DGA 1st ADs celebrated twelve years of gatherings at Guild headquarters in Los Angeles during their annual 1st AD luncheon on October 27. Hosted by the Western AD/UPM Council’s 1st AD Committee, the event provided the attendees with valuable information on the business aspects of being an Assistant Director, via panel discussions with veteran 1st ADs and financial experts.
1st AD Committee Co-Chair Mark Hansson (Amazing Stories) welcomed the attendees and guest speakers. Speaking on behalf of his fellow Co-Chair Alan B. Curtiss (Something Borrowed) who was unable to attend, Hansson also introduced Council Chair Cleve Landsberg (Kingdom), DGA Assistant Executive Director Steven Knauss, the executive assigned to work with the Council, and DGA Field Rep Faith Santilla, who serves as an advisor to the 1st AD Committee.
After giving an overview of how the day would proceed, Hansson introduced the event’s 1st AD panelists: Fernando Altschul (Narcos), Nicolas Harvard (Yellowstone), Greg McCollum (numerous commercials), Taylor Phillips (Counterpart), Drew Ann Rosenberg (Young Sheldon) and Laura Sylvester (Are You Sleeping?). The financial expert panelists: Accountant Sean Laughlin, CPA Samuel J. Levin, Bookkeeper & Accountant Ashley Pishock and CPA and Business Manager Andrea Wolcott, were introduced by 1st AD Committee member Kelly Cantley-Kashima, who joined Hansson and Committee member Carol Vitkay as moderators.
In the first conversation, Cantley-Kashima engaged the financial experts on tips to best set yourself up regarding taxes. The discussion also touched upon areas such as: how to deal with various costs and fees, the pros and cons of incorporating and the importance of allotting more time to record keeping.
In the second conversation, Vitkay invited the AD panelists to weigh in with their perspectives on having an agent and the overall business of being an AD. This part of the discussion broached subjects that included: optimizing your paycheck and negotiating your deal, the benefits and pitfalls of retaining an agent for deal-making, better ways to market yourself, and consulting the Pension Plan on retirement options.
About the Committee
The ADAD/UPM Council West 1st AD Committee meets to plan events, exchange information, share ideas and address issues facing 1st AD members. In addition to Committee Co-Chairs: Alan B. Curtiss and Mark Hansson, the 1st AD Committee Members are: Tony Adler, David Bernstein, Nicole Burke, Kelly Cantley-Kashima, Steve Danton, Bruce Franklin, Katterli Frauenfelder, Jim Goldthwait, Warren Gray, Van Hayden, Kevin Koster, Larry Lerner, Linda Montanti, Michele Panelli-Venetis, Korey Pollard, Cindy Potthast, Louis Race, Scott Robertson, Artist Robinson, Daniel Silverberg, Tracey Smith Baumert, Babu Subramaniam and Carol Vitkay.