Breaking down your script

CREATING BREAKDOWN ELEMENTS

The Breakdowns tab (also called Elements) is where you manage everything you need for production - props, costumes, vehicles, special effects, and more. This is your master list of all the physical and technical elements across your entire episode.

WHAT ARE ELEMENTS?

ELEMENTS = ITEMS IN A SCENE THAT YOU NEED FOR CAMERA

 

An element is anything required to shoot your scenes:
- Props (baseball bat, coffee cup, briefcase)
- Costumes (detective's suit, wedding dress)
- Vehicles (police car, delivery truck)
- Animals (dog, horse)
- Special effects (rain machine, explosions)
- Visual effects (green screen, CGI additions)
- And many more

If you need to find it, make it, rent it, or coordinate it - it's an element.

TYPES OF ELEMENTS

MARTIN TRACKS 22 DIFFERENT TYPES

 

SCRIPTED ELEMENTS (From the Script)

• Additional Equipment - Equipment that is not usually carried—cranes, lifts, etc. 
• Additional Labor - Specialty crew, such as medical advisors.
• Animal - Animals in scenes
• Background - Background performers
• Character - Scripted characters with dialog
• Costume 
• Construction
• Graphic - Signs, posters, graphics
• Greens - Plants, trees, landscaping
• Hair & Makeup 
• Picture Cars - Vehicles
• Playback Audio - Audio playing on set
• Playback Video - Video/TV screens playing/syncing
• Scenic 
• Set Decoration
• Set Dressing - Dressing crew needs/items
• Shop Electric - Aka 'Fixtures'
• Special Effects (SFX) - Practical effects
• Special Effects Makeup - Prosthetics, makeup FX
• Stills - Still photography requirements
• Stunt - Stunt work and action
• Visual Effects (VFX) - Digital effects added later

VIEWING YOUR ELEMENTS

THE BREAKDOWNS LIST

When you open the EDIT ELEMENTS DRAWER, you see all your element TYPES. IN GENERAL EACH ELEMENT HAS THE FOLLOWING FIELDS:

:

TYPE
What category (Prop, Costume, Vehicle, etc.)

ELEMENT NAME
What it is (e.g., "Vintage baseball bat", "Sarah's wedding ring")

SCENES
Which scenes need this element

QUANTITY
How many you need

CHARACTER
WHICH CHARACTER OR BACKGROUND GROUP IS ASSOCIATED

STATUS
Project status of the item (Not Started, In Progress, Completed, ETC.)

CLEARANCE
Legal approval status (if needed)

REQUESTING DEPARTMENT
Which department needs this item and is likely paying for it

 

ORGANIZING YOUR VIEW

Filter by:
- Element type (show only props, only costumes, etc.)
- Department
- Status (show only what's not ready yet)
- Clearance (show only things pending approval)
- Scene (show only elements for Scene 5)

Sort by:
- Element name (alphabetical)
- Scene
- Character
- Shoot date

CREATING ELEMENTS

TWO WAYS TO CREATE ELEMENTS

1. FROM THE SCRIPT (For Scripted Elements)

If it's mentioned in the screenplay:
1. Open the Script tab
2. Highlight the item name (e.g., "baseball bat")
3. Right-click, choose "Add Element"
4. Select the type (Prop)
5. Martin fills in the name from what you highlighted
6. Add details
7. Save

The element is now linked to that scene and marked in the script.

2. DIRECTLY (For Unscripted Elements or Bulk Adding)

For things not in the script:
1. In the Breakdowns tab, click "Add Element"
2. Choose the element type
3. Enter the name
4. Fill in details
5. Select which scenes need it
6. Save

ELEMENT RECALL (Super Important!)

DON'T CREATE DUPLICATES - RECALL INSTEAD

Let's say "Sarah's necklace" appears in Scene 1. Then it appears again in Scene 5.

DON'T create a new "Sarah's necklace" element for Scene 5.

Instead, RECALL the existing one:

1. Start creating an element (from script or manually)
2. Begin typing "Sarah's necklace" in the name field
3. Martin searches and finds the existing element
4. Select it from the search results
5. The element is now added to this scene too

WHY RECALL MATTERS

- No duplicates cluttering your lists
- One element tracks everywhere it's needed
- Update once, it updates everywhere
- Clear continuity tracking
- Accurate counts and budgeting

WHEN TO RECALL

Anytime an element appears in multiple scenes:
- Character-specific props (Sarah's phone)
- Recurring items (the same car in multiple scenes)
- Costumes worn across scenes
- Anything that needs to match between scenes

ELEMENT DETAILS & FIELDS

WHAT INFORMATION TO TRACK

Different element types have different fields, but common ones:

NAME (Required)
What it is - be specific
✓ "Vintage Louisville Slugger baseball bat"
✗ "Bat"

DESCRIPTION
Additional details:
- "Wooden, aged, appears to be from 1970s"
- "Has initials 'J.M.' carved in handle"

QUANTITY
How many you need:
- "1" (just one)
- "3" (one hero, two backups)
- "12" (for background actors)

STATUS
Where you are in the process:
- Not Started - Haven't looked for it yet
- In Progress - Actively sourcing
- Completed - Ready to go
- On Hold - Waiting on approval or budget
- Cancelled - No longer needed

CLEARANCE (For items with legal considerations)
- Not Required - No legal issues
- Pending - Waiting for approval
- Cleared - Approved to use
- Denied - Cannot use

LINKED CHARACTERS
For character-specific items:
- Select which character uses it
- Shows up in that character's profile
- Helps track continuity

SCENES
Which scenes need this element

DEPARTMENT-SPECIFIC FIELDS
Each type has relevant fields:
- Props: Source (rent, buy, make), prop type (hero, background)
- Costumes: Sizes, costume type, character
- Picture Cars: Make, model, year, color
- And so on...

