# Production board

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Production_board
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Production_board.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Production_board
> Source revision: 1356136411
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Scheduling chart in filmmaking}}
{{Filmmaking sidebar}}
A '''production board''', '''stripboard''', or '''production strip''' is a [filmmaking](/source/filmmaking) term for a chart displaying color-coded strips of paper, each containing information about a scene in the film's [shooting script](/source/shooting_script).<ref name="Goodell_Page_85">{{cite book |last1=Goodell |first1=Gregory |title=Independent Feature Film Production: A Complete Guide from Concept Through Distribution |date=1982 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |location=New York |isbn=9780312304621 |page=85 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T1kc5_QjiF4C&pg=PA85 |access-date=September 19, 2023}}</ref> The strips can then be rearranged and laid out sequentially to represent the order one wants to film in, providing a schedule that can be used to plan the production.<ref name="Goodell_Page_85" /> This is done because most films are shot "out of sequence," meaning that they do not necessarily begin with the first scene and end with the last.<ref name="Goodell_Page_87">{{cite book |last1=Goodell |first1=Gregory |title=Independent Feature Film Production: A Complete Guide from Concept Through Distribution |date=1982 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |location=New York |isbn=9780312304621 |page=87 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T1kc5_QjiF4C&pg=PA87 |access-date=September 19, 2023}}</ref>  For logistical purposes, scenes are often grouped by [talent](/source/Cast_member) or [location](/source/Filming_location) and are arranged to accommodate the schedules of [cast](/source/Cast_member) and [crew](/source/Film_crew). A production board is not to be confused with a [stripboard](/source/stripboard) used for electronics prototyping.

Historically, strip boards were manually assembled by hand on specially-made multi-panel boards made of vinyl or wood, about 15 to 18 inches tall (38 to 45 cm), whose panels could be easily folded up.<ref name="Honthaner_Page_82">{{cite book |last1=Honthaner |first1=Eve Light |title=The Complete Film Production Handbook |date=2010 |publisher=Focal Press |location=Burlington, Massachusetts |isbn=9781136053061 |page=82 |edition=4th |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PTv7AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA82 |access-date=24 February 2024}}</ref> In the 21st century, such boards are obsolete, and aspiring filmmakers are no longer routinely trained in how to use them.<ref name="Honthaner_Page_82" /> In contemporary filmmaking, a digital version of a strip board is prepared with dedicated computer software applications, of which the most popular one is Movie Magic Scheduling from Entertainment Partners.<ref name="Honthaner_Page_82" />  Other popular applications include [Celtx](/source/Celtx) and [Scenechronize](/source/Scenechronize).  It is also possible to create a digital strip board by customizing general-purpose [spreadsheet](/source/spreadsheet) software such as [OpenOffice.org Calc](/source/OpenOffice.org_Calc) or [Microsoft Excel](/source/Microsoft_Excel).

==Main purpose==

The production board is an essential element of the filmmaking process, because the sequence in which scenes are shot during [principal photography](/source/principal_photography) normally does not follow their chronological sequence in the script.<ref name="Goodell_Page_87" />  The sequence usually depends on organizational aspects such as the availability of the cast, crew, and locations, and, in the case of outdoor shots, factors such as the season, weather and light conditions.<ref name="Goodell_Page_87" /> The production board is the [project planning](/source/project_planning) tool used by the [unit production manager](/source/unit_production_manager) (or sometimes the first [assistant director](/source/assistant_director)) to develop the actual sequence in which scenes will be shot.<ref name="Goodell_Page_87" /> 

