DGA Monthly

2 4 I D G A M O N T H L Y See more detailed descriptions, additional photos and video, where available, online at www.dga.org. DGA Events Roundup Second Assistant Directors gathered online and in the DGA's Los Angeles Boardroom on September 7 for Ready, Tech, Go: Digital Tools for the 2nd AD. Hosted by the Western AD/UPM Council's Second AD Committee, this year's brunch sought to empower members of this category by dispensing knowledge on the digital tools needed to thrive in their work world and covered a multitude of online platforms and intuitive applications with information presented from the perspective of the 2nd AD's role. Committee Co-Chair Stephenie Galvan provided a brief explanation of how the day would proceed as a series of panel discussions designed to provide guidance on how to take advantage of the tools at their disposal to make their work easier and more efficient. The first panel, Callsheet and Production Report Tips & Tricks, featured 2nd ADs Adam Haas and Luke Maxcy and UPM Joe MJ Moore revealing how they tackle their these tasks. During a conversation moderated by Committee Co-Chair Alicia Zaragoza, the panelists explained that currently, 2nd ADs are expected to take on a lot of additional responsibilities, therefore it's important to have tools to make their jobs more manageable. They shared mock callsheets with the attendees to show their methods of scheduling and organizing utilizing spreadsheet software such as Excel and Google Sheets. They also discussed their preferred strategies as well as the kinds of formulas and conditional formatting they use to stay on top of their other many responsibilities. 2nd ADs Heather Wagner, Nicole Jones and Brian O'Kelley covered how an app in can be a boon to the directorial team in the second panel, Scriptation from the AD Perspective. The discussion, moderated by Committee Co-Chair Tristan Ringenoldus, revealed how they utilize the software to give and share notes on drafts of scripts, an especially helpful tool in the digital age where crews strive to be paperless. They explained how script breakdowns can be shared with their directorial teams almost instantly with the advantage of being able to efficiently provide their own notes and annotations. The panelists also talked about Scriptation's storyboard feature where 2nd ADs can chart their background, add a shot list for a scene then add it into the shooting script. There were also presentations from vendor representatives providing valuable experience and insight into digital background voucher platforms that included: Central Casting's SmartVoucher program, Everyset's background management system and the RABS (Run a Better Set) digital voucher system. Photo: (L-R) Second AD Committee members Athena Pesante and Carrie Rudolf, UPM Joe MJ Moore, 2nd AD Brian O'Kelley, Committee member Sarah Schmaus, 2nd ADs Heather Wagner and Luke Maxcy, Committee Co-Chairs Stephenie Galvan and Tristan Ringenoldus, 2nd ADs Adam Haas and Committee member Nicole Jones. Ready, Tech, Go: Digital Tools for the 2nd AD A Western AD/UPM Council Second AD Committee event photo by Quintin Lundy On September 14, the DGA's Women's Steering Committee's (WSC) celebrated its WSC Squad Mentorship Program with a brunch at the Guild's Los Angeles Headquarters. The event brought together the coordinators, mentors and mentees of the Program to recognize their efforts. The brunch began with WSC Co-Chair Shaz Bennett and Squad Leaders Ashley Eakin and Marie Jamora, thanking the Guild for their support of the program, and introducing the individuals who established the Squad program: Amber Sealey, Amy Aniobi, Lena Khan and Maureen Bharoocha. The Squad program establishing team shared remarks with the group and reflected on the importance of creating space for growth and support. The WSC Squad Mentorship Program creates a solid community of working Directors within the WSC and pairs mid-career Directors with well-established mentors who provide frank guidance and discussions around the unique issues that women Directors face, give support and prepare them as they seek to advance their careers. The program debuted in February of 2021 and has since gone through four rotations with the most recent class featuring 12 mentor/mentee pairings. The next class of mentor/mentee pairing will be announced in the near future. The WSC Squad Mentorship Program is co-chaired by Directors Shaz Bennett, Jean Lee, Ashley Eakin and Marie Jamora. The WSC Co-Chairs are Directors Shaz Bennett and Valerie Weiss and 1st AD Shawn Pipkin-West. Photo: WSC Squad Mentorship Program coordinators, mentees and mentors celebrate their successes at the DGA brunch. For more information about the WSC Squad Mentorship Program please email WSC@dga.org. WSC Hosts Brunch Celebrating Squad Mentorship Program photo by Elisa Haber

• Cover