Working With Sunfrog:
Working With Lists -
Importing a Script - Show
Information - Breakdown Items -
Locations - Contacts -
Breakdown Sheets
Schedules - Reports & Call
Sheets - Tutorial
Schedules
Overview
A Schedule contains the ordered list of
Sheets required
to complete the production. BFS supports the creation of multiple
schedules to explore different shooting plans. A schedule also
contains the production start date and a calendar of days off.
Creating a Schedule
After the Breakdown
Sheets and Items have
been created, you are ready to make a schedule.
First, bring up the "Schedule" pane on the right and the
"Breakdown Sheets" list on the left.
The default schedule name is "New Schedule". You can
change the name to something else, such as "Draft Schedule". You can
make other schedules (to explore other shooting plans) by bringing up the
schedule list on the left, then adding a new schedule. Most of the
time, however (especially for short projects), you will only need to work
with one schedule.
Modifying the Shoot Calendar
Decide upon the first day of shooting by using the
calendar control in the upper right.
Decide upon your crew's days off by selecting the "Days
Off" link in the upper left. This is where you decide what days of
the week you will be shooting on (and consequently the number of work days
per week).
Select the first day's sheets on the left, the drag them
onto the schedule.
Updating the Call Time for a Shoot
Day
If a daybreak is not already present in the schedule, add
one by clicking "add daybreak". If the daybreak gets added to
the middle of your first day's sheets, drag it to the bottom. The
daybreak will report on the day of the shoot and the total number of
pages.
When you add a daybreak or double-click on one to edit it,
you will get a dialog asking you for the day's call time. This is the
"general crew call" time that will be reported at the top of the call sheet.
Aside - In practice the sound department may ask to arrive a little later,
because there won't be a lot for them to do while grip and electric lights
the set. As 1st AD I generally make a verbal agreement with
sound to arrive 20 minutes to 30 minutes after the general crew call.
The AD's and Location Managers will want to arrive about 1/2 hr or more
before the general crew call to make sure the location is secure and to get
on top of any issues for that day.
Don't worry yet about call times for individual actors -
those will be set when the call sheet gets edited.
Note that you must be aware of "turnaround" for the crew.
Union rules vary from region to region. The general rule of thumb is
that you may only call the crew 12 hours after wrap from the previous day.
The definition of "wrap" may be contentious, however, since grip/electric
need time to break down the set and possibly drive trucks back home.
On "union" shows these rules will be well established; on "indie" shows,
make an effort to treat the crew right to avoid mutiny later on.
Updating the Quote of the Day
The daybreak dialog also allows you to set the "Quote of the
Day" or QOTD. The QOTD appears on the call sheets to be handed out to
cast and crew. This is generally something funny or outrageous
that a cast or crew member said, or was reputed to say, during the previous
day of production. Making your quotes of the day consistently funny is
good for morale.
Adding Production Days
Decide the second day's breakdown sheets and drag them
below the first daybreak. Add an additional daybreak to mark
the end of that shoot day.
You can estimate the workload of each day by looking at
the page counts in each daybreak. Some projects will call for an
average page count of 2 4/8 to 3 pages, others more, others less.
Auto Day Breaks
You can also use the "Auto Daybreaks" feature to insert
daybreaks depending on your desired page count per day. Note that
the "Auto Daybreaks" feature will remove any existing daybreaks.
You can add Banners to report on company moves, early
meals, or other information you want to communicate with your crew.
Select "Add Banner" to add a banner.
After a schedule has been created, you can generate
Reports
(such as call sheets)
to distribute to your cast and crew.
Next topic: Reports
