Script Analysis for Directors — scene purpose, objectives, beats and director’s notes

• First read — read straight through like an audience member. Jot down only your first reactions and anything that confused you.
• Second read — look at the story’s skeleton. Note how each character is different at the end compared with the start.
• Third read on — go scene by scene, marking purpose and beats, and flag what needs preparing, such as locations, time of day and props.

Flagging what needs preparing feeds into the ADs’ script breakdown. If the breakdown collects what each scene needs, directing prep decides why each scene is being shot.

• Scene purpose — what has changed in the story or a relationship by the end of the scene. If nothing changes, ask whether the scene is really needed.
• Objective — what the character wants to get from the other person in this scene. Write it as an action, like “get forgiven,” rather than a state, like “is sad.”
• Obstacle — what blocks the objective. It can be the other character’s objective, the situation or the character’s own hesitation.
• Beat — a stretch where the character sticks to one tactic. Probing, then pleading, then threatening means a new beat each time.
• Turning point — the moment the scene changes direction. Changes in camera and performance gather here, so mark it separately in your notes.

Breaking scenes into beats keeps your direction short on set. Instead of “sadder,” say “from here on, you’re not asking, you’re pressuring,” and the actor gets it right away. When you have to drop shots because time is short, beats help you decide: protect the shots that capture a beat change, and combine the shots within the same beat.

Keep director’s notes short, under a page per scene. Long notes don’t get reread on set. Use references, such as photos, paintings and frame grabs, to show what’s hard to put into words, like color, light and distance. A mood board of these images helps art, camera and wardrobe aim for the same tone.

• The scene’s purpose in one line
• Each character’s objective and the beat breaks
• Moments to protect — shots you won’t cut even when time runs short
• Tone — pace, distance, direction of light and color
• Questions for the actors and crew

How to choose shot size, angle and composition is covered in the shots and angles lesson. In your notes, write what the audience needs to see at this moment before deciding what the shot is, then turn that into a shot list or storyboard. Go through the shot list scene by scene with the director of photography, and the 1st AD uses the number of setups to estimate the day. When your notes and the shot list say the same thing, the plan holds up on set.

1. 01PrepareThe ADs prepare the latest script, the seating plan and the attendee list. Deciding in advance who reads the action lines keeps the read flowing.
2. 02ReadUsually you read from start to finish without stopping. Rather than reworking performances, the director listens for the overall flow and rhythm.
3. 03Take notesThe script supervisor or an AD times each scene and notes lines that snagged and any questions.
4. 04Wrap upAfterward, the writer and director go through the lines to revise and each actor’s questions, then send the changes out as a new revision.

Adding up the scene timings from the read gives you a rough idea of the finished running time. If it’s well over your target, cutting scenes before the shoot costs less time and money than shooting them and dropping them in the edit. Send out each revised script with a revision number and date so everyone works from the same version.