Overtime

What this is about

There is a moment on most shooting days when the producer has to decide: cut the remaining shots or pay for the hours. The maths is rarely simple, because overtime is billed for the whole unit at once, cast and equipment may have their own terms, and the extra hours shorten tomorrow's turnaround. Sometimes an extra hour saves a return day and is clearly cheaper. Sometimes it costs more than the shot is worth. What separates the two is knowing the standard day, the increments and the rate before the moment arrives, not during it.

A term only helps when everyone on set means the same thing by it — so what follows is how it is used, not a dictionary definition.

What runs differently here

In planning terms, that means:

• The standard day length is not universal: it comes from the deal memo or the applicable collective agreement, and it varies by market.
• Overtime is usually charged in fixed increments, so ten minutes past the line can cost as much as a full unit.
• Only the producer authorises it. The first AD announces the decision, but the money question is not made on the floor.

With TillyGen

TillyGen shows how full a shooting day already is, so the overtime decision arrives at midday instead of at wrap.

Change one constraint and the consequences travel through the whole plan: affected shots are flagged, the call sheet is regenerated, and nobody keeps working from yesterday's version.