Unit Base Call Sheet Guide: Keep Location Shoots Organized From Arrival to Wrap

On a location shoot, unit base is the operational home base for the day. It may hold production, HMU, wardrobe, catering, talent holding, crew parking, or shuttles. If the call sheet treats it as a vague address, people arrive late, park in the wrong place, or walk straight onto a working set looking for answers.

A good unit base call sheet makes the first hour predictable. It tells each person where to report, how to get from base to set, and who to call if the plan changes.

Start with the actual reporting point

List the full unit base address separately from the set address whenever they differ. Add the entrance or gate name, a clear arrival landmark, parking instructions, and a phone number for the person managing arrivals. If GPS drops people at the wrong side of a venue, say so plainly.

• Unit base name and street address
• Exact arrival entrance or gate
• Crew parking, vendor parking, and talent drop-off rules
• Set address and the route or shuttle plan from base
• Base manager, production coordinator, or runner contact

Do not assume everyone reports to the same place. Camera, grip, and electric may need a load-in entrance, while cast may report to HMU at base and clients may go directly to video village. Give each group a specific instruction instead of one catch-all note.

Make the call-time sequence visible

Unit base is where staggered calls become useful. Put the earliest arrivals first: base PA or coordinator, catering, HMU, wardrobe, production, then departments loading into set. Talent call should account for check-in, prep, and travel to set. A general crew call is useful, but individual call times keep the morning from becoming a parking-lot crowd.

Build the sheet around the question every crew member asks: where do I need to be at my call time? Easy Call Sheets lets you set individual calls, add the location, and send a professional sheet in about two minutes, without rebuilding a spreadsheet each shoot day.

Put base services where people can find them

Include only operational details that change behavior. Note where breakfast or craft service opens, which room is talent holding, where HMU and wardrobe are based, whether restrooms are available before set access, and whether there is a shuttle cutoff time. If a department needs a special load-in or security credential, make it a distinct note rather than burying it in general instructions.

Plan for the move between base and set

When unit base and set are separate, the handoff is the risk point. State whether crew walk, drive, or ride a shuttle. Name the departure time, the pickup point, and the rule for late arrivals. For a company move later in the day, repeat the new reporting details and identify what stays at base.

Send one source of truth, then track it

Weather shifts, access changes, and a revised parking plan happen. A shared link is easier to update than a PDF buried in an inbox, while a PDF export remains useful for print and offline reference. Attach maps, parking diagrams, scripts, or shot lists so the crew is not hunting through separate messages.

With Easy Call Sheets, crew can open a shareable call sheet, confirm or decline with one tap, and receive SMS or email notifications. You can see live confirmations, revise and resend when logistics move, and keep returning crew ready with a contact book and crew templates. Build your next unit base call sheet with Easy Call Sheets and spend less of call time directing people to the right place.