How to Create a Stripboard and Shooting Schedule for Your Film

By Gireesh Shanbbhag, Actor | Filmmaker | Screen Writer | Editor · Published 2026-10-03

Clapperboard held up on location during a scheduled shoot day
Clapperboard held up on location during a scheduled shoot day

Quick answer: A stripboard is a visual schedule in which each scene is a colour-coded strip showing its number, INT/EXT, day/night, location, page count and cast. To build a shooting schedule, break down the script, create a strip for every scene, group strips by location first, then by cast availability and day/night, insert day breaks based on how many pages you can shoot per day, and export the schedule for the crew.

Key takeaways

  • Films are shot out of story order to minimise company moves and cast days.

  • Standard strip colours: white = INT/DAY, yellow = EXT/DAY, blue = INT/NIGHT, green = EXT/NIGHT.

  • Indie productions typically plan 3–6 pages per day; adjust for action, stunts and children or animals.

  • Every schedule change should update the Day Out of Days and call sheets.

What is on a strip?

  • Scene number and scene heading (location)

  • INT/EXT and DAY/NIGHT (shown by colour)

  • Page count in eighths — see page eighths explained

  • Cast IDs appearing in the scene

  • A one-line synopsis and key elements (stunts, vehicles, VFX)

How do you build a shooting schedule, step by step?

  1. Finish the script breakdown. Strips are generated from it.

  2. Group by location. Shoot everything at one location together, regardless of story order. Moving the whole unit ("company move") can cost half a day.

  3. Within each location, group by INT/EXT and day/night. Night shoots and day shoots need different crews' turnaround; exteriors depend on weather.

  4. Apply cast constraints. Consolidate each actor's scenes to reduce hold days, and schedule around stars' fixed dates.

  5. Add day breaks. Divide strips into shoot days based on page count and complexity.

  6. Front-load risk. Put weather-dependent exteriors early with interior "cover sets" as backups.

  7. Place emotional scenes thoughtfully. Avoid shooting intimate or climactic scenes on day one, before cast and crew have settled.

  8. Review with department heads, then lock the schedule and generate call sheets.

How many pages can you shoot in a day?

There is no fixed number. As a guide: large studio films may shoot 1–3 pages per day, television and many Indian productions 4–8, and low-budget indies 4–6. Action, songs, crowd scenes, children and animals reduce the count. Use estimated shoot time per scene rather than pages alone.

What should Indian productions plan for?

  • Monsoon: schedule exteriors outside June–September in most of Karnataka, or plan rain cover.

  • Festivals and temple events that affect locations and crowds.

  • Song shoots often run as separate schedules with choreographers and different locations.

  • Location permissions from municipal bodies, police or forest departments, which fix dates.

Example: one shoot day on a stripboard

DAY 3 — Sat — Location: Ajji's House, Udupi — 5 2/8 pages
[White] Sc 4 · INT. KITCHEN - DAY · 1 4/8 · Cast 1, 3
[White] Sc 9 · INT. HALL - DAY · 2 · Cast 1, 2, 3
[Yellow] Sc 10 · EXT. COURTYARD - DAY · 1 6/8 · Cast 1, 2 · Extras 6
— END OF DAY 3 —

Build a stripboard in Kathe Kaara

Kathe Kaara's Scheduling & Stripboard module creates colour-coded INT/EXT and day/night strips from your screenplay. Drag to reorder scenes, group them into shoot days, auto-sort by location, cast or day/night, and export the shooting schedule to PDF or CSV. The call sheet generator and Day Out of Days update from the same schedule.

Frequently asked questions

Why are films shot out of order?

To save time and money: shooting all scenes in one location together avoids repeated travel, set-ups and cast days.

Who makes the shooting schedule?

The 1st assistant director, working with the producer, director and production manager.

What is a cover set?

An interior location kept ready as a backup when weather prevents a scheduled exterior.

Can I make a stripboard in Excel?

You can, but every change must be updated by hand. Scheduling software updates strips, DOOD and call sheets together.

Cover photo: Clapperboard held up on location during a scheduled shoot day — by Jakob Owens on Unsplash.