1st AD for hire in the UK
The 1st AD runs the floor — building the schedule, calling the set, and keeping cast and crew moving safely through the day.
Are you a 1st ad? Get listed and take work near you
Post the role, your postcode and your rate. The nearest 1st ad is asked first — within 19 miles, or further for anyone who has said they travel — and if they pass it moves to the next nearest. Nothing is charged unless someone accepts.
Be the first 1st ad here
No 1st ad has published a profile yet — the crew side is new. Post your request anyway: it pings everyone online nearby, and if you work as a 1st ad, set up your profile to be the first listed.
What a 1st ad does on a shoot
- Breaks the script down and builds the shooting schedule.
- Runs the floor — calls the set, keeps the day moving, holds the crew to the plan.
- Owns safety on set: briefings, stunts, crowd, and calling a stop when one is needed.
How hiring a 1st ad works
- 1
Post the role
Say you need a 1st ad, where the shoot is, the dates and the rate you're offering.
- 2
The nearest is asked first
The closest 1st ad gets it alone, and it widens to the next nearest every 60 seconds until someone accepts.
- 3
First to accept takes it
The job locks to them, you swap details, and you rate each other afterwards.
Hiring a 1st ad
- What does a 1st AD actually do on the day?
- Runs it. They call the roll, move cast and crew through each setup, watch the clock against the schedule and tell the director where the day stands. A good 1st is the difference between making the day and losing it.
- Do I need a 1st AD on a small shoot?
- If you have actors, a schedule and more than a handful of crew, yes. A director cannot direct and run the floor at once without one of the two suffering.