Hey Stage32 glad to chime in with a question. I've been away for several weeks and I'm again excited with a project. I'm writing a 30 minute pilot for a new series. I've been looking for a page count, formating and structural requirements. Some say 40 pages or 45. Some say 25. I haven't found anything specific on structure aside from a short play or something. Maybe you can help if I give you a similar 30 minute show I watch. It's the only one I can say with confidence that is similar: "American Pickers".
There it is. What is the page count for 30 minutes? Do I use the same, basic formatting and structure?
Please respond.
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I was a Field Producer on a very similar half hour program (6 episodes) in 2006. We took a lot of liberties with the written scripts during each shoot. It all has to edit out to the allotted air time. So 25 - 30 pages is the sweet spot - little shorter an we can adlib & drag it out; a little longer an there's some stuff left on the cutting room floor.
Thanks Doug. Because I was wondering how 45 pages could actually shrink into less than thirty minutes considering TV commercials. Seems like something has to give.
Now I assume the traditional screenplay formatting rules apply. It is a screenplay remember, not a play. So there remains the question of structure. It seems unlikely for the 5-key turning point structure to apply: events building it with intro, first situation, commitment, setback, arcs, major setback, final push & ending. So how does a 30 minute show apply a similar, but different structure?
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I saw where you mentioned that you were assuming that traditional screenplay formatting rules apply. I just checked my Final Draft formatting options, and I saw that screenplay format is different from TV format. I have no clue how they differ, but I thought you might want to know before you dig in. I'm sure you could find out from the site the exact format for a TV pilot. Best to keep your ducks in a row. Good luck.
How are things, Carlv Coleman?
https://thescriptlab.com/features/screenwriting-101/8930-how-to-structur...
https://screencraft.org/2018/01/05/the-screenwriters-guide-to-formatting...
Not sure if this format is outdated or not, but I’ve always written with the “one page=one minute” rule in mind. So I’d say 30.
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How many pages were in the couple of dozen scripts you read?
I think the rule: one page for one minute is just an estimate. Sometimes actors and directors bring in their viewpoints that make the one page longer than one minute. Sometimes the opposite. That is why I think the 30 min TV pilot can range from 25-40 pages.