A stripboard is a shooting schedule built from movable scene strips. Read down the board to see the proposed shooting order, with day breaks separating the work assigned to each shoot day. Each strip carries the scene details you need to decide whether that order is workable.
What does each strip tell you?
A useful strip identifies the scene, its set, interior or exterior, story day or night, cast, and page count. The exact order of those fields depends on the report or software.
Start with the scene number. It is the link back to the script and breakdown. Then read the set and cast to see what must be ready. Finally check the page count as a workload clue. You still need the shot plan to judge how much work is hidden inside those pages.
| Field | Nightfall example | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Scene | 12 | The script reference, even if this scene shoots before Scene 5 |
| INT / EXT | INT | The scene is written as an interior |
| Set | Diner · Kitchen | The story space; confirm the actual shooting location separately |
| DAY / NIGHT | DAY | The scene’s story lighting condition |
| Cast | 1, 4 | Maya and Cook in the production’s cast key |
| Pages | 1 2/8 | Ten eighths of script, or 1.25 pages |
How do you find the start and end of a shoot day?
Look for the day break or day heading, then read the strips grouped with it. Check whether the document is a working schedule or the approved version before acting on it.
Some boards place a day break after the scenes it closes. Others present a day as a labelled container. Either way, the date and shoot-day number should be explicit. Day 3 means the third shooting day; it does not necessarily mean the third calendar day after the production starts.
Day 2 has fewer pages than Day 1, but includes a foot chase, a location move, and rooftop night work. That is enough to trigger a closer review. The page total alone cannot tell you which day is harder.
What do the colours and banners mean?
Read the legend supplied with the board. Colours often distinguish interior or exterior and day or night, but you should not guess the convention from a previous production.
Banners can identify a company move, meal, or other block that is not itself a scene. Treat those lines as work or time commitments. Removing a banner to make a day look shorter does not remove the activity it represented.
For an example of how a scheduling tool represents these elements, see StudioBinder’s scheduling overview. Check the legend of the actual document you receive.
Does NIGHT mean the crew reports at night?
No. NIGHT describes the scripted scene. The working schedule and call sheet determine when people report.
Nightfall Scene 12A takes place in the diner kitchen at night. Production still has to agree how to achieve that look, whether daylight control is practical, and what access the location allows. An exterior night scene such as Scene 31 raises different timing and preparation questions. The word NIGHT is a planning input, not a call time.
What should you check before accepting a revised board?
Check what moved and who that change affects. Compare cast availability, location access, moves, preparation, and the following day’s start.
A useful review marks the affected scenes and names the person who confirmed each constraint. If Scene 12 moves to another day, Maya and Cook both need checking. If only Scene 12A moves, Cook is not in that scene. Read the cast list before calling everyone back.
Use the shooting schedule template for the same scene fields in spreadsheet form, and keep the approved version clearly dated.
Frequently asked questions
Is a stripboard the same as a shooting schedule?
It is one way to build and display a shooting schedule. A schedule can also be shown as a spreadsheet or a report without movable strips.
What is a day break?
A marker dividing the scenes assigned to different shoot days. Confirm whether the tool places it above or below the scenes it describes.
Can two strips have the same location?
Yes. Keeping scenes at the same location together is often useful, but cast availability, light, access, and scene requirements may change that order.
Why does a short scene sometimes take most of a day?
The page count measures writing. Complex blocking, action, resets, or many camera setups can require substantial shooting time for very little script.