What Reports are Useful for Preparing a Film Shoot

Are you wondering what reports are useful for preparing a film shoot? We’ve outlined a list of reports that are vital when preparing for a shoot and those that may not be absolutely necessary but certainly are helpful along the way. Check out the list and let us know what you would add for the ultimate breakdown in film shooting preparation.

Production scheduling documents are vital to a smooth-running project. Your decision to produce standardized documents prior to the production may make a difference in whether your project gets completed in a timely manner and on budget, or not.

So, instead of looking at all those schedules and charts as another waste of paper, let’s break them down and see how each report is useful as you prepare a film shoot.

The Day Out of Days Report 

Often referred to in the film world as just DOOD, the Day Out of Days report makes up a graph that shows the characters to be featured in the film and the total number of days in the film shoot. Each character on the chart is associated with a number that corresponds with his or her importance in the story.

In other words, the main character is 1, the second main is 2, etc. Additionally, the chart may include a note as to which actor plays each particular character in the production.

Order of Importance

In addition to the characters, order of importance in the story, and shoot days that each character is included in, the DOOD includes several other notation codes that indicate a wide range of details.

Examples such as the first or last day of an actor’s work on the set, whether an actor is on hold for changes to be made to the shoot schedule or script, and whether an actor is finishing his or her part on the script a particular day. Or if their entire part will be started and completed in the same shoot day.

Codes are lettered as follows:

• SW: this means that an actor is starting work that day. SW indicates the first day he or she is on set.
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• W: this means that the actor is on the set working that day.
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• H: this means that the actor is on hold for some reason and is not working. This may be due to changes in the shoot schedule, script changes, or various other things. Actors are paid for every day they are involved in the production or on hold awaiting the production. Changes in shoot schedules or other reasons for a hold should be avoided when possible.
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• WF: the abbreviation Wf indicates that the actor is finished, aka work-finish.
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• SWF: Much like WF, SWF stands for start-work-finish. This means that in the same day the actor starts works, and finishes in the same production day. For some producers, the abbreviation for this scenario is pickup-work-finish and the abbreviation would be PWF.

Depending on the production team, some will have additional codes that help to make the DOOD a more useful piece of paperwork on the film set. Notes regarding an actor away on travel, actors due for rehearsals, and those that have made necessary decisions to add or drop work that is on their schedule may also be found in these corresponding abbreviations.

One-Liner Abbreviated Schedule

The next important piece of paperwork that you should have prepared before your production is the One-Liner. This report is a shortened shooting schedule that is abbreviated to include basic information regarding the location for the shoot, the time, the scene number, and the one-line description of what happens in the scene–hence the name “One-Liner.”

The One-Liner looks quite different than the DOOD. It includes much of the information that is found on the call sheet. The report is organized by day first and then each day is further organized to include the order in which scenes will be short and the appropriate time which is gathered from the call sheet.

One-Liners provide a clear, easy to understand, detailed outline of communication that helps everyone in the production get a quick view of what is going on with the film shoot. 

The Call Sheet

The call sheet is otherwise known by many on the film set as the master plan. This is the detailed schedule of actors, scenes, and priorities that are to make up the production.

The call sheet features call times, which are scheduled well in advance of the shoot day and provided to actors, producers, directors, artists, cinematographers, and anyone that is involved in the production either directly or indirectly so that everyone is on the same page with the schedule.

Includes Details

In addition to outlining the call times for every actor in the film, the call sheet also outlines details regarding personnel, equipment, and props that are to be used for each scene.

A properly planned and coordinated call sheet will make for a properly planned and smooth running production. Without the call sheet, production is a mess–at best.

Furthermore, to call times, the call sheet also includes the production title, the important times for meals, crew call, shooting call and the estimated time for wrap.

Call sheets also provide information related to which script and schedule version are being used and individual department level notes that are necessary to make the production continue to run as smoothly and productively as possible.

Coordination

Numbers on the call sheet coordinate with the numbers that are provided on the initial DOOD and relate to each actor in order of importance in the film. Additionally, call sheets to include details as to any special actors that are being brought in for the production or the use of any special equipment that is necessary for the day.

Whether you’re scheduling a major production or a simple shoot, the best planning upfront ensures the most smooth-running production later on. In addition to these, what reports are useful for preparing a film shoot?