Template
Camera Report Template
The log that tells post what you actually shot. Every field explained, plus what a circle take means and why the notes column matters more than anyone admits until the edit.
What is a camera report?
A camera report is the log of every take recorded on a shoot day. It records the roll, scene, slate and take number, the lens and camera settings, the duration and timecode, and which takes the director selected. It travels with the media to post so the editor knows what exists and what was preferred.
The template, field by field
Header
| Field | What it's for | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Production title | Project name and day number, matching the call sheet. | Required |
| Date | Shoot date, so the report can be matched to media and to the daily production report. | Required |
| Roll / card number | The magazine, card or drive identifier. The primary key linking report to media. | Required |
| Camera | Which camera — A, B, C — on a multi-camera setup. | Required |
| Format and codec | Resolution, codec and colour space. Post needs this before they open anything. | Required |
| Frame rate | Project rate, plus any off-speed shooting flagged per take. | Required |
| DIT / loader | Who logged and offloaded, for the chain of custody. | Optional |
Per-take rows
| Field | What it's for | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Scene | Scene number as per the current script revision. | Required |
| Slate | The slate number, which may differ from the scene on complex coverage. | Required |
| Take | Take number, incrementing per slate. | Required |
| Circle take | Marked when the director selects the take as a preferred one. The most important column in the report. | Required |
| Duration | Take length, for media management and for estimating coverage time. | Optional |
| Timecode in / out | Start and end timecode, so post can locate the take without scrubbing. | Optional |
| Lens | Focal length used. Matters for VFX and for matching pickups later. | Optional |
| Stop / filtration | Aperture and any filters, for continuity and for matching reshoots. | Optional |
| Notes | Why a take failed, what was good about it, continuity issues, or anything post must know. | Required |
How to log takes properly
- 1
Log as you shoot, not at wrap
Reconstructing a day's takes at wrap produces a report that is confidently wrong. The detail that matters is forgotten within an hour.
- 2
Keep slate numbers unambiguous
Scene number plus a letter per setup — 14A, 14B. Reusing a slate across setups makes the report useless to the editor.
- 3
Mark circle takes as the director calls them
The circled take is the reason the report exists. Capture it in the moment, not from memory later.
- 4
Write real notes
'NG' tells post nothing. 'NG — boom in frame top left' tells them the take is usable if reframed, which occasionally saves a scene.
- 5
Flag VFX and off-speed takes
Anything shot at a non-standard frame rate or intended for VFX must be marked, or post will discover it the hard way.
- 6
Reconcile with sound
Camera and sound reports should agree on scene, slate and take. Mismatches here become sync problems in the edit.
- 7
Send with the media
The report travels with the offload. A card arriving in post without its report is a card nobody can plan around.
Hard-won tips
- Circle takes are the whole point. A camera report without them is an inventory, not a report.
- Notes explaining why a take failed are worth more than notes saying it did. 'Good but soft on the turn' is actionable.
- Never reuse a slate number within a day. It is the single most common cause of confusion in the edit.
- Log lens and stop even when it feels unnecessary — reshoots and VFX plates depend on matching them.
- Camera and sound reports must agree. Reconcile before wrap, not in post.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a circle take?
- A take the director selects as preferred, traditionally circled on the paper report. Post prioritises circled takes, so marking them accurately is the report's main function.
- Who fills in the camera report?
- Usually the 2nd AC or the DIT/loader, working from the slate and the director's calls throughout the day.
- What is the difference between scene and slate number?
- The scene number comes from the script. The slate number identifies the specific setup, usually scene number plus a letter — 14A, 14B — so different angles on the same scene stay distinct.
- Does the camera report go to post?
- Yes. It travels with the media offload so the editor knows what exists, which takes were preferred, and what to watch for. Media arriving without a report is significantly harder to work with.
- Do I need a camera report on a small shoot?
- Yes, though it can be simpler. Even a solo shooter benefits from knowing which take was the good one three weeks later.
- How does this relate to a sound report?
- They are parallel logs of the same takes. Scene, slate and take must match between them, or sync becomes a manual problem in the edit.
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