Call time: What It Means in Filmmaking
By Muhammad Wisal and Muhammad Ali / 2 min read
A call time is the exact time a cast or crew member must arrive at the set or meeting point, ready to start work, as listed on the day's call sheet.
What does call time mean?
Every shoot day has a general crew call, the time most of the crew starts. Individual call times are then set around it. Departments that need to prepare before the camera rolls, such as hair and makeup, wardrobe, catering and sometimes grip and electric, are usually called earlier. Each actor gets their own call, worked back from when their first scene shoots, with time for makeup and costume. Actors who are not needed until the afternoon get a later call so nobody waits around for hours.
On set, being on time means being early. Many crews treat the call time as the moment you start working, so arrive early enough to park and get coffee first. The 2nd AD usually works out individual calls and the 1st AD and producer sign off on them, and they go out on the call sheet, typically the evening before. Rest periods between one day's wrap and the next day's call matter too. Required turnaround times vary by union agreement and country, so check with your producer or the relevant union.
Example: call times on a call sheet
Here is part of a call sheet for day 3 of a short drama called "The Orchard Sale", shooting at a farmhouse with a first shot planned for 8:00 AM:
| Name | Role | Call time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | General crew call | 7:00 AM | Breakfast from 6:30 AM |
| Hair and makeup team | HMU | 6:00 AM | |
| Marguerite Olsen | Hester (cast #1) | 6:15 AM | Makeup 6:15 AM, on set 7:45 AM |
| Thaddeus Kerr | Wendell (cast #2) | 6:45 AM | Ready for scene 18 at 8:00 AM |
| Ingrid Sato | Auctioneer (cast #5) | 12:30 PM | Scene 22 only, after lunch |
Hester's call is earliest among the cast because her character has aging makeup. The auctioneer only works in the afternoon, so she arrives after lunch.
Related terms
- Call sheet: the daily document that lists every call time. See how to make a call sheet.
- Turnaround: the rest time between wrap and the next call. See turnaround.
- Wrap: the end of the shooting day.
- Shooting call: the time the first shot is planned to roll.
To see how call times fit into the rest of the day, read what happens on a film shoot day. In Lowerated, call sheets are built from your schedule with call times, locations and crew already filled in, and you review them before sending.
FAQ
What happens if you miss your call time?
The work that depends on you starts late, and the delay can push the whole day. If you will be late, tell the 2nd AD as early as possible.
Is call time the same as start time?
For most crew, yes: it is when work begins. For actors, the call is when they arrive for makeup and costume, which can be well before their first shot.
