How to Create a Day Out of Days Report

A day out of days (DOOD) report, is a handy organizational chart that marks which cast members are needed on a day of shooting, and for how long. The production team uses the DOOD report and the shooting schedule when creating a budget for the film.

The DOOD report is created after the shooting schedule is finalized. While a shooting schedule gives details on all the activities of the day, a DOOD report specifically addresses the actors’ time, and how to efficiently use it.

A DOOD report ensures the time the actors’ are being paid for is used efficiently during film production. It keeps track of how many days the actors have worked, and how many days of shooting they have left. Producers and assistant directors use a DOOD report to ensure that an actor’s time is accounted for—for example, actors are not paid for days they’re not on-set unless they have a “hold” day in their contract. A DOOD report makes it easier to see how the production’s budget is being spent on performers, and where to potentially cut costs.

A DOOD report should include the following information:

• Production title
• Names of the director, assistant director, and producer
• Shooting dates
• Day of shooting
• Cast members name and which roles they play

A DOOD report contains shorthand to make it easier to track your cast:

• SW: Stands for “Start Work” and is the actor’s first day on-set.
• W: Stands for “Work” and marks all the days your actors are shooting.
• WF: Stands for “Work Finish” and denotes an actor’s last day on the job.
• SWF: Stands for “Start-Work-Finish” and it means the actor’s entire shoot time takes place in one day (common for day-players).
• H: Stands for “Hold” and indicates a hold day—when your actor isn’t used for the day but is on call and will still be paid for the day of the shooting.
• I: Stands for “Idle,” and means that your actor is neither being used nor being paid for that day of shooting.
• R: Stands for “Rehearsal,” which means the actor gets called in to rehearse, but not necessarily shoot on that day.
• T: Stands for “Travel,” and marks if your actor has a travel day.
• WD: Stands for “Work-Drop,” and marks when a working actor has a long hiatus (weeklong or more) following their previous shooting day.
• PW: Stands for “Pickup-Work,” and marks when a working actor has returned from their long hiatus to resume working on the production.
• PWF: Stands for “Pickup-Work-Finish,” and is used when the actor’s “PW” is completed.
• SR: Stands for “Start-Rehearsal,” which is the rehearsal on the actor’s first day.

To create your own DOOD report, start a spreadsheet that includes the following information:

1. 1. Heading: The name of the project should be written at the top, even if it’s just a tentative title. The names of the director, assistant director, and producer should also appear in the heading.
2. 2. Times: Include the month, the date, and the day of the week the shoot is taking place.
   
3. 3. Names: The DOOD report should contain a cast list of the characters and, if preferred, the cast members’ names who play them.
4. 4. Codes: List the appropriate abbreviation in the appropriate row to denote a performer’s availability.

Become a better filmmaker with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by film masters, including David Lynch, Spike Lee, Jodie Foster, Martin Scorsese, and more.