Prep: timing and breaking down the script
Script supervisors usually start one to two weeks before shooting. The first job is timing: reading the script aloud or acting it out with a stopwatch to estimate the running time of every scene. The producers want to know early whether a 108-page script cuts together at 95 minutes or 125, and the timing sheet is often the first real answer.
The second job is a continuity breakdown. For each scene the script supervisor notes the story day (Day 1, Night 1, Day 2), the time of day inside the story, what each character is wearing and carrying, injuries and makeup changes, weather, and anything established in one scene that has to match another. Because scenes shoot out of order, this breakdown is what hair, makeup, wardrobe, and props check against on the day. A scene where Maya cuts her hand in scene 18 means a bandage in scenes 19 through 31, even if 31 shoots in week one.
The script supervisor also flags script problems: a character who is in two places at once, a flashback with no clear story day, or a scene number that was used twice. They work with the AD department and the script coordinator on scene numbering and revisions.
On set: watching every take
During shooting the script supervisor sits close to the monitor with the script, a stopwatch, and a laptop or tablet. For every take they record:
| Slate | Take | Time | Lens | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42B | 1 | 0:52 | 50mm | NG, Maya picks up keys on "wait" |
| 42B | 2 | 0:49 | 50mm | Keys on "wait," circle |
| 42B | 3 | 0:51 | 50mm | Circle. Director prefers the pause |
They watch dialogue against the page and note ad-libs and dropped lines, check that an actor picks up the coffee cup with the same hand on the same line in every setup, and remind the director when coverage is missing: "We don't have Joe's line in a single." They also give the 2nd AC and sound mixer the slate designation for the next setup (42 for the master, then 42A, 42B, 42C) and track circle takes for the camera and sound reports.
Eyeline and screen direction are part of the job too. If Maya looks camera left toward Joe in the master, she has to look camera left in her close-up, and the script supervisor is the person who catches a mismatch before the take rolls.
Wrap: the paperwork editors live on
At the end of each day the script supervisor produces a set of notes that go to the editor, the production office, and the studio.
The lined script shows, for every scene, a vertical line for each setup running down the lines of dialogue it covers. Facing pages list the details for every take: slate, take number, time, lens, circled or not, and notes. Together they tell an assistant editor what exists without watching every clip.
The daily progress report, often called the script supervisor's report, gives the totals that feed the AD's production report:
| Scenes | Pages | Minutes | Setups | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Previously | 31 | 42 3/8 | 38:15 | 212 |
| Today | 4 | 4 6/8 | 4:40 | 23 |
| Total | 35 | 47 1/8 | 42:55 | 235 |
With a 108-page script, the remaining count is 108 minus 47 1/8, or 60 7/8 pages. The minutes column compares what was shot against the timing estimate, which tells the producers whether the film is running long. Our continuity log template has the same columns.
A realistic day
| Time | Work |
|---|---|
| 6:45 a.m. | Arrives, reviews sides and continuity notes for today's scenes |
| 7:00 a.m. | Crew call. Watches the blocking rehearsal and marks the script |
| 7:45 a.m. | Tells the 2nd AC the first slate: 42 |
| 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Logs every take. Checks Maya's bandage against scene 19 photos |
| 1:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. | Afternoon setups. Reminds the director that Joe's single is still owed |
| 7:00 p.m. | Camera wrap. Confirms final page and minute count with the 2nd AD |
| 7:45 p.m. | Sends the daily report, lined pages, and facing pages to editorial |
Who they work with
The script supervisor answers to the director on creative notes and works hand in hand with the 1st AD on the schedule and the daily numbers. They talk to the DP and camera assistants about lenses and slates, to the sound mixer about wild lines, to hair, makeup, wardrobe, and props about continuity, and to the editor and assistant editors every night.
Getting on the roster and the pay
In Los Angeles, union work requires placement on the Industry Experience Roster, which Contract Services (CSATF) administers. Local 871's own page says a script supervisor needs either 100 paid non-union days earned within two years, or 30 paid union days within one year on a non-union show that signed an IATSE agreement during production. Applicants show pay stubs and letters from producers confirming the work, and complete CSATF safety classes.
Most people get there by working non-union features, shorts, and commercials as script supervisors, often after shadowing an experienced supervisor or taking a script supervising workshop.
Local 871 rates rise with years in the industry. Under the 2024 to 2027 wage schedule for theatrical films and qualifying one-hour series (Wage Schedule #1), effective August 2, 2026:
| Classification | Daily employee, per hour | Weekly employee, per hour | Weekly guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year in industry | $49.20 | $48.36 | $2,949.96 |
| 2nd year in industry | $52.38 | $50.83 | $3,100.63 |
| 3rd year and thereafter | $55.36 | $54.72 | $3,337.92 |
The weekly guarantee covers 54 hours, with time and a half after 40. So 40 hours plus 14 hours at 1.5 is 61 straight-time hours, and 61 times $54.72 is $3,337.92. One-hour pilots and first and second season one-hour series use a separate schedule reduced by 3%.
Tools
A stopwatch, the shooting script with revision pages, a camera for continuity photos, and script supervising software or a well-built spreadsheet. Storiara parses an uploaded script into scenes with interior or exterior, time of day, and page length in eighths, which gives the script supervisor a clean scene list to check against their own breakdown. The page count calculator is handy for checking eighths.