Time equals change, and unless your entire script takes place over a single day or in some alternate universe where time doesn’t exist, you’re going to have multiple days, months, or even years to account for. Storylines are not always written in chronological order, and rarely are they shot in order. So how are you… Continue reading What are Story Days and How They Work in a Script Breakdown
Diversity in the entertainment industry is very important. You can test the level of diversity in your own content, and we’re going to show you how. Continue reading The Bechdel Test Using a Script Breakdown | Diversity in Film
Cast. Props. Animal Trainers. Child Actor Trainers. They’re all production elements that make up a scene breakdown sheet, which is an organizational document with categorized lists that you need for each scene of your film.Continue reading The Complete Guide to Mastering Script Breakdown Elements
Jordan Peele’s Get Out is already one of the most iconic films of the 21st century. Its simple elegance is a perfect example of how much can be conveyed with so little. In this post, we’ll take a look at The Sunken Place sequence and learn how to maximize storytelling with a minimal budget. A lot… Continue reading The Sunken Place: How to Break Down a VFX Scene
Alright — you’ve got it. The screenplay idea that will change the world, break box office records, and win you every single Oscar. Only… you don’t quite understand how to format a screenplay. Do you even really need screenplay format?Continue reading Formatting a Screenplay: How to Put Your Story Into Screenplay Format
Every production starts with the script breakdown. Whether you’re working on an effects-heavy mega-budget project like Age of Ultron or a micro-budget indie like Paranormal Activity, you won’t really know what bringing that story to life is going to require until you get into the script and take it apart element by element. So, let’s… Continue reading Breaking Down the Wedding Scene from Crazy Rich Asians
As the lovechild of the Costume Drama and the Fantasy Adventure, the Western might have more considerations that go into producing it than any other genre. When shooting a western, you’ve got costumes, animals, and stunt work to contend with. You’ve got locations and dirt and weather…And that’s just on an ordinary shoot day. In… Continue reading Breaking Down the Contemporary Western: Westworld
A script breakdown is one of the most important phases of pre-production. It’s usually the first time you start to develop a clear picture of the size, scope, and cost of a production. Breakdowns allow filmmakers to find the balance between telling the strongest story for the lowest budget. Easier said than done, but in today’s article… Continue reading A Tale of Two Script Breakdowns: Titanic vs. Brooklyn
Think you’d agree with me if I said production scheduling is a tedious process. Most production scheduling software like Movie Magic Scheduling is antiquated (and that’s putting it lightly). It’s confusing, expensive, and often time is not worth the trouble.Continue reading Production Scheduling Explained: How to Make a Scene Breakdown
Script breakdown sheets are the bane of a PA’s life. Nearly all screenwriting programs offer script breakdown software–allowing you to generate reports on characters, props, VFX, locations, you name it.Continue reading Breakdown Sheets: How to Mark a Script with Final Draft Tagger
So your script is done, and you are about to begin the script breakdown process. In order for the script to import correctly into scheduling software, you must review the script for formatting errors. In this article, we’ll review some of the most common culprits.Continue reading How to Format a Script Before Starting the Script… Continue reading How to Format a Script Before Starting the Script Breakdown
Music videos aren’t always easy to plan. It can be a challenge to translate the poetry in the music to screen. But music videos are like mini films, and they all start with a treatment.A producer’s or director’s experience in writing a treatment is invaluable. Treatments can plan and plot the visuals in detail needed… Continue reading How to Break Down A Music Video Treatment When Short on Details
In every script, there are elements that can go unseen. Sometimes even hiding in plain sight. If overlooked for too long, this misstep could affect your scheduling and budget. Hidden elements can make a huge impact on your bottom line and schedule. It is the producer’s job to find these elements before they become a surprise… Continue reading How to Properly Identify Cast When Breaking Down a Script