Script Format: Screenplay Length & Selling Your Script

Like a crazy old uncle visiting from out of town, many unsold screenwriters make a common mistake when it comes to telling stories: they overstay their welcome and ramble on for too long.

If you already know the recommended maximum limit of a screenplay is 120 pages, did you also know that a writer who has never made money from screenwriting should keep scripts under 105 pages?

I'll cover other aspects of screenwriting in upcoming articles, but this one looks at the impact of script length on an unsold or unoptioned writer's chance at success. In the second article of this series, you'll learn 3 editing methods for trimming fat from your screenplay.

If there's one thing most screenwriting articles, books, and tutorials agree on, it's length. With few exceptions, maximum screenplay length should not exceed 120 pages.

Having seen hundreds of unsold writers' scripts, I can say that the 120 rule seems to be taken as a goal, rather than a guide. More than 80% of those writers' scripts were around 115-120 pages. Yet the sweet spot for unsold writers' scripts is 95-105 pages of well-told story with well-drawn characters.

Can an unsold writer go over 105 pages? Sure. Should an unsold writer go over? No.

Though it may seem hard to keep your script under 105 pages, it is one of the most important things an unsold writer can do. Whether your goal is to sell your script, find an agent, or get an assignment, length does matter. There are three main reasons this is true; two are economic, one is aesthetic.

Not readers like your Aunt Clara or your best friend Gus...readers like the story analysts, aka "readers", at production companies, agencies, studios, etc.

Readers are the keepers of the gate, whom you hope to dazzle with your writing. They read your script and then write coverage of the script for agents, producers, development executives, and various other people who make decisions about greenlighting projects, hiring writers, or representing talent.

Before the 'big wigs' make a decision to read a script, they read the coverage.

Coverage usually consists of two main parts: a summary of the plot and an analysis of the story. The reader also judges whether your script is something his boss should pass on or consider. If the reader gives it a ‘consider', then the boss usually reads the script and you get to go through the whole process again with another set of eyes.

As you can see, considering the reader is important.

Many readers get paid by the script. The more scripts they can read, the more scripts they can write coverage for, the more money they can make.

A longer script takes longer to read. That means a longer script makes a reader less money when broken down to a dollar per hour basis.

Since script length is the first thing most people check, a screenwriter who submits a long screenplay creates an immediate speed bump that slows down progress towards success. The reader, upon being assigned your 115 page baby, will groan beneath its weight.

"This writer is costing me money!" the reader thinks. It may be subconscious, but it is still there: an automatic resentment for your script.

Further, readers make certain assumptions about unsold writers, based on experience. Unsold writers almost always write scripts over 110 pages, and usually more than 115. Unsold writers often include too much fat, too much detail, too much unnecessary direction.

If your script is under 105 pages, though, instead of putting up a wall, a reader subconciously opens their arms. You get mental bonus points because you're one of the few exceptions to the usual new writer rule.

Instead of setting up a negative feeling in readers, why not impress them with your consideration of their time AND at the same time separate yourself from the rest of the unsold pack?

If you've already submitted a screenplay over 105 pages, fret not. At least you aren't these guys (watch video)!

The general rule is that 1 page of screenplay equals 1 minute of screen time. Thus, the shorter the script, the shorter the movie -- and the greater the number of times a movie can be shown in one day on one screen in one exhibitor's movie theater.

Depending on the theater, the break point for adding one more showing of a movie on a screen is usually between 95-105 minutes. In other words, if your movie ends up being 110 minutes long, you have to show the movie one less time per day.

If an exhibitor can show a film on one screen more times in one day, it usually leads to a higher average per screen gross. Most exhibitors these days own multiple theaters nationwide, so multiply the one screen by many, and you can see the impact one less showing per screen has.

In other words, the extra ten pages you left on your script could cost the exhibitor thousands of dollars in profit each day. The exhibitor, therefore, prefers shorter movies over longer ones.

Shorter movies have shorter scripts.

Distributors know that most exhibitors prefer shorter movies. Distributors need exhibitors to show their films and seek to keep them happy. The distributor, therefore, prefers shorter movies over longer ones.

Shorter movies have shorter scripts.

Producers need distributors to pick up their completed movies and seek to keep them happy. The producer, therefore, prefers...well, you get the picture.

Even though there are plenty of movies over 105 minutes, the plain fact is that a greater demand exists for films shorter than 105 minutes. And so there is a greater demand for shorter scripts.

Why give them one more reason to pass?

(Yes, this time even your Aunt Clara and best friend Gus!)

When story, characters, and dialogue remain unchanged, a shorter version of the same script makes for a better read.

You may be saying "What??? How is it possible to have a shorter version without cutting my precious characters, story, and dialogue???" Hang on there, buddy...help is on the way.

The shorter version seems more exciting and jam-packed with interesting story twists - even though they are the same twists as the longer version. The short version feels like more of a page-turner than the longer version -- and that should be every writer's ultimate goal.

How do I reduce my script length?

Most writers can reduce their script length by using three techniques that leave story, character, and dialogue untouched. Try them out on your script and see if you can get it down to under 105 pages.

But first, watch this video:

Read the second article in this series and learn three techniques for slimming down your screenplay's weight.