The opening segment of an extensive film seminar. The full session details the three essential steps to prepare for production - script breakdown, scheduling and budgeting. The author is an active member of the Directors Guild of America and has been teaching the basics of filmmaking throughout his career.

1. HOW TO MAKE A MOVIE
BREAKDOWN, SCHEDULING & BUDGETING
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How to Make a Movie © 2010
Norman C. Berns
ProStar Media

2. This course details three essential steps in starting the moviemaking process. The
breakdown, the schedule and the budget. Beginning film production without all three of
them is like skydiving without a parachute. Exhilarating perhaps, but with a conclusion that
is far from ideal.
Making a script into a finished film is not an easy task. In getting the film to the screen,
there are lots of steps we could talk about – how to improve the script, casting, directing,
acting, stunts, effects, lighting, shooting, editing ….
acting stunts effects lighting shooting editing
I’m going to assume that everyone knows art and craft. Good stuff. Vital. But that’s a
whole other series of courses, a whole bunch of other days. Instead, we’re going to talk
about translating your script for the screen.
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3. If you’re making a low budget film – that’s any project that has less money than you’d like – you
have to make concessions. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can do everything you can think of.
The script and budget have to match. So if you write with $5M in mind, but you only raise $4M,
you can not shoot your film the same way. You could shave production time, but then you can’t
shoot as well. You could work longer days, but eventually your cast and crew will fall over. The
only smart choices? You’ve got to raise more money or trim your script.
Odds are good that whatever script you’re writing, acting will be the most important part of your
film. Even Avatar was lambasted for having a weak story, poor characters, bad acting…. Great
fil E A t l b t df h i k t h t b d ti G t
effects won’t save your film if there is no story. Even on a documentary, you have to choose your
on‐camera talent very carefully. One boring professor can ruin an entire sequence.
Every new location means a company move. Wrap the set you’re on, load the trucks, get the actors
into the van, make sure everyone has directions to the next location, travel, arrive, unload the
trucks, stage your equipment, reset the set, get the actors into makeup and wardrobe…. You’ve
just blown hours. Hours you can t rehearse or shoot. Was it really worth making the move? Or
just blown hours Hours you can’t rehearse or shoot Was it really worth making the move? Or
could you combine two sets… On a low‐budget shoot, you can’t add days whenever you like. You
might be better off trimming locations, condensing scenes, dumping actors.
That’s right ‐ trim your cast. Unless you’re making “My Dinner with Andre” trim your cast. Give
your script to outside producers and they’ll be able to snip unnecessary dialogue or combine
characters. Why can’t you? Because you’re too close to it right now. That’s a luxury you can’t
afford if you want to make your movie.
afford if you want to make your movie
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4. Launching a production is a very big deal. There are many things we can talk about,
because film production is an extraordinarily complex business. Business. It requires
building an entire multimillion dollar company that makes a single product. And then goes
out of business. We could spend a week talking about that business. And a lifetime
detailing the art involved. Instead we’re going to focus on one aspect of the business end
of this business.
This session will deal with three essential steps. Breaking the script into all its individual
This session will deal with three essential steps Breaking the script into all its individual
elements so that we have enough information to create a schedule. And then using the
schedule so we can figure out how much money we’ll need to make our movie.
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5. Here’s how we used to start gathering our information. This is a standard breakdown sheet from
one program or another. They’re all pretty similar. It could have come from a pad of paper, too.
All of the programs are fine. Paper works, too, though it’s infinitely more difficult than using any of
the scheduling programs.
On some programs – imitating plain paper – different elements like cast, extras, stunts, props and
so on , have to fit into fixed‐size boxes. Better programs are more clever than that, growing or
shrinking the boxes as needed. That’s handy, but not essential.
We go through this huge effort because it’s impossible to know how much your film will cost or
who works when or what you need without a complete, total, absolute breakdown of every single
element. This “breakdown sheet” is most basic way of showing all the bits and pieces that go into a
scene. Of showing everything.
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6. Everything that’s mentioned in the script, of course. Plus everything that’s implied or
suggested or even remotely likely. You have to know what every character is wearing and
carrying. Where everything came from, where it was before they had it and where it’s
going when they’re done with it. Who made it, who brought it to the set and who takes it
away after the scene is shot.
Because it’s impossible to know how much your film will cost or who works when or what
you need in order to make your movie without a complete, total, absolute breakdown of
you need in order to make your movie without a complete total absolute breakdown of
every single element.
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7. What can you tell me about this scene in red? Anyone?
Where are we? Of course we’re in a “room,” but do we know where that room is located?
