The Producer is required by Florida State University policies to file a request for review of animal use on the production by the FSU Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC).
This request must be submitted well in advance of the start of the production, as it will usually take a number of weeks for a request to be approved.
If a production does not receive approval from the Animal Care and Use Committee in time for production, the use of an animal is not permitted.
To apply, the Producer must submit the Animal Use Request form (as a Word doc), and the most recent draft of the script (as a PDF) highlighting the parts in the script that contain animals.
The purpose of the call sheet is to provide all the pertinent information about the next day’s production. The Second Assistant Director is responsible for distributing a PDF of each day’s call sheet to the cast, crew, faculty, and FSU police. If the production does not have a dedicated Second Assistant Director, the First Assistant Director or Producer shall assume the responsibility.
Call sheets, along with any relevant additional information such as maps or safety bulletins, must be distributed no later than 12 hours before call time on the first day of production and no later than the previous day’s company wrap for all subsequent days. It is important to thoroughly check — and double-check — and triple-check — that all the information in the call sheet is correct before it is sent out, because the distribution of revisions can create confusion.
MESSAGING
Call sheets should be distributed with a subject line that follows this naming convention: 01f3-Film Title - Call Sheet - Day 1
You may include a brief, executive summary of important information in the body of the message, but this should not be a substitute for providing all relevant information in the call sheet itself.
Call sheets must be distributed in two ways:
Post call sheets (and any relevant maps and safety bulletins) to the “Call Sheets” channel in Teams. This is for your instructors and assigned crew.
Email call sheets to your cast, POL-PDSupervisors@fsu.edu (FSU Police), and any other relevant parties who need the call sheet.
Sample Call Sheet
Update accordingly for subsequent days. For instance, you no longer need to introduce yourself after day 1.
_________________________________________
SUBJECT: 01f3-Film Title – Call Sheet – Day 1
Hello 01F3 Team!
We hope everyone is excited to get working on, (“Film Title”), directed by (First Last Name).
My name is (First Last) and I am the (Position) for this film. I will be sending out call sheets, location directions, and general information each day of the shoot. When you arrive on set you will sign in with me and you will check out with me at the end of your day.
Attached are the call sheet, location info and parking instructions for tomorrow. Note, the location is approximately ## minutes away from the film school. Depending on your departure location, please plan accordingly. If you are part of a carpool, please ensure you allow extra time for pick-ups and drop-offs.
*Please read the call sheet thoroughly for specific information.
*Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your call time to ensure you have time to park and check in with me on time.
CREW CALL: 7:00AM
CAST CALL: See Below
(First Last) your call time is 7:45 AM
(First Last) your call time is 8:15 AM
FILMING LOCATION
Address: #### Somewhere St, City, FL, Zip
*Insert Google Maps Link here.
CREW/CAST PARKING
Add VERY specific instructions for parking here.
TRUCK PARKING
Add VERY specific instructions for parking here.
LOCATION NOTES
(Sample) Please DO NOT WALK ON THE GRASS. This is a specific request from the location owner.
(Sample) Dogs on site (they will be contained)
(Sample) Please keep exterior noise to a minimum.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED TO EMAIL
-Call Sheet
-Location Map
-Location Parking Diagram
-Safety Bulletins: #5, #10
If you have any issues getting to set, or any questions whatsoever, please do not hesitate to call my number below.
Thank you for considering allowing one of our students to use your property as a filming location. Each year, our students create nearly 200 films, and your generosity makes this possible. We value your time and support, and we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, safety, and respect for your property.
WHAT TO EXPECT
How many people will be on site?
A typical student film crew includes 12-15 students, plus actors and possibly a few additional volunteers. Please feel free to ask the student for a specific headcount of crew, cast, and support personnel.
What will they bring?
Film productions require various equipment, including cameras, lights, sound gear, stands, cables, sandbags, rigging, dollies, and sometimes generators. Our students are trained to handle this equipment safely. They will confirm with you in advance where vehicles (trucks and cars) can be parked and where equipment can be staged.
