In collaboration with Swedish 2-year education program for Production Managers and Assistant Directors in Frans Schartaus Business Institute we’ve taken our AD Bootcamp to Stockholm, Sweden by evolving it into an 2-month full-time course of Production planning. We’re now joining the program for the third time - and hope to be back again next year.

Our agenda on the course has been divided into 3 modules:

MODULE 1: (3 weeks)

The importance of understanding proper planning
How to read and break down a script PT 1
How to read and break down a script PT 2
Creating a shooting schedule

During the 1st Module all students prepare their own breakdowns and schedules of feature length films on MMS6.

MODULE #2: (1 week)

Communication and team leading
Who reports to who and why

During the 2nd Module students work on additional homework besides having one-on-one meetings to get consultation for their breakdowns and schedules.

MODULE #3: (2 weeks)

Planning the daily work on set, base and office

During the 3rd and last Module students take their schedules to a daily planning stage and prepared detailed call sheets for 1 week of their scheduled shoot. 

Since 2015, we’ve provided a week-long (40 hrs) course on Script Breakdowns and Scheduling for Bachelor students of Film Producing in Aalto University, Department of Film (ELO) in Finland. 

The course includes:

• go-through of the 1st Assistant Director’s job description

• introduction to MMS6 software

• participants breaking down and scheduling a TV series episode 

• case studies 

The course gives the participants basic skills of MMS6 and knowledge of the requirements for script breakdowns and scheduling in film and series productions. On top of that we’ve focused on looking into the collaboration between Producers and Assistant Directors, aiming to prepare them to know what to ask and expect from their Assistant Directors.

If requested the agenda has been adjusted to have more focus on scheduling by adding call sheets in by cutting time from the breakdown assignment of the course.

Furthermore we’ve also had lecturers in Masters Programmes through the years looking into more detailed work of breakdowns and production planning.

In February 2024 we collaborated with Focal and Background Action in Switzerland hosting a 3-day workshop for 2nd Assistant Directors. Aim of the workshop was to encourage more filmmakers to take steps into a deeper state of 2nd AD’ing: becoming a Key 2nd AD. 

Content for the workshop was shaped for Assistant Directors who wish to take their work to another level and meet better the requirements of productions of international scale. 

Our lectures in the workshop included:

• looking into current state of European filmmaking and AD’s roles on creating fluent workflows

• introduction to some of the standards on the AD system internationally and possible modifications of those

• duties and responsibilities included in the key AD job titles (and how those vary)

• detailed description of Key 2nd AD’s work - prep and shoot

• discussion on collaboration between 1st and 2nd AD’s

• getting around the technical side of the call sheet work

• timeline of each call sheet

• daily check: what does my call sheet need to include?

• understanding the meaning of daily planning for each department

• understanding the tones of communication and training tools in it

We’re focusing on the idea of the Key 2nd AD being a fill-in of the 1st AD in the office taking the responsibility of scheduling the production on their hands, leading their part of the team and collaborating with key executives and creatives. With this workshop we aimed to help in creating more space, moving things forward easier and quicker - getting us all to walk further and further from productions in which all rely on one AD solving issues and giving answers.

Since February 2024, we’ve also held the workshop to Helsinki, Finland in collaboration with Blockbusters Gang.

AMPI+ Workshops are designed to provide advanced training for the Academy of Moving People and Images (AMPI) alums and other filmmakers from diverse backgrounds with prior filmmaking experience. All of the AMPI+ intensive workshops are hands-on, tailored according to participants’ wishes and needs, and facilitated by expert tutors and industry professionals.

Our 4-day workshop took place in April 2023 in Helsinki, Finland.

The workshop aimed to give a better understanding of the work of the Assistant Directors by diving into the duties and responsibilities of the 2nd and 3rd Assistant Directors. Participants were introduced better to the concept of Assistant Directing, the workflow of the AD team, the tools and mindset needed to handle the department’s pressure, and the  concrete work with different production documents.

We collaborated with Blockbusters Gang to give the best view from the field: Assistant Directors Olli Kasper and Pia Nurmi joined in teaching of call sheets and managing and casting of the background actors.

Besides this workshop, we’ve been regular lecturers in AMPI 2-year filmmaking programs for Assistant Directing.

In fall of 2024 we took over Laajasalo Folk High School’s filmmaking program for 3 days to introduce them better in the pre-production process of productions.

Lectures included topics such as:

• different stages of film production

• funding of a local nordic feature

• preparation work of the assistant directors

• introduction to the script breakdown process

• introduction to the scheduling of productions

• creation of a simple call sheet

• walkthrough of the daily production documents 

During the three days participants also got tools to create a simple script breakdown in table software of their choice. After the breakdown they received an MS Excel template of a call sheet for a call sheet assignment of their upcoming short film shoot.

Omnia Film Skills is a 5-month workforce training course, aiming to train participants further in the different tasks of film production, production processes, production technology and film narration.

We’ve collaborated with Omnia Film Skills through Blockbusters Gang since 2021 by creating a tailored, 2-3 week training within the program. The exact content of our weeks has varied per each program and its participants. Through the years we’ve included in topics such as:

• Lifecycle of a Film Production 

• Finances of a Film Production

• Working Laws, Collective Agreements and Salaries in Finland

• Marketing and Sales in Film Productions

• Communication in Film Productions 

• Respect, Equality and Safety in Film Industry 

• Acting on Set 

• Transportation Planning in Film Production

• Work of the Assistant Director 

• Script Breakdowns and Scheduling 

• Crash Course to MMS6 (basics)

• Creating Call Sheets 

• Working with Background Actors

• Casting for Minor Roles and Featured Extras

• Work of a Cinematographer

• Career Skills in Film

• CV & Portfolio Workshop

We’ve been in charge of the planning of our weeks, preparing the majority of the materials and helping Blockbusters Gang find the most suitable lecturers in topics that aren’t our expertise. Through this work together we’ve been able to ensure all executions have been coherent yet customized for the needs of the participants.

Blockbusters Gang is a crewing and recruiting service provider in the audiovisual industry. In addition to working for production companies on finding the right candidates for each job they’re passionate about helping filmmakers develop their careers. Blockbusters has played a massive part in our story, as both of our own training programs have been developed and organized under their wings. 

Our collaboration has been tight and until fall 2024 all our open courses have been organized through them. These have included eg.

• two 10-week editions of the Junior Program in 2019

• two 8-week editions of the AD Bootcamp in 2022 and 2023

• 5 intense courses of the AD Bootcamp in 2024

… and dozens of lectures of various topics throughout the years. 

Blockbusters is our key collaborator by providing additional tutors and teachers for us when in need: if we’re too busy ourselves, we want to offer you another training option by people we trust. Both of our Founders also continue to be on their lists for their field work in the film industry.