3

Preparing for Production

 Script Breakdown

The very first step the production manager (PM) must take to evaluate a project’s overall size and scope is completing a thorough breakdown of the finished screenplay. With an initial “first-glance” reading of a screenplay, an experienced producer or PM can get a good estimate of the size of a production—that is, how long the shooting period, how many necessary cast members, how much required travel, how expensive the props and sets, and much more. However, a reliable budget estimate can be calculated only after the screenplay has been broken down professionally.

In the screenplay breakdown process, ...

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