How long will they be here?
A standard shoot day is up to 12 hours, plus a one-hour lunch break. Crews typically arrive about 30 minutes before the official start time and take an additional 30 minutes afterward for cleanup and packing. Students may also visit the location on separate days for planning, tech scouting, or set dressing. They will confirm with you in advance the start and end times for each prep and shoot day.
Location agreements
If you choose to allow the use of your property, here’s what to expect in terms of paperwork:
Script Review
The student will provide a copy of the script and answer any questions about the project, including sensitive content.
Location Shooting Plan Agreement
Together, you and the student will complete an agreement which outlines:
The specific spaces they will use.
Where vehicles may park.
Access times.
Any special conditions or restrictions you’d like to include.
Location Agreement
This legal document grants permission to use your property and waives your liability in the event of a student injury during production.
After the Director and DP have created a provisional shot list, the 1st AD will meet with the Director and DP to schedule the order of shots for each day. Using this Set-up Schedule, the shots should be listed in the order you intend to shoot them, including estimated times to set up and shoot each one.
F2 documentary projects, BFA capstone projects, and MFA capstone projects may request permission to shoot at a distant location outside of the studio zone.
Shooting films at distant locations adds complexity to production logistics and places added stress on both crew and equipment. It is therefore not approved automatically. It is a privilege that needs to be earned.
INSTRUCTIONS
The Producer will need to submit a Distant Location Request to the Head of Production that addresses the following:
A description of the distant location.
Why this location is essential to the success of the film.
The schedule of travel days and drive times during the production week.
A budget/plan for transporting, housing, and feeding the cast and crew for the duration of the distant shoot.
A budget/plan for transporting, housing, and feeding a faculty member for the duration of the distant shoot.
A plan for transporting, parking, and securing school vehicles and equipment during the distant shoot.
A back-up plan if the camera or other essential equipment goes down.
A schedule showing key deadlines for locking locations, securing accommodations, and any other critical plans. Permission for shooting at a distant location will be revoked if these deadlines are not hit, and the production will need to shoot locally.
A local back-up plan, in case permission is not granted and/or the distant location falls through.
The request to shoot at a distant location should be made to the Head of Production as early as possible in the development/pre-production process, and no later than two weeks before the first day of production on the show. The Head of Production’s decision on whether to approve or deny a distant location request is final.
The Internet is a wonderful place for finding videos, images, motion graphics, clip art, music, and sound effects that can be used in your films. Below is a list of resources to help with finding materials that are either in the public domain or have been licensed through Creative Commons.
Beware, however, that the Internet is also a terribly unreliable place and the burden of proof will fall on Producers to document that the production has the rights to use the materials, so that there’s a clear chain of title. For works in the public domain, this can sometimes take a fair amount of research, as licensing information can be unclear, unreliable, or hard to track down. Any works published 95 years ago or earlier are now in the public domain. Any works published in the past 95 years should be assumed to be under copyright, unless otherwise confirmed. Be aware that new versions of works in the public domain — e.g., a New York Symphony Orchestra’s recent recording of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony — are copyrighted. In other words, while you could perform the composition yourself and be alright, you couldn’t use the New York Symphony Orchestra’s recording without clearing it first.
For Creative Commons work, some license types (such as “NoDerivs” and “ShareAlike”) are not compatible with the work we do. Productions are only permitted to use work licensed as “Attribution” or “Attribution-NonCommercial”.
Discover original artworks from a library of public domain books and chromolithographs. Art prints scanned and digitally enhanced into high resolution, available to download under the CC0 license.
Free vector images. Find the best royalty free vectors and illustrations for your design, with thousands of new images added every day. Download free backgrounds, graphics, clipart, drawings, icons, logos and more that are safe for commercial use.
