What a Call Sheet Is For

One job: get the right people to the right place at the right time, prepared. Everything on a call sheet serves that, which is why the format has barely changed in decades and why it’s worth following rather than redesigning.

It’s issued by the assistant director or production coordinator, usually distributed the evening before the shoot day, and covers one day only. A call sheet for a five-day shoot is five call sheets — because times shift, locations change, and the whole point is that the version in someone’s hand is current.

What Goes on a Call Sheet

Header — production title, day number (“Day 3 of 18”), the date, and the general crew call time. Also the shooting location with its full address, and the weather and sunrise/sunset times, which matter for anyone shooting outside.

Key contacts — director, producer, first AD, and production office, with mobile numbers. This is the block people actually use when something goes wrong at 6am.

The schedule — scene numbers, a one-line description, interior or exterior, day or night, which cast are needed, page count, and the location. This is the day’s plan in one table.

Cast — a row per performer with their character, pickup or arrival time, makeup and wardrobe times, and their on-set time. Individual times matter: an actor in scene 14 doesn’t need the 7am crew call.

Crew — departments with their call times, which are often staggered — camera and lighting earlier, others later.

Logistics — parking instructions, unit base, catering and meal breaks, and any special equipment or vehicles due on site.

Nearest hospital — name, address, and distance. This is a safety requirement on professional productions and it belongs on every call sheet, including small ones.

Notes and advance schedule — anything unusual for the day, plus a line on what’s shooting tomorrow so departments can prepare.

Call Sheet Example

Three details here are the difference between a working call sheet and a decorative one. Individual cast times — the auctioneer doesn’t need a 6am pickup for a scene shooting after lunch. Rain cover — a nominated interior scene to move to if the weather turns, decided in advance rather than at 8am in the rain. And tomorrow’s line, so every department knows what to prep tonight.

Free Call Sheet Templates in MS Word

Each template below is editable in Word. Set up the production header once, then produce one sheet per shoot day.

Production Call Sheet Template

The full layout shown above — header with crew call and weather, scene schedule, cast times, department calls, and safety notes.

Simple Call Sheet for Short Films and Student Productions

A condensed one-page version — location, call times, scenes, and contacts — for small crews where a full feature sheet is more than the day needs.

Getting It Out on Time

• Send it the night before, not the morning of. People plan travel, childcare, and sleep around it. A call sheet arriving at 7am has already failed the person who needed to leave at 6.
• One sheet per day, clearly dated and numbered. “Day 7 of 18” in the header prevents the most common on-set confusion — someone working from yesterday’s version.
• Distribute as a PDF, not an editable file. It renders identically on every phone, and nobody accidentally edits the copy they forward.
• Issue changes as a new version with a version marker, rather than sending a correction email. Emails get missed; a replacement sheet doesn’t.
• Keep individual call times honest. Padding everyone’s call by an hour “to be safe” trains people to arrive late, and it costs real money on a paid crew.
• Include the hospital every time, even on a one-person shoot. It takes thirty seconds and it’s the line you’ll be grateful for once.

Photoshoot and Event Call Sheets

The same document, lighter. A photoshoot call sheet keeps the header, location, parking, and contacts, replaces the scene schedule with a shot list or look-by-look running order, and lists talent, hair and makeup, stylist, and client attendees with their arrival times. Add wardrobe notes and any props or product due on set, and note who is approving shots on the day — that last one saves more time than anything else on the page.

An event call sheet works the same way for crews running a conference, wedding, or live production: a timed running order instead of scenes, positions rather than characters, and vendor contacts alongside the internal team. If you’re planning the event itself rather than the crew day, an event planner covers the wider job.

Sales Call Sheets (Call Logs)

“Call sheet” has a second, unrelated meaning in sales: a log used to record outbound calls. It’s a simple table — prospect or company name, contact, number, date and time called, outcome, and the next action with a date — kept so a rep can see who has been contacted, what happened, and who’s due a follow-up.

The useful discipline is the same as with any log: record the call immediately rather than at the end of the day, always write a next action with a date (a call with no next step is a call you’ll repeat), and keep the outcomes short and consistent so the sheet can be scanned rather than read. For anything beyond a few dozen prospects, a spreadsheet or CRM will serve you better than paper — the value of a printed log is in small volumes and in the field.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a call sheet?

In film, TV, and photography, it’s the daily document sent to cast and crew before a shoot day, giving call times, the location, the scenes being shot, key contacts, and safety information. In sales, the same term is sometimes used for a log of outbound calls.

What should a call sheet include?

Production title and day number, date, general crew call, location and parking, weather and sunrise/sunset, key contacts, the scene schedule, individual cast times, department call times, meal breaks, the nearest hospital, and a note on what’s shooting the next day.

Who makes the call sheet?

Usually the first assistant director or the production coordinator, working from the shooting schedule and the day’s plan. It’s typically approved by the AD and distributed by the production office.

When should a call sheet be sent out?

The evening before the shoot day — most productions aim for early evening, once the day’s progress is known and the next day is confirmed. Sending it on the morning of the shoot defeats the purpose.

How do I make a call sheet in Word?

Build it as a series of tables: a header block, a scene schedule, a cast table with individual times, and a notes block. Keep one master file with the production details filled in, then produce a dated copy per day and export each as a PDF. Or start from one of the templates above.

What is a photoshoot call sheet?

The same format adapted for stills: location and parking, call times for talent, hair and makeup, stylist and client, a shot list or look order instead of scenes, wardrobe and prop notes, and who’s approving images on the day.

Why does a call sheet list the nearest hospital?

Because if someone is injured, nobody should be searching for directions. It’s standard practice on professional productions and a reasonable safety measure on any shoot, however small.

Pete Smith

Pete Smith is a Business Management graduate and a passionate advocate for practical, accessible resources that empower professionals and entrepreneurs to succeed. With a strong foundation in organizational strategy and operational efficiency, Pete combines academic knowledge with real-world insights to simplify complex business processes. He is the creator behind a growing online platform dedicated to offering free, high-quality documents, templates, and actionable tips designed to save time and improve productivity.

The post Free Call Sheet Templates appeared first on Free Word Templates.