Writing a [screenplay](https://screenwriting.io/what-is-a-screenplay/) is a large undertaking. In [not much more than 100 pages](https://screenwriting.io/how-long-should-a-screenplay-be/), a screenwriter must clearly and succinctly present a coherent and gripping story, complete with rich characters and interesting dialogue and action, all while following [standard screenplay format](https://screenwriting.io/what-is-standard-screenplay-format/). **Get a feel for how they work.** Screenplays are not stand-alone pieces of literary […]
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 […]
What is a treatment?
A treatment is essentially a prose version of your screenplay, although its exact definition can vary from person to person. Usually, treatments differ from outlines in that they look more like short stories where outlines look more like breakdowns or bulleted lists, but this is a bit of a generalization. Most feature treatments are around […]
How many scenes should a screenplay have?
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 […]
How many pages should each act of a screenplay be?
Unlike plays and television scripts, which explicitly indicate their act breaks, most feature screenplays don’t print act breaks anywhere in the script. But in everyday discussion, screenwriters generally talk about movies having three acts. SCREENWRITER Crap. I’m at page 38 but I’m nowhere near the end of the first act. or SCREENWRITER Boom! Page 90, […]