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Managing characters

The Characters category in the breakdown lists every character extracted from your script, along with which scenes they appear in. From here you can set Cast IDs, assign cast members, download sides, and open each character’s board to add notes, images, and references.

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Where to find characters

In the project nav, click Breakdown, then Elements. Click Characters (or Cast Members) to open the full list. Each row shows the character name, their Cast ID badge, the scenes they appear in, and a link to their board. You can also reach a character’s board directly from the Breakdown table by clicking any Cast ID badge in a scene row.

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Adding a character manually

Characters are extracted automatically when you import or parse a script. To add one that isn’t in the script:
  1. Open Breakdown and go to the Characters list.
  2. Click Add Character (or the add button at the top of the list).
  3. Enter the character name and save.
The new character will not be linked to any scene yet. You can associate it with scenes from the scene breakdown page by adding them to the character list for that scene.

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Cast ID numbers

Every character has a Cast ID, the numbered badge shown in the breakdown table, the stripboard, and the call sheet. By default, IDs are assigned in order of first appearance in the script. To change a Cast ID:
  1. Go to Breakdown and click any Cast ID badge to open that character’s board.
  2. In the board header, find the Cast ID field next to the character name.
  3. Click the number (or Set ID…) to open the stepper.
  4. Use the - and + buttons, or the up and down arrow keys, to choose a number. Click away or press Enter to save. Press Escape to cancel.
The change applies everywhere right away. The breakdown table, stripboard, and call sheet all update without any extra steps. No duplicates: The stepper skips numbers already assigned to other characters, so every ID stays unique. Auto-numbering fills around your changes: Characters without a manual Cast ID are numbered automatically. When you assign an explicit ID to one character, the others fill in around it and skip any numbers already taken.

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Character boards

Each character has a board where you store production details for that character. To open a character board: Click the character name or Cast ID badge from the Characters list or from a scene’s breakdown page. On a character board you can add:
  • Cast Member — Links the character to an actor (name, email, phone). Talent assigned here appears on call sheets when that character is scheduled.
  • Specifications — Actor or character measurements (height, weight, chest, waist, inseam, shoe size, hair color, and more). Useful for costume and makeup planning.
  • Note — Production notes, arc notes, or references.
  • Image — Reference photos, headshots, mood board images.
  • Link — Research links or external references.
  • Todo — Pre-production checklists. Assign items to teammates and track completion.
The scene pills at the top of the board show every scene the character appears in. Click any pill to jump to that scene.

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Assigning a cast member

When a character has no actor yet, open the character’s board and look for the Cast Member card (it’s added by default). Click it to enter the actor’s name, email address, and phone number, then save. Once a cast member is assigned, their name and contact information will appear on call sheets for any day that character is scheduled. You can also assign cast directly from a call sheet. See Managing cast for details on call times and distributing call sheets to talent.

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Downloading character sides

From the character board header, two PDF download buttons let you generate script sides for that character:
  • Full Script — Downloads a copy of the full script with that character’s lines and cues highlighted.
  • Filtered Sides — Downloads only the scenes the character appears in, formatted as sides.
These are useful for sending lines to an actor or reviewing a character’s arc across the script.

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Merging duplicate characters

If the same character was extracted under two slightly different names (e.g. “DETECTIVE MILLS” and “MILLS”), you can merge them so all scene references point to one record. Open the Characters list and use the Merge flow to select both entries and choose the primary name to keep. See Merging duplicate characters or locations for step-by-step instructions.

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Removing a character

To remove a character, open their board. In the board header, click the Remove button (trash icon). You will be asked to confirm. Removing a character also removes them from any scenes they were attached to. More: Managing cast, Merging duplicate characters or locations, Boards and cards.