Production Reports in Film: Daily and Wrap Reports (With a Template)
By Muhammad Wisal and Muhammad Ali / 7 min read
A production report in film is the official record of what happened on one shoot day: when the crew was called and wrapped, which scenes and pages were shot, how much was left, cast and crew hours, media used, and any delays or incidents. The 2nd AD usually prepares it from the day's paperwork, the 1st AD and production manager check it, and it goes to the producers, usually the next morning. A wrap report is the shorter summary sent at the end of the day, or the final summary at the end of the shoot.
What is a daily production report?
The daily production report (often called the DPR, or just "the PR") compares the plan on the call sheet with what actually happened. The call sheet says what you intended to shoot. The production report says what you shot, how long it took and what it cost in time. Producers, the line producer, accountants, payroll and sometimes insurers and completion bond companies read it. If there is a dispute later about hours, meal penalties, an injury or a missed scene, the production report is the document people go back to.
Who writes the production report, and where does the information come from?
The 2nd AD (or a 2nd 2nd AD on larger shoots) compiles the report, because the AD department tracks times all day. They pull from several sources:
- Script supervisor's daily report: scenes completed and partially completed, pages shot, setups, minutes of screen time, first shot and last shot times.
- Camera reports: rolls or cards used, data shot, which takes were circled.
- Sound reports: sound rolls or files recorded.
- Cast time sheets: each actor's call, on-set, meal and wrap times. On union shoots these are formal time sheets that actors sign; rules and forms vary by union and country, so check with your production manager or the union directly.
- AD notes: crew call, meal breaks, company moves, delays and reasons, accidents, visitors.
The 1st AD reviews it for accuracy, and the unit production manager or line producer signs it off before it is distributed. On a small indie shoot, the 1st AD may write it alone in 20 minutes after wrap. The order stays the same: collect, compile, check, sign, send.
What goes in a production report?
Layouts vary, but most reports cover the same blocks. Here is a template you can copy into a spreadsheet or document.
| Section | What to record | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Title, shoot day number, date, director, producer, location(s) | "Salt Flats", Day 6 of 15, Tuesday 9 June |
| Schedule status | Ahead, on, or behind schedule, and by how much | Behind by 1 scene (Sc. 41) |
| Times | Crew call, shooting call, first shot, meal out and in, first shot after meal, camera wrap, last person out | Call 6:00, first shot 7:42, lunch 12:30 to 1:00, camera wrap 5:55, last out 6:50 |
| Scenes | Scheduled, completed, partly completed, added, not shot | Scheduled 38, 39, 40, 41. Completed 38, 39, 40. Not shot 41 |
| Pages | Pages scheduled, pages shot today, total pages shot to date, pages remaining | Today 3 2/8 of 4 1/8. To date 27 5/8. Remaining 61 3/8 |
| Setups and screen time | Setups shot, minutes of screen time from the script supervisor | 19 setups, 3 minutes 40 seconds |
| Cast | Each actor's status for the day and their times | Cast 3, Priya Shah: SW, call 6:30, on set 7:30, wrap 5:40 |
| Background | Number of background actors, call and wrap | 8 travelers, call 7:00, wrap 3:00 |
| Media and sound | Camera cards or rolls, total data, sound rolls | A cam cards A021 to A024, 1.6 TB. Sound roll S006 |
| Crew | Headcount, extra day crew, anyone late or released early | 24 crew, plus 1 extra grip |
| Delays | What held the day up, how long, and why | 40 minutes, generator fault before first shot |
| Incidents | Injuries, damage, near misses, and actions taken | None |
| Notes | Anything producers must know, such as overtime, equipment returned, location complaints | Sc. 41 moved to Day 8. Location owner asked for trucks off street by 7 PM |
Pages are counted in eighths of a page, the same way the schedule counts them. The cast column uses day out of days codes: SW (start work), W (work), H (hold), WF (work finish), SWF (start, work and finish on the same day), T (travel) and R (rehearsal).
What is a wrap report?
"Wrap report" is used in two ways, and both are worth knowing.
