Wrap

Wrap is the end of filming, either for a single shooting day or for an entire production. It ends the work in front of the camera, but not the working day: removing makeup, changing clothes, signing documents and packing up are still part of it.

Planned end time and actual end

Every shooting day has a planned end time, which is stated in the Call Sheet. It is the basis for your planning: the journey home, childcare and appointments the next morning. In practice, this time is often exceeded because set changes take longer, scenes are repeated or the day started later in the morning.

Overtime is not automatically misconduct by the production. But it becomes a problem if it becomes routine or happens without consultation. A professional team will announce early that it will take longer and ask whether that works for you. You are allowed to say no if you need the agreed end time.

Pay attention to yourself as well. Toward the end of a long day, concentration declines and you become more willing to agree to things just so it will finally be over. Scenes that touch your boundaries do not belong in this phase. If something new is proposed shortly before wrap, saying no is especially appropriate.

What overtime costs

The day rate covers a shooting day within the agreed scope. Anything beyond that is additional work. Whether and how it is paid is governed by the overtime policy in your contract. If nothing is stated there, there is little room for negotiation in the evening. That is why this question belongs before the shoot, not in the final hour.

Follow-up costs also count: if the overtime causes you to miss the last train and you need overnight accommodation, this is an expense the production should cover. This should also be agreed in advance. The article Travel costs, expenses and waiting time explains how additional costs are billed.

After the final take

Several steps lie between wrap and your journey home that you should not skip:

• Take a breath: Take a moment before changing clothes. Especially after intense scenes, a quiet break can help and also falls under aftercare.
• Documents: Check that everything that needs to be signed has been signed and that you receive copies.
• Billing: Clarify which expenses and additional hours belong on the invoice.
• Feedback: If something did not go well, raise it while the people responsible are still on site.

Wrap of the entire production

For multi-day projects, the final shooting day marks the transition to post-production. From this point on, the footage will be edited and your recordings will pass into other hands. A brief closing discussion, also called a debriefing, is a good opportunity to ask final questions about publication and agreements regarding anonymity.

Keep a record of the actual end time of every shooting day. This note is useful if the billing of additional hours becomes an issue later or if you want to assess whether a production reliably sticks to its schedules.