How To: Complete preproduction paperwork: Script breakdown

Mike from the SubStream's "Film Lab" has some tips on preproduction paperwork.

Learn how to complete preproduction paperwork. Specifically, break down the script. You know that you don't want to do it, but it's important, okay?

Do not skip the paperwork. You will once and you will never do it again. There's software like MovieMagic that helps you complete the project.

This is how to do it by hand. Number every scene. Then grab a box of markers to color code the screenplay. The color code is:

Cast = Red
Background = Green
Featured Background = Yellow
Stunts = Orange
Special Effects = Blue
Props = Purple
Vehicles/Animals = Pink
Sound Effects/Music = Brown
Wardrobe = Circled
Hair/Makeup = ***
Special Equipment = Boxed

Then scheduling gets complicated. Compare the relative lengths of the scenes. Page eighths are used to describe how many chunks of a page make up a scene.