- End of day wrap report: a short message the 1st or 2nd AD sends to producers within an hour of wrap. It gives the headline numbers before the full report is ready: scenes completed, pages shot, anything that did not get done, camera wrap time, and any incident. Producers use it to decide on schedule changes overnight.
- End of production wrap report: after the last shoot day, a summary of the whole shoot: total days, total pages, scenes still to pick up, final cast and crew days, outstanding equipment returns and any open issues for post. It often goes with the final cost report from the production accountant.
A wrap report never replaces the daily production report. It is the quick version that buys time for the accurate one.
A worked example: one day of a road movie
Here is a short end of day wrap report for day 6 of "Salt Flats", a low-budget road movie shooting at a desert motel.
Day 6 of 15 wrapped. Camera wrap 5:55 PM, last out 6:50 PM. Completed Sc. 38, 39, 40 (3 2/8 pages of 4 1/8 scheduled). Sc. 41 (EXT. MOTEL POOL - DAY, 7/8 page) not shot: lost 40 minutes to a generator fault before first shot and the sun was gone by 5:30. Proposed to add Sc. 41 to Day 8, which has the same location and cast 3. No injuries. Full report by 9 AM.
The full report the next morning would add every time, each actor's hours, media numbers and the generator rental company's response. Notice what the wrap report does well: it states the problem, the cause, and a proposal, so the producer can reply with a yes or no.
How do you write a production report step by step?
- Start from the call sheet. Copy the day number, scheduled scenes, scheduled pages and cast list into the report so you can compare plan and result.
- Log times as they happen. Write down crew call, first shot, meal times, first shot after meal and camera wrap on the day. Reconstructing them later is how errors creep in.
- Collect paperwork at wrap. Get the script supervisor's report, camera and sound reports, and cast time sheets before people leave.
- Fill in scenes and pages. Mark each scheduled scene as complete, partial or not shot. Update pages shot to date and pages remaining.
- Record delays honestly. Give the length and the cause. "Late" helps nobody; "35 minutes, lead actor's car broke down, reported 7:05" does.
- Note incidents and anything unusual. Injuries, damage, complaints, extra crew, overtime.
- Send the wrap report tonight, the full report in the morning. Get the 1st AD's check and the production manager's sign-off before the full version goes out.
What are common production report mistakes?
- Copying the call sheet's scheduled times into the "actual" column instead of the real ones.
- Marking a partly shot scene as complete, so it drops off the schedule and is never picked up.
- Vague delay notes that make it impossible to fix the cause next time.
- Leaving out a minor injury because it seemed small. Record every incident and what was done about it.
- Cast times that do not match the actors' own time sheets.
- Sending the report days late, after the schedule has already moved on.
How does the production report connect to the rest of the shoot?
The production report feeds three things. First, the schedule: anything not shot has to land on a future day, and the 1st AD updates the stripboard and next call sheets. Read more on keeping a shoot on schedule. Second, the budget: actual hours, overtime and extra crew turn into costs, which the line producer tracks against the estimate. If you plan your budget in Lowerated, estimates and actuals sit next to the schedule they belong to. Third, post-production: media numbers and the script supervisor's notes tell the editor what exists and what is still missing.
FAQ
Is a production report the same as a call sheet?
No. The call sheet is the plan for a day, sent the night before. The production report is the record of what happened, sent after the day.
Who receives the daily production report?
Usually the producers, line producer or production manager, the production accountant and payroll. On financed films the studio, financiers or bond company may also get a copy.
Do short films need production reports?
A full form is often more than a short needs, but a one-page wrap report each day is worth it. It keeps track of what is left and protects you if there is a dispute about hours or an injury.
What does "pages to date" mean?
It is the running total of script pages shot since day one. Compared with total script pages, it shows whether the shoot is on pace.
Key takeaways
- The production report records what actually happened on a shoot day, against what the call sheet planned.
- The 2nd AD compiles it from the script supervisor, camera, sound and cast time sheets, and the production manager signs it off.
- Track times, scenes, pages, cast hours, media, delays and incidents.
- Send a short wrap report the same night and the full report the next morning.
- Unfinished scenes on the report must be moved onto the schedule straight away.