Safety Bulletins are researched, written, and distributed by the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee for use by the motion picture and television industry. The Safety Committee is composed of guild, union, and management representatives active in industry safety and health programs.
Safety Bulletins are guidelines recommended by the Safety Committee. They are not binding laws or regulations. State, federal, and/or local regulations, where applicable, override these guidelines. Modifications in these guidelines should be made, as circumstances warrant, to ensure the safety of the cast and crew.
A PDF of all relevant Safety Bulletins must be attached to Call Sheets or otherwise distributed to affected employees. All crew are required to read distributed Safety Bulletins prior to commencing the work day. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action, including immediate dismissal from the school.
A “walkaway wrap” is when equipment remains at a shooting location overnight. The standard procedure for location shoots is for all school equipment to be packed up and removed from the shooting location at the end of each day. This is to protect the equipment from theft and damage, to protect location owners, by returning their space to normalcy at the end of each shooting day, and to protect the educational experience of the below-the-line crew, so that they have the opportunity to practice wrapping equipment safely and efficiently at the end of each shooting day. Under some circumstances, thesis productions may be approved to do a walkaway wrap.
Requesting a Walkaway Wrap
On FC and MC productions only, students may request a walkaway wrap, but permission will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Approval is at the discretion of the the Head of Set Operations, and the following conditions must be met:
Requests must be made prior to the start of the show’s first day of production.
Walkaway wraps may not be requested for family homes or other residential locations.
Production must resume the day following the walkaway wrap. There cannot be any days off between the walkaway wrap and resuming of production.
All department heads on the crew must approve the plan for the walkaway wrap.
The Producer must provide a detailed description of which pieces of equipment would remain at the location and the reasons for why a walkaway wrap is being requested. Approval will only be given for rigging, where the extensiveness of the tear-down is a major factor.
The Producer must provide a detailed plan for how the equipment will be secured safely at the location, to prevent theft/damage and to prevent injury to anyone who may enter the location before the crew returns.
The Producer must provide a security professional to sit with the equipment overnight. The Head of Set Operations will determine whether or not a specific individual is approved for this task.
Pick-up photography is defined as any photography taken after completion of principal photography in order to enhance the narrative.
On the FC and MC cycles, students may make a request to the Head of Production for pick-up photography to improve moments in the film that were not captured successfully during principal photography. Pick-up requests may not be made for additional moments that were not part of the original shooting plan.
No show will be approved for more than six hours of pick-up photography. And all pick-up photography will need to be completed and cut into the edit before picture lock. In some cases, this may mean that the turnaround time for pick-up photography is tight, so students will need to be diligent and proactive if they want to put in a request.
Pick-up photography is a privilege to be earned. Since pick-up photography involves time and resources, requests will not be approved automatically. Approvals will be granted only if the time and resources are available and if students make a compelling case for the value of the pick-ups to the film (including proof that the problem cannot be adequately solved with careful editing choices).
the exact nature of the subject matter to be shot;
the reason why it was not shot with the first unit crew during principal photography;
the date, times, and location of the proposed shoot;
the crew required for the proposed shoot, including names and signatures (you’ll need to determine how many crew members you need and you’ll need to recruit them);
notes on any special equipment requests;
notes on any budget plans;
any other supporting documentation.
For MC projects, all requests must be submitted to the MFA Head of Production no later than the end of the spring semester. For FC projects, all requests must be submitted to the BFA Head of Production no later than the day of the first cut screening.
The Head of Production’s decision on whether to approve or deny a pick-up photography request is final.
The purpose of the crew drills is to practice working in each of the crew positions. Don’t get too caught up on trying to make the “perfect” scene. Keep it simple.
Food will not be provided, so make sure you plan accordingly. You have a 1-hour lunch break, so either bring your own lunch or plan to go out nearby. Just make sure you’re back in time.
Crew responsibilities
Producer
Pre-Production
Have the 2nd AD prepare all paperwork according to the Crew Drill Production Documents (see below).
