AD Page Count Estimation: Practical Training Methods?

Hey everyone,

Naomi Blackwell here, production sound mixer. I was on a feature last month where we were constantly running behind because our AD, bless their heart, was consistently underestimating scene times. We had some pretty complex tracking shots with an ALEXA Mini and a 24-70mm, and then quieter, dialogue-heavy stuff that still took longer than allotted because of blocking changes.

It got me thinking about how new ADs can develop a more realistic sense of time. The common advice is 'experience,' but how do they get that initial, accurate 'feel' without constantly throwing off schedules? I've seen some try to break down every action, but that seems almost too granular.

For those of you who've been around, what's a practical, actionable method you've seen work for a new AD to build a better internal clock for page counts, especially for different scene types (action, dialogue, complex camera moves)? Are there specific exercises or ways to observe that click for people?