MANAGING ELEMENTS

EDITING AN ELEMENT

1. Click on the element
2. Click "Edit"
3. Make changes
4. Save

Changes apply to ALL instances across all scenes.

UPDATING STATUS

As you progress:
1. Start: "Not Started" → looking for the item
2. Found it: "In Progress" → negotiating, ordering, building
3. Ready: "Completed" → in hand and ready for shoot
4. Done shooting: Keep it tracked for continuity/reshoots

TRACKING QUANTITIES

If you need multiples:
- 1 Hero (the main one used in close-ups)
- 2 Backups (in case hero breaks)
- Total quantity: 3

LINKING TO CHARACTERS

There are two systems to connect elements to charcters depending on teh element you chose. For elements that don't change quantities in different scenes, there are individual dropdowns for Quantity and Character. Elements (like props) that may have different characters and quantities associated by sceen have the Scene Matrix. 

How many you need. :
1. Edit the element
2. Find "Characters" field
3. Select the character(s)
4. Save

Now it appears in their character profile too.

 

REMOVING vs DELETING ELEMENTS

THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE

REMOVE FROM SCENE
- Takes this element out of the current scene only
- Element still exists in other scenes
- Element data preserved
- Useful when you realize a scene doesn't need this item

DELETE ELEMENT
- Completely removes from entire production
- Gone from ALL scenes
- Cannot be undone
- Only available if element is in just one scene

Be careful which you choose!

 

ELEMENT REPORTS & EXPORTS

CREATING ELEMENT LISTS

Export your elements as:

PDF
- Professional formatted lists
- Good for sharing with departments
- Print for production meetings

EXCEL
- Editable spreadsheet
- Sort and filter your way
- Share with people not using Martin
- Import into other software

JSON
- For technical integrations
- Complete data export

WHAT TO INCLUDE

You choose:
- All elements or filter first (e.g., only props)
- Which columns
- Sort order
- By scene or by element type

COMMON REPORTS

Master Element List - Everything across all scenes
Props List - Just props
Costume List - Just costumes
By Scene - What's needed for each scene
By Department - What each department needs

 

WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS

ORGANIZING BY DEPARTMENT

Elements are automatically assigned to departments:
- Props → Props Department
- Costumes → Costume Department
- Picture Cars → Transportation
- VFX → Visual Effects
- And so on...

DEPARTMENT VIEWS

Filter to see only your department's elements:
- Props sees only props
- Costume sees only costumes
- Helps everyone focus on their work

DEPARTMENT PERMISSIONS

Depending on your role:
- You might only be able to edit elements in your department
- Or you might see everything but only manage your area
- Project admins see and manage everything

 

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

WHEN BREAKING DOWN YOUR SCRIPT

✓ Go through the script once, tagging everything
✓ Search before creating - avoid duplicates
✓ Be specific with names ("Red leather briefcase" not just "briefcase")
✓ Add notes about tricky elements right away

USING RECALL

✓ Always search first when adding an element to a new scene
✓ If it exists, recall it instead of creating new
✓ One element, many scenes - keeps everything connected

TRACKING STATUS

✓ Update status as you go
✓ "Completed" means ready for filming
✓ Keep it current so everyone knows what's ready

WORKING WITH YOUR TEAM

✓ Add clearance notes for legal review
✓ Include source information (where you'll get it)
✓ Note any special requirements or restrictions
✓ Communicate through element notes

BEFORE THE SHOOT

✓ Filter by scene to see what's needed each day
✓ Check that everything is "Completed"
✓ Print element lists for department heads
✓ Create scene-specific breakdowns for each shoot day

 

COMMON QUESTIONS

"HOW DO I KNOW IF AN ELEMENT ALREADY EXISTS?"

Start typing the name - Martin will search and show matches. If you see it, recall it instead of creating new.

"WHAT IF THE SAME PROP APPEARS IN MULTIPLE EPISODES?"

Create it once, link it to scenes in multiple episodes. It stays connected across your production.

"CAN I ADD PHOTOS OF ELEMENTS?"

Many element types allow attaching images. Look for "Upload Photo" or "Attachments" when editing an element. Very helpful for props, costumes, and vehicles!

"WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPECIAL EFFECTS AND VISUAL EFFECTS?"

- Special Effects (SFX) = Practical effects on set (explosions, rain, smoke)
- Visual Effects (VFX) = Digital effects added in post (CGI, green screen)

"HOW DETAILED SHOULD I BE?"

Detailed enough that someone else could find or create the item:
✓ "Red 1967 Ford Mustang convertible"
✗ "Car"

"WHAT IF I'M NOT SURE WHICH TYPE TO CHOOSE?"

Pick the closest one. You can always change it later. Most important is to track the item - you can adjust categories as needed.

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ADVANCED FEATURES
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ELEMENT ATTACHMENTS

Add files to elements:
- Reference photos
- Product links
- Rental agreements
- CAD drawings
- Clearance documents

ELEMENT HISTORY

See changes over time:
- Who added it
- When it was created
- Status changes
- When it appeared in scenes

BULK OPERATIONS

Select multiple elements to:
- Update status all at once
- Change assignments
- Export specific items
- Move to different department

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WHAT'S NEXT?

The Breakdowns tab connects with:
- Script tab - Create elements from highlighted text
- Scenes tab - See which scenes need which elements
- Characters tab - Track character-specific items
- Notes tab - Add questions and comments about elements

Everything works together to keep your production organized!

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Need help? Email [email protected] - we're here for you!