CHAPTER 2

SCRIPT BREAKDOWN

First, have a definite,

clear practical idea—a
goal, an objective. Second,
have the necessary means
to achieve your ends—
wisdom, money, materials,
and methods. Third, adjust
all your means to the end.
—Aristotle

A SCRIPT BREAKDOWN IS LIKE a road map for your project. We all know
the importance of preparation, so what would you think if you heard
this story? A friend decides that she wants to go see her favorite
band play in a city that is somewhere half way across the country.
She knows the name of the town and the date the band is playing.
She decides to just hop in her car without directions, no knowledge
of what’s the best route to take, and no sense of how much it will all
cost. She doesn’t know if she’ll need to stay at a hotel along the way
and hasn’t brought any additional supplies, change of clothes, or
even tickets to the sold-out concert. What would you say to this
friend?
Well, that’s what it’s like to try to budget and schedule a film
without doing a script breakdown first. You’ve got a great 100-page
script—how do you turn that into a 25-day shooting schedule and a
detailed, estimated budget? The first step is the script breakdown,
the tool the producer and assistant director use to analyze a script
into its specific elements and then turn them into a plan and budget
for the production. Once completed, you’ll have a way to wrap your
arms around the production details and work out the first draft of the
schedule and budget with ease and certainty.

Nuts and Bolts

Creating a script breakdown is a process that allows you to list all the
characters, locations, props, special effects (SFX), costumes, etc.,
required by the project’s script. During early prep, in order to create a
budget, the producer often makes the script breakdown because the
assistant director (AD) hasn’t been hired yet.
The script breakdown is always the first step after the script is
written, so you can figure out how ambitious and challenging your
project will be and how best to produce it. Later in this book we will
go more in-depth for the full, detailed breakdown of the final version
of the shooting script in Chapter 11, Scheduling. Here we will be
using a single sheet to list the major production elements of the
script. You can access the script breakdown template on the website
www.ProducerToProducer.com or use any other form that works for
you.
Script breakdowns are used for fiction projects or nonfiction
projects with narrative elements like re-creations. For documentaries
where I produced re-creations like Man on Wire (2008) or 1971
(2014), I created a script breakdown before budgeting or scheduling
the historical re-creation shoots.
Once you have created a script breakdown, you will use it to
create a tentative production schedule laying out how many days or
weeks you’ll need for the pre-production, production, and post-
production phases of your film. The tentative schedule will then allow
you to create an estimated budget. (As you get closer to the shoot
dates, you’ll need to lock a detailed schedule and budget—see the
Scheduling and Budgeting chapters for further details.)
Finally, the script breakdown is an effective way of focusing the
attention of the director and/or writer to the more ambitious,
expensive, and otherwise potentially problematic elements of the
script at a relatively early stage in the process. The breakdown
allows them to understand the schedule and budget ramifications of
the script in a way they can’t without one.
For instance, on Torte Bluma, a short film I coproduced, the other
producers thought the 18-page script could be shot in six days. It’s a
period piece that takes place in Treblinka, the extermination camp
built by Nazi Germany in WW II, and we planned to shoot it all in
Brooklyn, NY. Because of all the production design, props, animals,
location moves, and costumed extras, the director believed that the
film would require seven days to shoot it all. Only after I did the script
breakdown did it become clear that the director was right—we had to
plan for a seven-day shooting schedule.

