Third Assistant Directors

Here is how this works in practice. We place third assistant directors who manage background performers and the choreography of the set, providing the on-the-floor support that keeps the AD department running. Our network is centred on Cape Town and Johannesburg, where a deep, top-tier pool of third ADs has been built on decades of global features, series and high-volume commercials. The third ADs we supply position and cue background action, manage lock-ups and set access, help with crowd control, and act as the radio link between the first AD on the floor and the wider unit.

Here is the short of it. We match each third AD to your production's scale, whether that means a contained studio drama at Cape Town Film Studios or a large crowd day on location, and they work in close coordination with the first and second ADs. Because English is the working language of the South African industry, third ADs communicate clearly with both local and visiting crew, and the favourable South African rand exchange rate keeps a fully staffed AD team cost-good. Many third ADs are building toward first AD careers, bringing energy and sharp organisational instincts.

Here is the breakdown. South Africa offers third assistant directors a busy, professional environment in which to develop. The country is one of the world's top destinations for servicing global features, series and commercials, and Cape Town is one of the world's biggest commercial work hubs, so third ADs gain frequent experience managing background and set logistics on professionally run shoots. The Rainbow Nation's twelve official languages mean third ADs often direct diverse background performers, a real asset on culturally specific scenes. The country's geography brings different needs, from studio crowd days to large-scale background work on location in Johannesburg and Soweto or the Western Cape.

Here is what that looks like on the ground. Productions such as the Starz series 'Black Sails' and Gina Prince-Bythewood's 'The Woman King' have relied on local AD teams to choreograph big background numbers. A long-established industry and a network of film schools keep feeding capable third ADs into the pool. The convenient UTC+2 time zone keeps units in step with European partners.