Shooting Schedule
The shooting schedule lays out which scenes are shot on which day, in which order, and with whom — almost never in story order.
What this is about
Schedules are built backwards from constraints: the location is only free on Tuesday, the actor leaves Thursday, the sun sets at six. The 1st AD groups scenes by location, cast and light, weighs travel against overtime and then defends the result daily. A schedule is a living document — weather, illness and slow days rewrite it — but every change ripples into call sheets, bookings and budget, which is why changes go through one person, not many.
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:
- Scenes are grouped by location and lighting condition; company moves and rebuilds are the silent time eaters.
- Schedule and call sheet are different documents: the schedule spans the shoot, the call sheet one day.
- A day out of days shows whether the schedule wastes paid hold days on cast.
With TillyGen
TillyGen builds the shooting schedule from the shot list and keeps it synchronized with storyboard and daily call sheets.
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.
Frequently asked
Why are films not shot in story order?
Because locations, cast availability and light dictate cost. Shooting all scenes at one location in one block saves moves, rebuilds and rental days.
How long does it take to get started with TillyGen?
A first project takes under an hour to set up. There is no configuration phase in which templates and fields have to be defined before the tool produces anything.
Can the results be exported?
Yes — as PDF for the crew, CSV for downstream systems and through the API for anything automated. The plan stays the source; the exports are views of it.