Breakdown Details
Creating a breakdown is data-entry intensive and requires a lot of
concentration. You may need to do it over the course of several
days, depending on the length of the screenplay, so pace yourself.
Some scheduling software programs allow you to import the script
into the template which can save you time. I personally like to
manually input it because I get to know the project in a more detailed
way.
Before we go over the breakdown sheet, let’s define all the
elements that are included in it.
Script Title—Working title for your screenplay.
Scene #—List the scene number from the scene heading.
Tracking by scene number allows you to keep track of which
elements play in which scenes.
Page Count—List each scene in chronological order. Numbering
the page count allows you to build a tentative schedule later on.
Int/Ext and Day/Night—Information taken from the scene
heading. It will facilitate scheduling later on.
Location—Information taken from the scene heading. It will
facilitate scheduling later on.
Action—A concise description of the character action. It will
facilitate scheduling later on.
Cast—List each actor with a speaking role in the scene.
Extras/Background Actors—Extras or background actors are
the people who are in the background of a scene and do not have
any script lines or specific action that requires direction from the
project’s director. List all non-speaking roles with approximate
number of each type.
Props, Costumes, Animals, Picture Vehicles, Stunts, Weapons,
EFX, Hair/Makeup—Include any of the production elements
discussed below:
Props—List all of the production design/art direction elements for
the set. Include set dressing, props, signs, wall decorations, etc.
Animals—List any animals required in a scene.
Picture Vehicles—List picture vehicles which are the vehicles
that will be seen and used by actors on camera.
Stunts—List stunts including fight choreography, car chases and
crashes, and actor falls. You need to hire a stunt coordinator, as well.
Weapons—List any prop weapons.
Costumes—List any special costumes.
Hair/Makeup—List any special hair/makeup considerations.
To best illustrate how to create a script breakdown and other pre-
production steps later in the book, I am using a short film titled
Sundae as a case study. Written and directed by Sonya Goddy,
produced by Kristin Frost and coproduced by Birgit Gernboeck, the
film’s log line reads: “An irritated mother bribes her young son with
ice cream in exchange for vital information.”
The Sundae script is only five pages long and it demonstrates
beautifully how you can pack a lot into a few minutes if you know
what you are doing. As a case study, we’ll analyze it to understand
the many important pre-production steps outlined in the next few
chapters and will use it to create the breakdown, tentative schedule,
estimated budget and other pre-production documents.
Please read the screenplay below and then look at the script
breakdown sheets that follow. As you will see, the production
elements are highlighted in capital letters (CAPS) in the script so
they can be added easily to the script breakdown sheet in the next
section.
Here is the Sundae script:
Filling In the Script Breakdown Sheet
As mentioned earlier, before making the script breakdown, you’ll
need to add consecutive numbers to the scene headings to create
the shooting script. Then you’ll do a page count for each scene.
Page counts are recorded in 1/8th-page increments. A quarter of a
page is 2/8ths and a half page is 4/8ths, and so on. Remember to
keep the numbering in eighths: Don’t turn 4/8ths into ½ or 2/8ths into
¼. When the count gets to 8/8ths of a page, you’ll count it as one
page. For instance, if you counted 11/8ths of a page, it will be noted
as 1-3/8ths.
Below is the Sundae breakdown. It has 13 scenes and they are
each listed in the breakdown sheet. By looking at each one of these
factors you can determine your production requirements and
discover the more challenging and expensive elements of your film.
With this information you can discuss the elements with the director
and/or writer during the development and pre-production stages.
Before looking at this breakdown we’ll discuss the specifics for each
element of Sundae.
Scene #s—Sundae has 13 scenes.
Page Count—The rule of thumb for an independent low-budget
production is to shoot three to five pages a day. Sundae is planned
as a two-day shoot.
Int/Ext and Day/Night—Sundae has 4-2/8 pages of
interior/exterior day scenes, and 7/8 pages of interior day scenes.
Location—Sundae has four locations—Neighborhood Streets,
Yellow House, Ice Cream Parlor, and Street Corner.
Cast—Sundae has two principal actors. Mary and Tim are in
every scene. There are four non-speaking featured roles—Woman,
Teenage Employee, Blond Woman, and Man. Note that Tim is a
minor actor (under 18 years old).
Extras/Background Actors—Sundae needed one extra to play a
town car driver and eight others to fill out the scenes in the
Neighborhood Streets and Street Corner.
Props—Sundae was written with very few props required. The
Prop Cement Block and the Ice Cream Sundae are the biggest
requirements.
 Vehicles—Sundae needed two picture vehicles: a Suburban Car
and a Town Car. Both could be rented from a local car rental
company for one day each.
Stunts—The cement block crashing through the window and the
women fighting will require a stunt coordinator.
Animals—There were no animals in Sundae.
EFX—There are no post effects in Sundae.
Costumes—There are no special/particular costumes except for
the bathrobe and slippers and the possible need to “double” Tim’s
shirt when he is eating the sundae—one clean and one covered in
ice cream and hot fudge.

