DIRECTING
II. The Script Breakdown
Master (Spring 2012)
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The script breakdown is a clinical analysis
of the essential elements of the script.
Goal - To specify how each component of
our script is integral to the telling of the
story.
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Step to Script Breakdown
1. What is the story really about?
2. Director’s objective for telling the story
3. Point-to-point description
4. Defining the acts
5. Character objectives and obstacles
6. Analysis of the script units
7. Character arcs
8. Character analysis
9. Visual and aural design arcs
What is the story really about?
First define the protagonist and antagonist
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A protagonist is the main character (the central or primary personal
figure) of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, video game, or musical
narrative, around whom the events of the narrative’s plot revolve and
with whom the audience is intended to share the most empathy
Protagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or an institution, who
represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend,
In other words, ‘A person, or a group of people who oppose the main
character, or the main characters.
Antagonist
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2. Director’s Objective for
Telling the Story
If you believe that most of us live lives that are
controlled by our past, that many of us create a future
for ourselves based primarily on our past experiences
and that we assume (consciously/unconsciously) that we
will live a certain kind of life because that is the only
kind of life we have known.
to encourage your listeners to reassess how they
approach their own relationships.
Example - Forrest Gump
Then your objective might be...
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3. Point-To-Point Description
Write a point-to-point description of the
events of your story.
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4. Defining the Acts
First Act - The Set-Up
The central character is taken from a life of
innocence, naivete, and predictability into a
world of stress, conflict, challenge, and
uncertainty.
Protagonist makes a choice whether or not
to continue the journey at Plot Point 1.
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First Act
Example - The Fugitive
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Dr. Kimble is wrongly accused of his wife’s murder
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The train crash sets him free (Plot Pt. 1)
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He makes a commitment to prove his innocence
and clear his name
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First Act
Example - Forrest Gump
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Forrest grows up with his support system intact
(Mom, Jenny, college)
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Forrest is separated from Jenny
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He makes the choice to join the army. (Plot Pt. 1)
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4. Defining the Acts
Second Act - Confrontation
This is the longest phase of the journey,
which takes our protagonist into uncharted
waters where they will face ever increasing
obstacles as they try to achieve their
objective
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Plot Point 2
Example - The Fugitive
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Dr. Kimble learns that it was Devlin-Macgreggor
that was behind the death of his wife and that he,
Dr. Kimble, was the real target
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Facing Dr. Nichols openly and publicly is the
ultimate challenge
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Act II - 1st Half
Example - Forrest Gump
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Forrest is now in a male-dominated world (army)
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Meets the two most significant men in his life - Lt.
Dan and Bubba
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Jenny’s story takes on a male-dominated tone
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Crossroads at midpoint - Forrest loses his
support, the army
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Act II - 2nd Half
Example - Forrest Gump
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Jenny’s life is spinning out of control
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Mrs. Gump dies
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Forrest is still without family or structure
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He’s devastated when Jenny leaves him
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Feeling he’s lost everything, he starts to run
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4. Defining the Acts
Third Act - Resolution
The third act plunges our protagonist into
the abyss as he races toward the
conclusion of the journey and (usually)
success.
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Third Act
Example - The Fugitive
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Dr. Kimble successfully deals with Sykes on the
subway.
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He heads to the hotel where Dr. Nichols is
accepting an award to confront him directly.
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Kimble needs to prove his innocence by implicating
Nichols, and he will do so or die trying.
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Third Act
Example - Forrest Gump
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Jenny contacts Forrest and he learns he has a son
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They marry and the family is complete
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Jenny dies and Forrest is left alone with his son
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He is exactly where his mother was when the
story started.
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5. Objectives and Obstacles
Every character has an overall objective
(dramatic need) that they are attempting to
complete or achieve during the course of
the story, which spans their entire
involvement in the story.
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Act Objectives
Example - The Fugitive
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Act I - In order to prove his innocence, he has to escape
and return to Chicago
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Act II - He has to identify and locate the one-armed man
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Act III - He has to confront his best friend who betrayed
him and eventually prove his innocence
Dr Kimble
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Achieving Overall Objectives
Example - The Fugitive
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Buys hair dye and shaving equipment to change his
appearance in order to...
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Return to Chicago to get to the hospital in order to...
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Examine hospital files to identify the one-armed man in
order to...
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Clear his name (overall objective)
Dr Kimble
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Objectives
Internal vs. External
External objectives - Those
objectives we are aware of simply by
observing the behavior of the character.
Internal objectives - The inner
workings of the character, his struggle
within himself and with himself.
