If you want to start from a filled-in file, download the shooting schedule template. It comes as XLSX, CSV, and PDF and is already set up with the format described below. This post explains why each part of the layout is there so you can adapt it to your own show without breaking what makes it readable.
For the process of deciding which scenes go on which day, read how to build a shooting schedule. This post covers the page itself: what a department head should see when they flip to Day 7.
The four parts of every shoot day
Every day in a shooting schedule has the same four pieces, in the same order:
- A day header that says which day this is and where.
- One scene row for each scene shot that day, in shooting order.
- Element lines under each scene row listing what departments need.
- An end-of-day strip with the page total, which also works as the divider before the next day.
Keep that order on every day. People scan these pages quickly, and the moment one day is laid out differently, somebody misses a line.
The day header
The header tells a reader where they are in the schedule before they read any scene.
| Field | Example | Why it's there |
|---|---|---|
| Shoot day | Day 7 of 20 | The number people use in conversation |
| Date | Tuesday, October 13, 2026 | Write the weekday out. "10/13" gets misread by crews who work across countries |
| Location | Pell's Hardware, 412 Front St. | The practical location, not just the set name |
| Planned crew call | 7:00A | A planning number. The call sheet sets the real one |
| Company moves | None | Or "Move to Hale house after lunch" |
| Notes | Sunset 6:31P | Anything that affects the whole day |
If a day has a company move, some ADs add a second, smaller header partway down the day so the new location stands out.
The scene row
This is the line that appears on every schedule, one-liner, and call sheet, so format it consistently from the start.
| Column | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Scene | 42A | Exactly as numbered in the script, including letters |
| I/E | INT | INT, EXT, or I/E for scenes that move between both |
| Set | HARDWARE STORE - BACK ROOM | Match the script heading word for word |
| D/N | D | Many schedules also mark dawn and dusk |
| Pages | 1 3/8 | Whole pages plus eighths |
| Script day | D4 | The day in the story, for continuity |
| Synopsis | Dell finds the ledger behind the paint cans | One line, under about 12 words |
| Cast | 1, 3 | Cast ID numbers, never names |
Using cast numbers instead of names keeps the row short and matches the call sheet and day out of days. Number cast once, early, and never renumber. If an actor is recast, the number stays with the character.
The synopsis is there so someone can tell scenes apart without the script. "Dell and June argue" is useless on a show where they argue in nine scenes. "Dell and June argue over the unpaid bill" is enough.
The script day column matters more than people expect. Wardrobe, hair, makeup, and props use it to know which look a character is in. If scenes 42A and 88 are both D4 but shot two weeks apart, the costume has to match.
Element lines under each scene
Below the scene row, list the breakdown elements that departments prep. Only include categories that have something in them for that scene. An empty "Animals:" line on 150 scenes is noise.
| Category | Example for scene 42A |
|---|---|
| Background | 2 (customers, seen through doorway) |
| Props | Ledger (hero), paint cans, flashlight |
| Wardrobe | Dell: work jacket, same as sc. 40 |
| Makeup | Dell: cut on left hand (from sc. 38) |
| Vehicles | None |
| Special effects | None |
| Special equipment | None |
| Notes | Flashlight is a practical, check battery |
These lines come straight from the script breakdown sheet, which is why the schedule is only as accurate as the breakdown. If you update a breakdown sheet during prep, update the schedule's element lines at the same time.
The end-of-day strip
The end-of-day strip does two jobs. It shows where one day stops, and it holds the day's page total. On a stripboard it's traditionally a black strip; in a spreadsheet, a dark filled row works.
A typical end-of-day strip reads: END OF DAY 7 - Tue 10/13 - 4 6/8 pages
To total eighths, add the eighths together, then carry every 8 into a whole page. Say Day 7 has scenes of 1 3/8, 2 1/8, and 1 2/8 pages. The whole pages add to 4. The eighths add to 3 + 1 + 2 = 6. The day is 4 6/8 pages. If the eighths came to 11, you'd write 1 more whole page and 3/8 left over.
Some schedules also put a running total on the strip, like "Total to date: 31 2/8 of 92 4/8." That makes it easy to see whether the shoot is on pace against the whole script.
