I was just wondering... (script lengths)
- Thread starter JoshEllingson
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A screenplay is specific for anything on a screen: a movie or TV show.
A script can also include stage plays and radio plays to name a few.
The size of a screenplay depends on what your aiming for. Screenplays for feature films are typically 120 pages, but you can also write short films or whatever the size is for a TV program.
A script can also include stage plays and radio plays to name a few.
The size of a screenplay depends on what your aiming for. Screenplays for feature films are typically 120 pages, but you can also write short films or whatever the size is for a TV program.
Although it's not an exact science, but I heard someone say once that 1 page of a screenplay/script equates to about 1 minute of film.
That would stack up nicely against Stijn's comment about aiming for 120 pages... 2 hours is a good length for a film.
That would stack up nicely against Stijn's comment about aiming for 120 pages... 2 hours is a good length for a film.
That about covers it though they are starting to drift more between 105-110 for a standard movie and horrors tend to be even shorter than that.
Then there are television series which are anywhere between 25-60 pages long. And there are mini series as well which would have to fit the one hour slot, which is somewhere between 45-60 pages. So it really depends on what you're dealing with, genre, time, so forth.
Then there are television series which are anywhere between 25-60 pages long. And there are mini series as well which would have to fit the one hour slot, which is somewhere between 45-60 pages. So it really depends on what you're dealing with, genre, time, so forth.
This is a bit out of date.
These days, 120 pages is really considered long by most standards, the "minute per page" rule notwithstanding.
100 to 110 pages is really considered the ideal range.
I always aim to get a script down into that range, but certainly not more than a page or two above 110, tops.
NMS
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Just a question: when you say 100 pages, do you mean single-spaced, double-spaced, what size font etc.?
I'm considering writing a film script for NaNo this year, something I've never done before, so it'd be helpful if I didn't accidentally write a 4hr movie...
I'm considering writing a film script for NaNo this year, something I've never done before, so it'd be helpful if I didn't accidentally write a 4hr movie...
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Take a peek at the tips thread stickied at the top of this forum, there are links to screenplay format examples, plus sites full of free-to-read screenplays.
-Derek
For length i was told that it also depends on your market, where you are looking to sell the script eventually or where you are looking development funding from. Some of my scripts have started at 120 pages then slowly been sliced and diced to around 90 pages which for smaller Film Boards seems to be the length they look for.