Most importantly, to save money, the production team will identify all scenes that involve the same location, cast, and crew and group them together as much as possible so they can be shot together all at once.<ref name="Goodell_Page_87" /><ref name="Wurmfeld_Page_52">{{cite book |last1=Wurmfeld |first1=Eden H. |last2=Laloggia |first2=Nicole |title=IFP/Los Angeles Independent Filmmaker's Manual |date=2004 |publisher=Elsevier |location=Amsterdam |isbn=9781136051067 |page=52 |edition=2nd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OXMqBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA52 |access-date=28 June 2023}}</ref><ref name="Crabb_Page_276">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w-wkvUwc2hYC&pg=PA276 |title= The Movie Business: The Definitive Guide to the Legal and Financial Secrets of Getting Your Movie Made |pages=276–277 |author= Kelly Crabb |author-link=Kelly C. Crabb|publisher= Simon & Schuster |year= 2005 |isbn= 0743264924 |access-date= 31 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="Honthaner_Page_85">{{cite book |last1=Honthaner |first1=Eve Light |title=The Complete Film Production Handbook |date=2010 |publisher=Focal Press |location=Burlington, Massachusetts |isbn=9781136053061 |page=85 |edition=4th |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PTv7AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA85 |access-date=24 February 2024}}</ref> Actually shooting together all planned shots at a location is colloquially known as "shooting out" a location.<ref name="Kellison_Page_155">{{cite book |last1=Kellison |first1=Cathrine <!-- Note: Cathrine is the correct spelling of this author's name. --> |last2=Morrow |first2=Dustin |last3=Morrow |first3=Kacey |title=Producing for TV and New Media |date=2013 |publisher=Focal Press |location=New York and London |isbn=9780240818979 |page=155 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HIIUDF9gEt8C&pg=PA155}}</ref><ref name="Rea_Page_67">{{cite book |last1=Rea |first1=Peter W. |last2=Irving |first2=David K. |title=Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video |date=2015 |publisher=Focal Press |location=New York and London |isbn=9781317908753 |page=67 |edition=5th |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7dKTBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA67}}</ref> Since actors are normally paid a "day rate," it makes more sense from a financial perspective, for example, to shoot all three scenes involving a particular actor and location on a single day (even though the scenes may occur in completely different parts of the script), rather than paying the actor's day rate three times to bring back the same actor to the same location on three different days just to speak a few lines each day.<ref name="Katz_Page_103">{{cite book |last1=Katz |first1=Steven D. |title=Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen |date=1991 |publisher=Michael Wiese Productions |location=Studio City |isbn=9780941188104 |page=103 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tNkNacuK8poC&pg=PA103 |access-date=20 February 2022}}</ref> Shooting scenes out of order helps avoid the cost of having to repeatedly travel back to the same locations or reassemble the same sets, but requires considerable effort from both cast and crew members—especially the [script supervisor](/source/script_supervisor)—to maintain the illusion of [continuity](/source/Continuity_editing).<ref name="Miller_Page_7">{{cite book |last1=Miller |first1=Pat P. |title=Script Supervising and Film Continuity |date=1999 |publisher=Focal Press |location=Burlington, Massachusetts |isbn=9780240802947 |pages=7–9 |edition=3rd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2QKYAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA7 |access-date=22 July 2023}}</ref>  

==Other variables==

Many variables affect the sequence of scenes as they are arranged and rearranged on a strip board, until everything falls into place.<ref name="Rea_Page_66">{{cite book |last1=Rea |first1=Peter W. |last2=Irving |first2=David K. |title=Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video |date=2015 |publisher=Focal Press |location=New York and London |isbn=9781317908753 |page=66 |edition=5th |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7dKTBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA66}}</ref>  

The specific time(s) of year reserved for shooting will in turn affect the [season](/source/season) in which the film apparently takes place and how much [daytime](/source/daytime) is available.<ref name="Rea_Page_69">{{cite book |last1=Rea |first1=Peter W. |last2=Irving |first2=David K. |title=Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video |date=2015 |publisher=Focal Press |location=New York and London |isbn=9781317908753 |page=69 |edition=5th |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7dKTBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA69}}</ref>  Local climate extremes can severely limit the number of hours available for shooting exterior scenes, if cast and crew become incapacitated by [hypothermia](/source/hypothermia) or [hyperthermia](/source/hyperthermia).<ref name="Rea_Page_69" /><ref name="Wales_Page_48">{{cite book |last1=Wales |first1=Lorene M. |title=The Complete Guide to Film and Digital Production: The People and The Process |date=2017 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |isbn=9781315294889 |page=48 |edition=3rd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=giglDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA48 |access-date=June 2, 2024}}</ref> Real-world practical locations are often occupied by existing users who impose severe limitations on the days and times available for shooting.<ref name="Rea_Page_66" /> For maximum scheduling flexibility, a common filmmaking trick is to film [day for night](/source/day_for_night) or night for day, but small independent productions cannot always afford the necessary lighting setups and must rely on whatever light is already available on location.<ref name="Wurmfeld_Page_53">{{cite book |last1=Wurmfeld |first1=Eden H. |last2=Laloggia |first2=Nicole |title=IFP/Los Angeles Independent Filmmaker's Manual |date=2004 |publisher=Elsevier |location=Amsterdam |isbn=9781136051067 |page=53 |edition=2nd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OXMqBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA53 |access-date=28 June 2023}}</ref> 

