# Pickup Day

Source: https://storiara.com/glossary/pickup-day
Last updated: 2026-09-14
Author: Nick Harty, Storiara

> A pickup day is an additional shoot day, usually scheduled after principal photography has wrapped, to capture shots that were missed, cut for time, or found to be needed once editing began. Pickups are typically small: a reduced crew, few cast, and a short list of inserts or coverage.

## What goes on a pickup list

The list usually comes out of the edit. The editor cuts a [rough cut](https://storiara.com/glossary/rough-cut), and the gaps become obvious: no insert of the letter the audience needs to read, no clean angle to get out of a scene, a plate for a visual effect that was never shot. The post supervisor collects the notes, the producer decides which ones are worth money, and the result is a short shoot list.

A pickup list for an indie feature might look like this:

| Sc. | Shot | Cast | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Insert: letter in Maya's hand, readable text | Hand double | Office, any table | Match ring and sleeve from Day 9 |
| 41A | Car exterior pass, dusk | None | Any two-lane road | Same picture vehicle, plates as in Sc. 41 |
| 58 | Joe's close up, "I never asked you to stay." | 2 (Joe) | INT. KITCHEN, redress | Haircut since wrap, check photos |

Many pickups can be shot without the original location. A hand double, a tabletop, and the same prop can pass for a set that no longer exists.

## Continuity is the hard part

Weeks may have passed since wrap. Actors have had haircuts, wardrobe has been returned, the picture car has gone back to its owner. Before scheduling, pull the [script supervisor's](https://storiara.com/roles/script-supervisor) notes, continuity photos, and the camera reports for lens, height, and filtration on the original setups. Costume and props should check whether the pieces still exist. It is common for a pickup day to fail on something small, like a watch that was a rental.

## Budgeting and scheduling

Pickups cost more per shot than anything done during principal photography, because you pay for a fresh crew call, equipment rental minimums, insurance, and sometimes travel for one or two people. Carrying a line for them in the [film budget](https://storiara.com/templates/film-budget) keeps the conversation calm when the edit asks for them. If not, the money comes out of contingency.

For cast, check the deal memos. Some include a free day or a recall window, and union agreements have their own rules for recalls. Book the day late enough that the edit knows what it needs, and early enough that the footage can still be cut in before [picture lock](https://storiara.com/glossary/picture-lock). Once picture is locked, adding shots reopens the conform, the sound work, and sometimes the VFX schedule.

On the call sheet, a pickup day reads like any other day, just much shorter. Keep the scene numbers the same as the script, with A or B suffixes for new setups, so editorial can file them correctly.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between pickups and reshoots?

Pickups add small pieces such as inserts, a missing angle, or a line of coverage. Reshoots redo whole scenes, often with cast and a larger crew, and cost far more.

### When are pickup days scheduled?

Usually after the editor has a rough cut and the director and producers know exactly what is missing. Some are planned at the end of principal photography for shots that ran out of time.

### Should the budget include pickup days?

Many line producers carry one or two days in the budget, or rely on contingency. Deciding in prep is cheaper than finding the money after the crew has gone.

### Do actors get paid for pickup days?

Yes. Cast called back are paid under their deal or the applicable union agreement, and a hold or recall date in the deal memo makes scheduling easier.