Banner strips for days that aren't normal
Use a separate strip, visually distinct from scene rows, for anything that isn't a scene:
- Days off and holidays
- Travel days
- Rehearsal days
- Company moves in the middle of a day
- A reminder, such as "Minor on set, hours limited" or "Night exteriors begin"
A banner that says "WEEKEND" between Day 5 and Day 6 is small, but it stops people from counting Saturday as a shoot day when they're working out an actor's dates.
The strip colors
If you format the schedule as a stripboard or color the scene rows in a spreadsheet, use the convention most people know:
| Color | Scene type |
|---|---|
| White | INT. day |
| Yellow | EXT. day |
| Blue | INT. night |
| Green | EXT. night |
Productions change this sometimes, so print a legend on the first page. The stripboard color legend covers the variations.
The front page and the summary
Put a cover page at the front with the production title, the schedule version and date, who prepared it, and a revision note. Something like: "Blue revision, 9/29/2026. Sc. 60 moved from Day 11 to Day 4."
At the back, a summary lets anyone check the schedule against the script:
| Check | LOW WATER example |
|---|---|
| Script pages | 92 4/8 |
| Pages scheduled | 92 4/8 |
| Shoot days | 20 |
| Average per day | 4 5/8 |
| Scenes scheduled | 118 of 118 |
| Omitted scenes | 3 (sc. 27, 64, 101), marked OMITTED |
If scheduled pages don't match script pages, a scene is missing or listed twice. Find it before the schedule goes out. Omitted scenes stay on the list, marked OMITTED, so nobody wonders where scene 27 went.
A full sample day
Here's what Day 7 looks like assembled. In a spreadsheet, each line below would be its own row.
DAY 7 OF 20 | TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 | PELL'S HARDWARE, 412 FRONT ST.
Planned crew call 7:00A | No company move | Sunset 6:31P
40 INT HARDWARE STORE - COUNTER D 2 1/8 D4 Dell opens up, June comes in with the bill 1, 2
Background: 3 customers Props: register, bill (hero) Wardrobe: Dell work jacket, June coat
42A INT HARDWARE STORE - BACK ROOM D 1 3/8 D4 Dell finds the ledger behind the paint cans 1, 3
Background: 2 (through doorway) Props: ledger (hero), paint cans, flashlight
Makeup: Dell cut on left hand (from sc. 38)
43 EXT HARDWARE STORE - LOADING DOCK D 1 2/8 D4 Hollis watches Dell load the truck 1, 3
Vehicles: Dell's pickup (picture car) Notes: shoot before 3:00P for sun on dock
END OF DAY 7 | 4 6/8 PAGES | TOTAL TO DATE 31 2/8 OF 92 4/8
Building the template in a spreadsheet
A few spreadsheet habits save time:
- Keep one scene per row with the element lines in merged cells below, or put elements in columns to the right if you prefer a wide sheet.
- Add a hidden column that converts pages to decimals (1 3/8 becomes 1.375), then total that column and convert back for the end-of-day strip.
- Freeze the header row so column names stay visible as you scroll.
- Use a filter on the cast column to pull every scene for one actor when casting asks for dates.
- Save each revision as a new file with the color and date in the filename.
The page count calculator handles eighths arithmetic if you'd rather not build the formulas.
Formatting mistakes that cause trouble
Set names that don't match the script. If the script says HALE HOUSE - KITCHEN and the schedule says KITCHEN (HALE), searches and filters miss scenes, and the location department ends up with two lists.
Names instead of cast numbers. The row gets long, the columns stop lining up, and a recast breaks every document.
No revision date on the page. Two versions end up circulating, and the one taped to the truck is from last week.
Totals typed by hand. They drift out of sync as scenes move. Calculate them.
Too much in the notes column. Put department detail in element lines; keep notes for things that affect the whole scene.
Where this document goes next
The one-line schedule is this document with the element lines removed. The call sheet takes one day from it and adds individual call times, the hospital, and the weather. The day out of days reads the cast column across all days. The production report on the day compares what was shot against it. That's why the formats need to match: if the scene numbers, set names, and cast IDs line up across all of them, anyone can move between documents without translating.
Printing a schedule from Storiara
Storiara builds the scene rows from an uploaded script (PDF, Word, or Final Draft), with page counts in eighths taken from the PDF layout. You arrange scenes and day breaks on a drag-and-drop stripboard and can print the schedule and the Day Out of Days view. Export is print only, so if you need a spreadsheet version, the downloadable template above is the better starting point.