Second Assistant Directors

Here is how this works in practice. We place 2nd assistant directors from Iceland's Reykjavík-centred crew base. ADs who handle the logistics and forms behind the shooting floor so the 1st AD can concentrate on running it. Our 2nd ADs prepare call sheets, set up cast and background movements, manage holding and wardrobe flow, and complete the daily production reports that feed accounting and incentive compliance. They work fluently in both English and Icelandic, setting up between global cast and crew and local Icelandic departments, extras agencies and authorities.

Here is the short of it. For large crowd scenes our 2nd ADs run efficient check-in and holding running. For multi-unit shoots we staff a full AD department, supplementing the Icelandic core with 2nd and 3rd ADs from the UK and mainland Europe under a lead 1st AD. Their production reports also document the working hours and on-screen elements that support the 25% production cost reimbursement, rising to 35% for qualifying larger shoots and TV series.

Here is the breakdown. The 2nd AD's off-set role carries specific weight in Iceland because of how dispersed and weather-driven a shoot here can be. Call sheets must carry accurate location addresses, parking, weather forecasts and safety info for units that may be hours apart along the Ring Road, with the volcanic Highlands easy to reach only in summer via F-roads. Cast and background logistics flex around the seasons — the near-24-hour Midnight Sun enables very long summer days, while midwinter gives only four to five hours of light.

Here is what that looks like on the ground. Forms must align with Icelandic labour law and its required rest periods. Filming in covered areas is set up with the Environment Agency of the country under 'leave no trace' practice. Productions including 'Game of Thrones' relied on AD departments that kept dispersed units precisely informed. A 2nd AD who knows the country's geography and seasons keeps that info flowing accurately.