Somewhere, the script holds that information. It’s your job to find it so you can schedule
this room and a location scout can find it.
Who are the tall ones? Men? Women? Space aliens? Kids? Presumably there’s some
mention of them somewhere in the script. That info could have been earlier or it might
mention of them somewhere in the script That info could have been earlier or it might
come much later. Either way, it’s your job to identify them by name.
We do know that they empty their pockets. But what was in their pockets? Even if nothing
is ever mentioned, based on the script, it’s your job to FIGURE OUT what might be in those
pockets.
They empty them WHERE? We can guess that the contents don’t get dumped on the floor.
So where do they go? And what are they wearing? Those pockets have to be in
something. And then they finally sit. But on WHAT?
And while you’re thinking of all that, try to think of what else might be in the room.
Somewhere in the script, you’ll be told.
A lot of, lot of, lot of work. We do this – all of this – so we can….
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8. We do all this so we can understand the scope of a film well enough to make a schedule.
Why...? Because it’s impossible to make an accurate budget without a completely, totally,
absolutely accurate schedule.
A schedule tells you how long an actor works, how many days off between days on set
(remember, you’re paying for all of those), which days you need the crane, where the
helicopter is going, when you need your expensive explosives expert and when you can get
by with a bit of effects makeup. What kind of deal you can make for your Steadicam
by with a bit of effects makeup What kind of deal you can make for your Steadicam
operator (one week of work can bring a much better rate than five days spread across a 2
month shoot).
Think about it. It’s easy to say “we’re shooting for, oh, about eight weeks.” But which days
will you need your stunt coordinator? How many days for your construction crew? And
when will you rent the gown for the fancy‐dress ball scene? And on and on, line by line,
page by page.
So we made schedules so we can make budgets. And so we know who’s doing what, when,
where and with whom for how long….
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9. You’re up against a massive 120 page foe. You can’t conquer it all at once. So you have to
fight it, bit by bit. It takes a strong pencil and a strong will.
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10. Most times, we start with a script. Perhaps your script will arrive on disk, written in
some program that knows how to mark the various elements and export them –
automatically – to a breakdown program. But don’t count on it. Writers are good at
writing – they’re rarely known for their organizational skills.
We’ll work with paper. You’ll get many scripts that way. And there’s a very good
reason to do it by hand, no matter how your script arrives. It forces you to evaluate
every single word in the screenplay, one by one by one. And that will change
forever the way you see and understand the information in the script.
No matter how you proceed, “winging in” isn’t one of the options. You can’t weigh
the script to see how many days it’ll take. Scripts are measured in eighths of pages,
because that’s the way it’s always been done. And there’s a myth that each eighth of a
page will take some set amount of time. Maybe an hour or two on set, or as little as 15
ill k f i M b h li l 15
minutes if you’re on a low budget film.
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11. This myth belongs right along with stories of Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.
Here’s one to consider. It’s an old DGA joke. And indeed, the scene here is an eighth of a
page. And, yes, scenes like this exist in real scripts. (The joke is about the Guild trainee
who schedules this one‐eighth of a page for two hours in the morning.)
Page count scheduling is a myth, especially for feature films. The concept originated in the
early days of television, when writers were instructed to write one minute of screen time
early days of television when writers were instructed to write one minute of screen time
on each page. That was fairly easy in the confines of a studio. No such rule exists in films.
Perhaps an average script of 120 pages will average somewhere about 120 minutes. And
your budget may allow you (or force you, depending on your point of view) to shoot those
120 pages in 30 days or 60 days or 120.
That says nothing about each page of the script, let alone each eighth of each page.
Nonetheless, in time honored tradition, that’s still how we count script pages. It’s just no
way to make a schedule. That has to be done by counting shooting time and setup time.
The number of screen minutes you’ll get in any given time will depend on your budget.
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12. Okay, we’ve had our laugh. Now tell me how long do you thing YOU would schedule for
this scene for a $5M movie? How about $50,000 film?
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13. Your first task is to read that script. Then reread it at least once more. If you’re very lucky,
you can then sit down with the director and work on a Shooting Script that outlines all the
production requirements. Most of us aren’t that lucky. We have to guess what the writer
had in mind and what the director might want to do. No director? Call the writer and ask.
It may not have correlation to what the director will do, but at least it’s a start.
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14. These aren’t the only elements you want to find, of course. You start with the script and
beat the hell out of it until every detail rises to the surface.
This list of the “elements,” the bits & pieces are all the chunks that make up the
script.
Everything that’s stated, everything that’s implied, and everything that’s logical.
Basic Budgeting (c) 2007 Norman C. Berns 14

