Second Assistant Directors

Here is how this works in practice. We place second assistant directors who run the production office side of the AD department, creating call sheets, managing cast logistics and setting up the daily forms that keeps a shoot ordered. Our network is centred on Cape Town and Johannesburg, where a deep, top-tier pool of second ADs has been built on decades of global features, long-running series and high-volume commercials.

Here is the short of it. The second ADs we supply prepare and distribute call sheets, manage cast call times, wardrobe, makeup and travel schedules, watch background casting and movement, and serve as the key link between the production office and the shooting floor. We match each second AD to your production's scale, whether that means a studio drama at Cape Town Film Studios or a location-heavy feature, and they work hand in hand with the first AD, the third AD and the production coordinator.

Here is the breakdown. Because English is the working language of the South African industry, second ADs communicate clearly with both local and visiting crew, and the favourable South African rand exchange rate keeps a skilled AD team cost-good.

Here is what that looks like on the ground. South Africa gives second assistant directors a mature and demanding environment. The country is one of the world's top destinations for servicing global features, series and commercials, so second ADs are used at the records and cast-management standards that overseas shoots expect. The country's geography shapes the role directly: with shoots shooting between Cape Town. The Winelands, the Kruger bushveld, the Drakensberg and the Karoo, a second AD must build cast travel, lodging and call times around long distances and the strong Southern Hemisphere light. The Rainbow Nation's twelve official languages mean second ADs often set up varied background and supporting performers.

Here is how the picture comes together. Productions such as the Starz series 'Black Sails' and Ridley Scott's 'Raised by Wolves' at Cape Town Film Studios have relied on local AD teams to manage large casts. The convenient UTC+2 time zone keeps production offices in step with European partners. The prime November-to-February season aligns with Northern Hemisphere production calendars.