I have found the most difficult part of filmmaking is getting all the actors in the same spot when you need them. If you have a bigger project with filming split up over multiple days, this can become very problematic without the proper organization. This is why a schedule is without a doubt needed for any project.
If your project is small, and is only going to last a day, then the first thing you need to do is get all of your actors’ schedules for around the time you want to film. Work and school can easily interfere with your desired plan, so it’s important you know when your actors are and are not available. Next, you lay out all of the actors’ schedules on calendars, crossing off the days and times they are not available. Then you compile all of those calendars onto one master calendar. That way you can look at the calendar and no which days and times won’t work. From there you can pick the freest day and set up a desired time for production.
Now, if your project is going to take longer than a day to film, there are certain things you can do to make things easier on your actors. There may be certain scenes or days that only require certain actors and not the entire cast. If this is the case, then it’s wise to set up film days and times that correspond to your scenes. And if all possible, if you can get all of one actor’s scenes done in one day, try to schedule it that way. This may mean you’ll be filming the movie out of order, but that’s just fine, because you can rearrange the scenes later on in post-production. To make this easier to understand, let’s take a look at a schedule that was created for the TV sitcom Roomies:
March 24th:
Scenes scheduled to be filmed:
Starting at 6:00 PM:
Every Dorm Room Scene for Episodes 2 and 3
Location: Adam’s Dorm Room
Staff and Crew required to be on set:
Chad Troftgruben (Director/Cinematographer)
Ivan Mazala (Chris)
Bennett Gackle (Steven)
Josh Nichols (Joseph)
Additional Information:
We will meet on the first floor of May Hall. We have a lot of Dorm scenes scheduled to be shot. Plan for it to be a long evening (3 - 4 hours).
March 25th:
Scenes scheduled to be filmed:
Starting at 9:00 AM:
Episode 3’s Console Race Sequence
Location: Various
Episode 2’s Bathroom Scenes
Location: Dorm Bathroom
Starting at 2:00 PM:
Episode 2’s Restaurant Scene
Location: Dickinson State University Ball Room
Staff and Crew required to be on set:
Chad Troftgruben (Director/Cinematographer)
Ivan Mazala (Chris)
Lydia Johnson (Erin)
Josh Nichols (Joseph)
Bennett Gackle (Steven)
Amy Tichy (Kayla)
Beth Hurt (Waitress)
Justin Huber (Extra)
Cody Weflen (Extra)
Michael Nodine (Extra)
Casey Neumiller (Extra)
Brandon Pelling (Extra)
Additional Information:
All of the actors for the Restaurant Scene (which is everyone on the list) is required to report outside of the ballroom at 2:00 PM. The scene will probably take 2 - 3 hours, so make sure you clear your schedule for this one. For the morning shots, only Josh and Bennett need to be on set. This will take the majority of the morning and go into the afternoon.
March 26th:
Scenes scheduled to be filmed:
Starting at 6:00 PM:
Episode 2’s Cold Open (Lightsaber Duel)
Location: Dickinson State University, May Hall
Episode 2’s Classroom and Hallway Scenes
Location: Dickinson State University, May Hall
Episode 3’s Date Scene
Location: Scott Rojic’s House
Staff and Crew required to be on set:
Chad Troftgruben (Director/Cinematographer)
Ivan Mazala (Chris)
Lydia Johnson (Erin)
Josh Nichols (Joseph)
Kimerbly Finnicum (Nicole)
Additional Information:
We will meet on the first floor of May Hall. I estimate this entire session will take 2 - 3 hours.
As you can see, we tried to schedule everything based around location and actor’s schedules. On the first day, we filmed all of the Dorm Room scenes for Episodes 2 and 3, therefore we didn’t need to go back to that location again to film. Organization is key in this. But of course if your actors can’t stay the full duration you need them, additional scheduling will be needed
After you get a schedule made, find a way to distribute it to your actors. This can easily be done by e-mail or post it on a website. Or if you need to, call every actor and tell them when they are required to be on set. And it’s best to give your actors at least a week’s notice so they are well aware in advance. It is also very important your actors confirm that they can or cannot make it. Unexpected things can come up that may prevent your actors from showing up, it just happens.
Another thing you need to be aware of is a schedule is always tentative. You can set a schedule in stone, but that never means it’ll work out that way. For instance, you may need to film outside on a certain day, and come that day a blizzard hits (at least that’s very likely to happen in North Dakota). So you always need to keep an open mind when scheduling and if possible, plan a day or two for pickup shots just incase.
In conclusion, scheduling is very important. If you want things to go as smoothly as possible, you must plan ahead of time. If you’re not good at this sort of thing, get someone to help or do it for you. But a well thought out schedule will make your life a lot easier later down the road.
