---
title: "How to Make a Stripboard & Shooting Schedule (Step by Step)"
description: "Build a film shooting schedule with a stripboard: strip colors, grouping by location and cast, day breaks, company moves, page counts per day and export."
url: https://kathekaara.in/blog/stripboard-shooting-schedule
published: 2026-10-03T04:15:00.000Z
updated: 2026-10-03T04:15:00.000Z
---

# How to Create a Stripboard and Shooting Schedule for Your Film

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

**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?

- Finish the script breakdown . Strips are generated from it.
- Group by location. Shoot everything at one location together, regardless of story order. Moving the whole unit ("company move") can cost half a day.
- Within each location, group by INT/EXT and day/night. Night shoots and day shoots need different crews' turnaround; exteriors depend on weather.
- Apply cast constraints. Consolidate each actor's scenes to reduce hold days, and schedule around stars' fixed dates.
- Add day breaks. Divide strips into shoot days based on page count and complexity.
- Front-load risk. Put weather-dependent exteriors early with interior "cover sets" as backups.
- Place emotional scenes thoughtfully. Avoid shooting intimate or climactic scenes on day one, before cast and crew have settled.
- 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](https://unsplash.com/photos/clap-board-roadside-jakob-and-ryan-CiUR8zISX60?utm_source=kathekaara&utm_medium=referral)*.*