Overview

A screenplay breakdown is the foundational step bridging creative development and physical production. For 1st Assistant Directors (1st ADs), location managers, line producers, and department heads, breaking down a script involves identifying and cataloging every tangible element — from featured props and specialized vehicles to stunt requirements, makeup effects, and costume changes — required to shoot each scene.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to:

1. Lock your screenplay for production breakdown.
2. Review and customize color-coded Breakdown Categories.
3. Tag production entities manually in the screenplay editor with batch matching.
4. Use Clapperbie's AI Assistant to automatically scan scenes and tag department elements.
5. Review and export department inventories using the Elements module.
6. Generate and export scene Breakdown Sheets to PDF.

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Step 1: Lock the Screenplay

In Clapperbie, breakdown tagging is enabled exclusively on scripts in Locked status. This prevents unintended text edits and pagination shifts from invalidating your department breakdowns during pre-production.

1. Open the Scripts section in the left sidebar.
2. Click the actions menu (...) next to your target script.
3. Select Status and choose Locked.

Note: If you need to make narrative revisions later, use the Versions panel to save color-coded revision passes (Blue, Pink, Yellow) while preserving breakdown tags.

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Step 2: Configure Breakdown Categories

Clapperbie provides 11 standard industry department categories, each assigned a distinctive color code for easy identification across the script and scheduling tools.

1. In the left sidebar, navigate to the Tools section.
2. Expand the Breakdown Categories accordion.
3. Review the default categories:
   • Cast (Deep Purple) — Speaking and non-speaking principal talent.
   • Location (Lime) — Filming locations and real-world addresses.
   • Extras (Green) — Background talent and atmosphere.
   • Props (Brown) — Objects characters interact with on camera.
   • Costumes (Deep Orange) — Wardrobe items, uniforms, and costume changes.
   • Makeup (Pink) — Blood, prosthetics, wounds, and special makeup.
   • Vehicles (Blue) — Action vehicles, hero cars, and picture transportation.
   • Stunts (Red) — Physical stunts, wirework, and precision driving.
   • SPFX (Cyan) — Practical physical effects (explosions, rain, smoke, squibs).
   • Livestock (Light Green) — Large animals (horses, cattle).
   • Wrangler (Amber) — Small animals and handlers (dogs, cats).

Adding or Customizing Categories

If your production has specific department requirements (such as Greenery, Sound FX / Playback, or VFX Markers):

1. Click the + (Create Category) button in the Breakdown Categories header.
2. Enter the Name, select a Color, and add an optional Description.
3. Click Create. The new category immediately becomes available in tagging dialogs and element reports.

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Step 3: Tag Production Elements Manually

When reviewing the script scene by scene, tag specific words or phrases directly in the editor to attach them to production categories.

1. Highlight the text representing the element (e.g., VINTAGE REVOLVER, BLOODY T-SHIRT, 1967 CHEVY IMPALA).
2. In the floating selection toolbar, click Add a Tag (tag icon) or press Alt + T.
3. In the Add a Tag dialog:
   • Category: Select the target department (e.g., Props or Vehicles).
   • Name: Enter the normalized element name. Existing elements in the selected category appear as auto-complete suggestions to avoid duplicate entries.
   • Quantity: Specify the required quantity for this occurrence (default is 1).
   • Apply to all matches: Check this box if the item appears across multiple scenes and you want Clapperbie to automatically tag all occurrences throughout the script.
4. Click OK.

The tagged text is highlighted in the script editor with a subtle background and colored underline matching the category's assigned color. Selecting any existing tag opens the Update the Tag dialog to adjust quantities, change categories, or remove the tag.

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Step 4: Automate Tagging with the AI Assistant

For feature-length scripts or tight turnaround schedules, you can use Clapperbie's built-in AI Assistant to perform automated screenplay breakdowns.

The AI Assistant follows industry breakdown conventions:

• It reads available department categories directly from your project settings.
• It scans scene action and dialogue to detect props, vehicles, wardrobe specifications, stunts, makeup, and special effects.
• It reuses existing normalized element names in uppercase (e.g., FLASHLIGHT rather than creating separate entries for flashlight, Flashlight, and Flashlights).
• It preserves existing manual tags while tagging new entities.

1. Open the left sidebar and click AI Assistant (sparkle icon).
2. Ensure your AI provider is active in the application footer.
3. In the chat prompt, specify the scenes or departments you want to break down:

   textCopy
   Break down scenes 1 through 8 for all production departments.
   Identify all props, vehicles, costumes, stunts, and special effects, and apply breakdown tags to the script.
   

4. The AI processes the scenes and applies tags directly to the screenplay text in the editor.
5. Review the script editor to verify the newly placed color markers across the target scenes.

Tip: You can also ask the AI to perform department-specific passes, such as: "Scan the script and tag all vehicles and precision driving stunts for the Stunt & Transportation departments."

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Step 5: Manage Inventories in the Elements Module

Every tagged entity is aggregated into the Elements module, providing a centralized asset inventory across your entire project.

Viewing the Elements Sidebar

1. Open the Elements section in the left sidebar.
2. Browse the list of detected elements. Each entry displays its department color indicator.
3. Use the filter action to narrow the list by specific Scripts or Categories.
4. Click an element to open its Element Details editor to add notes or assign custom properties.

Department Table View and Exports

To view and export elements by department:

1. In the Elements sidebar, click on any category header (or click its table action).
2. The full Elements Table editor opens as a central workspace tab (e.g., Elements - Props):
   • Columns: Toggle column visibility to show element names, scene appearances, quantities, notes, and availability dates.
   • Filters: Filter elements by specific script drafts or availability status.
   • Export: Click Export to PDF or Export to Excel in the toolbar to generate formatted department sheets for prop masters, wardrobe supervisors, and line producers.

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Step 6: Generate and Export Scene Breakdown Sheets

The 1st AD and production office use scene breakdown sheets during scheduling and call sheet preparation to review department requirements scene by scene.

1. In the script editor, click the floating action button in the bottom right and select Scenes.
2. Locate the scene you want to inspect.
3. Click the actions menu (...) on the scene card and select Breakdown.
4. The Breakdown dialog opens, displaying:
   • Header Information: Scene number, slugline (INT/EXT, setting, time of day), script page number, estimated page eighths, and location details.
   • Department Boxes: Tagged elements organized into dedicated boxes for Cast, Extras, Props, Costumes, Makeup, Vehicles, Stunts, SPFX, and custom categories.
5. Click Export to PDF to download a standardized breakdown sheet, or click Print to send it directly to your printer.

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Summary of Results

After completing your screenplay breakdown in Clapperbie, you have:

• A locked production screenplay with clear, color-coded inline tags for all departments.
• A normalized master inventory in the Elements module with scene links and tracking metadata.
• Exportable Excel and PDF departmental element lists.
• Standardized scene breakdown sheets ready for production scheduling and stripboard creation.