Have 1st AD & DP prepare Setup Schedule w/ 1 master and 2 coverage setups.
Have the 2nd AD send out a call sheet and Map by 8:00pm the day before the drill; include Safety Bulletin if applicable. This information should be posted to the Call Sheets channel in Teams. Format the post title as: 01fc-Film Title - Call Sheet - Crew Drill
Production
The production will have 90 minutes to unload the van, block, rehearse, build, shoot, and wrap.
The Producer will mentor the 2nd AD on set.
Post-Production
Have the 2nd AD collect and organize the paperwork according to the Crew Drill Production Documents list (see below).
Collect the media cards (SSD & CF) from the 2nd AD. Deliver the cards along with the Camera & Sound Reports to the designated lock box in the ER while company wrap is in progress.
Have the 2nd AD complete the Daily Production Report (DPR) and post in the DPRs channel in Teams as a PDF by 11:00pm that day.
Director
Pre-Production
Send your Producer a PDF of your Crew Drill Script.
Faculty will provide the script for the scene to be shot during the drill.
The 2 On-Calls will be your actors.
Discuss the shot design with your DP.
Production
At the beginning of the shift, briefly block with your actors on the set (keep it simple).
During the New Deal, have the actors demonstrate the blocking for the crew.
Direct your actors in the scene.
Production Designer
Pre-Production
Discuss the production design with your Director (keep it simple).
Acquire props, wardrobe, etc (only if absolutely necessary).
Production
Dress the set, provide props & wardrobe if necessary.
Mentor the Art Director
Director of Photography
Pre-Production
Discuss the shot design with your Director.
Create a Setup Schedule with the 1st AD w/ 1 master and 2 coverage setups.
Production
Communicate the setups to the crew.
Manage the Camera, Grip & Electric Departments.
1st AD
Pre-Production
Create a Setup Schedule with the DP w/ 1 master and 2 coverage set-ups.
As soon as you get your walkie and clock in, go to the set and stay there.
At call time, have a Safety Meeting with the entire crew to communicate an emergency plan, location hazards and any production safety concerns. Complete the Safety Meeting Report.
Run the set, making sure the crew is working safely and efficiently. The production will have 90 minutes to unload the van, block, rehearse, build, shoot, and wrap.
New Deal 0:10
Camera on set 0:20
Rehearsals & Lighting complete 0:30
Start Shooting 0:30
Camera Wrap 1:00
Company Wrap 1:30
Keep track of your time using the Setup Schedule you created.
2nd AD
Pre-Production
Work with the Producer to prepare all paperwork according to the Crew Drill Production Documents (see below).
Work with the Producer to send out a call sheet and Map by 8:00pm the day before the drill; include Safety Bulletin if applicable. This information should be posted to the Call Sheets channel in Teams. Format the post title as: 01fc-Film Title - Call Sheet - Crew Drill
Production
At the beginning of the shift:
Have crew sign in using the iPad timeclock.
Hand out walkies to department heads.
Have actors sign Cast Performance Agreements.
During the shift:
Remain at Base Camp, except to escort actors to/from set at 1st AD’s request.
Repeat 1st AD’s walkie shooting protocol to Base Camp (“Lock it up… going for picture… that’s a cut on picture… going again…”, etc.)
At the end of the shift:
Complete the Performers Production Time Report. Have the actors sign it.
Make sure 2nd AC and Sound Mixer meet to verify reports, then collect their reports and media cards (SSD & CF Cards).
Have crew sign out using the iPad timeclock.
Collect walkies and put them back on charger.
Post-Production
Collect and organize the paperwork according to the Crew Drill Production Documents (see below). Give the paperwork and media cards to the Producer.
Complete the Daily Production Report (DPR) and post to the DPRs channel in Teams as a PDF by 11:00pm that day.
All Other BTL
Production
Work with BFA3 mentors in your assigned positions.
