A different script length question

[writer for life]

I've just finished my crime drama. It's very lean at 94 pages... no extraneous stuff. Is this an acceptable length? If I send this out will someone check the page count and chuck it?

[Deus Ex Machine]

It's a paranoid myth that people check the page length and toss a script that is off by more than two pages of what they think the length should be.

Sure page length can influence the final opinion of a script, like if it's 85 pages long and thin on character development they will say there's room for more and want it beefed up. If it's 135 pages long and feels sluggish and bloated with extraneous details and redundancies, they will think it needs to be trimmed and focused. A good story is only as good as the way it is told. If you rush and skip important stuff it will hurt just as much as being too slow and meandering through pointless details.

In general, people in HW expect a script to hit certain page targets and assume that a script which radically misses those targets has some kid of problem. They will still read it but their original impressions will be tainted by their views on the page count. So if you do radically miss the targets you better deliver a fantastic script that makes them forget all about how long it is and doesn't give them any excuse to find flaws in it.

Having said that, in general page lengths for genres are:

90-105 for Rom-Com/Com

100-115 for action/thrillers/drama

I have two specs on my desk which recently sold. One is a character driven crime thriller and the other is a crime action story. They are 108 and 109 pages respectively.

HTH

[writer for life]

Thanks for the advice... one of the reasons it's so short is that the script never leaves the POV of the main character... there is never a scene with a secondary character by themselves. I feel this is best for the story because the main character has a HUGE problem and scenes like secondary character talking to her g/f about this guy just wont do anything for the story.

On the other hand I COULD add some more scenes with secondary characters doing certain things by themselves just to lengthen it a bit... but I'm reluctant to do this because I think it's not needed -- but I could be wrong. What should I do?

[JakeSchuster aka Ostroff]

Deus, Thanks for the advice. Excellent stuff, right on the button, I think.

[Deus Ex Machine]

Never add anything for the sake of making it longer. Only add if it makes the story better.

[NikeeGoddess]

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.... one of the reasons it's so short is that the script never leaves the POV of the main
Devil in a Blue Dress comes to mind.

Also - you might have the right page length for a cable or tv movie (w/commercial breaks).

[English5]

There's only one way to find out how long a script is and that's to do a read through making time-allowances for actions etc. Films are measured in minutes, not pages.

[NikeeGoddess]

but English5 - page numbers is the guide for minutes: 1 page per minute is the guide. Of course this is not hard and locked but, it's a place to start and everyone uses it.

[JoeNYC]

Ninety-four pages for a crime drama seems light. Check your structure. I'll bet your second act is underdeveloped.