Script Length (1 Viewer)

[chip]

ok everyone else has one so script writers dont feel bad

how long is your script
mine is 28 pages......
are you all sticking by the page= minute thing?

 

[johnson]

try timing it by reading the dialogue aloud and estimating how long the actions take, cos i tried doing the one minute = one page thing but it wasn't that accurate...

 

[chip]

yeh i tried that actually i think it came close to around about 23 minutes
i think scripts are suppose to be no longer than 25 minutes or something
is that right?

 

[snakeoils]

umm, i think our time thingo is minimum 20 minutes, maximum 30.

at the moment, im around 22 pages... but i reckon i'll be up to about 28 by the time i rewrite a few bits.

 

[ladypenelope85]

yeah, the 20-30 min thing seems rite

mine's 32 pages, and goes for 29 mins on a readthru, so the minute thing is kiinnnda accurate....

but it's a radio drama script so sounds effects r pretty detailed, etc

 

[chip]

ohhh how did you find the radio drama i heard they were harder to write

 

[ladypenelope85]

lol, so did i...

it's a pretty challenging medium, cos it takes quite a bit of research just to get comfortable with all the conventions...
i found a great template at the beginning, which gave a crash-course in conventions, and as the piece developed it took on more and more sound elements, cos as they say, radio's the theatre of the mind... but it's been worth the trouble, for sure!

 

[chip]

ahhh thats cool then
wats the basic plot and what kind of noises did you use

 

[ladypenelope85]

basic plot - it's a true story - ww2, army nurses r taken pow in rabaul, new guinea, and shipped over to japan, where they spend the war living amongst the enemy - it's one of these women telling her story (cos basically throughout the years, we've all been listening to the kokoda trail, the anzacs, etc, what about the women??)

and sound effects, i've kinda tried to radio-ise something from the changi mini series... they had intrusion sounds, where sounds from the past intruded on situations in the present - so as this woman tells her story, sounds intrude from the past, and sometimes it just goes into full flashback mode, and her younger self plays out scenarios... it's been really cool, comparing older radio dramas of the 30's 40's 50's with the modern revival -Louis Nowra ones, and some from airplay on radio national

lol... i guess it's late enough in the year to be publishing all this on the net

 

[chip]

thats sounds awesome
well i wrote a sitcom and yeh its ok i guess
i enjoyed writing it ......... i guess its kinda in malcom in the middle but its based around the life of tully
yeh everyone else should almost be finished and i dont see why they'd really steal your idea

 

[snakeoils]

hey, do any of u guys know whether that 1 page = 1 minute thing is allowing for the script to be double spaced??

 

[snakeoils]

so, lets "hypothetically" say my script is 56 pages (double spaced), do you reckon that'd be counted as going over the 30 minute limit? or do i have to start giving scenes the chop?

 

[chip]

i dont think it should be anymore than say 35-40 pages
but i'd ask your teacher

 

[snakeoils]

i tried to ask her... she had no clue but yeah, i think i won't risk it, and just slaughter some scenes.

 

[chip]

Camera directions?

At the moment my work is 28pages long but i dont have any camera directions and only a small amout of stage directions.

does everyone have camera directions and that?

i still have time to add them and i dont know whether i should or not

will it become a screenplay rather than a script?

 

[snakeoils]

i had that dilemma too... decided to add SOME camera direction, when i felt they were important... i looked at the standards package, and one of the top band films had them... so i decided they couldnt really mark us down.

 

[johnson]

Re: Camera directions?

Originally posted by chip
At the moment my work is 28pages long but i dont have any camera directions and only a small amout of stage directions.

does everyone have camera directions and that?

i still have time to add them and i dont know whether i should or not

will it become a screenplay rather than a script?

no, do NOT add camera directions unless they are essential to the telling of the story (so, for example, if u have like... okayt in my script i had a recurring theme with blood, so there were a few CU (close-up's) of trickling blood etc.)

camera work is essentially the job of the cinematographer- u are writing to tell a story, b asically.

well, that's what i learnt last year anyway

 

[spark]

My script (short film) is almost 70 pages (double spaced, size 14 et al.. ~ 55 if size 12.. I forgot what the requirement was). It also has a lot of cinematic directions (mainly transitions and angles) which I feel is necessary because it adds to the visual imagery and symbolism I'm trying to convey.


Basically it all comes down to you. The film scripts are not meant to conform to the 'standard' script format - some slight variations are allowed and you won't be penalised for it. Good luck.

 

[lobsha]

Radio Drama

Hey i am doing a radio drama and i am just informing you all that my teacher said that my script (51 pages) had to strictly follow the 1page=1min rule whether it was in 10 font or 1000 font! My script is pretty detailed with SFX and music cues and i have been having great difficulty cutting things out of my script because ITS ALL RELEVANT TO THE STORY LINE!! I think i am in a bit of a pickle! I have been trying to cut things but it has been so difficult! i think i have only cut half a page of irrelevant stuff.

 

[snakeoils]

oh boy, do i know the feeling.