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The business of film
The business of film

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2.1 Breaking down a scene

The following activity will allow you to break down a scene for yourself.

Described image
Figure 3 A still from Spooks: The Greater Good

Activity 2 Breaking down a scene

Timing: Allow about 10 minutes

Now, imagine you are the line producer. It is your job to take this scene from the movie, Spooks: The Greater Good, and think about it in terms of the various elements it contains.

Download the script here [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]   and have a read. For some context, the scene takes place in Moscow. It’s night. Our hero is being chased down by Russian mobsters.

When you've read the script, think about everything that you'd need in order to film the scene. Each element needs to be provided by the corresponding department, for example the props by the props department. Various departments are listed below – use the provided boxes to note which scene elements you'd need their help with.

DepartmentElement
Stunt department
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Art department
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Extras agency
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Locations department
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Props department
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Wardrobe department
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Special effects
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Grip department
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Words: 0
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Discussion

Discover how the scene turned out in the video below.

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Video 5 Scene from Spooks: the Greater Good
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Here are some suggested elements from the script. This is not an exhaustive list so don’t be surprised if some of the elements you identified do not appear.

DepartmentElement
Stunt departmentWill jumping through the window
Art departmentSpecial breakaway glass
Extras agencyDiners in the restaurant
Locations departmentRoad closure for car screeching off
Props departmentDrinks in the bar
Wardrobe departmentWill’s suit
Special effectsWet down/rain effect on the pavement (or more likely it was just raining)
Grip departmentCamera mounted on the bonnet of the car