What is a call sheet, and what goes on one?
By Jide Odukoya, Founder
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. The California Film Commission calls it a form listing the scenes, people and gear needed on a given day. 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 phone numbers. It names the nearest hospital. Send it the evening before at the latest, and 48 hours ahead of a first shoot day.
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. The California Film Commission notes call times vary by department, "make-up before crew, for example".
- 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
Give the nearest emergency room, with its address and directions, plus any hazards at this location. The film industry’s safety code tells crew to "pay special attention to call sheets". They may hold safety information for the next day’s shoot.
- 6
Send it early and check who got it
Send it the evening before at the latest. Before a first shoot day, Occidental College’s production handbook says no later than 48 hours ahead. Then track who has said they got it. "I never got the call sheet" is a frequent reason for 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 a common reason a crew member is late. Two lines of notes can save the morning.
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?
Before the first day of a shoot, aim for 48 hours ahead. For each day after that, the evening before at the latest. Send it 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.
Which fields are easy to forget?
The nearest hospital and parking notes are easy to leave off. Both take a minute to add. Both matter on the day something goes wrong.