Some directors and actors prefer to film scenes in chronological order as much as possible, especially scenes involving heightened emotional states, like heated arguments, where it would be awkward to film the end of an argument first.<ref name="Rea_Page_69" /> Outdoor scenes subject to fickle weather conditions<ref name="Goodell_Page_87" /><ref name="Rea_Page_68">{{cite book |last1=Rea |first1=Peter W. |last2=Irving |first2=David K. |title=Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video |date=2015 |publisher=Focal Press |location=New York and London |isbn=9781317908753 |page=68 |edition=5th |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7dKTBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA68}}</ref><ref name="Wales_Page_47">{{cite book |last1=Wales |first1=Lorene M. |title=The Complete Guide to Film and Digital Production: The People and The Process |date=2017 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |isbn=9781315294889 |page=47 |edition=3rd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=giglDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA47 |access-date=June 2, 2024}}</ref> and difficult stunts and special effects are sometimes scheduled early in principal photography, so there is time to recover and make necessary changes if problems arise.<ref name="Honthaner_Page_85" />  Some producers prefer to schedule intimate scenes later in principal photography, to give the lead actors some time to become comfortable with each other.<ref name="Honthaner_Page_85" /> Some producers arrange for alternative "cover sets" near exterior locations, so they can immediately relocate the production to shooting interior scenes on the cover set if an exterior location is rendered unusable by bad weather.<ref name="Rea_Page_68" /><ref name="Wales_Page_47" /><ref name="Wallenstein_Page_174">{{cite book |last1=Wallenstein |first1=Joe |title=Practical Moviemaking: A Handbook for the Real World |date=2012 |publisher=McFarland & Company |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn=9780786488858 |page=174 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A36MTfqOnWYC&pg=PA174}}</ref>  

Some scenes need long lead times to set up properly, such as in-car dialogue scenes for which a car is usually fitted with movie cameras and towed during the filming.<ref name="Honthaner_Page_85" /> Unless the entire production is shot only at one location, each "company move" of the cast and crew between locations may take up significant amounts of time.<ref name="Rea_Page_67" /> 

If any actor is a [bankable star](/source/bankable_star) at the peak of their career with tightly limited availability, the production must work around that star's schedule.<ref name="Honthaner_Page_85" /> [Child actor](/source/Child_actor)s are often subject to legal restrictions on the number of hours they can work per day.<ref name="Rea_Page_69" /><ref name="Honthaner_Page_85" /> Children also tend to have less patience and stamina (relative to adults) before their ability to deliver a high-quality performance is exhausted.<ref name="Rea_Page_69" /><ref name="Wales_Page_48" />

Shooting in a cost-efficient manner only gets even harder if the production team decides to use unionized talent.  For example, in the United States, the [Screen Actors Guild](/source/Screen_Actors_Guild) requires payment for "hold" days in between nonconsecutive shooting days at remote locations,<ref name="Goodell_Page_87" /><ref name="Wurmfeld_Page_52" /> as well as a minimum of 12 hours of turnaround time between shoots, which means the same actors cannot be scheduled for a day shoot at dawn the next day after a night shoot expected to run past midnight.<ref name="Honthaner_Page_85" /><ref name="Rea_Page_68" /> If an actor has more than ten hold days, the production must do a "drop-pickup," in which the actor is dropped from contract and released to work on other projects, then picked up later to resume working on the film.<ref name="Wales_Page_47" />  If an actor has less than 10 days between shoots, they may become eligible for pay at a weekly rate rather than a daily rate, even if they are not used on every day of the week.<ref name="Rea_Page_68" />  Under [SAG-AFTRA](/source/SAG-AFTRA) rules, it is sometimes possible to hire actors who work for free or on deferred-salary arrangements, but such actors usually have regular full- or part-time jobs that may limit their availability.<ref name="Rea_Page_68" />

