I have an hour long script . I then asked myself, why is it an hour long script? Would it sell better as a half hour? Are these decisions the producers or networks would make? Would a half hour be easier to sell?
Screenwriting : One hour or one half hour? Is there any set rule or is it based on the genre? by J. Edgar Bullock
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There's no set rule. Dramatic series, especially procedural tend to be "hour long" to allow time to tell a story with a bigger plot that takes more time to develop, explore then wrap up. Sit coms and single camera comedies tend to run under thirty minutes keep the comedy fresh, avoid audience fatigue and because the situation can usually only sustain so long.
Even the streaming services tend to stick to the 42-44 minutes for hourlong and 22-24 minutes for half hours because it allows future syndication to commercial television outlets for downstream revenue.
Binge watching, though and full season-same day drops allow a better opportunity to make half hour dramas now more than ever. Because the risk before was that in the week between airings, the audience might not be able to stick with story arcs spread over a season.
If a half hour format feels right to you, try it. There are no wrong choices. As the old saying goes in Hollywood, "Nobody knows nothing."
Are you talking about film or television? I assume you're talking about tv in which case the half hour slot is more approachable for a new/unknown writer. Better yet - a couple of years in a tv series Writers' Room (it's tough).
Thanks guys. One half hour it is.
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If you are talking to an exec who is asking for a half hour series, they mean comedy nearly 100% of the time. A one-hour is almost always for a drama series.
The confusion begins when you are writing a dramedy. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a one hour, but very much a comedy-heavy drama. Atlanta is a half hour, but its a very drama-heavy comedy. When you operate in between, that's when you can make the decision on your own.
Obviously there isn't a rule against a half hour drama or one hour comedy, but it'll be a much tougher sell.
To your specific questions, one is not easier to sell than the other - they're just different. The length is definitely up to the writer (unless the execs decide to rework everything) as you write the pilot and it'll be one or the other.
Hi Dan, I wish I was a writer! I see myself as a creator. Writers are a very dedicated talented group of people. I just see TV shows in my head. My goal is all creator. I let the professionals do their thing .