Free Call Sheet Template for Film (Plus How to Make One That Works With No Signal)

It's 5:40am. Your crew is parked at a farm gate, the van has no bars, and the call sheet is a link nobody can open. Someone drives the grip truck to the wrong barn. You lose 40 minutes before the first shot.

That's not a camera problem. It's a paperwork problem, and it's one of the easiest to fix.

A call sheet is the one-page daily plan that tells every cast and crew member where to be, when to be there, and what's being shot that day. Below you'll find a free call sheet template you can download with no sign-up, plus a simple, step-by-step way to fill it in so it still works when the Wi-Fi doesn't.

Free download: Film Call Sheet Template

Printable PDF · Editable Excel / Google Sheets

No email. No account. Built for indie shoots, short films and features.

Why we made this template

In September, cinematographer Joey Arcisz wrote a sharp piece for Stage 32 called Your Call Sheet Workflow Should Survive a Bad Connection. His point is simple: a call sheet that only lives behind a link fails at exactly the moment you need it. In his words, "A truck driver should not have to guess whether a marker means temporary unloading or parking for the day."

That matters most on small films. Lean, one-location films like River (a thriller set on a broken-down boat that sold out of TIFF for over $10 million) get shot on lakes, in forests and on farms: exactly where phone signal disappears. Planning one? Start with our 7-step plan for a low-budget horror film.

So we built a template around that problem. Most free call sheet templates cover the basics. Ours adds the parts that usually go missing: real arrival instructions, a revision box, and every key phone number printed on the page.

What is a call sheet?

A call sheet is a daily document sent to everyone working on a shoot. It lists the call times, the scenes being filmed, the cast needed, the location address, parking, weather, safety info and key contacts.

• Who makes it? The assistant director (AD) usually builds it from the shooting schedule. On a small shoot, that might be the producer or the director.
• When does it go out? The evening before the shoot day. Crew generally expect it no later than about 12 hours before call (Wikipedia).
• Who gets it? Everyone on that day: cast, crew, drivers, extras, and sometimes the location owner.

Quick jargon check:

• Crew call = the time the crew should arrive and start work.
• Shooting call = the time you plan to roll on the first shot.
• Eighths = how scene length is measured. A script page is split into eight parts, so a scene that's "2 3/8" is two pages and three-eighths of a page long.

What goes on a call sheet (the 10 sections)

Every call sheet is a little different, but these ten sections cover almost every shoot:

1. Header and revision number. Production title, shoot day ("Day 3 of 12"), date, and which version this is. More on revisions below.
2. Key times. Crew call, shooting call, breakfast, lunch and estimated wrap.
3. Weather, sunrise and sunset. Vital for exteriors and anything shot at "magic hour".
4. Key contacts. Director, producer, AD, location manager and the set medic, with phone numbers written out, not linked.
5. Location and arrival instructions. The full address, plus exactly where cars, trucks and cast should go when they get there.
6. Nearest hospital. Name, address and phone number. Non-negotiable.
7. Scenes. Scene number, a short description, day or night, length in eighths, cast involved and set.
8. Cast. Each actor, their character, pickup time, hair and makeup time, and when they're needed on set.
9. Special requirements. Props, vehicles, animals, stunts, special effects, extra equipment.
10. Advance schedule. A short look at tomorrow, so departments can prep.

Our template has all ten sections laid out on one printable page. Download the PDF or the editable Excel / Google Sheets version, then follow the steps below.

How to make a call sheet, step by step

Step 1: Start from your shooting schedule, not a blank page

A call sheet is just one day of your shooting schedule, with the logistics added. If the schedule is messy, the call sheet will be too.

So before you open the template, make sure you know which scenes are shooting that day, in what order, and roughly how long each will take. That comes from your script breakdown (the list of every character, prop, location and costume in each scene) and your stripboard (the scenes arranged into shoot days).

Tip: if you're still building the schedule, FinalBit's scheduling tool turns your script into a stripboard automatically, groups scenes by location and cast, and exports your shooting schedule and Day Out of Days report as PDF or CSV. That gives you everything you need to fill in Steps 2 to 4 below. (New to scheduling? Our guide to efficient film scheduling covers the basics.)

Step 2: Set your times

Fill in crew call, shooting call, meals and estimated wrap. Then work backwards for each actor: how long do hair, makeup and wardrobe take? That tells you their call time.

Keep the gap between crew call and shooting call realistic. On a small crew, the first setup almost always takes longer than you think.

Step 3: List the scenes in shooting order

Copy the day's scenes from your schedule in the order you'll actually shoot them, not in script order. Add day or night, the length in eighths and the cast numbers for each one.

Our Excel template totals the eighths for you and shows the day's page count automatically.

Step 4: Fill in the cast table

Give each actor a number (the same number used in your breakdown), and list their pickup, hair and makeup, and on-set times. If an actor isn't needed until the afternoon, give them a later call. People remember who let them sleep in.

