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Free template · assistant directors and producers

Free script breakdown sheet template

One breakdown sheet per scene, with the scene header and a colour-keyed box for every category, so each element underlined in the script has a place to go.

Download: Print PDF Every format

Download free, no sign-up

Direct downloads: no account, no email address. Every file prints black on white on US Letter.

  • Print PDF · PDF, 4 KB
    Letter, black on white
  • Fillable PDF · PDF, 30 KB
    Type into every box in Acrobat, Preview or a browser
  • Excel workbook · Excel (.xlsx), 12 KB
    An element register with counts by category. Opens in Google Sheets
  • Apple Numbers · Numbers (.numbers), 746 KB
    The same working totals and drop-down lists, for Numbers on Mac, iPad and iPhone
  • Filled-in sample · PDF, 5 KB
    An invented short film, filled in

What is in the template

  • Scene header: Scene, int/ext, day/night, pages in eighths, script page, story day, estimated time, set, location and synopsis.
  • 20 categories: Cast members, background actors, stunts, vehicles, props, weapons, special effects, wardrobe, makeup/hair, animals, music, sound, set dressing, greenery, special equipment, security, additional labor, visual effects, mechanical effects and miscellaneous, plus notes.
  • Colour key: Each category has its own colour, the same one Cinewright Budgeting and Scheduling uses, to underline elements in the script.
  • Element register: In the workbook, one row per element with its scene, and a summary of elements, quantities and scenes per category.

How to use it

  1. Read and mark the scene. Underline each element in the script in its category's colour.
  2. Fill in the header. Scene number, int/ext, day/night, pages in eighths and the set and location.
  3. List the elements. Write each element in its category box, with a count where it matters.
  4. Carry it forward. The breakdown sheets feed the stripboard, the day out of days and the budget.

Questions

Is the breakdown sheet free?

Yes. Download it from this page with no account and no email address.

Where do the colours come from?

From the breakdown in Cinewright Budgeting and Scheduling for Mac, which uses the same 20 categories and colours.

How do I count pages in eighths?

Each script page is eight eighths; a scene of a page and a half is 1 4/8.

Does the Excel version work in Google Sheets?

Yes. The element register and the summary counts keep working in Google Sheets.

Does it work in Apple Numbers?

Yes. Download the Numbers file; the totals and drop-down lists keep working on Mac, iPad and iPhone.

Can Cinewright break down a script?

Cinewright Budgeting and Scheduling for Mac reads Final Draft, Fountain, Fade In, Highland and PDF scripts and keeps the breakdown linked to the stripboard and budget. Cinewright Budgeting and Scheduling for Mac is not on sale yet; it launches through Kickstarter. Windows and Android versions are in development.

Breakdowns in Cinewright

Cinewright Budgeting and Scheduling for Mac breaks down scripts from Final Draft (with breakdown tags), Fountain, Fade In, Highland and PDF, linked to the stripboard and the budget. Cinewright Budgeting and Scheduling for Mac is not on sale yet; it launches through Kickstarter. Windows and Android versions are in development.

More free templates

Kickstarter coming late 2026 or early 2027

Hear when it launches