Production Report

This article will briefly discuss the following:

• What information should be included on a daily production report
• Things to consider when completing a daily production report
• Powerful tool for daily production reports
• Free production report template

Information to be Included on a Daily Production Report

The format of a production report can be unique for each production team or project. That said, a production report should be able to cover enough information that will allow producers and stakeholders to monitor the current status and direction of the project. Here are 10 of the essential information that can be found on daily production reports.

Project details

This provides an overview of the project. It contains information such as the title of the project, shooting days, and the current date.

Lead crew

The names and positions of lead crew who reported for the day are to be included on the production report.

Time

All the call times throughout the day from the beginning till wrap are to be included on the report.

Locations

Locations used for the day’s shoot will be identified and the address of each will be included on the production report.

Footage

Whether using film or shooting in digital format, record how much was shot for the day and provide a description. There should also be information on the corresponding audio as well.

Camera/Equipment

Provide information on any special equipment used for the day or any activity worth noting involving the cameras on set.

Timesheet

Record the crew’s position and the roles of the talents along with their corresponding time in production. Identify all the extras involved in the shoot. Record any overtime as well as the reason for overtime.

Expenditures

Projects run on a given budget and small expenses on set can add up and should be accounted for on the production report.

Notes

Concerns on set such as health and safety risks or incidents that occurred should be included on the production report so that all stakeholders are well informed and can take corrective actions to make the set a safe working environment. Unmitigated health and safety risks on set can put the whole project in jeopardy, causing delays or costly liabilities.

Signatures

Affix the signature of the assistant director and the unit production manager to confirm the accuracy of the day’s production report.

Things to Consider When Completing a Daily Production Report

Because the production report is considered a legal document, the production report template needs to be able to allow the report to accurately summarize all essential information for each production day. The production report template is to be reviewed and approved first before it can be used for the project.

During shootings, an assistant director or the assigned crew member responsible for the daily production report will fill out all the fields of the daily production report template. Other crew members may be in different locations and would need to remotely supply the information being gathered for the production report.

It is of utmost importance to take note of any health and safety risks, near-miss, or incidents on set so that safety precautions can be implemented. Just one incident or health and safety risk can delay a project and there’s no telling when production can resume. By proactively promoting safety in the workplace, incidents can be avoided.

Powerful tool for Daily Production Reports

There are challenges to the efficient and accurate daily updating of production reports due to the nature of the business of film production. Having a powerful reporting tool such as iAuditor by SafetyCulture can help assistant directors and the crew easily complete daily production reports and help promote safety in the workplace. Available on mobile devices, iAuditor’s production report template is easy to fill out anytime anywhere. Activities on set can be timestamped, locations recorded using geotagging, information can be gathered remotely from any crew, and the completed production report at the end of the day is easy to submit and record, readily available for future review. Production report templates can also be customized to fit the needs of the project and the production crew.

We have created this production report template that you can review and download for free. Try it on your mobile and discover how efficiently you can complete your daily production reports.