What term describes the blueprints for what happens in a film and how the film is made?

The term that best describes the blueprints for what happens in a film and how it is made is "the script." A script outlines the dialogue, actions, and sequence of events within a film, serving as a detailed plan that guides the entire filmmaking process from start to finish. It provides the foundational narrative and structure that directors, actors, and crew follow to bring the story to life on screen.

While a storyboard depicts how scenes will be visually composed, showing camera angles and scene transitions, it is more of a visual representation rather than a comprehensive narrative guide. The screenplay, while often used interchangeably with the script, can include additional elements such as camera directions and formatting specific to the filmmaking process, but in many contexts, a script encompasses both dialogue and narrative structure. Production notes offer insights related to the logistics of film production but do not serve as the narrative blueprint.