How to Count Filming Days for a Vertical Series Project

In vertical production, the filming day count is a viability test. Budget, staffing, delivery cadence, and multi-unit utilization all hinge on days on set. Because vertical pipelines run lean and high-throughput, even one extra day can ripple across your slate.

This guide shows you:

• A manual method to estimate filming days for vertical projects.
• Two AI-powered Filmustage workflows: counting days fast with Auto Day Breaks, and optimizing schedules to cut moves and resets.

TL;DR

• Start from pages/day (ppd) — use ~12 ppd as a vertical baseline (range 10–14).
• Add vertical modifiers (nights, stunts, extras, company moves).
• Sanity-check with quick scene-hour estimates.
• Use Filmustage scheduling to generate day counts in minutes and optimize by clustering locations, batching cast, and balancing days.

Manual: Count Filming Days for a Vertical Series

1) Set assumptions (vertical)

• Working hours/day: ~9–10 shooting hours (+ meals)
• Baseline pace: ~12 ppd (10–14 depending on complexity)
• Buffer: add 10–15% per day for resets/turnarounds

Modifiers to apply only if present

• Penalties: action/stunts, VFX, kids/animals, company moves, night exteriors, large extras
• Bonuses: bottle scenes, recurring interiors, minimal moves, dialogue-forward days

2) Top-down estimate (minutes)

1. Total pages ÷ ppd = initial days.
   Example: 96 ÷ 12 = 8 days
2. Add modifiers:
   +0.5–1 day for recurring action/night/large extras; +0.25–0.5 per meaningful company move day.

3) Bottom-up check (scene hours)

Typical vertical heuristics:

• 2-hander dialog: ~0.75–1.25h
• Group scene (4–6 actors): ~1.5–2.5h
• Action/vehicle/montage: ~3–4h
• Micro-move (same venue): +0.5–1h
• Full company move: +2–4h

Day capacity = (shooting hours – meals) × (1 – buffer).
Sum scene hours ÷ capacity = day count.

4) Decide

Take max(Top-Down, Bottom-Up) and round up. If you must hit 8 days, pick compression tactics and note risks.

Compression Levers (vertical)

• Cluster locations and merge near-duplicate looks
• Consolidate coverage (purposeful masters + essential inserts)
• Split unit for inserts/B-roll
• Batch talent to shoot out day players
• Pre-light night exteriors; minimize reset-heavy blocking
• Script trims for low-value beats

Filmustage workflow: how to count filming days for a vertical project

When you’re screening many scripts, you need fast, consistent feasibility.

1. Upload script → Get script breakdown. Confirm scene numbers, page count (eighths), INT/EXT, DAY/NIGHT, consistent Shooting Location names, Cast IDs, complexity flags.
2. Open Scheduling → Sort Items (INT/EXT, DAY/NIGHT) to create a clean base order. Use AI Sort for custom parameter sorting.
3. Set vertical ppd (e.g., 12).
4. Apply Auto Day Breaks → instant day count.
5. Apply modifiers (nights, stunts, extras, moves) by nudging ppd or days.
6. Spot-check risky scenes with hour estimates; adjust if a day overfills.
7. Export a one-pager with the day count for quick go/no-go.

Filmustage workflow: how to optimize scheduling for vertical production

Real savings come from optimization — cutting moves, batching cast, balancing days.

1. Normalize location names (consistent Shooting Location labels).
2. Apply Sorting to cluster by location → Cast ID → Interior/Exterior (collapses micro-moves, reduces relights).
3. Batch talent (shoot out leads/day players in blocks).
4. Lock by “look” (wardrobe/hair/set-dress states) to avoid resets.
5. Auto Day Breaks + drag & drop to rebalance heavy/light days.
6. Scene-hour pressure test on risky beats; re-cluster before locking.
7. Use a small B-unit for inserts/B-roll while A-unit stays on performance.
8. Export and iterate (PDF/XLSX/MMB, call sheets) after each pass.

Outcome: fewer moves, tighter talent days, realistic loads — a lean, production-ready vertical schedule.

AI Scheduling Assistant: Sort Scenes with Prompts

When you’re ready to tighten the plan, use AI Sorting to reshuffle your stripboard in seconds: describe your priorities in a simple prompt (e.g., “cluster by location, then leads, INT before EXT, DAY before NIGHT”), review the AI-Sorted Parameters, then Apply Sort to instantly re-prioritize scenes.

This trims micro-moves, reduces relights, and aligns talent batching without manual cross-checks. Pair it with your vertical ppd target and Auto Day Breaks to pressure-test heavy days, rebalance loads, and lock a lean sequence that honors availability and minimizes resets—all while staying one click from export.

Watch a quick Filmustage Scheduling overview:

Example (vertical drama)

• Script: 96 pages
• Baseline: 12 ppd → 8 days
• Modifiers: 1 company-move day (+0.3), 1 heavy night exterior (+0.3)
• Top-Down: ≈ 8.6 → 9 days
• Bottom-Up: 72h scene total; 8.1h/day capacity → 8.9 → 9 days
• Plan: 9 days, or compress (merge café looks, pre-light night, tighter coverage) to land on 8 with conditions.

Common Pitfalls

• Underestimating company moves
• Treating pages = minutes (not true for vertical)
• Hidden complexity in “simple” actions
• Scattered talent availability blocking batching
• Too many micro-moves within one venue

FAQ

What’s a good pages/day target for vertical series?
~12 ppd, with a working range of 10–14 ppd depending on complexity and team.

How do I convert pages to filming days?
Total pages ÷ ppd, then adjust for vertical modifiers; validate with a scene-hour check.

How does Filmustage help?
It lets you estimate fast (AI breakdown → Auto Day Breaks) and optimize smart (sort/cluster by location, cast, look; drag & drop; scene-hour checks; instant exports) so your vertical plan is both realistic and lean.