Meet the ADs – Details, episodes & analysis

This is part two of our two-part Assistant Director Awards Special - because this year, Meet the ADs partnered with the Assistant Director Awards (ADA) to share the winning teams’ insights with a wider audience. 

We’re not part of the awards organisation itself, but we’re proud to collaborate in celebrating outstanding AD work from around the globe. Julia hosted the 2025 ADA Winners’ Q&A featuring the gold-winning AD teams of Ripley and The Substance. The conversations were far too good to disappear into a Zoom archive, so we’re bringing them to you as two special podcast episodes.

For "The Substance" the entire AD team was present consisting of 1st AD Matthieu de la Mortière, 2nd ADs Olivia Delplace & Benoît Seiller, 2nd 2nd AD Anne Juin and 3rd ADs Agathe Manzanares & Joséphine Anquiez.

This Q&A was recorded live on Zoom, with a visual audience present and questions coming in throughout the session so the conversation style is a little different from our usual episodes. You’ll notice a few audio hiccups here and there.

Learn more about the Assistant Director Awards:

⁠www.assistant-director-awards.com⁠

@assistant_director_awards

We’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas or guest suggestions for future episodes—send us a DM on Instagram or email podcast@ad-union.org.

Follow us & stay updated:

Podcast: @meettheads_podcast

Julia & Tim: @juliaeiber @tim.schaer

Post Production Audio: Fabian Simon @fabian_a_simon

Music: Daniel Herget (⁠⁠www.blacktriaudio.de⁠⁠)

Logo Design: Benjamin Probst (⁠⁠www.benjamin-probst.de⁠⁠)

ADU (AD Union Germany): ⁠www.ad-union.org/en/home

Today’s episode is part one of our two-part Assistant Director Awards Special because this year, Meet the ADs partnered with the Assistant Director Awards (ADA) to share the winning teams’ insights with a wider audience.

We’re not part of the awards organisation itself, but we’re proud to collaborate in celebrating outstanding AD work from around the globe. Julia hosted the 2025 ADA Winners’ Q&A featuring the gold-winning AD teams of Ripley and The Substance. The conversations were far too good to disappear into a Zoom archive, so we’re bringing them to you as two special podcast episodes.

This episode (Part 1) focuses on the beautifully crafted black-and-white series RIPLEY, an AD-masterclass in precision, planning, and the challenge of locking off extraordinary film locations across Italy. Julia speaks with: 1st AD Peter Thorell. Key 2nd AD Barbara Pastrovich and Floor 2nd AD Gianluca La Rosa

Also mentioned, though not part of the recording, are Italian 1st AD Davide Sacchetti and 2nd Unit 1st AD Lorenzo de Nicola.

This Q&A was recorded live on Zoom, with a visual audience present and questions coming in throughout the session — so the conversation style is a little different from our usual episodes. You’ll notice a few audio hiccups here and there.

Learn more about the Assistant Director Awards:

www.assistant-director-awards.com

@assistant_director_awards

We’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas or guest suggestions for future episodes—send us a DM on Instagram or email podcast@ad-union.org.

Follow us & stay updated:

Podcast: @meettheads_podcast

Julia & Tim: @juliaeiber @tim.schaer

Post Production Audio: Fabian Simon @fabian_a_simon

Music: Daniel Herget (⁠www.blacktriaudio.de⁠)

Logo Design: Benjamin Probst (⁠www.benjamin-probst.de⁠)

ADU (AD Union Germany): www.ad-union.org/en/home

This episode features the industry legend Michael Lerman. 1st AD Michael worked on the biggest pictures possible such as the Bond movies "Quantum of Solace", "Skyfall" and "Spectre". But also on "1917", "Jurassic World", "Doctor Strange", "Man in Black" or "Garden State". 

We are talking about firsting the world's biggest franchise not once, not twice but three times. And we are getting an insight on when you get to say no to DoP Sir Roger Deakins. From PA to 1st AD we are learning about Michaels impressive career, his experience in shooting in multiple countries with thousands of extras and about the biggest challenges he ever faced on set.

Sit back and enjoy this very inspiring conversation with Michael Lerman - someone we learned to admire in so many ways possible and wanna thank again that he took the time to talk to us. Enjoy!  

