A day out of days (DOOD) is a grid of cast members against shoot days, showing which days each actor works, starts, finishes, or is on hold. It's how you see — before you sign the contracts — how many days you're paying each actor for. This is a blank DOOD template as an Excel file, with a three-day example from a sample production, Nightfall.
What's in the template
- Day Out of Days — one row per cast member, one column per shoot day, with the standard codes and totals for work, hold, and total days.
- Codes — a key for SW, W, H, WF, SWF, T, and R, so everyone reads the grid the same way.
The grid
Read it both ways. By row: Maya works Day 1 and Day 3 with a hold on Day 2 — a day you may be paying her to wait, which is a reason to look at the schedule again. By column: Day 2 needs four of five cast members — your most expensive and most fragile day.
| # | Character | Actor | Day 1 (May 12) | Day 2 (May 13) | Day 3 (May 14) | Work Days | Hold Days | Total Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maya | Dana Whitfield | SW | H | WF | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Reyes | Marcus Oyelaran | SW | W | WF | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Okafor | Priya Nair | SW | W | WF | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Cook | Tom Barrow | SWF | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 5 | Suspect | Luka Petrov | SWF | 1 | 0 | 1 |
- Hold Days:
- Days an actor is contracted but not working. On most contracts you pay for these — the DOOD is where you spot them.
The codes
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| SW | Start Work — first day on set |
| W | Work — a working day |
| H | Hold — contracted, not called (usually paid) |
| WF | Work Finish — last working day |
| SWF | Start, Work & Finish — single-day role |
| T | Travel day |
| R | Rehearsal / fitting |
How to use it
- One row per cast member, one column per shoot day, built from the schedule.
- Mark each day with the standard codes: SW = start work, W = work, H = hold (paid, not working), WF = work finish, SWF = start and finish the same day.
- Read it by row: a long run of H between W days means you are paying an actor to wait — reorder the schedule or drop them.
- Read it by column: the days with the most cast are your most expensive and most fragile days.
- Regenerate it every time the schedule moves. A stale DOOD is how actors get booked on the wrong day.
Common mistakes
- Treating hold days as free. On most contracts, a hold between work days is paid. The DOOD exists to make those visible.
- Building it once. The schedule moves; the DOOD must move with it, or an actor gets booked on the wrong day.
- Forgetting drop-and-pickup rules. Long gaps may let you “drop” an actor and re-hire them later without paying holds — check your contract terms and mark them.
The DOOD is derived from the shooting schedule — build that first.