Script Breakdown Sheet Template
A scene-by-scene breakdown spreadsheet for Google Sheets or Excel, plus a printable per-scene breakdown form with the standard element categories.
Scene-by-scene spreadsheet
One row per scene, fourteen columns. Opens in Google Sheets, Excel and Numbers. The three rows are examples; delete them and start typing.
| Scene # | Set / location | INT / EXT | Day / Night | Pages (8ths) | Description | Cast | Extras / BG | Props | Wardrobe / MU | Vehicles / Animals | SFX / Stunts | Sound / Music | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Highway shoulder | EXT | Night | 1 2/8 | Denny's tow truck reaches the wrecked hatchback | Denny | — | Flares, tow chain | Rain jacket | Tow truck, wrecked hatchback | Rain rig; wreck dressed for aftermath | Idling engine, rain | Hatchback must match Sc. 14 |
| 14 | Roadside diner | INT | Night | 5/8 | Mara delivers the envelope to Denny | Mara, Denny | Waitress (silent bit); 2–4 atmosphere | Envelope, coffee pot, mugs, napkins (x12) | Sling; crash bruising | — | — | Jukebox song (license) | Envelope is a hero prop; needs a double |
| 15 | Diner parking lot | EXT | Night | 3/8 | Mara watches the truck pull away | Mara | — | Envelope | Sling | Tow truck (drive-away) | Rain rig | Engine, rain | Continuous from Sc. 14 |
Printable per-scene breakdown sheet
The classic one-sheet-per-scene form. Fill in the header, print a stack, and mark up elements by hand as you line the script.
Scene breakdown sheet
Cast
Stunts
Extras / silent bits
Background / atmosphere
Special effects
Props
Vehicles
Animals
Sound / music
Wardrobe
Makeup / hair
Set dressing
Notes
One sheet per scene. Every element in its category. scriptflo.ai/templates/script-breakdown-sheet
Which version to use
The spreadsheet is the working document: one row per scene, sortable by location or day/night so the schedule falls out of it. The printable sheet is for lining the script on paper, the way most people learn it: read a scene, highlight each element in its category color, then copy the elements onto the sheet. Do both for a short and the discipline sticks.
The categories and their colors
Cast is red, stunts orange, extras yellow, background green, special effects blue, props purple, vehicles and animals pink, sound brown, wardrobe circled and makeup asterisked. The colors are a convention, not a law; the categories are what matter. The script breakdown guide walks through lining a real scene and explains what counts as an element in each category.
Frequently asked questions
What goes on a script breakdown sheet?
One sheet per scene: the scene number, set and location, interior or exterior, day or night, the page count in eighths, a one-line description, and then every element the scene needs sorted by category: cast, extras, background, stunts, props, wardrobe, makeup, vehicles, animals, special effects, sound and music, set dressing.
Why are pages counted in eighths?
Scheduling works in eighths of a page because a page is roughly a minute and an eighth is the smallest slice worth scheduling. A scene that takes five-eighths of a page is a meaningful chunk of a shooting day; the column lets a first assistant director add scenes up into days.
Can I open the CSV in Google Sheets?
Yes. In Google Sheets choose File, then Import, then Upload, and pick the file; every column arrives in its own cell. Or click Copy for Google Sheets, paste into an empty sheet, and the tab-separated rows fill in directly. Excel and Numbers open the CSV by double-clicking it.
Does ScriptFlo do this automatically?
Yes. ScriptFlo tags elements inside the screenplay across 18 breakdown categories and generates the breakdown reports from the script itself, so the sheets stay in sync when the draft changes. The template is the manual version for a short film or a first pass.
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