Page Count & Run Time
One of the most common requests I get from people is to provide them with the average number of scenes/pages/sequences per screenplay so that they can gauge whether or not what they are writing is completely out of whack or falls in line with the rest of the industry. These numbers have now been updated with 2019 information compiled by stevenfollows.com after researching over twelve thousand scripts.
Average Page Count: 106
image credit: stephenfollows.com
The median length across 12,000 scripts examined by stevenfoillows.com was 106 pages. However, there was a broad spectrum of lengths, with 68.5% of screenplays running between 90 and 120 pages long.
Scene Count: 110
The average script has 110 scenes – just over one scene per page. Action scripts have the greatest number of scenes (an average of 131.2 scenes) with Comedies having the fewest (just 98.5).
Sequence Count:
8-10 (current average = 9 sequences)
Pages per scene:
0-3 (current average = 2 per scene)
These figures are not to be considered some kind of target to hit, however. This is just some very general information that you can consider while you write, but don’t use any of this to seriously shape your screenplay. Having said that…
If your numbers are FAR different, then perhaps it’s time to have a closer look at WHY, but my best advice is … don’t worry about it. Just make your screenplay white-hot with excellence. THAT should be your only real target.
It’s also important to know that the GENRE you choose to write within will also affect what is considered the norm or what is an acceptable length for a spec screenplay.
Here are a few excerpts from a great post by Barb Doyon on extremescreenwriting.com to help make my point. The post was appropriately titled “The Best Screenplay Length Per Genre”
THE BEST SCREENPLAY LENGTH PER GENRE
A screenplay’s page length is important. Get it wrong and the writer risks not being taken seriously in Hollywood. By getting it right, the writer shows an understanding of screenwriting and the market.
The general rule for screenplay length is anything over 120-pages is too long and under 90-pages is too short, regardless of genre.
However, the writer needs to be aware of the acceptable page lengths for different genres. First, as noted above, be aware of the ‘general rule’, but also be aware that the acceptable screenplay length per genre, as noted below, is subject to change based on current trends in the industry. If a writer follows the business closely, the writer will know when the changes take place. In the meantime, let’s take a look at the current ranges for page lengths based on specific genres:
DRAMA
For this genre, the acceptable length is 115-120 pages. This is the only genre where hitting 120-pages isn’t frowned upon. This category also includes Crime Drama and Film Noir.
SUSPENSE THRILLER
This genre should come in around 105-115 pages. This page length includes all thrillers; action thriller, supernatural thriller, crime thriller, etc.
COMEDY
Make us laugh up to 105-110 pages, then FADE OUT. The closer to 105 pages the better.
ROMANTIC COMEDY
RomComs should come in slightly shorter than a feature-length Comedy. Unlike Comedies, RomComs tend to have a chase scene at the end that moves fast. This accounts for the difference in the page count.
ACTION
Action should be around 90-105 pages. Why? Action sequences with non-stop blow ’em up stuff might be one-page long in the script, but it’ll hit around 3 minutes of actual screen time. Because of this, it’s best to keep action scripts in the lower page range. Be careful: don’t go below 90 pages or the script will be too short.
ACTION ADVENTURE
Keep the Action Adventure around 100-115 pages. Unlike Action, the Action Adventure relies more heavily on exotic backdrops mixed with dialogue, so the writer can get away with the longer page count.
ANIMATION
Animation scripts should read between 110-115 pages. In an Animation, the writer is the director. That means the writer can add camera angles and other directorial references that will lengthen the script. However, it’s advisable to stick with regular screenwriting rules and avoid directorial references, but this genre does have a directorial option.
HORROR
This should be one of the shortest scripts a screenwriter completes coming in as close to 90 pages as possible, but not under 90 pages. The reason is that 98% of all horrors are made for lower budgets and less pages means lower financial concerns for the production. Psychological Horror can be slightly longer at 110-115 pages, but if the story relies heavily on visual effects, then go with the lower page count.
