# Call Sheet Abbreviations: What SW, NDB, W/N, and BG Mean

Source: https://storiara.com/blog/call-sheet-abbreviations
Last updated: 2026-09-14
Author: Spencer Kaufman, Storiara

> Call sheet abbreviations fall into a few groups. Cast status codes come from the day out of days (SW start work, W work, WF work finish, SWF start-work-finish, H hold). Time terms tell you when to arrive (W/N will notify, O/C on call, P/U pickup, NDB non-deductible breakfast). Scene shorthand covers INT/EXT, D/N, and page eighths. BG means background and SI means stand-in.

Abbreviations on a call sheet aren't governed by any single standard. They're habits passed between ADs, and most of them are shared across American productions. Where a code has two common meanings, that's noted below, because those are the ones that cause a wrong arrival time.

Each table groups codes by the block of the sheet where you'll find them. For a full sheet with these codes in context, see the [annotated call sheet example](https://storiara.com/blog/call-sheet-example-annotated).

## Cast status codes

These sit in the status column next to each performer and come straight from the [day out of days](https://storiara.com/glossary/day-out-of-days). Payroll and the production office read them, so a wrong code creates real work later.

| Code | Stands for | What it means that day |
|---|---|---|
| SW | Start work | First day this performer works on the show |
| W | Work | A work day after their start |
| WF | Work finish | Last work day |
| SWF | Start work finish | First and last day are the same day |
| H | Hold | Not working, but under contract and usually paid for the day |
| T | Travel | Traveling to or from a distant location |
| R | Rehearsal | Rehearsal day, no shooting |
| SR | Start rehearsal | First day on the show is a rehearsal |
| WD | Work drop | Works today and is then dropped from payroll until a later pickup |
| PW | Pickup work | First day back after a drop |
| PWF | Pickup work finish | Back after a drop and finishing the same day |

A performer can be W on a day they're barely used. The code describes their contract status, not how busy they are. A [start work finish](https://storiara.com/glossary/start-work-finish) day player still needs start paperwork signed before they go to set, and a WF performer's costume usually gets photographed and returned before they leave.

Drops and pickups follow rules in the union agreement about how long the gap has to be. The [drop/pickup](https://storiara.com/glossary/drop-pickup) entry covers that. On the call sheet, all you need to know is that WD today and PW on the advance schedule mean the performer isn't on the clock in between.

WD has a second life as shorthand for wardrobe, as in MU/WD. Position settles it: in the status column it's a work drop, and in a time column it's wardrobe. Some software prints drops differently again, marking the last day before the break with D and the return with PU, so check the DOOD legend if the codes don't match this table.

## Times and arrival

| Code | Stands for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GC | General crew call | The time most of the crew is due. See [general crew call](https://storiara.com/glossary/general-crew-call) |
| SC | Shooting call | When the first rehearsal or shot is planned. Also written "Shoot call" |
| RPT | Report | Report time, usually for background or a department arriving at a set |
| P/U | Pickup | When a driver collects a performer. Not the same as a pickup shot |
| S/D | Self drive | Performer drives themselves. No pickup |
| MU | Makeup | Time to be in the makeup chair |
| HMU | Hair and makeup | Same idea, used when hair and makeup work as one department |
| MU/WD | Makeup and wardrobe | Report time to both, usually one line for performers |
| O/S | On set | Time the performer is needed on set, camera ready |
| W/N | Will notify | Working, time to be given later |
| O/C | On call | Be ready to come in on short notice |
| TBD | To be determined | Rare on a final sheet. Common on an advance |
| NDB | Non-deductible breakfast | A short meal near the start of the day that doesn't count as the first meal |
| ND meal | Non-deductible meal | Same thing, the term SAG-AFTRA uses |
| 1st meal, 2nd meal | Meal periods | Lunch and, on long days, a second meal |
| Est. wrap | Estimated wrap | A planning number, not a promise |

NDB needs a note. Its purpose is to move the clock for the first meal. SAG-AFTRA's theatrical rules allow a 15-minute non-deductible meal for performers within two hours of their call, after which the first meal is due six hours from the end of that break. IATSE Local 80 describes the crew version differently: production supplies a hot meal and 30 uninterrupted minutes, and lunch can then start six hours after the NDB ends. So the same three letters can mean different things for cast and crew on the same day. The [meal penalty calculator](https://storiara.com/tools/meal-penalty-calculator) handles the timing once you know which rule applies.

You'll sometimes see grace or extension in the notes. On Local 80 jobs, grace is a 12-minute period production can call before a meal, and an extension is up to 30 minutes to finish takes in progress. Neither can be scheduled in advance, so if a call sheet builds grace into the lunch time, the sheet is wrong.

P/U is the other code with two meanings. In the cast block it's the time a driver collects a performer. In the scene block or the notes it can mean a pickup shot owed from an earlier day. A time next to it ("P/U 6:15A") means the car.

