We were lucky to catch up with Theo Dixon recently and have shared our conversation below.

Theo, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

Amongst the trends, taking place right now in the industry, the biggest trend happens to be the movement of film outside of America. You see, back in 2023 when the writer and actor strike happened we (the crew) were all a little concerned about the outcome that would present itself either during said strikes or after. That uneasy feeling reigned true because, not one year later in 2024 the labor unions for the crew were renegotiating contracts and were discussing the possibility of striking if certain wages were not increased. Thankfully, no strike commenced however, it did take a toll on the amount of work that films in America. Studios, especially Disney got skittish about filming in America due to the labor cost that come along with it. During the 2023 strike the studios learned a lot about what people were willing to fight for and thus when the crew had their turn to fight for higher wages in the ever-changing economy. The studios went back-and-forth and agreed on a solution, however, multiple studios pulled out of filming in America and simply went to a different country to film for cheaper. Our unions only protect the workforce that primarily resides in America unless they are brought out to a different country by the production company to film. All of the locals of that country are not protected under our unions and also have far lower wages. Now the big concern is if working full time in the film industry in America is even a viable option anymore. Or if it’s better to find different jobs to make full time.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My curiosity for the arts and acting in putting on a show began when I was in high school. I started with doing the technical side of theater and then began acting once I got to college. I realized that acting was not the most viable option in terms of a paycheck and or reliable pay. Thus, I went back to my roots of doing tech, however I wanted to change it up and follow the more technical route in filmmaking. I went to college for film, studied all of the inner workings of film development, pre-reproduction production and post production. Focused in on my particular skill set, assistant directing. Within the assistant director department, we handle the schedule of the movie and all of the logistic bits and bobs that go into to a viable schedule to safely complete the work. We need to film for the day well also acting in accordance with the budget so that we don’t over spend on a day that we are not supposed to or approved to do. Every day on a film set can cost anywhere from $100,000-$500,000. It depends on what we’re doing how we’re doing it and how long we’re going to do it.

I think the mindset that I go in with for my clients is one that is catering more for the director and their vision. Most assistant directors go in with the mindset of trying to get whatever we can whilst keeping the budget. My priorities whilst are along the same line, I negotiate with the director on what shots to get that are really trying to tell the story that the director wants to tell versus ones that we can quicken our pace for to allow for us to make our days without going over budget. Which most directors appreciate that I not only keep them on track but care for really the heart and core of their vision of the story that they want to tell and will make the vision the priority. There’s a lot of honesty and trust there that has to be nurtured to become strong.

I’m most proud of my commitment and adaptability to ever changing environments, including staffing. With filming/working anywhere from 12 to 15 hour days all of your coworkers become really close and helpful in the sense that they know the project that you are working on. They can best answer certain questions that refer to continuity, actor comfort, location based familiarity, safety, all of these things help with navigating the day-to-day operations of a set. However, in my experience I’ve been on several shows where certain departments are fired on the spot or changes with personnel are made very quick and we are witnessing these changes whilst also having to make our day. Most often the replacement of these changes have no idea what we are doing in terms of the script, continuity or any of the mentioned qualities above that make filming with ease possible. So one must be adaptable and flexible to any possible change that can come up and have counter measures. I would say that I am very good at building and creating counter measures in prep and also on the spot if none of the plan counter measures are desirable options.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Managing a team in film can always be tricky in the sense that there’s a lot that a 1AD (first assistant director) doesn’t see within his or her own department. In that sense, I would say it’s really good to have a bond with your supportive team (Key 2nd AD & 2nd 2nd AD). No, who they are down to a personal level so that they can tell you when this shit is actually hitting the fan. Honesty is the best quality even if it’s at a bad time. At the end of the day, we are trying to drive the ship forward through all of the problems that could present themselves and navigate as best we can. Knowing all of the available information is key.

For keeping morale up, it’s important to recognize that you are not a team of one and that the gears do not turn unless everyone is playing their part. It also does not hurt to form a more familiar bond, such as inviting the team out for drinks at the end of a long week or going to a social event such as a movie, topgolf, etc. It’s also important to form a dialogue with each member of the team individually to really make it feel like they have been seen. No one I repeat no one, wants to work for a boss that barely acknowledges their existence in a positive or negative light.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

My persistence in performing at a very high professional bar catered to my reputation building with such positive feedback and trust.

Contact Info:

• Other: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8779579/

Image Credits

Jazelle Handoush