There is no set number of scenes a movie should have. It’s tempting to say that a 120-page script at approximately 2 to 3 pages per scene should have 40 to 60 scenes. While not wrong, this is a gross generalization. The better answer is that a screenplay should have as many scenes as are […]
Does format change for screenplays/teleplays/etc?
Yes. Multicamera sitcom scripts have a different format than single-camera TV scrips, which have a slightly different format than film scripts. The best way to understand the differences is to study scripts of the different formats. The johnaugust.com library has feature script samples, while this TV writing resource has examples of both multicamera and single-camera […]
What is a “spec script?”
A “spec script” is a movie written on “speculation” — without a deal or sale already in place, and without being commissioned. A writer is not paid to write a spec. They do it on their own time with the hopes of selling it to a buyer, or to use as a writing sample. In […]
What do the different writer credits mean?
Writer credits are complicated, and unparsing them for any particular project may be an impossible task without talking directly to those involved. Every detail matters: “&” and “and” mean two different things, for instance (writers connected with “&” are a writing team, while those connected with “and” are not). Generally, different credits represent how much […]
What do the different producer credits mean?
In film, producer credits are complex, and their meanings can vary wildly from film to film, or even from producer to producer on the same film. In 2004, John August wrote this blog post, which covers the topic in detail. In television, where bigger-picture writing is usually done collaboratively in the writers room, the writers […]
What does “high concept” mean?
A “high concept” idea is one that can be easily and succinctly explained. It was originally coined ironically, in opposition to “high art,” which is why to some the term is counter-intuitive. A good (albeit extreme) example is Snakes on a Plane — the title itself explains the idea. More from johnaugust.com Pride and Predator […]