What is the difference between a shooting schedule and a call sheet?

A shooting schedule plans every shoot day across the whole production: what shoots, in what order, on which day. A call sheet covers one specific day, with times, locations and contacts. The schedule is the plan; the call sheet is today's instructions.

How long should I allow per shot?

Commercial and branded shots typically take 20 to 45 minutes each including rehearsal and resets. Dialogue scenes on drama are timed in eighths of a page. Add time for company moves, lighting changes and meal breaks.

Who builds the shooting schedule?

On commercials and branded content the producer or production manager builds the schedule with the director and 1st AD. On drama the 1st AD owns the schedule, working from the script breakdown.

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Guide

Shooting Schedule Template: A Day Plan That Holds Up

How to break shots into time blocks, plan company moves, and build a shooting schedule the crew can actually deliver against, from one-day commercials to multi-day drama.

1. What a shooting schedule is

The shooting schedule is the master plan for every shoot day. It answers two questions: what are we shooting, and in what order. The call sheet is downstream of it; both fall apart if the schedule is unrealistic.

2. Inputs you need first

Locked shot list or storyboards.
Location list with travel times between each.
Talent and crew availability.
Sunrise and sunset for any exteriors.
Permit windows and noise restrictions.

3. Building the day in blocks

A typical commercial day breaks into:

Pre-light and rig (often before crew call for a small team).
Crew call, breakfast, safety briefing.
Block 1: rehearsal then shoot.
Lunch (legally required after a set number of hours).
Block 2: second setup or company move.
Wrap and de-rig.

4. Timing each shot

Time each shot honestly. A rough rule for commercials and branded is 20 to 45 minutes per shot, depending on complexity, talent count and lighting changes. For drama, the 1st AD times in eighths of a script page, with experience-based pages-per-day targets.

5. Company moves and resets

Company moves are expensive. Build them in explicitly: travel time, vehicle loading, parking on the next location, and a fresh setup window before the next shot. Resets within a single location (lighting changes, costume changes, big art moves) need their own time blocks rather than being absorbed silently.

6. Working hours and breaks

Respect the agreements: PACT/Equity in the UK, IATSE/DGA in the US, and any in-house HR policy. Build meal breaks into the schedule, not on top of it; meal penalties compound quickly when lunch slides.

7. Common mistakes

Optimistic shot times. A schedule that needs everything to go right is not a schedule.
Ignoring travel time. Build moves between locations into the day, with parking.
Hidden resets. Costume and lighting changes deserve their own blocks.
Lunch as buffer. Lunch is mandated and protected; do not plan to cut into it.
No contingency. Hold 30 to 60 minutes of float per day for the unknown unknowns.

Schedule shoots in Production Deck

Production Deck builds shooting schedules from your shot list, handles company moves and meal breaks, and feeds your call sheets automatically.

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