Hey there, everyone!
I'm hoping that someone who is currently, actively working as an Assistant Director in television and someone who is actively working as a Showrunner would be willing to take a call with me to answer some questions.
I'm currently in film school and unfortunately don't get taught much in terms of television. I'm heavily interested in these two professions and desperately would love to learn more.
Feel free to comment or message me directly. Thanks!
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Dont you live close to Los Angeles? Go join Union Writers picketing outside movie studios and talk to them.
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Hello Amanda, nice to meet you!
Of course we could talk a lot about the two jobs, but in general terms here are the main differences:
1) AD in TV: there are usually more than one AD on set (1st, 2nd, 3rd and, at times, even more), and they all have a lot to do (from making sure every department works efficiently to referring to the director if something's wrong, from being a "messenger" between departments to keeping track of timing, and more).
2) Showrunner: they're among the most powerful people in the tv series world, because they're both creatives and businessmen. They have a total control over the whole making of the product. It means that they oversee the writing room, approve (or not) everything concerning the story world, characters' arcs, plots and more. They can also be part of the writing team, if they want. Also, showrunners deal with the economic part of the product: they discuss widely with producers about budget, casting choices, marketing, and much more.
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@Luca Mannea, thanks for your response! I know all the basics. I’m more so interested in the day-to-day, some of the responsibilities that might not be as known about, how they got to where they are, etc.
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@Dan Max, thanks for your response. I’ve been meaning to walk in solidarity, but it’s been difficult for me. 1. I’m disabled, 2. Scheduling with school. Plus, people aren’t necessarily openly displaying what they do in the industry, so I can’t be sure who the right person to approach may be.
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I think asking someone to call you is a big ask to be honest and you would have much better luck being a PA so you can learn on set and/or attending seminars where you can ask direct questions. A lot of film festivals have opportunities where you can ask the crew in networking events and panel discussions.
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Hi Amanda! Give a look into our education section, you'll see we have a ton of varying information on showrunning and AD'ing. Here are a couple: https://www.stage32.com/webinars/Industry-Spotlight-60-Minutes-With-Jaso..., https://www.stage32.com/webinars/The-Craft-of-Assistant-Directing-and-Pr..., https://www.stage32.com/webinars/Showrunning-101-Everything-You-Need-To-...