MIXED GENRES
What if the script is a combination of genres? Determine what genre takes up most of the screen time and go with that page length.
SCRIPTS OVER 120 PAGES
Long scripts from unknown writers are ignored by producers. Keep the length within the confines listed above.
SCRIPTS UNDER 90 PAGES
These scripts don’t qualify for production in any genre. Why? Because film distributors require a minimum of 90-minutes = 90 pages to qualify for theatrical or cable release. The script must be a minimum of 90-pages.
SIGHTHOUND NOTE:
There have been scripts produced that came in significantly under 90 pages. However …It’s really important to understand that these projects were very unusual and were not SPEC SCRIPTS like you will be writing. They were protected and curated by professionals already keen on making those films. It would be VERY difficult for a new writer to sell a 70-page script without it first winning a number of high-profile contests and such.
Additionally, those films featured a very little amount of dialogue. I’m thinking about ALL IS LOST starring Robert Redford and THE LIFE OF PI in particular. A severe lack of dialogue can throw off the classic 1 page per minute formula, but otherwise, these were very professionally-written efforts with LOTS of support behind them, so don’t think your 70 page script will get the same kind of love. That is very, VERY unlikely.
PAGE COUNT & FORMATTING
For the longest time, standard studio film distribution contracts stated that the production company must deliver their film with a running time under 2 hours and 10 minutes. The reason was purely practical: a maximum two-hour running time created the best return on investment by allowing for an ideal number of screenings per day at the cinemas.
Although a number of extremely high-profile projects like Lord of The Rings, King Kong, and The Dark Knight Rises have pushed the envelope by going to market with epic 3-hour films, the standard runtime is still about two hours and most films run between 90 and 120 minutes.
When used correctly, industry-standard screenplay formatting translates the following way:
1 page of screenplay
=
1 minute of running time
As stated above, there are exceptions of course, but MOST screenplays fall comfortably between 90 and 120 pages when they are formatted in an industry-standard way (we’ll be talking much more about formatting later).
HOW IT LOOKS
When a producer sees a long screenplay over 120-pages, they already know they’re headed for development hell because it’s obvious it requires editing. In addition, this screenplay will cost more and most producers will make significant cuts to keep it at a reasonable cost. The screenwriter’s best option is to do the tough editing before it gets into a producer’s hands – when the writer still has control of what is or isn’t cut.
When a producer sees a short screenplay, it automatically indicates something is wrong with the story structure. Usually, it means the hero hasn’t been given enough conflict to overcome or the antagonist has disappeared for a majority of the story when he should have been going head-to-head with the protagonist.
Here’s what short acts could be an indicator of:
ACT I
The writer didn’t provide enough setups to validate the overall plot.
ACT II
The hero wasn’t given enough conflict to overcome.
ACT III
The hero’s arc is weak. He’s hasn’t changed enough to take on a full resolution.
EXCEPTION TO THE RULE
The only exception is the independent feature-length scripts, which are often reliant on a small budget to get made. These often require a shorter page length, regardless of genre. However, independent film writers (and filmmakers) should make sure the overall length is at least 90-pages to meet the basic requirements for distribution. Many indie films get stuck ‘in the can’ with a produced film that isn’t long enough. Start with and stick to a script that’s at least 90-pages.
CONCLUSION
The best way to assure the script is the proper length with Acts that fit the norm is the start with an outline. Outlining helps the screenwriter spot holes in the story’s structure that can be fixed before the writing begins. After 20+ years in the business, I’ve never met a professional screenwriter who doesn’t outline.
Stick with the page lengths listed above and keep your screenplay competitive in the marketplace.
To give you a better idea of how page count is tackled as a subject out in the real world, here’s part of a thread from the stage32.com website.
A writer starts by asking the question …
Does the length of your script really matter?