Step 5: Write arrival instructions a stranger could follow

This is where most call sheets let the crew down. "Miller Farm, 22 Hollow Rd" is an address. It isn't instructions.

Spell out:

• The last turn, with a landmark ("left after the red barn, not the first gate").
• Where each vehicle goes: crew cars, the truck, and cast drop-off can all be different places.
• The entrance to use once they arrive.
• Where signal drops, so people know to read the directions before they lose it.

Then do Arcisz's test. Hand the page to someone who has never been to the location and ask one question: "Where would you take the truck?" If they hesitate, rewrite it.

Step 6: Add safety and special requirements

List the nearest hospital, the set medic or first-aider, and anything unusual about the day: stunts, water, a moving vehicle, an animal, smoke or a prop weapon. If it could hurt someone or delay the day, it goes on the call sheet.

Step 7: Add tomorrow and send it out

Fill in the advance schedule, save it as a PDF, and send it the evening before. Ask everyone to reply "got it", so you know who's actually seen it.

Make your call sheet survive a dead signal

Here's the offline checklist, based on Arcisz's advice and on what tends to go wrong on real shoots:

• Send a PDF, not only a link. Attach it to the email or message so it saves to the phone.
• Put phone numbers on the page. Not behind a "contacts" link.
• Print a few copies. One for the AD, one for the truck, one taped up at base camp.
• Include the time zone if anyone is travelling in.
• Test it offline. Put your phone in airplane mode and check you can still open and read everything.

How to handle changes (without chaos)

Plans change. Rain moves a scene. An actor gets sick. The mess starts when the changes live in six different text threads.

Keep it simple:

1. One person publishes changes. Usually the AD. Everyone else sends changes to them.
2. Number every version. "Rev 2, sent 9:40pm."
3. Say what changed in one line at the top: "Sc. 14 moved to Day 4. Crew call now 6:30am."
4. Send the whole new PDF, not just a text about the change.

Our template has a revision box built into the header for exactly this.

7 call sheet mistakes that cost you time

Your call sheet is only as good as your schedule

Here's the honest truth: a beautiful call sheet can't rescue a bad schedule. If you've squeezed three location moves and an outdoor night scene into a 10-hour day, no template will save it.

That's the part FinalBit is built for. Upload your script and it will:

• Break it down automatically: characters, locations, props, costumes and day or night, tagged in seconds instead of hours.
• Build your stripboard, grouping scenes by location and cast so you're not moving the whole crew twice in one day.
• Export your shooting schedule and Day Out of Days report as PDF or CSV, ready to copy straight into your call sheets.

Then use our free template for the day-by-day call sheets.

Start your schedule free in FinalBit → The free Basic plan lets you break down and schedule one script, with no credit card needed. Shooting schedule and Day Out of Days exports are included on the Creator and Pro plans.

Before you hit send: the 60-second check

Run through this every night before the call sheet goes out. (Don't have the template yet? Grab it here, free, no sign-up.)

FAQ

What is a call sheet in film?

A call sheet is a one-page daily schedule sent to cast and crew before each shoot day. It lists call times, the scenes being shot, the cast needed, the location and parking details, weather, the nearest hospital and key contacts, so everyone knows where to be and when.

Who makes the call sheet?

On most productions, the assistant director (AD) prepares the call sheet from the shooting schedule, and the production office sends it out. On small indie shoots, the producer or director often makes it themselves.

When should a call sheet be sent out?

Send it the evening before the shoot day, ideally no later than about 12 hours before crew call. That gives everyone time to read it, plan their travel and ask questions.

What's the difference between crew call and shooting call?

Crew call is when the crew arrives and starts setting up. Shooting call is when you plan to start filming the first shot. The gap between them is your setup time.

Is there a free call sheet template?

Yes. You can download FinalBit's free film call sheet template as a printable PDF or an editable Excel file that also works in Google Sheets. There's no sign-up, and it includes arrival instructions and a revision box so it works on low-signal locations.

How do I make a call sheet quickly?

Start from your shooting schedule rather than a blank page. Tools like FinalBit can turn your script into a breakdown, stripboard and shooting schedule automatically, and then you copy each day's scenes, cast and times into a call sheet template.

Should I use call sheet software or a template?

For a short film or a small indie shoot, a good template is usually enough: you fill it in once a day and send a PDF. Call sheet software starts to pay off on bigger shoots with large crews and frequent changes, because it can track who has confirmed and push updates. Either way, the call sheet is only as accurate as the shooting schedule behind it.

Should a call sheet be a PDF or a link?

Both, but never only a link. A PDF attached to an email or message saves to the phone and opens without signal. Links are fine as a backup, but they fail on remote locations.

Your call sheet is ready. Is your schedule?

Every call sheet comes from the shooting schedule. Upload your script to FinalBit and it breaks down every scene automatically, then builds your stripboard so you know exactly what's shooting each day. You copy that into the call sheet template each night.