Coppola did an outline for each scene. Each outline had these sections:

1. Synopsis (what happens)
2. The Times (establishing the era; a lot of the details would be described here. Coppola seemed to think you could tell what year it was by what knots men were using on their ties)
3. Imagery and Tone (establishing mood, e.g., the house getting dirtier as the lockdown at the mall goes on and on)
4. The Core (what the audience should take away from the scene)
5. Pitfalls (how the scene could fall flat)