← How To · Producer · 12 min read

How to run a shoot day

A shoot day starts the night before and ends in next morning's DPR. The 1st AD lives between two documents — yesterday's call sheet and today's wrap-out. Done right, you wrap in the green and your producer hears nothing. Done wrong, you wrap in the red and your producer hears everything.

1

Prep the night before

Confirm tomorrow's call sheet is dispatched and recipients have RSVP'd. Walk through any wardrobe / makeup / prop questions with the relevant department heads. Verify location confirmations, parking, basecamp address, nearest hospital, and the meal break window. Brief the AD team on the day's complexity.

2

Crew call to first shot

Crew call kicks off the day. Cast hits HMU and wardrobe; departments set up; the DP and director walk the location. The 1st AD's job in this window is to lock the day's blocking — every shot accounted for, every department aligned on the order. The shotlist for today should be the operational document.

3

Run scene-by-scene

Each scene clears in a specific order: rehearsal, blocking, lighting, sound, marker, action. The 1st AD calls each stage. The script supervisor tracks coverage against the shotlist — every shot ticked when captured, every alternate noted. Continuity polaroids land in /characters and /props as each setup wraps.

4

Meal break and second half

Meal break window is non-negotiable in any unionised production — penalties for late meal kick in fast. The 1st AD calls meal one hour before the deadline so the line can be served and back on set in time. Second half is typically tighter scenes, pickup shots, and any company moves.

5

Wrap and the DPR

Call wrap. The script supervisor finalises the coverage report. The 2nd AD logs cast in/out times into /shoot-day. The 1st AD logs accidents, near-misses, equipment damage, and the day's narrative. /producer auto-assembles the DPR + Weekly Cost Report PDFs from the day's data — the producer's email-to-financiers writes itself.

The DPR is the document your bond company reads in the morning. A clean DPR = a quiet inbox. A polished DPR with an AI-drafted narrative section + Exhibit G + setup count = a financier who trusts you with the next show.

Try it

Open /shoot-day and follow the steps

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