Here is the Sundae script breakdown:

Schedule Analysis of Sundae
Before putting the script scenes into a shooting order, analyze all the
factors that will affect scheduling decisions. We’ll discuss the
principles first and then use them to analyze Sundae specifically.

PAGES PER DAY

Most low-budget independent projects can shoot no more than three
to five pages per day (for a 12-hour shoot day.) The Sundae script is
five pages long, so the filmmakers planned for a two-day shooting
schedule (one of the great things about really short scripts). Day 1
would be the Neighborhood Streets and Yellow House locations and
Day 2 would be the Ice Cream Parlor and Street Corner locations.

LOCATIONS
For the shooting schedule, you’ll want to group all the scenes
together that are shot in one location. Ideally you don’t want to do a
company move during each shoot day. A company move requires
everyone to pack up the equipment into vans and trucks, drive to the
next location, unload, and set up the equipment again. It usually kills
at least two hours in a shooting schedule so it’s always optimal to
avoid them if possible when scheduling. Lastly, to keep the costs
down, it’s usually cheaper to film in locations versus building a set in
a studio.
As mentioned before, in Sundae there are four locations:
interior/exterior Neighborhood Streets driving shots, Yellow House
exteriors, Ice Cream Parlor interior/exteriors, and Street Corner
exterior. This script is unusual because two of the sets are
interior/exterior. For the driving scenes, the camera is positioned
inside the car most of the time but the outside is seen in each shot;
and for some of the Ice Cream Parlor scenes, the camera is inside
the location but the actors and picture vehicle are directed outside on
the corner. Note that neither shoot day had a company move.
The filmmakers scouted for the yellow house and the ice cream
parlor six weeks in advance. The director approached a local ice
cream shop in Brooklyn and a friend who had a house nearby. Both
owners said yes! For the exterior street corner across from the ice
cream parlor, the filmmakers were able to utilize the real street
across from the ice cream parlor so that kept continuity fairly simple.
In New York City, the Mayor’s Office for Film, Theatre &
Broadcasting is the local film commission and they require a $300
permit fee if it is necessary to take over a public space or sidewalk
with personnel and equipment or if you need parking permits for
production vehicles. For the exterior shots, the filmmakers used
available light and didn’t need extra lighting or grip equipment. When
they were shooting the wide shots, PAs asked the public to wait on
the sidewalk until the director yelled “Cut.” They used parking
permits for their vehicles in this neighborhood and for the Yellow
House neighborhood. It allowed them to secure public parking
spaces overnight.

DAY VS. NIGHT SHOOTING

Generally it is much easier to shoot during the day than at night. For
night shoots, cast/crew are a little more tired and often more lighting
is required. Additionally, I’m always concerned about safety and
when cast/crew get tired, it can sometimes lead to accidents.
For Sundae, all scenes take place during the day so it was
relatively easy to schedule. It was shot during the winter so the days
were short which impacted how much daylight the crew had to work
with on each shoot day.

WEATHER
Weather contingency refers to the production plan if the production
gets bad weather that would negatively impact the schedule. Usually
the production team would procure a cover set (a different location
that can be shot at on short notice) if there is bad weather, like rain
or snow. Exterior shoot days are always scheduled at the beginning
of the shooting schedule in case you have to switch to a cover set.
The cover set allows you to shoot interiors on the bad weather day
and then go back to the original location on a different day later
when the weather is good.
For Sundae, filming in the winter with exteriors on both days,
weather was a big concern. Many discussions between the assistant
director (AD), producer, and director revolved around what to do if it
rained or snowed on one or both of the days. If there was snow
between the two weekend shoot days, there could be continuity
problems—what to do? What if it started raining in the middle of Day
1 filming in the car? What was the weather contingency plan?
The producers of Sundae decided to film rain or shine. They
calculated that each major location—Yellow House/Neighborhood on
Day 1 and Ice Cream Parlor/Street Corner on Day 2—was a
discrete, self-contained “place” in the viewer’s eye, and if the
weather was different, the narrative could handle the slight
inconsistencies that would occur on screen. Having said that, they
much preferred to have no precipitation for either day and watched
the weather forecasts closely in the days leading up to the shoot.
The filmmakers did have a catastrophic weather contingency; if they
had a snow blizzard the cast/crew would plan to shoot the following
weekend.

