Free practical guide · Crew
How to prepare for your first day on set
Arrive with the information you need and a clear understanding of who to ask.
Follow the five steps below and use the matching free worksheet to record the decisions. Adapt the process to your project, crew and agreed production procedures.
Five practical steps
Step 1
Read the call sheet
Confirm your call time, location and production contact.
Step 2
Check your responsibilities
Ask your supervisor what you need to prepare and which department you support.
Step 3
Arrive ready to work
Follow the production’s clothing, access and equipment instructions.
Step 4
Communicate clearly
Check priorities before starting a task and report delays or problems to the right person.
Step 5
Finish with a handover
Confirm completed tasks, returned items and anything the next shift needs to know.
Original teaching example
A fictional production assistant handover
At arrival, the supervisor assigns signage and a product delivery. Confirm the approved sign locations, report a delayed delivery and record the next action for the runner taking over. Do not change a crew instruction without checking.
This fictional example illustrates the process. It does not describe a Cineview client project or replace confirmed instructions for your shoot.
Before you share the plan
- Check the date, version and responsible contact.
- Separate confirmed details from open questions.
- Use consistent scene, shot or file references.
- Give actions a named owner and realistic deadline.
- Share only the personal information each recipient needs.
Ask the relevant department lead to check practical details. Keep older copies clearly marked and tell recipients when a revision changes something they need to act on.
Download your working document
Organise arrival, crew support, communications and wrap tasks. The printable PDF and editable Word file are free, without sign-up. Word files also open in Apple Pages.
Plan your studio shoot
Explore film studio hire, photography studio hire and the equipment list. Planning documents are optional to share with Cineview. Contact the studio with your space, dates and equipment requirements.
Send this free resource to a colleague, your production team or a WhatsApp group.
Use and attribution
You may adapt our original worksheets for your own production planning. Keep the website credit when sharing an unchanged template. These educational resources are not legal, financial or safety advice. Film titles, story frameworks and third-party videos belong to their respective rights holders. Cineview Studios is not affiliated with those publishers, and inclusion does not imply endorsement.
References are provided so you can compare approaches and form your own view. Check the rights to any photographs, scripts, music or other material you put in a production. Protect personal information when sharing crew and cast documents.