Assistant Director Call Sheet Checklist: What to Lock Before You Send

An assistant director call sheet is the shoot day control document. If it is unclear, late, or hard to confirm, the morning turns into texts about parking, call times, location pins, and missing PDFs.

Use this checklist before sending to cast and crew for an indie film, commercial, wedding video, content shoot, photo production, or film school set.

Lock the Basics

Confirm the production title, shoot date, day number, general call, estimated wrap, main location, parking, unit base, and nearest hospital. If a detail is still moving, mark it clearly or wait to send. A call sheet that changes right away teaches people to ignore version one.

Check Department Call Times

Do not give everyone the general call by default. Camera, grip and electric, art, HMU, talent, clients, catering, and production support often need different arrivals.

• Pre-call crew: AD team, production, camera prep, lighting, HMU setup.
• Talent: call time, ready time, wardrobe notes, holding location.
• Client or agency: arrival window, parking, contact person, set etiquette.
• Special cases: minors, animals, venue contacts, second shooters, vendors, or wrap-sensitive crew.

In Easy Call Sheets, you can set individual call times, send the sheet, and track confirmations without chasing a spreadsheet.

Add What Crew Need On Arrival

A useful call sheet answers the first questions before they are asked. Include the address, map-friendly location, parking instructions, weather, nearest hospital, schedule overview, scene or shot notes, meal timing, department contacts, and safety rules.

For commercial, event, photo, or content teams, add client arrival details, wardrobe notes, load-in restrictions, venue contact, and whether crew need carts, batteries, rain cover, or audio backups.

Attach the Right Files

If the crew needs script pages, a shot list, parking pass, map, wedding timeline, mood board, floor plan, or photo brief, attach it with the call sheet. Do not make people search through old email threads.

This also helps late additions. A replacement PA, second shooter, or makeup artist can open the same sheet and get the full context fast.

Confirm Delivery

Sending is not the same as confirming. A PDF is useful for records, but a live link with email or SMS is better when details change and responses matter.

The best small-production flow is simple: send the call sheet, let crew confirm or decline without an account, watch the confirmation list, then follow up only with people who have not responded.

Use Templates

If you work with the same camera team, wedding crew, content unit, or photo group, save the roster. A contact book and crew templates turn repeat call sheets into a quick update instead of another late-night spreadsheet.

Easy Call Sheets is built for that workflow: fast call sheets, shareable links, weather, SMS, PDFs, custom logo, contact book, crew templates, and live confirmations. The free plan works for a real shoot, and Pro is $29 per month for teams that send often.

Final AD Pass

• Are the date, general call, wrap estimate, and location correct?
• Does each key person have the right call time?
• Are parking, weather, hospital, and safety notes included?
• Are all attachments current?
• Can crew confirm quickly from their phone?
• Do you have a clean PDF or live link ready?

A strong call sheet does not need to be complicated. It needs to be clear, sent on time, and trackable. Build your next one in Easy Call Sheets so the crew gets the details fast and you know who is confirmed before call time.