This will allow your producer and 1st AD to plan accordingly for the shoot. Although it may look like a scene is a page and a half, you may realize the scene is simply a “page and two-eighths” after drawing your lines. While the lines themselves may seem odd, they help enormously on the production end when determining how long a scene is. These are literally lines that you can either draw on the page or those that can be done by a script breakdown software (check out the script breakdown template for reference). Next, you’ll want to determine the length of each scene in your script by dividing each page by “eighths”. Better to invest in a reliable software that will deliver results sooner.
It is possible to do this by hand with different script breakdown colors using highlighters, but that is a very time-consuming route. Supposing you have good script breakdown software (Movie Magic or Celtx are popular), upload your script file into the software to begin working. Understanding is the basis for clarity, and this will help you get even more organized once you begin the breakdown process. The first step, as obvious as it may seem, would be to read the script many times over so that you have a key grasp on what is needed for production. You’re going to have to comb through the script and pull-out concrete directions for the different departments (i.e., actors, makeup, wardrobe, sound, etc.).
#Celtx script breakdown for free#
To make things easier for you, we’ve prepared a script breakdown template, which you can download for free to use in your next productions.īy script breakdown, we mean that you’re not just taking the script apart by the scenes but also by the different elements necessary to make each scene come together.
#Celtx script breakdown how to#
How do you translate the story into directions for each department head to know how to service the story? The way to do this is to initiate your script breakdown process in an organized and reliable manner. This means, though, that you have to look at your script through a producer’s lens. You’re that much closer to turning what’s on the page into reality. Congratulations! Whether you’re writing a short film or making your first feature, this means that only a few steps lie between your most recent draft and on-set production. If you’re reading this page, that means your script is finished and greenlit for production.