Production Management calculator
Run of Show Timing Calculator
A run of show is a chain of durations anchored to one time: fix the start and every segment time follows, or fix a hard end and back-calculate when you must begin. Enter segments and durations below and this calculator produces the timed rundown both ways.
| Segment | Minutes | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | 09:15 | |||
| 09:15 | 09:25 | |||
| 09:25 | 10:10 | |||
| 10:10 | 10:30 | |||
| 10:30 | 10:40 |
Formulas
Forward solve
start(n) = anchor + Σ durations(1..n-1)- anchor:
- the show start time
Backward solve
start(1) = hard end - Σ all durations- hard end:
- the time the show must be over
How it works
Forward timing is how most rundowns get built: doors at 6:00, walk-in 15 minutes, welcome 10, and so on down the sheet. Every downstream time is the accumulation of everything above it, which is also why one overrun early moves the whole night.
Backward timing is the version producers actually need under pressure: the venue has an 11:00 curfew, the union call flips to overtime at 10:30, the CEO must be off stage for a flight. Fix the end, subtract the durations, and the required start falls out, along with the honest answer about what to cut when the required start has already passed.
Treat segment durations as commitments with owners. The keynote that "runs about 45" runs 55 without a countdown clock in front of the speaker, and the timing math is only as good as the discipline behind it.
Worked example: Awards night with an 22:00 hard out and 100 minutes of content
- 1.Total runtime: 15 + 10 + 45 + 20 + 10 = 100 minutes.
- 2.Backward from 22:00: the show must start by 20:20.
- 3.Doors and walk-in sit in front of the first segment, so doors land at 20:05 or earlier.
Start by 20:20 or cut content; the math does not negotiate with curfews.
Common segment durations for planning
| Segment | Typical planning duration |
|---|---|
| Walk-in / doors to start | 15-30 min |
| Welcome / host open | 5-10 min |
| Keynote | 30-60 min |
| Panel discussion | 30-45 min |
| Award category (intro, video, walk, speech) | 4-6 min each |
| Band changeover (festival) | 15-30 min |
Field notes
- Transitions are segments. Thirty seconds of "the band walks on" eight times is four minutes of show.
- Publish times to the minute but manage to the fifteen; audiences notice a late start, not a 9:03 keynote.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate what time my show needs to start?
Add up every segment duration and subtract the total from the hard end time. Include walk-in, transitions, and encore padding; the segments nobody writes down still take minutes.
How much buffer should a run of show include?
Common practice pads live speech segments by 10 to 20% and puts a named flex segment (band vamp, video package, extended walk music) near the end that can absorb or release a few minutes.
What is the difference between a run of show and a rundown?
Largely dialect: corporate says run of show, broadcast says rundown, theatre calls from a calling script. All are the same idea, a timed sequence of segments with owners and cues.