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Objectives
Internal vs. External
External objectives - What we see
happening (under the control of the
director).
Internal objectives - Internal
obstacles (under the control of the actor)
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Overall Objective
Example - Forrest
Forrest’s overall objective is to connect - to
have fulfillment and meaning in his life.
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Overall Objective
Example - Jenny
Jenny’s overall objective is
the search for validation
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Objectives
Conscious/Unconscious
Conscious objective - An objective
that the characters are aware of
Subconscious objective - An
objective of which they are not aware
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Objectives
Conscious/Unconscious
Jenny’s conscious objective -
Making a change in her life
Jenny’s subconscious objective -
Searching for self-esteem
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Objectives
Conscious/Unconscious
Lt. Dan’s conscious objective - To
fulfill his destiny or legacy
Lt. Dan’s subconscious objective -
To do the opposite. To survive.
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Objectives
Conscious/Unconscious
Bubba’s conscious objective -
Finish his time in Vietnam and then get his
shrimp boat
Bubba’s subconscious objective -
Needs to feel important, in charge, useful
and intelligent
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Objectives
Acts, Sequences, Scenes
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Breakdown the script in smaller sections - acts, sequences
and scenes
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Identify the objectives for all the characters involved
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Determine whether the character objectives in these
smaller units of the story support the overall objectives of
the characters.
Director’s Job - To make sure that every scene
works to support the overall story.
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Obstacles
1. Other characters
2. The environment
3. The self
Obstacles are the obstructions our characters face in
attempting to achieve their objectives. Obstacles come
in three categories
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Obstacles
1. Other Characters
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Dr. Kimble needs to evade Lt. Gerard in order to achieve
his objective
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Dr. Kimble proves resourceful in evading capture, causing Lt.
Gerard problems in achieving his objective
Characters are always obstructing each other, which
creates conflict that holds are interest.
Example - The Fugitive
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Obstacles
2. The Environment
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The scene in the drain pipe
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The scene at the county jail
As an example, rain can be an obstacle when trying to
get from one location to another.
Example - The Fugitive
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Obstacles
3. The Self
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Self-doubt in the more physical world of the chase as
opposed to the more intellectual world of medicine as a
doctor
Internal obstacles are those aspects of a character,
which inhibit the character’s progress toward the
objective.
Example - The Fugitive
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The Self
Example - Forrest Gump
Internal obstacle - Forrest’s awareness of his own
limited intelligence.
Seems to overcome this obstacle with relative ease and
grace.
Internal obstacle - Forrest runs for 3 1/2 years,
away from his overall objective (connecting)
Is he attempting to connect with himself?
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The Self
Example - Forrest Gump
Internal obstacle - Lt. Dan’s determination to
become a significant soldier
He has to deal with the cloud of his family legacy.
Internal obstacle - Jenny’s lack of self-worth,
abandonment, low self-esteem, and fear of commitment.
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Review Up To Now
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Have established what the entire story is really all
about
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Done our point-to-point description
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Finished our act definition
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Defined the objectives and obstacles of our
characters
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6. Analyzing Script Units
Sequences
A sequence is a collection of individual
scenes that are being used to convey a
unified theme or idea.
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Examining Individual Scenes
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Why is this scene here?
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What would happen if I removed this scene?
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How is this scene crucial to the telling of my story?
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What do I need to achieve with this scene in order to
insure that it will support my story?
We need to ask ourselves
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Examining Individual Scenes
1. Remove the scene
2. Reconsider (and perhaps reconstruct the scene) so it
becomes an integral part of the story
If we cannot determine a rational reason for a
scene, we have only two options.
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Analyzing Script Units
The Process
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Go through the entire script
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Take each sequence, then each scene, and ask
yourself these crucial questions
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If you feel stuck, pass over the scene and go on to
the next.
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7. Character Arcs
A character arc is the journey of that
character through the story.
A character has an arc when there is a
discernible and significant change in that
character.
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7. Character Arcs
1. Track each character arc
2. Define the key moments in that arc
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8. Character Analysis
Begin writing about each character - free associate
Look for insights into your own personal identification with
each character.
Create a dossier for each character
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9. Visual and Aural Design Arcs
Start visualizing your movie - think in
terms of impressions, colors, movements
and designs
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9. Visual and Aural Design Arcs
The Process
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Where does this scene take place?
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What could it look like?
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What could it sound like?
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What music could underscore it?
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How can these looks and sounds support my
story?
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Final Thought
Once the script breakdown has been
done, it can be put aside.
If your breakdown has been honest and
thorough, then whatever information you
need will come to you when you need it.
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