Scene, segment, and production times

Using scene, segment, and production times in Rundowns, Screenplays, AV scripts, Script Breakdown, Shooting Scheduling, Call Sheets, and Stripboards. #

In Dramatify, you can efficiently add estimated time for both a finished scene or segment, as well as the estimated production time. Combined with banners and working hours, this allows you to not only quickly create a production schedule for any production, fiction or non-fiction, but also calculate episode durations and get production statistics.

Where do I find production times? #

Rundowns, Screenplays, AV scripts, Script breakdowns, Shooting schedules, Call Sheets, and Stripboards all include duration and/or production times, directly or indirectly.

• Add and view duration in rundowns, AV scripts, script breakdown and shooting scheduling.
• Add and view production time in AV scripts, script breakdown, and shooting scheduling.
• View duration and production times in shooting scheduling and stripboards.
• View scheduled times based on production time in shooting scheduling, stripboards > running order, and call sheets (optional).

Production abbreviations #

• Dur / Duration: How long you estimate the finished scene or segment should be.
•  Running Time: The segment times added together.
  For example: If scene 1 and 2 are one minute each and scene 3 is 30 seconds, the running time of the program at the end of scene 3 is 2 minutes 30 seconds. This is very useful when you have a certain finished length you are aiming for.
• PT – Production Time: How long you estimate the scene or segment will take to produce.
• TPT / Tot – Total Production Time: All production time added together.
  For example: If scene 1 and 2 take two hours each to produce and scene 3 takes 30 minutes, the total production time at the end of scene 3 is 4 hours 30 minutes. TPT / Tot helps you see if the production time you have available corresponds with the total production time you have estimated.

You add Segment Time and Production Time to scenes in your script by editing each scene. Dramatify automatically calculates Running Time and Total Production Time.

In rundowns, you also find:

• Real-time: The real-time when a broadcast starts or when a segment should start.
• Reverse time: Based on a fixed length, it displays how much time is left of the programme, counting down to zero.

Production schedule #

To easily create a production schedule in the shooting scheduling, running order, and your call sheet, the start time is dependent on the working hours you set. There are two ways to set working hours:

1. Setting standard working hours in Settings #

1. Click Planning in the sidebar menu, then Settings in the orange toolbar.
2. In the Scheduling & Call Sheets section, set standard hours for the Unit call & Wrap.

The standard working hours will now appear in all shooting days/teams in the shooting scheduling and call sheets automatically, and if you have added production time to your scenes/segments, automatically calculate your shooting schedule based on scene production time plus any banners (non-shooting time)

2. Adding or changing working hours  on individual days/teams #

Change standard working hours or add days manually to a shooting day:

1. Click Planning in the sidebar menu, then Scheduling in the orange toolbar.
2. In your schedule, hover over the day header to bring up the menu icon.
3. Select Edit and click.
4. Add or edit the working hour and save.

3. Turn off production hours in call sheets #

Some productions love a stringent, timed shooting schedule; others hate it. Turn off times in call sheets by;

1. Click Planning in the sidebar menu, then Settings in the orange toolbar.
2. In the Scheduling & Call Sheets section,  find the Scene start times section.
3. Click the toggle to OFF.

Troubleshooting #

If your production schedule looks strange or does not seem to work out, check these common issues:

• You have not set working hours, so Dramatify does not know when the day starts.
• You have not set production time on scenes, so only banners add production time.
• You have accidentally entered time as minutes and seconds (MM:SS, e.g. 01:00) instead of hours, minutes
  and seconds (HH:MM:SS, e.g. 01:00:00).