Assistants are people too!

    One of the reasons I wrote The Assistant Lighting Designer's Toolkit is that I think it's time for an Assistant's Revolution.  For those of us that work as assistants and associates (lighting or otherwise) it is time to be recognized for the work that we do and the talent it takes to be successful in this career.  It seems that all too often we are considered "just" assistants.
    And, of course, it is ironic that we are all also designers... designing in between assisting gigs, alternating between the two careers, or maybe working our way towards a full design career.  We all have degrees and/or experience in design in order to make it where we are today.  The designers we work for recognize how much work we do, but for others we may still be viewed as glorified note-takers.  It's time that we come out from the shadows with pride.  As I like to say... be proud to be an ALD!  (ha! ha!  It rhymes!)
    We needed a toolkit to lay out the baselines of the profession as well as our own guide used to plant a flag into this vastly competitive, high-stakes profession that is often not viewed as such.  So I wrote it.  I hope when you get your hands on it, you feel that I succeeded in this goal.   
     I'd love to hear from you.  Was there ever a time that you felt you were treated like "just" an assistant?  Or do you think I'm crazy and you like hiding in the shadows as the lighting-ninja.  :)  Please share your thoughts....