2013Legal / Business Practices forum
Preparation and wrap days as standard practice in film and television production
13 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Preparation days are typically included as part of the agreement for non-live work, though live performances rely on rehearsal days instead
- Television series commonly include one eight-hour prep day and one eight-hour wrap day as standard terms
- Low-budget features generally follow a similar one-day prep model to television
- Higher-budget productions may allocate multiple preparation days, particularly for specialized equipment or complex technical requirements
- Eliminating prep days from contracts to reduce costs often results in greater expenses due to on-set delays and production inefficiencies
- Producers recognize that resolving equipment issues during the rental preparation phase rather than on set saves money overall
- Some production managers attempt to remove prep days as a cost-cutting measure, though this approach can damage working relationships and productivity
Depends on
- Practices may differ between union and non-union gigs
- Differences exist between Canadian and US industry standards
- The discussion focuses mainly on television and feature film work
- Data is from 2013 and may not reflect current practices
- Specific budget thresholds for what qualifies as high or low budget are not defined