I've heard mixed things. Some people seem to think everything's fine as long as your feature screenplay is within that range. Others say the "magic number" seems to be below 100. Just wondering about your opinions.
Screenwriting : Does that 90-120 page "rule" still hold? by Emily Hu
Does that 90-120 page "rule" still hold?
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I would say that every page above 100 should be vital enough to be included. Of course, the first 100 pages should be vital and awe inspiring enough to be in there too.
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You'll have a hard time getting read over 120. 90-110 is the sweet spot, but it also depends on the genre in part, comedies and horrors should be on the lower count.
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I'm taking a course with a working screenwriter who believes 100-110 is the sweet spot at the moment. He's been produced a couple times and has done consulting work.
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Thanks, everyone. Right now my current project looks to finish up around 120-130 pages. I'll plan to cut down to below 110.
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Trying to answer in a vacuum with not enough info... but I agree with Tony's instructor, and I also recommend 100-110 for most scripts.
Regina makes a good point. Genre plays a role.
I concur. :) 100-110 is the sweet spot for a feature screenplay. Generally speaking, dramas and thrillers tend to be longer (100-110) than horror and comedies (90-110).
And lately, some of your more adventurous films are consistently running over 120. "The Martian" - 144. Sicario, go figure. Still, I believe in shooting for the 100 - 110 page mark.
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120-130 can be OK for big epic stores, big action, I think silver linings playbook came in at about 150... but they are usually written by established, awesome geniuses. For the geniuses that are trying to get someone to read their 'unknown' work, that extra 30 pages can be 'aaarrgh' if you have a million others to read that day. most of the best recent horrors I've read come in at 90-100... some even a touch less. I've read great drama's mainly between 100-110. 'The King's Speech' comes in around 92 odd. Grab as many scripts as you can online that you know that have/have been made into movies and look at theirs for a guide. This was a long winded way to say ditto to Beth and W.Keith. :)
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Keep in mind it depends who you are aiming the script at. Studio robo-readers will baulk at anything that falls outside their usual computing terms, while quirky indie directors may see something outside the norm as appealing. Always remember to consider where you want to fit in comfortably, rather than where you can squeeze yourself if you compromise.
Around 90 is playing it safe.
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You all make great points. I can't really identify the genre of the script I'm working on right now--it is a heist movie, kind of like Ocean's Eleven. So a thriller, perhaps? Either way it sounds like the general consensus is 100-110 pages, which I'm pretty confident I can make.