These are not requirements, but suggestions from me to you. The following are all things I type up regarding my movie projects so I can stay organized. If you keep track of everything thats going on, it makes something as overwhelming as producing, editing, filming, directing, AND writing a movie simple.
The Screenplay- This is not necessarily the script. The way I use the term, the sceenplay is more of a story. It is the story of the movie and what happens in each scene. The details can be specific, but it is written in paragraph form. Here is an excerpt from the Small Town USA screenplay. Take note that it is brief and to the point, and it reads like a story.
Scene 4, Part 3: They approach the van itself now. They peer inside and try the doors, but they're locked. Clay orders Harrison to go into the trunk of the SWAT car and get something to open the van with. Harrison returns with a small kit. He takes out a tool which he uses to breach the lock on the van. Williams enters the van. Inside are a few firearms, what seem to be explosives, and a beat-up notebook written in Arabic. Clay takes photographs of the contents of the van, then the team decides to head back to the station.
The Script- This is your detailed text of how everything in the movie will work. My scripts always contain dialogue, character actions, sound effects, camera shots and angles, and anything else that I won't want to forget while conducting the shoot for the scene. Here is another sample, this one from the script of Small Town USA. Notice how it is formatted. Keeping the pages easy to read is the key to a good script.
Scene 6, The Recon
Part One
Shot 1: Police car driving by static camera on side of road. Red police light is flashing.
Shot 2: Camera close in on Clay who is driving.
Clay, "Now there's a good chance that we'll be dealing with a very dangerous situation, so I don't want to rush into things."
Shot 3: Camera close in on Williams in back seat.
"We should probably stake the place out a little, check out the house before we go in."
Scene Notes- Simply put, these are the notes I type up as I'm planning a shoot. Here's how I format my notes. It almost serves as a checklist for me:
Scene One Shoot Notes
Characters in Scene: Terrorist, Police Officer
Props Needed: handgun
Wardrobe: Police officer uniform
Equipment: Camera (1), ladder (6-8')
Crew: Camera, DOP, Director, cast, grip
Other Ideas- Any other things you'd like to write to keep yourself organized are up to you. Just remember to record anything you think is important. If you are borrowing a lot of props from different people, for example, make a list of what you've borrowed from whom so when the filming is complete, you can return all the materials. I'm interested in how much my projects end of costing, so I keep an expenditure sheet which allows me to calculate my total expenses for the movie.