## Scenes and pages

| Code | Stands for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sc. | Scene | Scene number from the shooting script |
| 42A | A-scene | A scene added between 42 and 43 after numbers were locked |
| OMIT | Omitted | Scene removed. The number isn't reused |
| INT / EXT | Interior / exterior | From the scene heading |
| I/E | Interior/exterior | A scene that moves between the two, like a car |
| D / N | Day / night | Story time of day. DAWN, DUSK, and MAGIC HOUR also appear |
| Pgs. | Pages | Measured in eighths, like 1 3/8 |
| Pt. | Part | Only part of the scene shoots today |
| INS | Insert | Close detail shot, often without cast |
| MOS | Without sound | Camera rolls with no sync sound |
| PB | Playback | Music or video playback on set |
| SPFX | Special effects | Practical effects on the day (rain, smoke, breakaways) |
| VFX | Visual effects | Plates, markers, or green screen needed |
| STNT | Stunt | Stunt work in the scene |
| 2U | Second unit | Shot by a separate unit |

D and N on a call sheet describe story time. A night scene inside a blacked-out room can shoot at noon. The scene heading still says NIGHT, and wardrobe and lighting treat it as night. If you want to know how to measure page lengths, see [how to calculate script page counts](https://storiara.com/blog/how-to-calculate-film-script-page-counts).

## Background and stand-ins

| Code | Stands for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BG | Background | Extras. Listed with quantity, description, report time |
| SI | Stand-in | Stands on marks while camera and lighting set up |
| FX / Feat. | Featured extra | Background with a more visible action. FX is ambiguous, so many sheets write "Feat." |
| U / NU | Union / non-union | For background counts on union shows |
| PD | Photo double | Double who appears on camera, often from behind |
| Holding | Holding area | Where background waits between setups |

On union shows, the union/non-union split in the BG block affects payroll and counts toward the agreement's background requirements, so the numbers matter even when the descriptions are loose.

## Departments and people

| Code | Stands for |
|---|---|
| UPM | Unit production manager |
| 1st AD, 2nd AD, 2nd 2nd AD | Assistant directors |
| DP | Director of photography |
| 1st AC, 2nd AC | Camera assistants |
| DIT | Digital imaging technician |
| G&E | Grip and electric |
| BB | Best boy (grip or electric) |
| Scripty, SS | Script supervisor |
| Set dec | Set decoration |
| Transpo | Transportation |
| Crafty | Craft services |
| PA | Production assistant |

## Locations, logistics, and safety

| Code | Stands for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| LOC | Location | Numbered on the sheet: LOC 1, LOC 2 |
| BC | Base camp | Trucks, trailers, catering. See [base camp](https://storiara.com/glossary/base-camp) |
| HW | Honeywagon | Trailer with restrooms and small dressing rooms |
| CM | Company move | Whole company relocates during the day |
| Ch. | Walkie channel | Ch. 1 production, Ch. 2 for private conversation is common, but check the sheet |
| ER | Emergency room | Nearest 24-hour emergency department |
| SB | Safety bulletin | Industry safety guideline attached for the day |

Safety bulletins are written by the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee, and the committee's own page says they may be attached to call sheets. When a sheet says "SB #1 attached," it's the bulletin on firearms, blanks, and dummy rounds. #4 covers stunts, #10 atmospheric fog and haze, and #17 water hazards. If a bulletin is referenced, read it before the safety meeting. The [safety bulletin](https://storiara.com/glossary/safety-bulletin) entry explains how they're used.

Walkie channel assignments vary more than people expect. Many productions keep channel 1 for the AD team and channel 2 for side conversations, but plenty don't. Copy the channel list from the sheet in front of you. The [walkie channels](https://storiara.com/glossary/walkie-channels) entry has a common layout.

## When a code isn't on this page

Productions invent codes for their own situations: "LW" for a location with a load-in window, "CR" for camera ready. A good 2nd AD prints a legend at the bottom of the sheet for anything non-standard. If there's no legend, text the 2nd AD rather than guessing at a code that decides when you arrive.

## Codes in Storiara

Storiara's Day Out of Days view uses the same status codes. It fills in SW, W, WF, SWF, H, and I (idle) automatically from the schedule, and T, R, WD, PW, PWF, and SR can be set by hand. Call sheets come from the same schedule, which keeps the status on the sheet in step with the DOOD. The [call sheet template](https://storiara.com/templates/call-sheet) uses the codes above if you're building one by hand.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does SWF mean on a call sheet?

Start, work, finish. The performer's first and last day on the show is the same day. It's common for day players with one scene. Wardrobe and the office treat it as both a start (paperwork signed that morning) and a finish (costume returned, wrap paperwork done).

### What does W/N mean on a call sheet?

Will notify. You're working that day but the ADs haven't set your time, usually because your scenes come after a company move or depend on how the morning goes. Keep your phone on and expect a call or text from the 2nd AD.

### What is NDB on a call sheet?

Non-deductible breakfast (or non-deductible break). It's a short meal given near the start of the day that doesn't count as the first meal period, which moves the time lunch is due. Whether it qualifies depends on the agreement, so it's noted with a time.

### What does BG mean in film?

Background, the performers also called extras. On a call sheet the BG block lists how many are needed, what they play, when they report, and wardrobe instructions.

### Why do some call sheets use different abbreviations?

Nothing standardizes them across the industry. Most codes are shared habit, and productions add their own. Any sheet that uses a less common code should carry a legend, and if one doesn't, ask the 2nd AD.

## Sources

- [Contract Services: Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee bulletins](https://www.csatf.org/production-safety/safety-bulletins/)
- [IATSE Local 80 FAQ (grace, meal extension, NDB)](https://www.iatselocal80.org/our-faqs/faq-frequently-asked-questions/)
- [SAG-AFTRA: How do theatrical meal periods work?](https://servicesagaftra.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/999)