What it looks like
At the bottom of day 6's call sheet on a fictional feature:
ADVANCE SCHEDULE: DAY 7, WED OCT 7 (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
| Sc. | Set | D/N | Pgs | Cast | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | EXT. FARMHOUSE PORCH | D | 1 4/8 | 1, 2 | Hollis Farm |
| 31 | EXT. FARMHOUSE PORCH | N | 2 | 1, 2, 4 | Hollis Farm |
| Split day. Crew call approx. 12:00P | 3 4/8 |
Some productions add a notes line: "Picture vehicle: Rosie's truck. Rain towers on standby."
Who reads it and why
Departments read it at wrap to plan tomorrow. Grip sees EXT porch day and night at a farm and loads a condor and large flags. Wardrobe sees cast 4 comes in for scene 31 only and preps accordingly. The transportation captain notes that tomorrow is a split day and plans for a later van run.
Cast read it too. If Joe's number doesn't appear in the advance, he knows he probably isn't working, though he shouldn't assume until the call sheet confirms it.
Where it comes from
The 2nd AD pulls it from the current one-line schedule, usually after checking with the 1st AD whether anything from today didn't get shot and needs to roll forward. If day 6 left 5/8 page unfinished at the garage, it can't go on day 7 at the farm, so it goes to the pickup list and the advance stays as scheduled. That decision should be made before the call sheet is published.
Common mistakes
Publishing an advance that already disagrees with the latest schedule revision is common after late changes. Crew prep for the wrong location, and the correction email gets buried. Check the revision date on the one-liner before copying.
Another slip is leaving off the "subject to change" note on a day where weather or cast availability is uncertain. If tomorrow depends on weather, list the cover set in the advance too.
For a full preview of a future day that locations and producers can review days ahead, use an advance call sheet. The call sheet template includes an advance schedule block.