General crew call: Meaning in Film Production

General crew call

Definition

General crew call is the time most of the crew is due at work on a given shoot day, printed prominently at the top of the call sheet. Departments that need extra prep, such as hair, makeup, and wardrobe, may get earlier individual calls, and shooting call follows after general call.

Where it sits on the call sheet

Most call sheets print it in the top block, big enough to read from across a parking lot:

DAY 6 OF 18. TUESDAY OCT 6. GENERAL CREW CALL 7:00A. SHOOTING CALL 8:00A. SUNRISE 7:02A. SUNSET 6:34P.

Everything else is relative to it. Hair and makeup might be at 6:00A, grip and electric at 6:30A for a pre-rig, catering at 5:30A. The call time entry covers individual calls in detail. General crew call is the one number most of the company plans their morning around.

How the AD picks the time

The 1st AD works back from what the first shot needs. For an exterior dawn scene, general call might sit well before sunrise so camera is ready at first light. For an interior that doesn't depend on light, the AD looks at yesterday's wrap: if crew wrapped at 8:15P and the agreement requires 10 hours of rest, general call can't be earlier than 6:15A.

Then the end of the day. With a 7:00A general call, a 30-minute walkaway lunch, and a 12-hour day planned, camera wrap lands around 7:30P. If the location permit ends at 7:00P, general call has to move earlier or the day has to shrink.

The walk to call

On big location days crew park at a remote lot and shuttle to set. The call sheet should say "shuttles run from 6:15A" so a 7:00A call is realistic. Crew who arrive at 6:58A at the lot are late. This detail belongs on the call sheet map along with base camp and the set.

Common confusions and mistakes

New PAs sometimes read general crew call as their own call when they were given a pre-call for lock-ups. Every department head should check their department line, not just the top block.

A scheduling mistake is setting general call around the most rested department while forgetting the ones that wrapped latest. Electric may have stayed 90 minutes after camera wrap to strike, so their out time, not camera wrap, controls their turnaround. The turnaround calculator is useful here, and the first meal timing can be checked against the meal penalty calculator.

The safety meeting usually happens at or just after general crew call, before the first rehearsal. For a line-by-line walk through the top block, see how to read a film call sheet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between general crew call and shooting call?

General crew call is when crew start work. Shooting call is when the first shot is expected to roll. The gap, often 30 to 60 minutes, covers rehearsal, lighting, and camera setup for the first scene.

Is breakfast before or after general crew call?

It's often served before general call so crew can eat on their own time. Some shows serve a non-deductible breakfast after call, which has its own rules under union agreements, so the call sheet should state which it is.

Does meal timing start from general crew call?

Meal periods are counted from each person's call, but on most days the first meal is planned from general crew call because that's when most people started. Departments with pre-calls need to be checked separately.