==Common contents==
Information on the strips can include:<ref name="Goodell_Page_85" />
* The scene number
* The [day](/source/time_of_day) (Sunrise/Morning/Noon/Afternoon/Evening/Sunset/Night)
* The number of pages in that scene
** This is commonly counted in eighths of a page.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://goingforpicture.tumblr.com/post/16526489708/8ths |title = It's a 1st AD thing. You wouldn't understand., Eights of a Page Explained}}</ref>
* The set that is described in the script
* The actual [location](/source/Filming_location) that will be filmed
* The characters in that scene
* Miscellaneous notes on the production

==Color Conventions==
Production strip boards are often color-coded according to the following convention;<ref>{{cite book |last=Singleton |first=Ralph |date=1991 |title=Film Scheduling |chapter=4 |edition=2nd}}</ref> [https://www.studiobinder.com/ StudioBinder] and [Scenechronize](/source/Scenechronize) uses a slightly modified convention;<ref>[https://www.scenechronize.com/schelp/index.html?topic=102 Scenechronize Help Page (click the "Pearls" button to see the legend)]</ref> finally, Movie Magic Scheduling has its own standard:<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohwgc8hwhbA&list=PLb7fVmferYHhguf7qMyESMdxc4m-kQuRP&index=1&t=545s MovieMagic Scheduling - Complete Video Training - Strip Colors]</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
!Description
!Strip Color<br>generic Production
!Strip Color<br>[StudioBinder](/source/StudioBinder.com)
!Strip Color<br>[Scenechronize](/source/Scenechronize)
!Strip Color<br>[Movie Magic Scheduling](/source/Movie_Magic_Scheduling)
|-
|Sunrise Exterior
| -
| -
|'''Pink'''
| -
|-
|Morning
| -
| -
| -
| style="background: pink; color: black; text-align: center;" |'''Pink'''
|-
|Day Interior
|style="background: white; color: black; text-align: center;"|'''White'''
|'''White'''
|'''White'''
| style="background: white; color: black; text-align: center;" |'''White'''
|-
|Day Exterior
|style="background: yellow; color: black; text-align: center;"|'''Yellow'''
|'''Yellow'''
|'''Yellow'''
| style="background: yellow; color: black; text-align: center;" |'''Yellow'''
|-
|Sunset Exterior
| -
| -
|'''Orange'''
| -
|-
|Evening Exterior
| -
|'''Dark Red'''
| -
| style="background: orange; color: black; text-align: center;" |'''Orange'''
|-
|Evening Interior
|
|'''Brown'''
|
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
|Night Interior
| style="background: blue; color: white; text-align: center;" |'''Blue'''
|'''Blue'''
|'''Blue'''
| style="background: green; color: white; text-align: center;" |'''Green'''
|-
|Night Exterior
| style="background: green; color: white; text-align: center;" |'''Green'''
|'''Green'''
|'''Green'''
| style="background: blue; color: white; text-align: center;" |'''Blue'''
|-
|Day Separator
| style="background: black; color: white; text-align: center;" |'''Black'''
|'''Black'''
|'''Black'''
| style="background: gray; color: white; text-align: center;" |'''Grey'''
|-
|Week Separator
| style="background: orange; color: black; text-align: center;" |'''Orange'''
| -
| -
| -
|-
|Omitted Scene
| -
| -
|'''Red'''
| -
|-
|Disabled Scene
| -
| -
|'''Grey'''
| -
|-
|Free Day
| style="background: gray; color: white; text-align: center;" |'''Grey'''
| -
| -
| -
|-
|Holiday
| style="background: red; color: white; text-align: center;" |'''Red'''
| -
| -
| -
|-
|}

== See also ==
*[Production schedule](/source/Production_schedule)
*[Shooting schedule](/source/Shooting_schedule)
*[One liner schedule](/source/One_liner_schedule)
*[Filmmaking](/source/Filmmaking)

== References ==
{{reflist}}
* {{cite book |last=Clevé |first=Bastian |date=2000 |title=Film Production Management |edition = 2nd}}
* {{cite book |date=2001 |title=The Complete Film Production Handbook |edition = 3rd}}

{{Filmmaking_Paper_Trail}}

Category:Film production
Category:Television terminology
Category:Film and video terminology
Category:Production scheduling software
Category:Film production software

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Production board](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Production_board) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Production_board?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.