How to Breakdown Scripts for EP Scheduling

Breaking down a script with EP Scheduling is the process of scanning through the entire paper script and dividing it into scenes, which readies the script to be input, scene by scene, into EP Scheduling. At first there is a little work that has to be done manually on the script pages themselves, but the goal of fitting the scenes into EP Scheduling makes it worth the effort.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Fold the first page of the script into eighths.

2. Look for the visual breaks in the text on the first page.

3. Notice how the breaks lend themselves to being broken down into eighth-page segments. Once you have a feel for what a page looks like divided into eighths, you are ready to assign eighths of a page by sight rather than having to fold every page.

4. Begin on the first page of the script. Mark the scene or scenes that appear each eighth of a page. The first scene may be a simple one eighth of a page, the next scene may take up the rest of the page and all of the next page. In this example you note a "1/8" in the margin next to the first scene, and a "7/8" in the margin indicating the rest of the page. If the second page is a continuation of the second scene, note an "8/8" in the margin to indicate that the scene on that page takes up eight eighths of a page, or one whole page.

5. Repeat this process through the entire paper script, keeping in mind that the goal is to input the divided scenes into EP Scheduling for all further production management.

Tips & Warnings

• EP Scheduling is available from Entertainment Partners. A trial version is available for download. The trial is fully functional for twenty uses, after which you cannot print, save or export.
• EP Scheduling works in Windows XP, 2000 Professional and Vista. Mac users must have Mac OS X 10.4 or higher to run the program successfully.

Resources

• Preview and purchase EP Scheduling.