The Directors’ Assistant provides administrative and production support to two Directors at Sony Pictures Animation. This role manages the Directors’ day-to-day schedule, coordinates meetings and communications, and helps keep materials, information, and follow-up organized throughout the filmmaking process. Working closely with production management and creative teams, the Directors’ Assistant anticipates needs, navigates changing priorities, and helps the Directors stay focused on the creative work.
Sony Pictures Animation is an animation studio based in Los Angeles, California, creating both feature animation and animated series with artists from around the world. We pride ourselves on empowering filmmakers to lead the creative process and allowing the hand of the artist to be truly felt, with the goal of producing bold and innovative visual storytelling.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Manage Directors’ calendar, coordinating meetings, creative reviews, screenings, recording sessions, and other commitments in partnership with production management.
- Anticipate scheduling conflicts, communicate changes promptly, and help balance creative priorities with production needs.
- Answer, screen, and coordinate phone calls; manage correspondence and maintain contact lists.
- Prepare and organize agendas, scripts, reference materials, and other documents needed for meetings and creative discussions.
- Attend meetings as requested, take accurate notes, and organize and distribute approved information and follow-up items.
- Serve as a liaison between the Directors, producers, production management, studio departments, and external contacts, exercising sound judgment about priorities and confidentiality.
- Partner with production coordinators and department teams to ensure the Directors have current materials and information for reviews and decisions.
- Maintain organized files of scripts, notes, research, presentations, and other creative materials, tracking revisions and handling distribution appropriately.
- Provide creative support as requested, including reading and summarizing material, gathering visual and story research, and assembling reference materials.
- Arrange travel and prepare detailed itineraries; process expense reports accurately and on time.
- Coordinate meeting logistics, including room reservations, video conferencing, presentation setup, and catering as needed.
- Help coordinate the Directors’ participation in studio events, presentations, and approved publicity commitments in collaboration with the appropriate departments.
- Handle confidential creative, business, and personnel information with discretion.
- Provide additional administrative and production support as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- 2-5 years of administrative, production office, or related experience; experience supporting a filmmaker or creative executive preferred.
- Previous animation studio or film production experience preferred.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage a busy calendar and competing requests.
- Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, including professional phone and email etiquette.
- Ability to anticipate needs, identify potential issues, and solve problems resourcefully.
- Sound judgment and a demonstrated ability to handle sensitive information with discretion.
- Ability to remain calm, flexible, and dependable in a fast-paced creative environment.
- Strong follow-through and the ability to work independently while collaborating with colleagues across departments.
- Ability to take direction, respond constructively to feedback, and exercise initiative when appropriate.
- Familiarity with the animation production process and an interest in visual storytelling.
- Proficiency with Google Workspace, including Gmail, Google Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Familiarity with Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, Final Draft, or production tracking tools is a plus.
- Ability to support in-person and remote meetings and learn new tools and workflows.
- Flexibility to work occasional overtime as production needs require.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience preferred.
Sony Pictures Animation is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics.
SPE will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with applicable law.
