What a production report is
A production report, often called a 'daily PR,' is the official record of a shoot day. It captures what the production planned to do and what actually happened. One is filed for every day of principal photography.
Production reports are used by the UPM to track progress, by the accounting department to verify costs, and by the producer to monitor the overall production.
What a production report contains
A typical production report records:
- Scenes scheduled vs. scenes completed
- Page count scheduled vs. page count shot
- General crew call and actual first shot of the day
- Wrap time for each department
- Meal break times and any meal penalties
- Crew and cast totals
- Weather conditions
- Advance information for the next day
The production report and hot costs
The back of the production report (often called the PR back) is where financial tracking happens. Department heads record their crew's call and wrap times. The UPM calculates overtime and meal penalties from this data.
Hot costs are derived from the production report. They give the UPM a daily picture of actual labor costs vs. budgeted costs. When a day runs long, hot costs show exactly how much that overtime cost the production.
G-Casper Pro generates the PR back automatically from the call sheet. Department heads enter wrap times, and hot cost calculations happen in real time.
Who fills out the production report
The 2nd AD fills out the front of the production report. Department heads fill out their sections on the back. The UPM reviews and signs off.
On large productions, a production coordinator assists with the paperwork. On small productions, the 2nd AD handles most of it alone.
Why production reports matter
Production reports are legal and financial documents. They are submitted to completion bond companies, insurance carriers, and distributors as proof of what was accomplished each day. They also serve as a historical record in case of disputes about scheduling, overtime, or injuries.