In 2019, an estimated 792 movies were produced in the U.S. and Canada before the coronavirus pandemic affected the film industry. Moviemaking is a complicated process that takes time and effort which is often overlooked when watching the actual movie, although the people behind the scenes are as crucial to the moviemaking process as the actors. While watching a movie can be super fun, making a movie can be a little bit stressful.
There are so many parts to making a movie, it is too hard to be managed by one person. So while the director of a film focuses on the creative aspect, the first assistant director focuses on all the logistics. On Aug. 18, I had the amazing opportunity to talk to Donald Sparks, the first assistant director of many famous movies. As an assistant director, Sparks manages everything happening behind the scenes, and that is not an easy feat to accomplish with a limited amount of time and money. He has worked on about 77 movies and films that could take from 35 to 117 days. Some of the most famous movies that he worked on include “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “King Richard,” “G-Force,” and “Daddy Day Care.”
When working as a first assistant director on movies like these, Sparks has to coordinate what actors, special effects, stunts, makeup, costumes, etc. are needed for each scene on each day. It is very important for him to keep organized because when making a movie, time is money. To make it even more confusing, the movie is shot out of order, so that scenes in the same location can be shot at once. When asked if his job is stressful, Sparks says, “It can be, because our job is very time-sensitive…so yes, our jobs can be quite stressful sometimes.”
With everything, Sparks enjoys his job very much. He has filmed in many cities such as Vancouver, Budapest, Manhattan and Mexico City. He says he has the opportunity to learn about the cultures in the places he visits. For example, when he works in different countries he must pay attention to their local holidays and events.
Sparks has worked with actors such as Will Smith, Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer and Emma Stone. After hearing all the effort put in by one person, imagine all the people who put their time and effort into a movie. So, the next time you watch a movie, watch the credits and acknowledge all the work that everyone does!
