Call sheet: Meaning in Film Production

Call sheet

Definition

A call sheet is the document the assistant directors send out before each shoot day telling every cast and crew member when and where to report. It lists the scenes and pages to be shot, cast call times, locations with parking and base camp, weather, the nearest hospital, and department notes.

What's on a call sheet, line by line

The front page answers "when, where, and what are we shooting." A typical header for a small feature reads like this:

THE LONG DRIVE          Shoot Day 6 of 18       Tuesday, March 10
General crew call: 6:30 AM     Shooting call: 7:30 AM
Sunrise 7:08 AM / Sunset 7:02 PM      High 68, 10% rain
Location 1: Rosie's Diner, 1140 Alvarado St (crew park at 1200 lot, shuttle)
Nearest hospital: St. Vincent, 2131 W 3rd St, open 24 hours

Below that sits the scene table, in shooting order:

Sc.	Set / description	D/N	Cast	Pages	Location
14	INT. DINER - Maya confronts Joe	D	1, 2	2 3/8	Rosie's Diner
15pt	INT. DINER - Joe alone, counts tips	D	2	4/8	Rosie's Diner
31	EXT. DINER PARKING LOT - Maya drives off	N	1	1/8	Rosie's Diner
				3 total

Then the cast table: cast ID number, actor, character, status (SW, W, WF, H), pickup time, hair and makeup call, and on-set time. Background gets its own block with counts and report times ("12 diner patrons, report 7:00 AM to holding"). The back page carries crew calls by department, walkie channels, any safety bulletins that apply, and an advance schedule for the next day or two.

How the 2nd AD builds it

The 2nd AD starts from the shooting schedule and the day out of days, then works backward from the first shot. If the first setup of scene 14 needs Maya camera ready at 7:30 and her hair and makeup takes 75 minutes, her makeup call is 6:15 and her pickup is 5:45. Crew calls follow the same logic: grip and electric often come in ahead of general crew call to pre-rig, while the call time for most departments matches general crew call. Every change also has to respect turnaround from the previous wrap.

Mistakes that cost you on the day

Wrong addresses and missing parking instructions account for most late arrivals. Scene numbers that don't match the current script revision cause the wrong pages to get prepped. A cast member listed as W who should be H means a missing actor or an unnecessary paid day. And a call sheet sent before the 1st AD confirms what slipped from today will be wrong by morning.

Where it connects

The call sheet is the plan; the daily production report records what actually happened against it, and Exhibit G records union performer times. A blank call sheet template shows the full layout, and how to read a film call sheet walks through a filled one.

In Storiara, the call sheet module pulls the day's scheduled scenes, the call times for assigned actors and crew, and the address from the Locations module, then adds the day's weather forecast. The nearest hospital is a field the ADs type in.

Frequently asked questions

Who makes the call sheet on a film set?

The 2nd AD drafts it from the shooting schedule and the day's changes. The 1st AD checks the scene order and times, and the UPM or line producer signs off before it goes out.

When do call sheets get sent out?

Usually at or just after wrap the night before, once the 1st AD knows what didn't get finished. On small shoots it often goes out in the afternoon with a note that times may change.

What does SW, W, WF, and H mean on a call sheet?

They are the cast work status codes from the day out of days. SW is start work, W is work, WF is work finish, H is hold (paid but not working that day), and SWF is an actor who starts and finishes on the same day.

Is the call time on a call sheet the time to arrive or the time to start work?

It's the time you're expected to be at your department's position, ready to work. Most crew arrive early enough to park, take the shuttle, and grab breakfast before that time.