Call time: Meaning in Film Production

Call time

Definition

Call time is the time a person is required to be at work and ready to start, as printed on that day's call sheet. Each cast member, department, and background group can have its own call, and the time sets when their paid day and rest period calculations begin.

Reading the calls on a call sheet

A call sheet usually has several layers of call times. From a fictional day 6:

Who	Call	Notes
Crew parking shuttle	6:15A	Crew lot at Olive and 3rd
Hair and makeup, wardrobe	6:00A	Base camp
Camera, electric, grip	6:30A	Pre-rig on Level 3
General crew call	7:00A	Breakfast available 6:30A
Shooting call	8:00A	Sc. 42
1. MAYA	Pickup 5:30A, M/U 6:00A, on set 7:45A
3. JOE	M/U 9:30A, on set 11:00A
Background (4)	9:00A	Holding in lobby

Maya's call is set by working backward from her first shot. Scene 42 starts at 8:00A, rehearsal is at 7:45A, hair and makeup takes 90 minutes, so her makeup call is 6:00A and the driver picks her up at 5:30A. Joe isn't in the first two scenes, so his day starts later, which also saves hours and protects his turnaround.

Who sets them

The 2nd AD builds call times from the 1st AD's schedule for the day, asking each department how much prep they need. Makeup gives times per actor, camera says how long the build takes, and transportation works out pickups. The general crew call anchors everything else.

Mistakes that hurt

Calling an actor too early is common and expensive. If Joe is called at 7:00A with everyone else but doesn't shoot until 2:00P, production pays for seven idle hours and pushes his next-day call later. The opposite, calling someone too late, costs the first shot.

The other error is ignoring each person's rest period. A call time set earlier than last night's dismissal plus turnaround is a forced call. Check the times with the turnaround calculator before the sheet goes out.

Where call times get recorded

Actual report times go on the sign-in sheet or Exhibit G for cast and on time cards for crew, and the production report compares them to the planned calls. More on setting them in how to set call times, and the call sheet template has a call column for every section.

Storiara's call sheet module pulls the day's scheduled scenes and the call times assigned to cast and crew, along with the location address from the Locations module.

Frequently asked questions

Does call time mean arrive at that time or start working?

Treat call time as the moment you are working. Arrive early enough to park, walk from the crew lot, grab breakfast if it's a non-deductible breakfast, and be at your department or the makeup chair at call.

Why do actors have different call times from crew?

Actors need hair, makeup, and wardrobe before they can shoot, so their calls are set backward from when they're needed on set. An actor in the first scene may be called before general crew call; one in the last scene may be called after lunch.

Can call time change after the call sheet is out?

Yes, but only with direct notice. The 2nd AD's office calls or texts each affected person and sends a revised call sheet, since a missed change can mean someone shows up hours early or late.