One Page = One Minute?

ezc_19

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First of all, I'm very new to scriptwriting.

I'm using Celtx and it seems to be a very useful program, but I'm having a trouble with the pacing. I've heard that one page = one minute, but I'm assuming that this is one page in Microsoft Word at 12 point Courier. How do you go about converting your work from Celtx to Word in order to see how many pages you have? Is it just a simple copy and paste? Can you find out how many pages you have in Celtx without converting?

Sorry about these newbie questions. I do appreciate the help though.
 

ezc_19

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If you're using 12pt courier, the page/minute you have is right. No need to change.

No, I mean how do you find out how many pages you have written on Celtx? Celtx tells me how many scenes I have, but doesn't say how many pages I have complete.
 

Vincent

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There should be a page number function too. It's an option.

I don't have it installed right now so I can't check, but I had the same issue myself until someone told me.
 

priggy

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I'm using celtx as well and if you look at the bottom there is a typeset tab or there should be and that automatically properly formats it into pages for you.

The one page = one minute is a general rule but remember one page of action can be a couple of minutes and a page of dialogue can be over in 30 seconds.
 
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Hillgate

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Single spaced 12 point Courier New with proper formatting should give you an average of 1 minute per page BUT if it's a talky-talky then probably less and if it's all out action then probably a lot more as others have said. It's just a rough rule of thumb.

A 67 page shooting script sounds impossibly short but that can easily clock out at 96 minutes of film. I wouldn't write a 67 page spec script though.

Likewise a 110 pager can come in at 88 minutes.

Also depends on writer's style: some more wordy in narrative than others.

90 pages is the traditional 'minimum', (remember: no rules if it's great!!) and I wouldn't go much over 130 pages even if it's dialogue-heavy (quick banter rather than long Tarantino-esque monologues).