As always, if you have any thoughts, ideas or guest requests for the future, we are always happy to hear from you. Write to us: podcast@ad-union.org

INSTAGRAM:

Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@meettheads_podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Julia: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@juliaeiber⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tim: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tim.schaer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music: Daniel Herget (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.blacktriaudio.de⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Logo Design: Benjamin Probst (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.benjamin-probst.de⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Powered by the ADU (Assistant Directors Union) Germany: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@adu_germany⁠

This episode features the Oscar winning feature by Giorgos Lanthimos "Poor Things" starring Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo. We are talking to 1st Assistant Director Hayley Williams and Key 2nd Assistant Director Edoardo Petti about the director´s very unique style of filming and the perks of dressing as well as lighting every set 360 degrees. But we are also taking a closer look at working with an Intimacy Coordinator, full nudity and closed sets as well as creating an environment that gives everyone including crew and cast space and safety for intimate scenes. Enjoy!  

As always, if you have any thoughts, ideas or guest requests for the future, we are always happy to hear from you. Write to us: podcast@ad-union.org

INSTAGRAM:

Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@meettheads_podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

Julia: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@juliaeiber⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tim: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@tim.schaer⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music: Daniel Herget (⁠⁠⁠⁠www.blacktriaudio.de⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Logo Design: Benjamin Probst (⁠⁠⁠⁠www.benjamin-probst.de⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Powered by the ADU (Assistant Directors Union) Germany: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@adu_germany⁠

Episode 6 features the 2022 drama "Tár" written and directed by Todd Field. Cate Blanchett stars as Lydia Tár, a world-renowned conductor facing accusations of misconduct. We're talking to 1st AD Sebastian Fahr-Brix, Key 2nd AD Maria Mehnert and Crowd 2nd AD Ann Sophie Heier about their journey on this film. The topics are limited prep-time, impressive one shots, prepping cast for numerous difficult tasks such as conducting and working with a real life orchestra in an actual philharmonic hall. Enjoy! 

Als always, if you have any thoughts, ideas or guest requests for the future, we are always happy to hear from you. Write to us: podcast@ad-union.org

INSTAGRAM:

Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠@meettheads_podcast⁠⁠⁠

Julia: ⁠⁠⁠@juliaeiber⁠⁠⁠

Tim: ⁠⁠⁠@tim.schaer⁠⁠⁠

Music: Daniel Herget (⁠⁠⁠www.blacktriaudio.de⁠⁠⁠)

Logo Design: Benjamin Probst (⁠⁠⁠www.benjamin-probst.de⁠⁠⁠)

Powered by the ADU (Assistant Directors Union) Germany: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@adu_germany⁠

This episode features two Assistant Directors of the British hit series THE CROWN who have worked on a variety of episodes across all 6 seasons. THE CROWN is a historical TV series about the British monarchy, specifically the rein of Queen Elizabeth II principally written by Peter Morgan for Netflix. 

We're so happy to talk to 1st AD Finn and Key 2nd AD Lynsey about the experience of working on a show for so many years, having constantly changing directors, staying on top of a schedule for hundreds of days with changing ADs, jumping through almost six decades on screen and their most fun memories of the shoot. Enjoy! 

Als always, if you have any thoughts, ideas or guest requests for the future, we are always happy to hear from you. Write to us: podcast@ad-union.org

INSTAGRAM:

Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠@meettheads_podcast⁠⁠⁠

Julia: ⁠⁠⁠@juliaeiber⁠⁠⁠

Tim: ⁠⁠⁠@tim.schaer⁠⁠⁠

Music: Daniel Herget (⁠⁠⁠www.blacktriaudio.de⁠⁠⁠)

Logo Design: Benjamin Probst (⁠⁠⁠www.benjamin-probst.de⁠⁠⁠)

Powered by the ADU (Assistant Directors Union) Germany: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@adu_germany⁠

Episode four features the multilingual German hit series "1899" created by Baran Bo Odar and Jantje Friese for Netflix who previously created "Dark". We're talking to 1st AD Rickie-Lee Roberts, Key 2nd AD Georgina Foley and Crowd 2nd AD David Wunderlich about how they managed over 100 shooting days without going crazy. Besides that, we're speaking about their experience shooting in the 360 degree LED studio "the Volume" as the "1899" crew was only the second crew after "The Mandalorian" to use than technology. Enjoy!

