ratios

[pantalone]

A friend of mine (no, really, a friend) got some paid coverage from one of those paid coverage people. She sent me the notes, which are pretty interesting. One part really stuck out. He (the pseudo-coverage guy) says that commercial scripts are 50% dialog, and 50% description. I have about 150 scripts on my hard drive in pdf and word formats. Without spending the time to break them down into dialog/description has anybody else heard this? or broke things down? This sounds silly to me. I mean, I've been a paid reader and nobody ever told me to watch for the percent of dialog vs description. Sure, I knew I wanted a story, and behind every line of dialog should be line of description... and the dialog should back up the description. But I can't say as I have ever thought of percents. Anybody else?

[jimjimgrande]

I've done coverage for a long time and it's never been a consideration for me or anyone I've worked for.

Sounds like b.s. invented to justify getting paid.

[Unca Leo]

My scripts are usually in the 20-30% dialogue range.

[altoption]

You've never noticed how it changes from genre to genre? That an action film just may have more action than say a romantic comedy?

[PeekABooBang]

Final Draft has a report that will tell you how your percentages break down. My latest thriller is 40% dialogue while my last horror script was only 20% dialogue.

[ComicBent]

Forget about those idiotic ratios that people keep coming up with.

The goal is just to represent, in actions and dialogue, what is happening. Be economical with both, and things will come out right.

[TwoBrad Bradley]

Why would a 50/50 ratio be considered a good "rule of thumb" in the first place?

Is it the basis for the average "one page = one minute"?
Does it indicate a fair amount of white space?
Could it possibly be an indication that the Action isn't over written?
Or maybe the Dialogue is as tight as it could be?

Is it really a rule, or is it an indication that these things should, at least, be considered?

[nickj]

I agree, you shouldn't write to a ratio, and I was never told to look for one. If someone thinks you've got too much dialogue or too much action, it's the writing that bothers them, not the ratio.

[TwelveMile]

Imagine having applied those percentages to The Black Stallion, which was probably 80% action/visuals. The very idea is nuts. Go ahead and ignore it.

[filmcarver]

Monitoring a ratio? naaa. Knowing one? Why not?

Can you say it is completely useless to have a grasp on "balance"? If a script is heavy towards description, then you know you have more action and characterization, probably locations. Production cost estimate is part of studio coverage. Notice that Unca actually knew his balance, which means it has been at least assessed on his writing.

I would imagine the reader was just making an observation more than quoting some script law. Knowledge is power, even if it just tidbits on script balance.

[pantalone]

Can you say it is completely useless to have a grasp on "balance"?

I agree with this point (and every one who said it is silly) 'though it seems to me that the balance is going to be organic to the script. Considering this wasn't the coverage guys only fixit point, I'd think that if she did raise the stakes, make the conflict and resolution more apparent, improve characterization, a stronger opening, etc, etc, etc, then the ratio would either really be 50-50 or that it would no longer be noticeable.

[wcmartell]

I've heard it - and I may have even said it before. It's just a ballpark, and different genres will have more or less dialogue.

Usually this ratio is used to point out someone who has a script that's almost all dialogue. Film is a visual medium, and you should be able to understand the story from the actions of the characters (not action=things blow up, but action=what people *do*). Since about 60% to 70% of the average film's income is from places where they don't speak English, the actions of the characters is danged important.

Averages are averages - all scripts are individual... but you don't want your script to be a freak of nature unlike any script ever produced.

- Bill (50% good, 50% evil)

[TRQ]

ELEMENT STATISTICS

Element&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Number&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Percentage

General&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 1&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 0%
Scene Heading&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 155&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 2%
Action&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 752&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 51%
Character&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 1021&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 4%
Parenthetical&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 25&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 0%
Dialogue&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 1023&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 40%
Transition&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 2&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 0%
Shot&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 10&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 0%

I had no idea that Final Draft would do this for you ... at least it doesn't look like a freak of nature.

*trying to remember 10 shots and 2 transitions*

[vex]

The 2 transitions are your Fade In, and Fade to Black ;)

[ulillillia]

Hmm. My script is more like 2/3 dialogue and 1/3 description. I guess it all depends on the script and it's nature. Later on in the script, it's more like 75% dialogue and 25% description. It probably just depends on what's going on.

[keithtowers]

Until I started posting stuff on these boards my dialogue ratio over description was:

85% description

15% dialogue

Thanks to all the critique, it is probably down to:

60% description

40% dialogue.

My long term goal would be to get the ratio down to:

30% description

70% dialogue

I have no idea what the ideal is, however. I suppose it must matter to someone.

Keith

PS I use Final Draft 7 - didn't know it could that. Doncha just love it?

[Bridgette a la Mode]

If you get up to 70% dialogue, you MAY have written a play.