July 27, 2016
Realizing a need for a diverse pool of properly trained Assistant Directors in the industry, in 1965 the Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers established the Directors Guild-Producer Training Plan, Assistant Directors Training Program (ADTP). The ADTP’s purpose is to provide equal access to men and women of diverse backgrounds to participate in an industry sponsored program that trains people to become Second Assistant Directors in the motion picture and television industry. The ADTP has branches in both Los Angeles and New York.
Both programs feature on-the-job training, along with seminars and special assignments. Trainees become employees of a wide variety of feature films, TV series and commercials where they will work under the supervision of DGA AD/UPM members until completion of the program.
The ADTP recently announced the names of those newly accepted to the program that will begin in 2016 and the names of this year's graduates who are now qualified to join the Guild as Second Assistant Directors.
Pictured in the photos below are:
West Coast Program
- Class of 2013 ADTP Graduates Gregory Bell, Gordon Freeman, Cody Gallo, Amber Koehler, Chalis Romero, Narbeh Nazarian, David Shark, and Heather Wagner. (Not pictured: David Buchwald)
- Class of 2016 ADTP New Trainees Stephanie Bradford, Oliver Calhoun, Morgan Clay, Michael Dris, Jeffrey Goodell, Nicole Jones, Ashlea Patterson, Khalid Scates, Nicholas Schlyer, Ashley Shewell, Jeremy Silveira, and Rachel Woodburn.
New York Program
- ADTP Class of 2016 Film Trainees Paul Alary, Alana Bonilla, Wendy Granger, Melina Greene, Jim Lanier, Findlay Zotter Chris Zou, and Commercial Trainees Jake Leibowitz and Matt Smith.
- New York ADTP Class of 2017 Film Trainees Nick DuVarney, Amrita Kundu, Alan Morgan, Abby Pierson and Commercial Trainee Samantha Melville.
- New York ADTP Class of 2018 Film Trainees Melissa Garcia, Kyler Griffin, Sarah Harding, Carrie Hunter, Larry McGee, Rachel Sikora, Davis Woodall, and Commercial Trainees Abel Herrera and Mike Polisano.
For more information about both ADTP programs visit the Training Programs page
LA ADTP by Gingie Feldman, NY ADTP photos courtesy ADTP