Support

This will take you to the next page which is the breakdown page.

BEFORE YOU UPLOAD ANYTHING ON THE BREAKDOWN PAGE, PLEASE REVIEW AND MAKE SURE THAT YOUR SCRIPT IS FORMATTED THIS WAY:

1. Must be a Final Draft File (.FDX) to be read by the software.
2. With the Script open format into industry standard format (most will be already somewhat in the format, this is to make sure that it flows into the schedule/budget, etc in the next steps)
   Margin and font checks
   • Check the font: Standard is Courier, 12-point, single-spaced
   • Top and bottom margin are 1 inch
   • Left margin is 1.5 inches
   • Right margin is 1 inch
   • Roughly 55 lines per page
   • Page numbers
   • Each page is broken into ⅛ of a page 1 /8 per 1 inch of the page

   Scene Headings

   • Capitalized and bolded
   • Gives Locations, Time of Day, and Setting
   • Scene Numbers
   • Sub Header- Optional

   Helpful Hint: Scene Titles are consistent, if they are the same location, make sure they consistently are labeled that way

   Helpful Hint: Time of Day can be specific to anytime as long as it is consistent throughout the script.

   Action

   • Capitalize, underline, or italicize certain words or phrases within action lines for added emphasis. Major props are often mentioned in all caps or an emotion might be emphasized with an underline.
   • Background actors are Bolded and Capitalized as a part of the action

   Character
   All characters should be introduced before their first line of dialogue. Each time a new character is introduced, their names should be written in all caps.
   Any minor or ancillary characters should be introduced in caps as well, even if they don’t have any lines: HENCHMEN, BARTENDER, ANGRY TEACHER.
   Background characters who do not speak are not included in the characters, but instead, the action.

   Helpful Hint: The character names need to be consistent throughout, even if they will not be revealed until later, as someone, the name must be consistent from the introduction of the character through to the end.

   Dialogue

   • Dialogue is centered on the page, one inch from the left margin. The name of the character who is speaking should always appear in all caps above the line of dialogue.
   • You can add a qualifier next to the character’s name if the dialogue is meant to be heard in voiceover (V.O.), or when a character is present, but they are not seen on screen (O.S. for off screen, or O.C. for off camera).

   Helpful Hint: When checking formatting make sure that there is consistency throughout with each Scene Headings, Actions, Characters

   Helpful Hint: Be specific on Interior, Exterior, Interior/Exterior if tracking, and whether it will be a shot in or around a vehicle of some sort.

3. Open the script in the software scheduling breakdown side.
4. Once the script is formatted properly program the software to “run” a breakdown that will identify these items and fill in a breakdown sheet that shows this information
   • Page number/s
   • Number of 8th’s for the scene
   • Scene Number
   • Scene Heading
   • Setting
   • Action description
   • Location
   • Characters in scenes
   • Time of Day

Once the script is formatted properly it can be uploaded to this page:

You will then select whether this is a spec script or a shooting script, if this is a first version breakdown, the scene version will be white, and add the .fdx file to the software. Press the run script breakdown button, and select the production phase, then select scene number to add information to:

Once you select a scene, the software will fill in information such as the scene length, time of day, location, scene title, scene header location, and scene length, as well as numbering the characters including their names.

All other information will be added to the breakdown element by element and line by line in the script per scene. These repeat each scene until the entire script has been broken down.

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING STUNTS AND WEAPONS:

HELPFUL HINT*** Anytime a weapon is on set whether it is used or not, it must be logged in and out by the weapons master who is trained specifically in the handling of this kind of prop, and never leave the sight of the person who it is assigned to, any actor or stunt double that is handling the weapon. Prop weapons include but are not limited to: guns (non-firing, rubber and toy), knives, swords, daggers, spears, bows and arrows, cross bows, slingshots, nooses, hand cuffs, shackles, restraints, and any other implements fashioned or used in a threatening manner, whether capable of inflicting actual bodily harm or not.A prop weapon, such as a gun or sword, looks functional but lacks the intentional harmfulness of the corresponding real weapon. In the theater, prop weapons are almost always either non-operable replicas or have safety features to ensure they are not dangerous. Guns fire caps or noisy blanks, swords are dulled, and knives are often made of plastic or rubber. In film production, fully functional weapons are mostly used, but typically only with special smoke blanks with blank adapted guns instead of real bullets. Real cartridges with bullets removed are still dangerously charged which has caused several tragic instances when used on stage or film. The safety and proper handling of real weapons used as movie props is the premiere responsibility of the prop master. ATF and other law enforcement agencies may monitor the use of real guns for film and television, but this is generally not necessary with stage props as these guns are permanently “plugged”.

