33 page act one

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  • 33 page act one

    I'm aiming for my rom com to be 100 pages max. As it stands though, my first act is 32 pages long. I know the pros say to ignore page count and all that but this is the one myth I am struggling to let go of - where the suggested optimum breakdown is Act I = 25%, Act II = 50% and Act III = 25%. If I carry on as I am, Act I will be 33% of the script, leading to a shorter Act II.

    I have a 2 page sequence that, I suppose, could be excised or shunted into Act II and that would bring my Act I down to 30 pages and through snipping away I could probably get it down to 28 pages.

    Am I worrying too much or is an Act I being 33% of the script too much?
    M.A.G.A.

  • #2
    Re: 33 page act one

    This is a first draft, right?

    Just write it. Then go back and trim the fat.

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    • #3
      Re: 33 page act one

      I trim and tweak as I go along. Probably why it takes me longer to finsih a draft than I'd like. I've already trimmed plenty off. I understand your logic though and will carry on. Out of interest, do you ascribe to the 25/50/25 rule/myth?
      M.A.G.A.

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      • #4
        Re: 33 page act one

        It's really a difficult question to answer. Can a 33-page Act I work? Certainly. Does it work in your script? Hard to say. Here are some questions you can ask yourself: Does it take too long for the story to kick into high gear? Do I spend too much time setting things up? Do I hit each major story element once and move on, or do I beat them into the ground in redundant scenes out of fear a reader might miss something? Can any of this information be revealed as the story unfolds, or does it really all have to be front-loaded?

        Also, one thing I find myself doing a lot in first drafts is what I call "writing to myself." I'll write whole sides of dialogue, sometimes entire scenes, that when I look back on them are really me trying to justify something to myself (in the guise of "explaining" an apparently aberrant character choice or plot twist to the audience). Of course, it's only a first draft, so maybe some of that is necessary just to get through the process, but in the end it all has to go, so you might look out for that kind of thing, too.
        Patrick Sweeney

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        • #5
          Re: 33 page act one

          You're over-thinking this, in my opinion. Don't worry about an arbitrary page number or percentage. Just worry about telling your story.

          The appeal of a system like this is there's a concrete number you can focus on, but the reality is you just have to feel it. It's working or it isn't working.
          Ring-a-ding-ding, baby.

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          • #6
            Re: 33 page act one

            Originally posted by Patrick Sweeney View Post
            It's really a difficult question to answer. Can a 33-page Act I work? Certainly. Does it work in your script? Hard to say. Here are some questions you can ask yourself: Does it take too long for the story to kick into high gear? Do I spend too much time setting things up? Do I hit each major story element once and move on, or do I beat them into the ground in redundant scenes out of fear a reader might miss something? Can any of this information be revealed as the story unfolds, or does it really all have to be front-loaded?
            +1

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            • #7
              Re: 33 page act one

              In before Craig Mazin.

              Calculate Less.

              Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue

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              • #8
                Re: 33 page act one

                Now you'll have a nice compact 2nd act...MAKE IT TIGHT!
                He who laughs last is mentally slow

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                • #9
                  Re: 33 page act one

                  You're worrying too much. Page count is just a number until you get into rewriting. Maybe you'll realize a scene in the middle of Act 1 really belongs in the middle of Act 2. Maybe you'll decide to cut the scene entirely. Maybe you'll just cut it down from three pages to one.

                  The best thing you can do right now is finish your rough draft. Then worry about the details. But it's a lot easier to know if 33 pages is long after you figure out how long the rest of the script ends up.

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                  • #10
                    Re: 33 page act one

                    Originally posted by christopher jon View Post
                    In before Craig Mazin.

                    Calculate Less.

                    I hate to risk re-igniting the whole Pros vs. Gurus thing, but I believe the point of "calculate less" is not "don't think." While I agree with ATB that ideally, Sundowner would be better off finishing the first draft before worrying too much about Act I (certainly wish I could do that, anyway), "is my Act I too long" is an entirely legitimate question to ask, even if the writer's really the only one who can answer in the end. Should Act I end on p.25 because Blake Snyder or someone else says so? No. Should Sundowner feel a twinge of concern that Act I might be dragging on a little at 1/3 of the total page count? Yes. (Actually, as a newer writer working on a first draft, Sundowner probably should have that twinge no matter how many pages long it is).

                    At least in my non-professional opinion.

                    (PS If this sounds like I'm trying to jump down Christopher's throat for what I suspect is a joke, I'm really not. Just voicing my thoughts on something that's become kind of a meme here lately - it's all good.)
                    Patrick Sweeney

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                    • #11
                      Re: 33 page act one

                      Originally posted by SundownInRetreat View Post
                      I'm aiming for my rom com to be 100 pages max.

                      Maybe your script doesn't want to be 100 pages max. Maybe it wants to be 105 or 108 pages. Maybe you'll find Act 2 is also a little longer than you planned, in direct relation to what you're creating in Act 1. And then hey, it'll all balance out perfectly.

                      100 pages seems like a random number you picked out of the air. LOTS of rom-coms are more than 100 pages. Better to have a well-developed story and characters than rushing through with everything ending up being underdeveloped.

                      Relax. You don't have to figure out everything at once. Keep writing all the way through. You'll find lots of stuff to cut and add as you continue on with subsequent drafts.

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                      • #12
                        Re: 33 page act one

                        Yeah, I was having some fun.

                        But it's essentially what ATB said. Don't worry about it. Just write. There will be rewrites. Getting super anal over page counts for a first draft is a premature. Bust out the lube and get anal with the rewrites.

                        For a first draft it's probably better to overwrite and have the dreaded problem of too much good stuff.
                        Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: 33 page act one

                          Thanks for the responses guys.


                          Originally posted by figment View Post
                          100 pages seems like a random number you picked out of the air. LOTS of rom-coms are more than 100 pages. Better to have a well-developed story and characters than rushing through with everything ending up being underdeveloped.
                          Most I checked out were 90 to 100 mins. And I just get the feeling this is a light and breezy tale which shouldn't exceed that threshold. We'll see as write it though


                          Edit: I've moved a scene into Act II and cut away at the rest. Act I is now 28 pages long and that'll do for now!
                          Last edited by SundownInRetreat; 02-08-2012, 05:35 PM.
                          M.A.G.A.

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                          • #14
                            Re: 33 page act one

                            If it's a great 33 pages, who cares?

                            - Bill
                            Free Script Tips:
                            http://www.scriptsecrets.net

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                            • #15
                              Re: 33 page act one

                              How long is the Act 1 in "Rocky" - something like 45 minutes?

                              I'm guessing it needs to be as long as it needs to be, and you'll know what feels right.

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