Split day: Meaning in Film Production

Split day

Definition

A split day is a shoot day with a call time around midday, so the unit shoots day scenes in the afternoon and night scenes after sunset in the same working day. It is used when a location needs both, and to shift a crew gradually between day and night schedules.

Building one around sunset

Take a practical farmhouse location booked for one day with two scenes:

Sc. 30, EXT. FARMHOUSE PORCH - DAY, 1 4/8 pages
Sc. 31, EXT. FARMHOUSE PORCH - NIGHT, 2 pages

Suppose sunset that day is 7:05P (check yours in the sunrise sunset planner). The AD wants the day scene finished with good light before the sun gets too low, and the night scene started once it is fully dark, around 7:45P. Working backward: shoot scene 30 from 2:00P to 5:30P, lunch at 6:00P while the sky dies and electric pre-rigs the night look, and start scene 31 at 7:45P. With a 12:00P crew call, a 12-hour day wraps around 12:30A including a 30-minute meal.

On the call sheet:

Day 7. General crew call 12:00P. Shooting call 1:30P. Sunset 7:05P. Lunch 6:00P (walkaway). Est. wrap 12:30A.

Using splits to change over

A crew coming off a week of day work can't jump to a 6:00P call Monday if they wrapped Friday late, though the weekend usually handles that. The bigger use is mid-week. If Wednesday's call is 7:00A and Thursday and Friday are nights, a Thursday split with a noon call steps everyone five hours later, and wrap at 12:30A leaves room for a Friday evening call. The turnaround calculator will show whether each step is legal for cast and crew.

Going the other way (nights back to days) is harder, because a split still wraps after midnight. That's why weekends usually carry the reverse flip.

Things that trip people up

The first meal on a noon call falls at dinner time, and the second meal lands late at night, so catering has to be booked for two services at odd hours. Check meal timing against your union agreements with the meal penalty calculator.

A split day also puts pressure on the day work. If scene 30 runs long, the company loses the magic-hour window and ends up shooting part of the day scene after sunset, which doesn't match. The AD should have a clear cutoff for the day scene and a plan (often a pickup shot later) for what's left. If the day scene keeps slipping, day for night for a few pieces can save it.

Frequently asked questions

What time is call on a split day?

It's set by sunset. The AD works back from when the night work needs to begin and forward from the day work required, which often puts crew call somewhere between late morning and early afternoon.

Why use a split day instead of a full night?

It lets one location cover both day and night scenes without a return visit, and it steps the crew toward nights without breaking turnaround. It also avoids a second day of location fees.

Does a split day have a second meal?

Meals come from hours worked, so a long split day may include a second meal after the first one. When they fall depends on the call time and the meal rules of the agreements you're under.