The four codes and how they bracket a job
| Code | Meaning | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| SW | Start work | First day of a multi-day run |
| W | Work | Every work day between SW and WF |
| WF | Work finish | Last day of the run |
| SWF | Start work finish | A one-day engagement |
Everything between an SW and its WF is part of the engagement, so cells in that span that aren't W are usually H (hold), T (travel), or R (rehearsal). A blank cell between SW and WF on a day out of days is usually a mistake unless the actor has an approved drop and pickup.
Counting paid days from the codes
Take the actor playing Detective Ruiz on a fictional 20-day feature. His row reads SW on day 9, W on 10, H on 11 and 12, W on 13, and WF on 14. Count from SW to WF inclusive: days 9 through 14 is six days. Four of them are work days (9, 10, 13, 14) and two are holds. On a contract with consecutive employment he gets paid for all six.
Now suppose the AD can move day 13's scene onto day 10. His row becomes SW on 9 and WF on 10, which is two days. That is four fewer paid days from moving one strip, which is why ADs and line producers stare at SW and WF dates when they shuffle the stripboard.
A cameo who shoots one scene on day 16 gets a single SWF. If that scene later needs a second day, the SWF has to become SW and WF, and the actor's deal changes from one day to two (plus any holds in between).
Rules behind the codes
SAG-AFTRA's theatrical rules say performers are paid on a consecutive basis from the first day they are told to report, with listed exceptions such as a single allowed break for day performers given a firm pickup date more than 10 calendar days out (SAG-AFTRA consecutive employment answer). Low budget agreements have their own exceptions, so check the agreement your show signed.
Where the codes show up
Casting quotes the span between SW and WF in deal memos, often as a day rate or weekly rate with a guaranteed number of days. The production office also uses the SW date to trigger start paperwork. You can generate the codes automatically from a schedule with the DOOD generator, or fill them in by hand in the day out of days template.