DGA Monthly

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 5 I 8 7 In 1965, the DGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) established the Directors Guild-Producer Training Plan, also known as the Assistant Director Training Program (ADTP) on the West Coast. The program grew out of the realization that there was a need for a diverse pool of properly trained Assistant Directors. Utilizing the talents and experience of film industry veterans as teachers and mentors, the ADTP proved an instant success and an identical program was established four years later in New York for candidates located on the East Coast. Upon completion of the Program, graduates are qualified to join the DGA as Second Assistant Directors. In recognition that the industry is contracting, in recent years, the programs have cut back the number of trainees but are still operational to provide a trained pipeline of ADs for the future. The West Coast program recently announced five new trainees for 2025: Joel Barragan, Kaitlyn Baxendale, Ed Dam, Casey Ellings and Will Owens. Similarly, the New York program has announced the five new trainees for its class of 2027: Kim Black, Oceane Bouhier, Hannah Love, Rebecca Rhodes and Fuschia Faulding Steward; as well as the five members of the class of 2026: Jeff Davis, Maria Etienne, Brittany Funderburg, Toni Harvey and Marisa Ward; and the graduates of the classes of 2024 and 2025: Lynette Barnes, Queenie Elam, Olekemi Faderin, Erin McCormick and Neema Sharma. Each year, the New York program accepts a limited number of applicants. The number is determined by the employment outlook for the coming year in the motion picture industry in New York. On average, the Program receives between 300 - 350 applications from individuals from around the country. Of that total, between 5-7 candidates will be accepted. The application period for the next class is currently under way. Online submissions must be transmitted by Tuesday, December 2, 2025. The West Coast program is currently developing a timeline for the next application period. Updates will be posted on their website and their social media pages. Trainees undergo on-the-job work experience, participating in a series of rotations that places trainees on the sets of various feature films and television series under the supervision of DGA 2nd ADs, 1st ADs and UPMs. The training lasts 400 days for West Coast Trainees and 350 days for New York Trainees. All Trainees also attend a number of mandatory seminars on various aspects of the industry. After the successful completion of training, graduates are eligible to join the DGA as a 2nd AD. DGA Training Programs Updates For more information, click the Training Programs link on the homepage of www.dga.org. If you know of eligible candidates for the New York Program, have them visit www.dgatrainingprogram.org. For information on the West Coast ADTP, visit www.trainingplan.org. West Coast Program New Trainees for 2025 First Row: Joel Barragan, Kaitlyn Baxendale, Ed Dam, Second Row: Casey Ellings and Will Owens. New York Program Trainees & Graduates 2024-2027 Front Row L-R: Oceane Bouhier ('27), Rebecca Rhodes ('27), Neema Sharma ('25). Second Row: Kim Black ('27), Brittany Funderburg ('26), Fuschia Faulding Steward ('27), Hannah Love ('27). Third Row: Marisa Ward ('26), Toni Harvey ('26), Lynette Barnes ('25). Back Row: Jeff Davis ('26), Olekemi Faderin ('25), Maria Etienne ('26), Erin McCormick ('24), Queenie Elam (24'), Assistant ADTP Administrator Kara Ryan, and DGA 1st AD Jeremy Marks (Class of '09). [Not pictured: '26 Trainees Eric Jimenez and Shark Grawe]

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