be aware of called the Directors Guild Training Program. It's a two year (400 working days) paid internship on DGA film and TV sets. The education you receive is invaluable as are the connections you make. It's administered by the DGA, with decent pay, health benefits and you come out at the end as a 2nd Assistant Director in the DGA.
There are two programs, one on the West Coast and one on the East Coast. The application period for the 2019 program runs September to November 2018.
I went through the program in 1991/1992. I worked on shows like Murder She Wrote and Star Trek: The Next Generation and movies like Hook.
You can check out the DGA's website at https://www.dga.org/Resources/Training-Program.aspx
It has links to both the East and West Coast Program websites.
Good luck to all who apply!
David
A good lead for sure. How'd you like working with Tom on Murder She Wrote?
Tom was off doing Father Dowling during my stint. Ron Masak was the sheriff while I was there. Our stages were near where the tour trams used to load at Universal. If Ron had a long gap between scenes, he'd join a tram tour in his Sheriff costume and entertain the guests. A great guy and he always made it back in time.
Thanks for the information. Wish I could, but too many commitments here in the south. I'm sure there are lots of people on S32 who will take advantage of this opportunity.
I have my first interview in mid-March for the NYC program. What should I expect?
Any help would be gratefully appreciated.
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First, congratulations on making it to the interview process. That in itself says a lot.
I'm not sure of the specifics, but I can tell you some generalities about what to expect.
The initial thing they want to do is make sure you really want to be an AD. They're about to put you through a two year paid training program and they don't want you to change your mind and decide you'd rather be a director or an editor. Come across as sincere that this is what you want to do and you know what it entails.
The next thing they want to make sure of is that you are personable and can get along with people. Getting to this stage, they already know you're smart and capable, but how are you in person? You don't have to be the life of the party or put on a dog and pony show. Just be able to hold a conversation, come across as pleasant to be around, be motivated and enthusiastic about things. Don't let your blood sugar drop before the interview. Eat a good breakfast and have a snack to boost your energy. I'm not kidding. Keep the energy positive and up. Nobody wants a grumpy Trainee.
Be ready for a stress-test of some kind. It may not be in the interview process, but there usually is one at some stage. It may be a role playing scenario ("You're the 2nd AD, It's 5:30 in the morning. The lead actor just called and can't get his car started. What do you do?") Know going in, it's not about having the right answer - you're a newbie, they don't expect you to be perfect. It's mostly about how you handle the pressure, can you come up with ideas and think on your feet. Do you keep your composure and your head. Do you come across as professional and courteous. Do you understand that there's a chain of command and sometimes that means calling your boss and when that fails, being ready to get things done within the scope of your authority. Sometimes your perfectly good answer will be turned around and made to look like it was a terrible choice as it backfires and you need to come up with a new plan. The interviewers are not doing that to be mean and they're not doing it to judge your knowledge. They just want to see if you can handle pressure and keep going.
Best wishes and good luck. It's a great program. And know that by making it to this stage, you have already been highly distinguished for your skills and background.
Dear David, Thanks so much for your feedback. Unfortunately, I didn't make it past the first interview. I have applied three times and not made it past that cut. I'm really torn on whether to apply again. If you would have the time for more input, I would gratefully appreciate it. Be safe.