Prep: the checkout
A 1st AC's prep happens mostly at the rental house. The DP has chosen a camera and a lens set, and the AC team spends several days before the shoot building and testing every piece of the package. The 1st AC checks that each lens's focus marks are accurate against a measured chart, that the lenses match each other in color and sharpness, and that the camera records the format, frame rate, and resolution the DP and post supervisor agreed on. They test wireless follow focus systems, video transmitters, monitors, batteries and chargers, and the matte box and filters.
Anything that fails gets swapped before the truck is loaded. A lens that's soft at wide open or a follow focus motor that loses calibration on day three costs far more in shooting time than an extra checkout day. The 1st AC signs off on the package list, which becomes the camera department's section of the equipment checklist.
On set: focus and the camera build
Each morning the 1st AC and 2nd AC build the camera for the first setup. As the operator and DP decide on a lens and position, the 1st AC mounts the lens, sets the stop the DP asks for, and gets the follow focus and monitor running.
During the marking rehearsal, the 1st AC measures distances from the sensor to the actors' marks, usually with a tape measure, laser rangefinder, or a distance display on the monitor, and marks them on the follow focus disc or handset. On a take, they pull focus from mark to mark as the actors move, watching the actors and a monitor, and making judgment calls when an actor misses a mark.
A worked example
Scene 42, the diner argument, A camera on a 75mm. Maya starts at the door (18 feet), walks to the counter (11 feet), and sits in the booth (7 feet). The 1st AC marks all three distances on the focus disc during rehearsal and asks the 2nd AC to lay tape marks for her at the counter and booth. On take 2 she stops half a step past the counter mark, about 10 feet, and the 1st AC follows her with the pull instead of landing on the 11-foot mark. After the take the AC tells the operator and DP: "Take 2, a little soft for a beat at the counter; she overshot." That note goes to the script supervisor so the editor knows.
Longer lenses and wider apertures make this harder, because there's less depth of field to hide a small miss. When the DP wants to shoot a close-up wide open on a long lens, a good 1st AC asks for an extra rehearsal with the actor before rolling, because a soft close-up is a take the editor can't use.
Lens changes and camera moves
When the setup changes, the 1st AC calls for the lens and the 2nd AC brings it. On a two-camera show, a lens change on A camera and a height change on B camera might happen at the same time, and the 1st ACs call out their progress so the 1st AD knows when camera is ready. When the camera moves from sticks to dolly to Steadicam, the 1st AC rebuilds it for each rig: removing the matte box, changing batteries, swapping to a lighter lens, and rebalancing.
A realistic day
| Time | Work |
|---|---|
| 5:45 a.m. | In before call. Powers up cameras, checks batteries charged overnight |
| 6:00 a.m. | Crew call. Builds A camera for the first setup |
| 6:30 a.m. | Marking rehearsal. Measures and marks focus distances |
| 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Pulls focus, lens changes between setups, reports soft takes |
| 1:00 p.m. | Lunch. Swaps media with the 2nd AC and checks with the DIT |
| 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. | Afternoon setups. Rebuilds camera for a Steadicam shot |
| 6:00 p.m. | Camera wrap. Breaks down cameras, cleans lenses, loads the truck |
| 6:45 p.m. | Out. Signs the camera report |
Who the 1st AC works with
The 1st AC works for the camera operator and the DP, and supervises the second assistant camera and any loader or camera utility. They're in constant contact with the digital imaging technician about recording settings, media, and image problems, with the grips about camera rigging, and with the script supervisor about lenses used for each setup.
Pay and the union
In Local 600's contract the job is First Assistant Photographer. On the 2026 to 2027 Western Region rate card, Panel 1 (features and one-hour episodic, studio-local), effective August 2, 2026:
| Schedule | Per hour | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule A-1, daily (1-1/2 after 8 and/or 40, 8-hour minimum call) | $67.99 | none |
| Schedule B-1, weekly (43.2-hour week) | $65.58 | $2,937.98 |
The weekly guarantee is 43.2 hours with 3.2 of them past 40 at time and a half. That's 40 plus 3.2 times 1.5, or 44.8 straight-time hours, and 44.8 times $65.58 is $2,937.98.
The rate card's Technician rate ($81.10 daily, $76.90 weekly with a $3,445.12 guarantee) applies to a 1st AC assigned to specialized equipment such as anamorphic or 3-D systems, where special skills are required, and to a 1st AC working for a company without an existing camera department.
How 1st ACs get hired
Most 1st ACs worked as loaders or camera utilities and then 2nd ACs, learning the gear from the people above them. Focus pulling takes years of practice, and a 1st AC's reputation among DPs and operators is usually built one show at a time.
To work union jobs in Los Angeles or the Western Region, 1st ACs need placement on the Industry Experience Roster through Contract Services: 30 days of union work as a 1st AC within one year, or 100 days of union or non-union work in the classification within three years, documented with employment verification letters. Placement requires joining Local 600 within 60 days.
The lens information a 1st AC logs connects to the camera report and the script supervisor's facing pages. Storiara's equipment module lists camera and lens gear with cost, rate, and availability fields and prints the list, which helps when the camera package comes back to the rental house at wrap.