Trainees are a screened and trained addition to your production team and can perform DGA duties. All trainees have had classroom-based curriculum that includes: Production forms, call sheets, first aid, SAG, IATSE & Basic Crafts contracts, Safety on set, and staging background action. We also offer several incentive programs to you that may help alleviate some of the costs of hiring a trainee (or multiple!) on your production. Our programs include:
OUR MISSION
The mission of the Directors Guild–Producer Training Plan is to provide motion picture and television industry training as directed by the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers and the Directors Guild of America.
The Assistant Directors Training Program recruits a diverse group of applicants from across the United States and provides selected candidates with education, training and paid experience in professional settings, facilitating their development into successful Assistant Directors. The Training Program’s ultimate goal is to provide the Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers with Assistant Directors of the highest quality and professionalism.
The Directors Guild-Producer Training Plan offers safety training to Directors Guild of America covered employees and provides seminars covering current changes to collective bargaining agreements and local, state and federal filming regulations; to all motion picture and television industry employees, working within the classifications of Unit Production Manager and Assistant Director.
* Note that we do not train participants to be producers or directors. This program offers training specifically to learn the craft of an Assistant Director.
DIVERSITY &
INCLUSION
STATEMENT
The Directors Guild-Producer Training Plan embraces equality and inclusion in a meaningful way. We are committed to building a community of trainees of varied backgrounds, and diverse voices.
THE ROLE OF THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
“Being in the DGA Training Program was the best opportunity of a lifetime. The on-the-job training and experiences prepared me to become a great AD. The amount of ADs, UPMs, and Producers that the Training Plan has connected me with will assist me with finding jobs for years to come.”
-LaTrisa Jackson, Program Graduate
“Being a DGA trainee, I was able to obtain practical experience while learning from the best AD’s in the industry on award winning film & TV projects. While gaining my experience, I was afforded the opportunity to foster working relationships within the AD departments. These lasting relationships, even after graduation, have made it possible to continue to find work and achieve my career goals as an AD.”
— Mindy Ma, Program Graduate
“The DGA Training Program offered me opportunities and experiences I would not have been able to achieve on my own. From the people I met, the training I received and the shows I worked on, the Training Program provided me the skills and networking I needed to jump start and maintain my career. I am thankful and proud to be a DGA Trainee Alumni."
-Jenny Nolan Bailey, Program Graduate