On this page
The short answer
- Break the script into scenes and tag what each needs: cast, locations, props and the rest.
- Put the scenes in shooting order on a stripboard, and mark where each day ends.
- Read the day out of days from that order: for each cast member, which days they start, work, hold and finish.
- Reorder the strips to shorten holds and gaps, because a held actor is a paid actor.
The codes
| Code | Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| SW | Start work: their first day | Day 1, first scene |
| W | Work: a day in the middle | Day 2 |
| WF | Work finish: their last day | Day 3, the final scene |
| SWF | Start, work and finish on one day | A one-day part |
| H | Hold: not working, but kept on, between two work days | A gap day you still pay for |
Some schedules also use codes for travel, rehearsal, fittings, or a drop and pick up, when an actor is released and brought back later.
The stripboard
Each scene is a strip, with its scene number, interior or exterior, day or night, its page length and its cast. The traditional colors:
| Strip | Color |
|---|---|
| Interior, day | White |
| Exterior, day | Yellow |
| Interior, night | Blue |
| Exterior, night | Green |
A day break is a strip that ends a shoot day. Moving strips moves the schedule, and the day out of days changes with it.
How to order the strips
| Group by | Why |
|---|---|
| Location | A company move costs hours |
| Day and night | Night work after day work needs a turnaround |
| Cast | Keep an actor's scenes together to avoid holds |
| Exteriors early | So there is room to move them if the weather turns |
| Hard scenes early in the day | People are fresh, and the light is planned |
These pull against each other. The schedule is the trade you choose.
A worked example
A sample four-day shoot with three cast members.
| Cast | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Work days | Hold days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maya, lead | SW | W | W | WF | 4 | 0 |
| Ben, her brother | SW | H | WF | 2 | 1 | |
| Rosa, the neighbor | SWF | 1 | 0 |
Ben works days 1 and 3, so day 2 is a hold, and you may owe him for it. Look for a scene of his that could move from day 3 to day 1 or 2. Move it to day 2 and his line reads SW, WF, with no hold, and day 3 is free of him.
| Cast | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Work days | Hold days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben, after the move | SW | WF | 2 | 0 |
Whether that move is worth it depends on what it does to the locations. If his day 3 scene is at a location you only have on day 3, the hold may be cheaper than a second company move. The chart does not decide. It shows you what each choice costs.
Where it goes next
| From the schedule | To |
|---|---|
| Each day's scenes, in order | The shoot schedule and the call sheet |
| Each day's locations | The call sheet, with addresses and parking |
| Who works which day | Bookings, deal memos and call times |
| Work and hold days | The talent line of the budget |
Mistakes that cost a day
- Scheduling in script order instead of by location.
- Forgetting that a hold is a paid day for many performers.
- Ending a day with a company move.
- Changing the stripboard and not sending a new call sheet.
Doing it in Cutvey
Import a Final Draft, Fountain or PDF script under Plan > Breakdown. Tag elements in eleven categories, drag strips on the stripboard (colored by interior or exterior and day or night), add day breaks, and read the day out of days with the codes above. Once a day has a date, send its scenes to the shoot schedule and its locations to the call sheet. See Script breakdown, stripboard and day out of days, and what is a call sheet for the next step.