Als always, if you have any thoughts, ideas or guest requests for the future, we are always happy to hear from you. Write to us: podcast@ad-union.org

INSTAGRAM:

Podcast: ⁠⁠@meettheads_podcast⁠⁠

Julia: ⁠⁠@juliaeiber⁠⁠

Tim: ⁠⁠@tim.schaer⁠⁠

Music: Daniel Herget (⁠⁠www.blacktriaudio.de⁠⁠)

Logo Design: Benjamin Probst (⁠⁠www.benjamin-probst.de⁠⁠)

Powered by the ADU (Assistant Directors Union) Germany: ⁠⁠⁠@adu_germany⁠

In unserer ersten Deutschen Folge, hatten wir die große Freude, mit Produzent und Regisseur Christopher Doll zu sprechen. Chris ist Mitbegründer und Geschäftsführer der Hellinger/Doll Filmproduktion und den meisten Filmschaffenden in Deutschland seit Jahren ein bekannter Begriff; z.B. als Produzent von Filmen wie "Traumfrauen", "SMS für Dich", "4 gegen die Bank" oder "Wunderschön". Vor seiner Produzenten-Karriere, hat Chris jedoch als 1. Regieassistent und 1st AD Filme wie "Krabat", "Im Winter ein Jahr", "Buddy", "Wickie", "3096 Tage" oder "Anonymus" von Roland Emmerich geprägt.

Wir sprechen über Chris Lebensweg, seine Liebe zum Kino und zur großen Leinwand, wichtige Momente in seiner Karriere, aber auch die 4-Tage-Woche beim Film, das Miteinander am Set, Respekt für die Crew und die Bedeutung der ADs am Set. Schlussendlich geht es aber natürlich auch um sein Regiedebüt "Eine Million Minuten". Ein großartiger, bewegender Kinofilm mit Karoline Herfurth und Tom Schilling in den Hauptrollen.

Themen-Wünsche, Fragen und Anregungen nehmen wir jederzeit gerne entgegen! Schreibt uns einfach an: podcast@ad-union.org

INSTAGRAM:

Podcast: ⁠⁠@meettheads_podcast⁠⁠

Julia: ⁠⁠@juliaeiber⁠⁠

Tim: ⁠⁠@tim.schaer⁠⁠

Music: Daniel Herget (⁠⁠www.blacktriaudio.de⁠⁠)

Logo Design: Benjamin Probst (⁠⁠www.benjamin-probst.de⁠⁠)

Powered by the ADU (Assistant Directors Union) Germany: ⁠⁠⁠@adu_germany⁠

Episode two features the core AD team of Edward Bergers epic German anti-war film "All Quiet On The Western Front" from 2022, also called "Im Westen nichts Neues" in German. It was a pleasure speaking with 1st AD Benedict Hoermann and Crowd 2nd AD Valerie Adamer about their their achievements, challenges and most fun memories of the shoot. We dig deep behind the scenes of the winner of nine Academy Awards last year. During the first half we´ll be talking about cranes, gimbals, meaning camera shots and technical equipment as well as storyboarding and rehearsing thoroughly. In the second half it's more about crowd, burning stunts people and the psychological impact of "playing war" but also about frozen sandbags and being a first time guest at the Oscars as an Assistant Director. Enjoy!

And if you have any thoughts, ideas or even guest requests for the future, we are always happy to hear from you. Write to us: podcast@ad-union.org

INSTAGRAM:

Podcast: ⁠@meettheads_podcast⁠

Julia: ⁠@juliaeiber⁠

Tim: ⁠@tim.schaer⁠

Music: Daniel Herget (⁠www.blacktriaudio.de⁠)

Logo Design: Benjamin Probst (⁠www.benjamin-probst.de⁠)

Powered by the ADU (Assistant Directors Union) Germany: ⁠⁠@adu_germany⁠

Our first episode features the core Assistant Director (AD) team of the British hit TV show "Peaky Blinders" Season 5 and 6. It was an honour speaking with 1st AD Jon Midlane, Key 2nd AD Arizona Eastwood and 3rd AD Mike King about their careers as well as their achievements, challenges and most fun memories of the shoot. We dig deep behind the scenes of one of the UK‘s biggest shows, hear the touching story of losing a beloved cast member during the shoot, get amazed by the fact that some actors who play a married couple on "Peaky Blinders" were never in the same room together and cannot stop laughing about the ridiculous things one has to do as a 1st AD - like in Jon's case: playing a dead body and at the same time calling "action".

Enjoy! And if you have any thoughts, ideas or even guest requests for the future, we are always happy to hear from you. Write to us: podcast@ad-union.org

INSTAGRAM:

Podcast: @meettheads_podcast

Julia: @juliaeiber

Tim: @tim.schaer

Music: Daniel Herget (www.blacktriaudio.de)

Logo Design: Benjamin Probst (www.benjamin-probst.de)

Powered by the ADU (Assistant Directors Union) Germany: ⁠@adu_germany⁠