The BreakdownA Free Workshop

For Aspiring Indie Film Producers

3/3/2014Creative Commons License

Everyone grab a packet!Speak up if you get skipped.

We’ll briefly go over the anatomy of a script page.

We’ll fill out the top strips of the Breakdown sheet as a group.

We will use your work to make a Stripboard (the Shooting Schedule)

Finally. We’ll look at how that translates to a Budget that estimates a Kickstartable number.

Then, it’s your turn to breakdown your scenes.

We’ll breakdown the first scene and discuss the elements that make up a film.

Overview

We’re going to Line Produce the 1st Act of the Indie Feature Film “The Weight of Dreams”

Screenplays & Stripboards

7Day INT

Sam’s Apartment

Characters / Actors are represented by a number

Character Heading

Sam is

Player #1

We’ve already numbered the characters. Player numbers in a minute.

Ordered from the most screen time to the least.

X7Mornin

gINT

Sam’s Studio Apartment

Pages & Fractions

7Day INT

Sam’s Apartment

4/8

4/8

Feature length screenplays are 100-140 pages

An indie crew can shoot 3-4 pages a day.

Scenes are shot out of order. So the game is to piece locations together in 3-4 page chunks

Props & Set Dressing

subway, dirty tunnelstiled walls.

beaten up backpack?

The difference between Props, Set Dressing and Wardrobe is how it’s used and who’s in charge of it.

beaten up backpack?

or is it wardrobe?

In other words. It doesn’t matter right now. Just account for everything. Everything is changeable.

Wardrobe & Makeup/Hair

beaten up backpack

grey/blue/brown business attire for every extra

sam, day #1, morning, (going to work)

sam, day #1, morning,

wardrobe/make-up not explicitly in the screenplay can be shorthanded. Day Number is a simple way to keep track.

Vehicles, Animals, Stunts & ExtrasAnd the special crew positions that make it all possible.

Commuters.

Extra ADs for Crowd ControlTrain Driver, crew

Rat wrangler

Stunt Sam

Subway Train

Big RatSam hits head on tile, slides to floor.

Small group of big wall-like men.

Special EquipmentVisual & Sound FXPost-production is still production.

Running Feet

Skin Changing color

Dolly Rig

Light shoots out of chest

Now it’s up to you. Break down your scene.

Take the next 15 minutes.

Complete your scene breakdown sheet.

Alone or with a partner. Help each other.

and get another drink!

Approach Antonio and/or Lawrence with any questions.

1. Sam

2. Travis

3. Poe

4. Sofia

5. Pierce

6. Julian/Death Defier

7. Purple Warrior

8. Orange Warrior

9. Yellow Warrior

10. Green Warrior

11. Blue Warrior

12. White Warrior

13. Red Warrior

Cheat Sheet: Character Numbers

Keep it simple. Guess. Can always add more info later.

We are Back!How’d it go?

Did everyone fill out the 2 top strips identically?

Questions? Comments?

Scheduling a shoot day

Morning

INTBookstore

X15

4/8

movies are shot out of story order

Day INTBookstore

X4 1Dusk INT

Bookstore

X1/8

Night INTBookstore

X

22

4/8

9 12/8

group by location, then time of day, then playerHours

9:00am

11:00am

6:00pm

7:00pm

31/8

Lastly, the Budget

Allow is a best guess. So guess!

Days come from the Stripboard.It’s a multiplier for Allow

Quote comes from making calls.It’s a more professional guess.

Estimated Total is the Quoteper day x number of days.

Your Kickstarter number

Thank you!

We are

Antonio Bonilla

Lawrence Whiteside

cinemasetfree.com

There are filmmakers sitting next to you. Say hello to each of them.