When adapting and updating a well known property in the public domain, it is a bit of a judgement call as to whether or not the original work needs a “based on” credit. If it feels dishonest not to note it, note it. If not, it’s up to you. For a case like West Side […]
What is the difference between a logline and a tagline?
A “logline” is a movie’s concept boiled down to one or two sentences: *On his deathbed, a father tells the story of his life the way he remembers it: full of wild, impossible exaggerations. His grown son tries to separate the truth from the fantasy before it’s too late.* A “tagline” is a short, clever […]
How do you format an on-screen countdown clock?
There is no hard and fast rule to format an on-screen countdown clock. As with all general formatting advice, your goal is to express your idea clearly and simply, without taking the reader out of the scene. Any way you can accomplish that is acceptable. Your first instinct may be to mark each appearance of […]
How short can my screenplay be?
Generally speaking, as a novice your [spec scripts](https://screenwriting.io/what-is-a-%E2%80%9Cspec-script%E2%80%9D/) should be between 110 and 120 pages. The rule of thumb with screenplays is that one page equals one minute of screen time. Of course, this is not an exact science, nor do all movies run between 110 and 120 minutes, but keeping your screenplays in this […]
How long should a screenplay be?
There is no set page count for how long a feature screenplay should be, but generally speaking, your [spec scripts](https://screenwriting.io/what-is-a-%E2%80%9Cspec-script%E2%80%9D/) should be between 110 and 120 pages. The rule of thumb with screenplays is that one page equals one minute of screen time. Of course, this is not an exact science, nor do all movies […]
Can you include emotion or other “unshootable” elements in your screenplay?
In general and if used judiciously, yes. If including something like emotion gives your screenplay flavor and helps paint a better picture of your character or scene, include it. But keep in mind that while it may help the reader, the viewer can’t see “happy;” you have to express that through the actions and dialogue […]