1. The Breakdown
A Free Workshop
For Aspiring Indie Film Producers
3/3/2014
Creative Commons License

2. 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”

3. Screenplays
& Stripboards
Day INT
Sam’s Apartment

4. 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.
X
Morning INT
Sam’s Studio Apartment

5. Pages &
Fractions
Day 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

6. Props & Set
Dressing
subway,
dirty
tunnels
tiled 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.

7. 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.

8. Vehicles,
Animals, Stunts
& Extras
And the special crew
positions that make it
all possible.
Commuters.
Extra ADs for Crowd
Control
Train Driver, crew
Rat wrangler Stunt Sam
Subway Train Big RatSam hits head
on tile, slides
to floor.
Small group of big
wall-like men.

9. Special Equipment
Visual & Sound FX
Post-production is still
production.
Running Feet
Skin Changing
color
Dolly
Rig
Light shoots out of chest

10. 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
Cheat Sheet: Character
Numbers
Keep it simple. Guess.
Can always add more info later.

11. We are Back!
How’d it go?
Did everyone fill out the
2 top strips
identically?
Questions? Comments?

12. Scheduling a shoot day
Mornin
g
INT
Bookstore
X1
5
4/8
movies are shot out of story order
Day INT
Bookstore
X4 1
Dusk INT
Bookstore
X
1/8
Night INT
Bookstore
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

13. 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 Quote
per day x number of days.
Your Kickstarter number

14. Thank you!
We are
Antonio Bonilla
Lawrence Whiteside
cinemasetfree.com
There are filmmakers
sitting next to you. Say
hello to each of them.