Tech Recces as a 3rd AD

I'm heading off on tech recces for my current gig soon and thought it might be a good idea to share how I prepare and what I do on them as a 3rd Assistant Director.

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Tech recces are one of those things that sound very official and organised… and then you get on one and realise it’s basically a lot of people walking around thinking about completely different problems.

A tech recce is an opportunity to meet the HoDs ahead of the production meeting, a chance for the 1st AD to go through the scenes with the crew in the actual locations, for the Director and DOP to talk through their vision and for everyone to get the info they need in order to do their jobs more effectively on the shoot day.

Before you even get to the recce, you should have read the scripts and had a look at the one-liner and the schedule for the recce day. Have them on you. iPad or printed — doesn’t matter. You will check them more than you think, even if it’s just to keep yourself on track with what scene everyone is talking about.

Your main job is being the 1st AD’s right hand. And I mean that in the most literal way possible. Where they’re not, you are. If there is more than one bus, you’re on the one they’re not on. If they’re with the Director, you’re with the DoP. If they’re caught in a conversation, you’re the one keeping an eye on everything else.

You’re watching the crew, making sure people are moving and not drifting off, and making sure information is actually landing with the people that need it. It sounds simple but it’s very easy for things to get missed on a recce. I think I will say here though is to please remember that everyone you are with are ultimately adults just like you. If they choose to speak over the 1st AD when they're giving everyone the run down of each scene at that location, all you can do is politely ask them to be quiet. If they choose to stay behind for deeper convos or start measuring things when the 1st AD has said 'lets finish up here as a group and then break away' - again all you can do is ask them to follow along. Everyone is an adult and you have to remember that they are responsible for getting the information they need to do their job - its not up to you to lift and lay them or hand spoon them the information.

You also end up asking a lot of questions for people who aren’t there. The 2nd AD, the crowd team, sometimes even production. So you need to be thinking ahead a bit. How many kids are in the scene? Where would holding go? It might feel like you’re asking obvious things but those are usually the things that cause problems later if no one’s asked them early.

Then there’s the logistics side of it which, honestly, is where your brain starts doing the most. You’re thinking about lunch (and yes, it does matter if people are sitting or standing depending on the day type), toilets, green rooms, kids holding, road closures, changing areas… all while standing in a location trying to picture a full shoot day happening there.

You also want to think about unit base and travel. Something can look completely fine on a recce and then fall apart when you actually factor in moving crew, cast and kit between places.

Another thing to note is to bring your backpack, water bottle, pencil case, notebook and of course your wet weather gear. Look at the weather before hand and the location list and dress appropriately. Wear trainers and bring boots / wellies or vice versa depending on which location you start at and what it requires.

Have some kind of notes system because you will not remember everything. I usually use an Excel doc on my iPad and fill it in as I go, but sometimes it’s quicker to just write straight onto the one-liner. Things like crowd numbers, how many kids, animals or action vehicles— anything that you know someone will ask you later. You’ll also start noticing things like animals, stunts, SFX — anything that’s going to have an impact on timing or resets. You don’t need to solve it all on the recce, but you do need to clock it.

Have the latest scripts with you as well. If you print them, one-sided is great because you can make notes. If you’re on a TV job though, that can get heavy very quickly so digital might be easier. It’s just about being able to check things quickly without slowing anything down. Most of the job really is just being aware. Listening to conversations, picking up bits of information, and covering the things the 1st AD can’t be in two places for. If they’re focused on one side of things, you’re on the other.

So if you get to the end of the recce and you’ve kept things moving, asked the questions that needed asking and actually written things down so they make sense later — you’ve done your job.

Like everything in this role, you figure a lot of it out as you go.

TAR

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