What goes on a call sheet
The short answer
A call sheet tells everyone on a shoot where to be and when to be there. It also says what happens once they arrive. At the least it carries the date and the address, with parking notes. It lists call times per person or department, the schedule for the day, and key contacts with phone numbers. It names the nearest hospital. It should reach the crew the evening before the shoot, not the morning of.
You are running a shoot with more than two people. You need everyone to arrive at the right place at the right time.
Step by step
- 1
Start with the date, the place and the weather
Full address, parking or loading notes, and the forecast for an outdoor shoot. For a rural spot where a street address fails, add what3words or a map pin.
- 2
List call times per person, not one time for everyone
Hair and makeup, camera and talent rarely need the same call. One call time for everyone either wastes people’s hours or makes them late.
- 3
Set out the schedule in blocks
Break the day into the sessions everyone will actually use, with a time against each. These are the same blocks you will record hours against later.
- 4
List key contacts with phone numbers that get answered
Producer, first assistant and the client contact, with numbers that will be picked up on the day. On a shoot, the call sheet is the phone book.
- 5
Include the nearest hospital and any safety notes
The nearest emergency room, with its address, plus any hazards at this location. This is normal on professional shoots and takes two minutes.
- 6
Send it the night before and check who got it
Send it the evening before and track who has said they got it. "I never got the call sheet" is the most common cause of a late start.
Where this goes wrong
Sending it the morning of the shoot
Crew plan their travel the night before. A call sheet that arrives at 6am has already failed the people travelling furthest.
No parking or how-to-get-in notes
On a city shoot, parking is the most common reason a crew member is late. Two lines of notes prevent it.
One call time for the whole crew
Either you pay people to wait, or somebody arrives after the shot is set. Both cost money.
No record of who got it
Without a reply, you cannot tell who ignored the call sheet from who never got it.
Questions people ask
When should a call sheet go out?
The evening before the shoot day. Earlier if people are travelling a long way or the call is very early.
Does a small photo shoot need a call sheet?
Any shoot with more than two people is better with one. For a two-person shoot, a message with the address, time and a phone number is usually enough.
What is the most commonly missed field?
The nearest hospital, then parking notes. Both take a minute to add. Both matter on the day something goes wrong.