Template
Day Out of Days Template
The grid that determines what you pay every performer. Below is the full structure, every status code, and how to read a DOOD for the money it is quietly costing you.
What is a Day Out of Days?
A Day Out of Days, or DOOD, is a grid showing each cast member's status on every shoot day of a production. Statuses mark when a performer starts, works, is held between work days, or drops. It is derived from the shooting schedule and determines how many days each performer must be paid for.
The template, field by field
Grid structure
| Field | What it's for | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Cast ID number | The numbered identifier used consistently across breakdown, schedule and call sheets. | Required |
| Character name | As written in the script. | Required |
| Performer name | Once cast — before that, the row still works with the character alone. | Optional |
| Shoot day columns | One column per shoot day, in schedule order, carrying that performer's status. | Required |
| Start date | First day the performer works. | Required |
| Finish date | Last day the performer works. | Required |
| Total work days | Days actually on camera — the basis of the day-rate calculation. | Required |
| Total hold days | Days held between work days. Usually paid, and usually the number worth attacking. | Required |
| Total days | Work plus hold plus travel. What the performer is engaged for end to end. | Required |
Status codes
| Field | What it's for | Required |
|---|---|---|
| SW — Start Work | The performer's first day, and they work it. The most common start code. | Required |
| W — Work | A normal working day after the start. | Required |
| H — Hold | Not working, but retained between two work days. Normally paid — this is where budget leaks. | Required |
| WF — Work Finish | The performer's last day, and they work it. | Required |
| SWF — Start Work Finish | Starts and finishes on the same day. A single-day performer. | Optional |
| T — Travel | Travelling to or from location, not working. Usually paid at a reduced rate. | Optional |
| R — Rehearse | Rehearsal day rather than a shoot day. | Optional |
| F — Finish | Last engaged day where the performer does not work — rare but used. | Optional |
| D — Drop | Released from the production, typically under a drop-and-pickup arrangement. | Optional |
| P — Pickup | Re-engaged after a drop, restarting the count. | Optional |
How to build a Day Out of Days
- 1
Lock the shoot day order
The DOOD is a function of the schedule. Build it before the order is stable and you will rebuild it — which is why generating it is far better than maintaining it.
- 2
List every cast member by ID
One row per performer, using the same cast ID numbers as the breakdown and call sheets. Renumbering mid-production breaks everything downstream.
- 3
Mark the work days
For each performer, mark W on every shoot day containing a scene they appear in. This comes straight from the tagged cast elements on each strip.
- 4
Set start and finish codes
The first work day becomes SW, the last becomes WF. A performer working only one day is SWF.
- 5
Fill the gaps with hold
Any non-working day between a performer's start and finish is H. This is the number that costs money and nobody looks at until it is too late.
- 6
Total the columns
Work days, hold days and total engaged days per performer. Work days drive the fee; hold days drive the waste.
- 7
Attack the hold days
Reorder the schedule to pull each performer's scenes closer together. A day saved here is a day you do not pay for, repeated across the whole cast.
Hard-won tips
- Hold days are the single most attackable cost in a schedule. A performer held for six days between two work days is six days paid for nothing.
- Consider drop-and-pickup for long gaps, but check the contract — most agreements set a minimum gap before a drop is permitted.
- Keep cast ID numbers identical across breakdown, DOOD and call sheets from day one.
- Regenerate the DOOD after every schedule change. A stale DOOD is worse than none, because people trust it.
- Watch day-player totals — several one-day performers scheduled across separate days often merge into fewer days with minor reordering.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does DOOD stand for?
- Day Out of Days. It is a grid showing every cast member's status across every shoot day, derived from the shooting schedule.
- What do the DOOD status codes mean?
- SW is start work, W is work, H is hold, WF is work finish, SWF is start work finish on a single day, T is travel, R is rehearse and D/P are drop and pickup.
- What is a hold day?
- A day when a performer is not working but is retained between two work days. Hold days are normally paid, which makes them the most attackable cost in a schedule.
- Who prepares the Day Out of Days?
- The 1st Assistant Director, usually alongside the shooting schedule, with the line producer reviewing it for cost.
- Can the DOOD be generated automatically?
- Yes. It is a pure function of which cast appear in which shoot days, so any tool that knows the cast on each strip can derive it and keep it correct through reorders.
- What is drop and pickup?
- Releasing a performer during a long gap and re-engaging them later, so you do not pay hold days across the gap. Most contracts set a minimum gap before it is allowed.
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