***Anytime an element is tagged as a weapon it will have a reminder in each step of the breakdown, schedule, and call sheet that there are added pieces (people, safety protocols, time, reminders sent, needing followup)
ADDITIONAL PEOPLE FOR WEAPONS: WEAPONSMASTER AND CERTIFIED HANDLERS,and LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, ONLY PEOPLE ASSIGNED TO WEAPONS ARE ALLOWED TO BE IN CONTACT WITH WEAPONS***

***Anytime an element is tagged as a stunt it will have a reminder in each step of the breakdown, schedule, and call sheet that there are added pieces (people, safety protocols, time, reminders sent, needing followup)

ADDITIONAL PEOPLE FOR STUNTS: STUNT COORDINATOR, STUNT GRIPS, STUNT ACTORS, SAFETY TEAM, STANDBY MEDICS ***

Animals are also special circumstances that require aditional timing, personnel, safety, etc.

Once a scene has been fully broken down, continue to breakdown the script until you have completed all scenes, then press save and continue.

If a scene is changed, after the initial breakdown is done, then the scene version needs to be changed to the color following the white version:

This will mean that you may need to re- breakdown those specific scenes in the breakdown, but press save and continue to reach the next stage of the breakdown which is the schedule/ stripboard page:

The stripboard page will automatically fill in information from the breakdown page, while also allowing you to add dates for preferred dates of shooting, any black out dates that are known, and if there are additional days that should be added for heavy stunt/action days to the automatic days that are given for the stripboard.

Once these items have been filled in, click on the generate stripboard page, as it will take you to this page:

The stripboard is clickable and moveable to create the schedule for shooting the project with the ability to state whether the scene was shot on the scheduled day or not, if the scenes were not shot on the scheduled day, then they will stay on the schedule to be added at another time.

Once the schedule has been determined in the stripboard, a call sheet will be created, and can be adjusted based upon the needs of production. These call sheets give all information for a specific day and can be either made for overall production or specific to each department.

The call sheets are fillable, though it will pull scene information from the stripboards for the day assigned.

The production team may also select which departments will receive specific call sheets with pertinent information for their departments without giving personal identifying information. This will also send push notifications to the app itself, where the crew and cast will receive their call sheet for the day.

Budgets are set up based upon the phase of the project, allowing the team to have a more accurate estimate of the needs at which phase of the project. The budget also does side by side comparisons of the proposed budget, as well as the actual spend, in which the receipts from departments will reconcile to give an accurate spend account. The budget also allows for the producer to select whether the items were in kind or cash based.

The budget is expandable as well to allow the producer to add each of their line items:

The line items can also be filed under the type of rate allowing for the totals to be accurately recorded based upon the agreement between the cast/crew/vendor.

Budgets are adjustable as needs change based upon the production needs.

***Globals are included in the programming, not as a separate need.***
***Fringes are also included in the specific line items for union members in cast and crew that are needed.***

The dashboard contains information for all other items needed to be collected for the business side of production, it includes:

Each edit button allows you to skip to the folder/page.

Storyboard- upload storyboards to the software

Contracts- upload all contracts to users profiles that link to project and budget

Documents- upload any needed documents

Photos- upload photos for all departments that are needed and link to the specific folder and department it is associated with.

Calendar links with tasks that can be assigned to specific users or added for important dates:

The calendar icon with the + allows for events to be added to the overall calendar and will send to those users that are needed for the calendar event:

Task Manager allows for users to be assigned on the calendar with specific tasks for the project:

The add task looks like this:

The tasks can be simple or complex and add whatever is necessary.

The departments folder is a shortcut to add users to specific departments, allowing them to receive the project number and qr code to login and add their information to the project from the app.

Vendors are a shortcut folder to add information for all vendors for the project:

To add a vendor click on the add new vendor button and fill in all pertinent information including if an invoice has been received:

Invoices will be stored in the documents folder under the vendor department.

The collection of reports and templates are both fillable and downloadable.

The reports are pulled from the software for the production binder and analysis.

There are also templates for reports that can be downloaded and then re-uploaded to the documents folder under the specified departments.

The reports and templates can be found here:

( add the website link when they are available)