Thirty days is tight but workable for a short. It doesn't leave room for a script that keeps changing, so this plan front-loads the decisions that cause the most rework later. If your program gives you a longer runway, use the thesis film pre-production checklist instead.
The film this plan assumes
The example is Quiet Hours, a fictional 10-page drama: two leads, one supporting role, a dorm room, a laundromat, and a parking lot at night. Three shoot days on day 31, 32, and 33, a Friday through Sunday. If your script is longer, has more locations, or has anything dangerous in it, add days now, while it only costs a calendar change.
Days 1 to 3: lock the script and count it
| Day | Do this | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Final table read with the writer and director | List of last changes |
| 2 | Last rewrite; add scene numbers | Numbered production draft |
| 3 | Count pages in eighths per scene; list locations | Page count sheet |
Count properly. Quiet Hours comes out like this:
| Sc. | Set | D/N | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | INT. DORM ROOM | N | 1 4/8 |
| 2 | INT. LAUNDROMAT | N | 2 2/8 |
| 3 | EXT. PARKING LOT | N | 6/8 |
| 4 | INT. DORM ROOM | D | 2 |
| 5 | INT. LAUNDROMAT | N | 1 6/8 |
| 6 | EXT. PARKING LOT | N | 1 6/8 |
| Total | 10 |
Check the math: 1 4/8 + 2 2/8 + 6/8 + 2 + 1 6/8 + 1 6/8 = 12/8 + 18/8 + 6/8 + 16/8 + 14/8 + 14/8 = 80/8 = 10 pages. The page count calculator does this for longer scripts.
After day 3, the script is locked. Changes come as revised pages, and scene numbers stay put.
Days 4 to 7: breakdown and budget
| Day | Do this | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 5 | Break down every scene: cast, extras, props, wardrobe, vehicles, effects, notes | A breakdown sheet per scene |
| 6 | First budget draft from the breakdown | Budget with every line, plus 10% contingency |
| 7 | Director and producer meeting: cut what the budget can't hold | Approved scope |
The breakdown is where Quiet Hours reveals its problems. Scene 6 has the lead sitting on a car hood in a parking lot at night, and scene 2 needs a laundromat that will let a crew in after closing. Both are location problems, so they go to the top of the next block. The script breakdown sheet template and short film budget template cover the paperwork.
Days 8 to 12: locations and permits
| Day | Do this | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Call or visit laundromats and parking lots; ask your school about campus dorm rules | Shortlist of three per set |
| 9 to 10 | Scout the shortlist with the director and DP | Photos, power, noise, parking, restrooms |
| 11 | Pick locations and backups; sign location agreements | Signed agreements |
| 12 | Contact the film office and your school's production office about permits and insurance | Permit applications started |
Permits are the part of this plan with the least control, because each city runs its own process. In FilmLA's service area, for example, students need permits for on-location filming, get reduced fees with a certification letter from an authorized school official plus a student ID, and need proof of insurance (usually the school's policy on file). Applications are due by the 10:00 a.m. deadline for each jurisdiction. The thesis film checklist lists the full student criteria.
That certification letter comes from someone at your school with their own schedule. Ask for it on day 12. Filming on private property may follow different rules than streets and parks, so ask the film office about each location specifically. The location release form and location scouting checklist help here.
Days 13 to 18: cast and crew
| Day | Do this | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Post casting call with shoot dates and terms | Submissions |
| 14 | Confirm crew heads: DP, sound, 1st AD, gaffer, production designer | Crew list |
| 15 to 16 | Auditions or self-tape review | Shortlist |
| 17 | Callbacks or chemistry read for the two leads | Offers |
| 18 | Cast confirmed; crew agreements signed | Signed releases and deal memos |
Put the shoot dates in the casting call. An actor who can't do Saturday is no use to you, however good the audition was. For the crew, a one-page agreement covering credit, meals, travel, and footage access is enough on a student short.
Days 19 to 22: schedule and shot list
| Day | Do this | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Build the stripboard: group scenes by location and time of day | Draft schedule |
| 20 | Director and DP shot list for every scene | Shot list with setups |
| 21 | Adjust the schedule to the shot list's setup counts | Revised schedule |
| 22 | Lock the schedule; send it to cast and crew | One-line schedule |
For Quiet Hours:
| Day | Scenes | Pages | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Day 1 (night) | 2, 5 | 4 | Laundromat | After closing; all laundromat scenes in one night |
| Sat, Day 2 (night) | 3, 6 | 2 4/8 | Parking lot | Car on location; lighter page count for night exterior |
| Sun, Day 3 (day into night) | 4, 1 | 3 4/8 | Dorm room | Day scene first, black out windows for night scene 1 |
4 + 2 4/8 + 3 4/8 = 10 pages. Saturday is deliberately light, because night exteriors eat time. Sunday flips from day to night in the same room, which means tenting or blacking out the windows after lunch. See how to schedule a short film in one weekend for a deeper look at that kind of board.
Watch turnaround. Friday and Saturday are nights, so a Sunday day call should come late enough that people have had real rest after Saturday's wrap.
Days 23 to 27: prep, scout, rehearse
| Day | Do this | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Gear list and checkout reservation; rentals booked | Equipment list |
| 24 | Wardrobe fittings, props sourced (with multiples) | Props and wardrobe ready |
| 25 | Tech scout of all three locations with department heads | Power plan, parking, holding, restrooms |
| 26 | Rehearsal with cast, blocking the hardest scenes | Blocking notes |
| 27 | Safety review: nearest hospital per location, night exterior plan, parking lot traffic | Safety notes for call sheets |
Days 28 to 30: paper and final checks
| Day | Do this | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Meals booked; confirm permits and insurance certificates are in hand | Printed binder |
| 29 | Call sheet for Day 1 drafted and sent; gear picked up and tested | Call sheet |
| 30 | Final production meeting; charge batteries, format media, pack the car | Ready |
Send each call sheet by the end of the day before. For Day 1, that's day 30.
Where 30-day plans break
- The script changes after day 3. Every change after lock ripples into the breakdown, budget, and schedule.
- A location falls through in week four. That's why day 11 includes backups.
- The school's paperwork takes longer than the city's. Start the certification letter and insurance request as soon as locations are picked.
- Too many pages per day. If the page count per day looks high once the shot list exists, cut or combine scenes instead of hoping the crew moves faster. How many script pages can you shoot in a day covers the tradeoffs.
Keeping it in one place
Most of this plan is spreadsheets and a shared folder, and that's fine for a 10-page short. If you'd like the breakdown, stripboard, and call sheets connected to the script, Storiara gives new accounts a 30-day free trial, and the student films page explains how classes use it.