I just finished the second half re-write of one of my scripts. I've never been this satisfied with anything I wrote before. Every scene adds to the story, there doesn't seem to be any filler, the actions and dialogue were written with ease although the length, which I've been told most screenplays should be between 90-120 pages is far beyond that at 165 pages. With screenplays such as Scarface having page numbers beyond 180 does the length of your script really matter? This is beyond my first screenplay, I've written over three hundred thousand words of script last year alone and likely five hundred thousand words or more in the five years before that but this is the script I want to show to the world. Not the garbage I wrote before this, but this. I plan on having it edited professionally but before I do I want to know, does the length of your script really matter?
And here is what the regulars on that site answered with:
The industry standard script length used to be 120 pages, but it's closer to 105 now. As a script reader, it's a big red flag for me when a script is under 85 pages or over 120 pages. Movies should be as intense and condensed of an experience as possible, so a longer screenplay makes me think that the writer doesn't have enough experience editing and condensing his own work. (I'm not saying that's the case with you, just in general.) However, a very small percentage of screenplays do tell a story that needs to be longer than 120 pages, but there would have to be an extremely good reason for that.
- Phil DyerHI there, my opinion and experience as a reader for an agent/producer, is that it's fine having a great story and incredible characters, but the chances of it getting picked up are very slim when the odds are already against you. Scarface and Godfather weren't spec scripts; Coppola and Stone can write what they like. Do those first ten pages make the reader want to carry on? You would probably say yes, but the reader is going to have to fall in love with the characters and story as much as you have. So, until you are established, this one WILL sit on the shelf unless you break through that first hurdle (yourself) and cut cut cut. Good luck!
- Darren TomalinUnless you have an Oscar under your belt or established credits, length matters. With RARE, and I mean RARE exception. Keep it under 120 pages. In fact, try not to pass 110 pages. I guarantee there's plenty that can be cut. I have a script that's 145 pages on my profile, I know it needs re-writing and cutting, and I plan to do it. It's just part of the process.
- Curtis James Coffee
More on Page Count
I once hired a fantastic story consultant named Steve Deering who is very experienced and well-connected. Steve had mentioned he felt the script I was writing would be most attractive at 100 pages - 110 maximum. So I asked him:
I'm, particularly fascinated with your instincts when it comes to the most appropriate page length per genre and wonder if you are referring to some kind of living document or if this is all just drawn from your own instincts and observations about the industry? Is there something current in print that is available to reference or would you be willing to share a rough guide?
And Steve was nice enough to reply with:
It's not so much a documented thing. It comes down to a lot of factors I've seen play out. Producer and reader preference. Budget as it equates to pages as pages equate to minutes on screen. Genre as it equates to distribution and how, for theatrical distribution, some genres are desired to play a certain amount of times in a theater per day, hence a desired low page count as it once again relates to the belief that a page equals a minute. Which is absolutely not true but it's a pretty hard and fast guideline most people use. Even though I disagree with it. I once shot an eight page short that came out to a 2 and a half minute film. But that's just what people believe. Basically, I've seen that pushing the industry standard of 120 is only seen as highly acceptable for heavy dramas. Mystic River type things. Or historical films. There are exceptions of course, but for the sake of safety in marketing, it's good to keep most genre fare under 110 pages. Comedies and horror and typically expected to be under 100. Others can go as high up to 110 until they start raising eyebrows. For this genre, criminal drama/comedy/some action, I'd say it'd fall around the 110 page cap. 100 would be fantastic. It also comes down to just appealing to a producer/reader/buyer. Most of them HATE reading scripts. Which is ironic cause that's their business. But they hate it. 120 seems daunting. 100 seems accessible. Read it after work in bed type thing. 110 is okay. It won't ruffle any feathers. So page count always comes down to those many factors.
SUMMARY:
Page count DOES matter. A LOT. Especially for a new writer writing spec scripts. Pay close attention to your page count and use the above genre guidelines to keep yourself out of trouble and in consideration. There was a time when the target length of an average would have been 120 and if the script ran a little long or short of that, it was no big deal. Today, I’d target the current average of 106 and try to keep it under 110.
Too many professional readers are looking for reasons to toss your screenplay.
