What Is a Day Out of Days?
A Day Out of Days (DOOD) is a production planning chart that shows every cast member's involvement across the entire shooting schedule. For each actor, it marks every shoot day with a status code: SW (start/work), W (work), H (hold), WF (work/finish), SWF (start/work/finish for single-day roles), or blank for days they are not needed.
The chart is typically presented as a grid with cast members listed vertically and shoot days running horizontally. At a glance, producers can see which actors are needed on which days and — critically — which days they are on hold (contracted but not shooting).
Why Day Out of Days Matters for Budgets
Hold days are expensive. When an actor is on hold, the production is paying for their availability even though they are not working. A well-constructed DOOD reveals opportunities to reduce hold days by rearranging the schedule. If an actor works on day three and day eight but is on hold for days four through seven, the cost adds up — especially for higher-paid talent.
The DOOD is also essential for contract negotiation. Producers use it to determine each actor's total engagement period and negotiate rates accordingly. Union and guild rules often dictate minimum rest periods and maximum hold-to-work ratios that the DOOD must respect.
Reading the DOOD
The standard abbreviations are universally understood across professional productions. SW marks the actor's first working day, W marks subsequent working days, H marks hold days (contracted but not shooting), WF marks the final working day, and SWF marks a single-day engagement. Travel days may also be marked with T.
Generating a DOOD with CutPrint
CutPrint automatically generates the Day Out of Days chart from your shooting schedule. As you arrange scenes on the stripboard, the platform tracks which cast members are required each day and calculates their full engagement timeline. The DOOD updates in real time as you rearrange the schedule, making it easy to spot and reduce unnecessary hold days before they become costly commitments.