15. There are so many things you might note in a script. Things you have to know about in
order to make your budget. Here are a few. Every script will have a few others.
Basic Budgeting (c) 2007 Norman C. Berns 15

16. Let’s get back to the script. We’re going to use an old one of mine. It’s called “The Gift”
and it was never produced ‐ some minor problem about having no stars and a no‐name
writer with an unknown director. And a budget of $35M. For some reason, that put a
crimp in my plans. Fortunately, I didn’t have to ask anyone’s permission to include these
pages here.
With this script, with any script, we start out by looking for individual elements. That
includes the cast, set dressings. locations, props, wardrobe, stunts, effects, special
includes the cast set dressings locations props wardrobe stunts effects special
equipment…. Anything that might be special about the script you’re going to turn into a
movie. The list really depends on the script. Read first, then write down the key elements
on the cover page.
Then….
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17. These pages are an example of the
FILM SCHEDULING & BUDGETING seminar
from Norman C. Berns.
.
The full session - with extensive
support documents - can be ordered
on DVD or as a live seminar at
http://www.reelgrok.com/film-
scheduling-budgeting-production-
funding.
.
For further information, contact
norman@reelgrok.com

18. As you create the schedule and budget, you’ve got a whole crew counting on you. Every
single day of the production. Each person has to know exactly what’s happening and when
it’s expected.
Neither the budget nor the schedule are locked in stone. You have to remain flexible and
aware of cast and crew needs. Learn to listen and trust the information you get. It has to
be mutual if you expect the crew to trust you. They’re not your friends. You don’t even
have to like them all and odds are that they won t all like you. But they know things that
have to like them all and odds are that they won’t all like you But they know things that
you have to learn if you’re going to stay on schedule.
It’s your responsibility to get all this right.
You’ve been hired as the expert. It’s your job to review the script and come up with a
viable schedule so you can deliver a realistic budget. If the job can’t be done – if the script
and the schedule and the budget just don’t match – you have to be the bearer of the bad
tidings. It’s your job to present the problems. Maybe to offer solutions, too. The
messenger doesn’t always get shot, but it can happen. Be prepared.
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19. You always have a choice. Would you be willing to stay in place on a job you know can’t be
done? Or move on to a job you can do? It’s important that you’re honest with the
producer. It’s important that you’re honest with yourself. All that knowledge, responsibility
and power comes from a well‐made schedule.
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20. Norman C. Berns is an award-winning producer and DGA director. His documentary series, The
Writing Code, is currently airing on PBS. Beginning his career as a stage director, his production
work has included features documentaries, TV series and commercials.
features, documentaries commercials
A certified Movie Magic instructor, Norman was an early beta tester for Screenplay Systems
budgeting and scheduling programs and was part of the Set Management development team that
g g gp g p g p
created ProductionPro Budget. A columnist for the seminal online publication, WebZine Weekly,
Norman has written for The Directors Guild, Tripod and BTL News. His blogs and reviews can
be read online at www.reelgrok.com and www.pavaline.com
A consultant to the Roy W. Dean Film & Video Grants, Norman is on the Board of Advisors for
People With Disabilities Broadcasting Corporation and an advisor for Pavaline. He is moderator of
The Budgeting Group and owner of the online film community, Reelgrok.. He has taught film
production and software for Media Services, The Directors Guild, Filmmakers Bootcamp and
others.
A member of DGA SAG and Actors Equity Norman has been creating films and preparing
DGA, Equity,
budgets, schedules and business plans for the past 25 years.
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