Call Sheets for Child Actors: How 1st ADs Handle Work Permits, Studio Teachers, and Shorter Days

A call sheet for a child actor is not a normal call sheet with a younger name on it. It is a compliance document as much as a schedule, because it must show the permit status, the guardian, the studio teacher, the school hours, and a wrap time that respects the child's age based limits. Get any of those wrong and the day can stall, the footage can be questioned, or the production can face a labor complaint.

What must be on a call sheet for a child actor?

Name, role, scenes, location, and call time still matter, but they are not enough on their own. For every minor, name the parent or guardian, list a direct phone number for that guardian, and note who will stay within sight or sound of the child all day. In California, a parent or guardian of a minor under 16 must stay within sight or sound at all times, so that name is a required part of the plan.

Add the studio teacher or welfare worker by name, with their call time and contact details. Add the school hours, work hours, and rest periods, spelled out separately so nobody has to do mental math on set. If a work permit is required, note that it is on file and check its expiration date before you send the sheet, not after the child arrives. Keep birth dates, school names, and medical details in your production files instead, since the crew only needs what it must follow.

How do work hours and school hours change the schedule?

Age changes everything about the day. Children aged 2 to 6 may be at the job site for up to 6 hours, children aged 9 to 16 for up to 9 hours, and children aged 16 to 18 for up to 10 hours, with different limits on actual work time and education within those totals. Infants aged 15 days to 6 months are far more restricted, with a maximum of 2 hours at the site and only 20 minutes of actual work. Those numbers are ceilings, not targets, and the schedule should be built under them with room to spare.

When school is in session, education is part of the workday, not an extra you fit in if time allows. California guidance calls for 3 hours of schooling per school day for school age minors, taught by a licensed studio teacher. Block school time like a scene, with a start time, an end time, and a location. California also requires one studio teacher for every 10 or fewer minors when school is in session, and one for every 20 or fewer on weekends, holidays, or vacations, so if your cast grows from 8 minors to 11, your staffing plan has to grow too.

How do you handle call times, wraps, and turnarounds for minors?

Build the minor's day backward from the wrap, not forward from the call. Start with the latest legal wrap, subtract school time, rest time, meals, and the scenes you need, and only then set the call time. A meal period must fall within 6 hours of arrival under both California and New York rules, so treat it as a fixed point, not a floating hope. If the math does not fit, cut a scene, split the day, or bring the child in later.

Turnaround deserves the same care, and night work needs an extra check. Under SAG-AFTRA guidance, minors generally must wrap by 10 p.m. when a school day follows, with a later cutoff of 12:30 a.m. only on nights before a non school day, and the earliest start is typically 5 a.m. Put the planned wrap in bold on the call sheet and tell the guardian at the morning safety meeting, so the whole crew helps you hit it. Always read the next day's call against tonight's wrap before you lock the sheet.

How do you revise a minor's call sheet without breaking compliance?

Revisions are where minor days most often go wrong, because a small change to an adult schedule can be a big change to a child's legal day. Moving a call 30 minutes earlier can eat into school time, and moving a scene later can push the wrap past the cutoff. Treat every revision as a fresh compliance check, resend the full sheet, highlight what changed, and confirm receipt from the guardian and the studio teacher specifically.

That is where a dedicated call sheet tool earns its keep. Easy Call Sheets builds professional film call sheets in about 2 minutes, lets you set individual call times for each person, and sends the sheet by email so each person can confirm or decline with one tap and no account. Crew members also get a calendar file with their own call time, location, parking, and notes, shown in their timezone. For a minor's day, that matters, because the guardian sees the child's exact call and wrap, not a generic crew call.

The most common mistake is copying an adult template and adding a child's name. Adult templates assume flexible hours, self managed breaks, and a wrap that can drift, and none of those assumptions hold for a minor. Other mistakes are listing the child but not the guardian, burying school time in a notes field instead of blocking it as scheduled time, and treating the permit as paperwork for someone else. Check that the permit is valid for the shoot dates before you publish, and keep the tone calm and precise, so a parent can see their child will be looked after.

Do child actors need a work permit before the shoot?

In California, yes. A minor needs a valid Entertainment Work Permit before work begins, typically valid for 6 months. Check the expiration date against your shoot dates, and keep a copy on file with production.

Does a studio teacher have to be on set every day?

When school is in session, California productions provide a studio teacher from the first day of employment, covering both education and labor compliance. On non school days the staffing rules change, but the teacher still protects the child's hours and rest.

Can a minor's call sheet be revised on the day?

Yes, but treat every revision as a new compliance check. Reconfirm the new call, wrap, and school block with the guardian and studio teacher, and resend the full sheet. If a change would push the child past an age based limit, change the schedule instead.