CAST AVAILABILITY
Sometimes certain cast members have availability issues that need
to be factored into scheduling. Maybe one actor stars in a play on
Broadway and has to be wrapped every day by 5 p.m. or another
actor has to go to her brother’s wedding one Saturday during the
principal photography period. If so, these caveats have to be worked
around during the scheduling process.
For Sundae, all cast members were available for all shooting
days so they didn’t have to adjust the schedule at all. But for the
minor actor they needed to follow the New York state child performer
rules. The actor playing Tim was 7 years old and the law restricts his
work time to eight hours on set and only four hours of that time can
he work. This would affect certain scheduling decisions because the
character Tim is in 60% of the scenes.

Summary
Based on an analysis of all of these factors, there is a good
understanding of what it will take to make this project—two shooting
days, four sets, three locations, two picture vehicles, two principal
actors (one is a minor), four non-speaking featured actors, nine
extras, a fight, a stunt, and no weather contingency. This is a doable
film for a low-budget but there are a few issues that could be
problematic so a smart and detailed production plan and schedule
will be important.

Using the Breakdown to Adjust Your Script

Now that you or the Assistant Director have completed the script
breakdown, it is time to have a conversation with the director to
obtain more specific details so you can plan and budget. The
breakdown has enabled you to target the more challenging
(logistically and financially) elements of the script. By discussing
these issues early with the director and writer, some of those
elements can be re-written to make the film more doable with the
resources/finances available. This is a critical step. If you don’t
engage with possible script changes now, you may put the project’s
overall success at risk.
Depending on the specifics for each prop, set dressing, or picture
vehicle written in the script, the budget can vary widely. Ask the
questions now so you can budget accordingly. For instance, if the
script says “car,” does it mean a cheap, beat-up car that would be
inexpensive and easy to acquire from a junk yard? If so, does it have
to run or can it just be towed to the location and sit there?
If the script calls for a “period” vehicle—what period in history?
Does it have to be an authentic period car in perfect condition or is
there flexibility on how historically accurate it needs to be? Does it
have to be a particular color?
Location costs can vary widely too. Perhaps the script requires
three days of shooting in an airport lounge—a location that is
potentially very expensive and difficult to acquire for multiple days.
Depending on the story, there may be a different location that would
work for those scenes—perhaps an abandoned warehouse, a much
cheaper and easier location to procure.
I was an advisor on a low-budget production where the script
called for an actor to fall off a motorcycle in the middle of a busy New
York City street. The character, who is drunk, grabs the bike, drives
down the block, hears a police car siren and crashes the motorcycle,
after which his mother runs up and yells at him.
This would require a lot of resources: a stunt double for the actor,
a motorcycle to be ridden by the actor, another motorcycle that has
been “propped” to show the damage after the accident, a costume
for the actor and another for the stunt person, another set of
costumes that show damage to the clothes post-accident, permits to
close down the street, police officers for security, and extra crew on
walkie-talkies to “lock up” and control the location during filming.
Once we mapped out all the requirements for the scene, it
became clear that the production could not afford it. As a result, the
director and the writer rewrote the scene. In the final version, the
character grabs the motorcycle and tries to start it up but it won’t
start. So he jumps off the bike, runs down the street, and nearly gets
hit by a cab before his mother (who was chasing him) pushes him
out of the way and he falls to the ground. As you can see, this is a
much cheaper way to stage the scene that nevertheless preserves
the dramatic action. Once you have a good script breakdown you
can use the information to really tighten your script, production plan,
and budget.

RECAP
1. A script breakdown is a list of all the production
elements in a film’s script on a scene-by-scene basis.
2. Download a script breakdown template from
www.ProducerToProducer.com or create your own
template.
3. Outline all the elements for each scene on the
breakdown sheet.
4. Analyze the script breakdown and discuss the important
elements with the director for specifics necessary to
begin budgeting the film’s costs. Refer to the list in this
chapter.
5. If an element in a scene is proving to be too expensive
or difficult, discuss alternatives with the director and/or
writer to find out if more affordable options can be
included in the next revision of the script.
6. For scheduling purposes, generally a low-budget
project can shoot three to five pages on a 12-hour day
schedule.