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For Jordan McClymont, working as an Assistant Director (AD) has been the core of his career in film and TV since first completing BECTU Vision’s Hit the Ground Running course five and a half years ago. That first step led him onto their Fabulous Floor Runner training, and from there he built his experience across productions as a runner, floor Third, and Crowd Third.

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Stepping Up Through Experience

Like many in the industry, Jordan’s progression has often come from seizing opportunities on the job:

“A large part of film-TV training is learning while you're earning. I have often been flung into step-up days due to illness or production needs. While good for learning quickly, you don't have the overview of prep including recce days and discussions with the 1st.”

It was this missing piece of preparation knowledge that motivated him to take the
Third AD course:

“I was keen to get insight on how to be an effective Third in prep and how to implement these discussions and plans on the day.”

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Finding His Strengths as a Crowd Third

For Jordan, the Third AD course was not just a refresher but also a chance to sharpen these skills and fill in the gaps formal training can provide:

“A course like this was perfect to help keep me sharp for work in the near future and ultimately, the opportunity to receive formal training like this is extremely rare.”

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The Value of Theory

Jordan found the theory day particularly beneficial for giving context and structure to the role:

“The course was excellent. Alex and Mark are extremely knowledgeable. Would love even more time learning, but it was a comprehensive day that will equip me to take on Third AD jobs. It's just good to have that space to ask questions about things you're not sure about – I can see that being helpful in other moments.”

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The Power of Practice

The practical side of the course gave Jordan the chance to test his learning in real-world scenarios. He highlighted the value of rotating through different teams and set-ups:

“I think having the two different teams worked really well, with Harry and with Mark, they were changing up every time so no one had the same scenario. With Alex and Carol Anne, it was the same set-up so the challenge was how do you do it differently - so different scenarios and I think that was really good.”

Hands-on exercises such as managing cars on set made the experience especially relevant:

“I think it was really helpful using cars. A lot of us may have only had a few days of Thirding - it's really helpful to have our car there and also be thinking about health and safety.”

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Looking Forward

Overall, Jordan described the course as “comprehensive” and difficult to fault, with practical insights he can take straight back into his AD work. With a stronger understanding of prep and hands-on experience in challenging scenarios, he’s now well-positioned to step confidently into future Third AD roles.

The BECTU Vision Third AD Skills Boost Programme offered a rare, high-quality training opportunity that helped crew like Jordan refine their craft, gain confidence, and prepare for the next stage in their careers.