How many words is your screenplay?

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • How many words is your screenplay?

    Page Count is the main focus of the feature writer, gauging in-between 85 and 125+. Word count seems to be more associated with Novel Writing, but for the fun of it I have this question.

    How many words is your screenplay?

    There is an option in Final Draft (Tools > Reports > Statistics Report). Not sure how to do it in MMS or Celtx. List the genre of the story too. You'd be surprised that your 100 page script has the amount of words to fit in a Novella, or half a full Novel.

    My current spec is a Fantasy Adventure story. It has 24,651 words.
    2011 Screenwriting Goal: 15 pages a day.

  • #2
    Re: How many words is your screenplay?

    240 plus as an average per page suggests not enough white space.

    Around 180 words per page indicates tight writing and an economy of words, a good sign of a clever screenwriter.
    Ron Aberdeen
    http://www.ronaberdeen.com/
    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3609083/

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: How many words is your screenplay?

      Originally posted by Ron Aberdeen View Post
      240 plus as an average per page suggests not enough white space.

      Around 180 words per page indicates tight writing and an economy of words, a good sign of a clever screenwriter.
      "I dub thee: Sir Non Sequitur." - sc111

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: How many words is your screenplay?

        Originally posted by Ron Aberdeen View Post
        240 plus as an average per page suggests not enough white space.

        Around 180 words per page indicates tight writing and an economy of words, a good sign of a clever screenwriter.

        Perhaps you could devise a formula to measure each page's worth with a graph

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: How many words is your screenplay?

          Originally posted by Ron Aberdeen View Post
          Around 180 words per page indicates tight writing and an economy of words, a good sign of a clever screenwriter.
          A page count is not indicative of a writer's cleverness.

          Stop it.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: How many words is your screenplay?

            Originally posted by Ron Aberdeen View Post
            240 plus as an average per page suggests not enough white space.

            Around 180 words per page indicates tight writing and an economy of words, a good sign of a clever screenwriter.
            Who told you that? A studio producer from Nollywood?

            DOC HOLLIDAY - 118 Pages - 20,996 words - 178 words per page.
            MEDIEVAL - 116 Pages - 27,509 words - 237 words per page.
            GALAHAD - 119 Pages - 29,818 words - 250 words per page.

            All big sales (I think), and all sides of the spectrum. Thanks for your input Ron. Makes me want to watch ARE YOU BEING SERVED?
            Last edited by Lucha Scribre; 09-15-2010, 08:26 AM.
            2011 Screenwriting Goal: 15 pages a day.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: How many words is your screenplay?

              Originally posted by Telly View Post
              Stop it.
              I'm a bit stoic, so this doesn't happen to me often; I have to thank you for the literal Laugh Out Loud on your comment.
              I was just checking the specs on the endline for the...rotary...girder... I'm retarded.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: How many words is your screenplay?

                Originally posted by Ron Aberdeen View Post
                240 plus as an average per page suggests not enough white space.

                Around 180 words per page indicates tight writing and an economy of words, a good sign of a clever screenwriter.
                Tony Gilroy is sending you a facepalm.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: How many words is your screenplay?

                  Originally posted by jimjimgrande View Post
                  Perhaps you could devise a formula to measure each page's worth with a graph
                  I didn't remember this scene from the movie... hee hee

                  Okay, since we're into Statistics 101 today:

                  My first 3 scripts measured about 220 words/page. "Rip it! Rip it out!"

                  My most recent measured 198. Simpler story, though.

                  My tiny perfect little 90-pager came in at 152. I remember spacing out all the description paragraphs just to make it hit 90 pages!

                  Interesting to see that FP had this feature. I've long recognized it's just Word for Windows re-programmed, then costed at $190. It's one reason I've just stuck with my friendly little WinWord, which I programmed myself with all sorts of macros and styles to do what I need. (This one came in at 99 pages, 201 words per page, 97577 characters total, 3560 lines total, 2221 paragraphs... see how silly it can get?)

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: How many words is your screenplay?

                    Ha! My current project averages 160 words per page. I must be a fukkin genius!
                    If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base.
                    Dave Barry

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: How many words is your screenplay?

                      Originally posted by Ron Aberdeen View Post
                      240 plus as an average per page suggests not enough white space.

                      Around 180 words per page indicates tight writing and an economy of words, a good sign of a clever screenwriter.
                      Well on mine, the preliminary, unofficial number has been calculated. I caution
                      however, this number has not certified as of yet by my team of independent
                      accountants.

                      22,789 words
                      105 pages.

                      ... the drumroll... it weighs in at a boxy 217 wpp beast. Guess that means it
                      belongs in the heavyweight division or husky section of my department store.

                      For this and other reasons, guess I better get back to work on it...
                      " Don't really like writing. But I do like having written." Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: How many words is your screenplay?

                        18,797 words. That's 174 words per page.

                        I had no idea I was so clever.
                        Chicks Who Script podcast

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: How many words is your screenplay?

                          Originally posted by emily blake View Post
                          18,797 words. That's 174 words per page.

                          I had no idea I was so clever.
                          I still cleverer.
                          If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base.
                          Dave Barry

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: How many words is your screenplay?

                            Originally posted by Centurio View Post
                            I still cleverer.
                            Oh yeah? Well my next screenplay is only going to have THREE words per page!
                            Chicks Who Script podcast

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: How many words is your screenplay?

                              I can't believe I just did this (three scripts, two shorts and one half completed 1st draft):

                              191 wpp
                              176 wpp
                              186 wpp
                              184 wpp
                              193 wpp
                              172 wpp

                              Average: 183.666667

                              I feel dirty now.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X