How To Make A Call Sheet

A call sheet is a document that you send to all of your cast and crew to ensure they know exactly when and where you are shooting. It's a vital piece of communication that could make or break your shoot day. If a cast or crew member doesn't know when or where to show up, you may find your shoot already sabotaged. So let's go over some of the key elements that make up a call sheet. So all your demons show up on time.

Call sheets are usually segmented into sections, so let's start with the top first. The very top and center of your call sheet should have the name of your production. Next to that should be the date of your shoot day and the shoot day number for this particular film. Moving back to the left, you should have all of your important contacts listed, such as the producer and director, so if a crew member or cast member is lost or needs directions, they can contact them. Under that should be the weather for the day, including the temperature and specifically noting if it's supposed to rain, as rain can cause slowdowns and even halt outdoor productions. Lastly, in this section you should have the crew call time prominently displayed. If different crew members have different call times, then instead put something like see individual call times and then list each crew member with their call time below.

The next section of your call sheet is dedicated to locations. Here you'll want to list your primary location and then if there's multiple locations you can list them in shooting order below. You can also put any notes that might be relevant to the location such as parking and how long you'll be there. Next to that is one of the most important parts of your call sheet, the nearest hospital. Here you'll want to list the address for the nearest hospital with an emergency center. So that in the event of an accident, everyone knows exactly where to go to get fast medical help. Finally under that is the last section which is to the cast. Here you want to list your cast in order of credit, so for example, the lead would go first and the number one spot. Make sure to list both the actor or actresses names and roles as well as their specific call time and which shooting location they should show up at.

You can also list their cut times so they know how long they'll be needed onset. Once your call sheet is done, make sure you send it to all of your cast and crew at least 12 hours before their call time. However, I recommend getting ahead of the game and sending them out a few days before the shoot just to ensure everyone receives them on time. Now, call sheets can be way more detailed than this and have a lot more information, but I found with my low budget films, this has been all the information I really need. However, if you want to add more to your call sheet, feel free to customize it and fit it to your production needs.

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