Film Production Assistant — SKILL.md#

Overview#

A complete pre-production toolkit for indie and professional filmmakers. Generates industry-standard production documents from screenplay scenes and project parameters, using AI-driven prompt templates validated against real industry reference structures.

Designed for: Indie directors, student filmmakers, ADs, producers, and anyone managing a narrative film production with limited resources.

No external APIs required. All prompts are self-contained — paste into Claude, ChatGPT, or any capable LLM.

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When to Use This Skill#

Trigger this skill when David (or any user) asks for:

• "Break down this scene for production"
• "Make a shot list for this scene"
• "Generate a call sheet for [shoot day]"
• "Build a shooting schedule from these scenes"
• "Estimate the budget for this project"
• "What do I need to produce this scene?"
• Any film pre-production planning request

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Available Tools#

1. Script Breakdown Generator#

File: prompts/script-breakdown.md What it does: Analyzes a screenplay scene and produces a complete breakdown sheet — cast, props, set dressing, wardrobe, SFX, VFX, stunts, sound notes, production flags, and continuity concerns. Input required: Scene text (paste directly) Output: Production-ready breakdown sheet, one page per scene

2. Shot List Generator#

File: prompts/shot-list-generator.md What it does: Creates a complete, director-ready shot list for a scene with shot size, movement, angle, lens, equipment, estimated time, and priority ratings (A/B/C). Input required: Scene text + director's tonal/visual notes + available hours Output: Shot list table + coverage strategy + lighting notes + risk flags

3. Call Sheet Formatter#

File: prompts/call-sheet-formatter.md What it does: Generates a professionally formatted call sheet for a single shoot day — cast call times, crew grid, location details, emergency contacts, catering, advance schedule. Input required: Shoot day details (scenes, cast, crew, location, weather, transport) Output: Full formatted call sheet, ready to distribute

4. Production Schedule Builder#

File: prompts/production-schedule-builder.md What it does: Builds a complete shooting schedule from a scene list, optimizing for location groups, cast availability, and production efficiency. Produces one-liner schedule, DOOD chart, and scheduling flags. Input required: Scene list with Int/Ext, location, pages, cast + constraints Output: Day-by-day one-liner + DOOD chart + flags + contingency recommendations

5. Budget Estimator#

File: prompts/budget-estimator.md What it does: Generates a realistic line-item budget estimate with ATL/BTL breakdown, fringe calculations, contingency, and budget notes including what to cut vs. what never to cut. Input required: Project parameters (pages, days, location, union status, key elements) Output: Full budget with subtotals + budget notes + cost-reduction options

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Document Export (.docx) — Optional#

If the user explicitly asks to save or export the output, use pandoc to generate a Word document.

Requires: pandoc must be installed on the host ( brew install pandoc on Mac). If not available, deliver the output as text only.

Only export when the user asks. Do not automatically save files without confirmation.

bash

# Only run this when user explicitly requests a file export
echo "{{output}}" > /tmp/film-output.md
pandoc /tmp/film-output.md -o "{{user-specified-path}}/{{ProjectTitle}}-{{DocumentType}}.docx"

Naming convention:

• Script Breakdown: ProjectTitle-Scene01-Breakdown.docx
• Shot List: ProjectTitle-Scene01-ShotList.docx
• Call Sheet: ProjectTitle-Day01-CallSheet.docx
• Production Schedule: ProjectTitle-Schedule.docx
• Budget: ProjectTitle-Budget.docx

Ask the user for save location. Do not default to ~/Desktop without asking first. Always confirm the file was saved and provide the full path.

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How to Use#

Option A: Direct Execution (Lilu handles it)#

User provides a scene or project details. Lilu:

1. Reads the appropriate prompt template from prompts/
2. Fills in the template with the user's content
3. Runs it against the LLM (this session or sub-agent)
4. Returns formatted output
5. Offers to export to .docx if user wants — does not save automatically

Option B: Template Delivery#

Lilu delivers the filled prompt template to the user so they can paste it into their preferred tool (Claude.ai, ChatGPT, etc.).

Option C: Full Pre-Production Package#

For a complete project, run all 5 tools in sequence:

1. Script Breakdown → every scene
2. Shot List → key scenes
3. Production Schedule → full shoot
4. Budget Estimate → full project
5. Call Sheet → each shoot day (run day-before)

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Workflow: Scene → Production-Ready in 5 Steps#

text

1. USER provides scene text
         ↓
2. Run SCRIPT BREAKDOWN → identify all elements
         ↓
3. Run SHOT LIST → director's visual plan
         ↓
4. Feed scenes into PRODUCTION SCHEDULE BUILDER
         ↓
5. Night before each shoot → generate CALL SHEET

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Reference Files#

All structural knowledge is documented in references/:

FileContentsindustry-templates.mdResearch summary — real call sheets, shot lists, breakdowns, schedules, budgetsprompts.mdAll 5 prompt templates with example inputs and outputscall-sheet-structure.mdIndustry-standard call sheet anatomy (Celtx, CalArts)shot-list-structure.mdShot sizes, camera movements, shot list elements (StudioBinder)production-schedule-structure.mdOne-liner format, DOOD chart, stripboard colorsscript-breakdown-structure.mdCategory color codes, element definitions, full scene examplebudget-structure.mdATL/BTL categories, fringe rates, budget tiers, micro-budget example

Test Outputs (validated against "Bitter Coffee" — INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY, Anna & Marcus confrontation, 3 pages)#

FileWhat It Teststest-outputs/01-script-breakdown.mdFull breakdown sheet — coffee shop confrontation scenetest-outputs/02-shot-list.md17-shot list with coverage strategy and lighting notestest-outputs/03-call-sheet.mdDay 2 of 3 call sheet — The Daily Grind locationtest-outputs/04-production-schedule.md3-day schedule, DOOD chart, location groupingstest-outputs/05-budget-estimate.md$8K-$14.8K short film budget with risk flags

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Key Industry Concepts (Quick Reference)#

Page Eighths#

1 script page = 8 sections. Scenes measured in eighths. 4 4/8 pages ≈ 4.5 pages ≈ ~4.5 min screen time.

Budget Tiers#

• Micro: $0-$50K | Ultra-low: $50K-$300K | Low: $300K-$1M | Mid-indie: $1M-$5M

SAG ULB Rates (2025-2026)#

$232-$241/day minimum. Under $300K total budget. +14.3% H&P fringes.

Turnaround#

Minimum 12 hours between company wrap and next call (union standard). Always note and protect it.

Contingency#

10% of BTL. Never remove. Ever.

The Golden Rule of Scheduling#

Group by location first. Then by cast. Interior before exterior. Complex scenes mid-production, not day one.

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David's Film Background Note#

David has 20+ years of film and TV experience as a director/editor. He is cinematically literate. When working with him on production planning:

• Skip the basics — go straight to professional-level detail
• Flag creative concerns, not just logistical ones
• Reference his director's intent when making shot list suggestions
• If he gives a scene, he's thinking about how it cuts, not just how it shoots

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Token Cost#

These prompts use Claude/GPT only when explicitly invoked — no background LLM calls. Each prompt run costs ~1,000-3,000 tokens depending on scene length and output detail. Covered by Claude Max subscription when run in this session.

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Sources#

• StudioBinder (shot list, breakdown, schedule guides)
• CalArts 2 Pop (call sheet template structure)
• Celtx (call sheet elements)
• Saturation.io (indie budget template and fringe guide)
• Filmustage (script breakdown color system)
• No Film School (budget category reference)
• Industry standard 1st AD practices

Skill built: March 27, 2026. Built by Lilu for David Apex.