The cutting process...

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  • The cutting process...

    First draft is complete and the cutting begins. Shockingly, the first draft clocked in at 152 pages! Holy sheeeet. Anyway, I've since cut the fat and am down to 132 pages! Yaaaay! Still got plenty more re-writes to go, of course.

    So I was wondering - what's the biggest cutting job you've ever done. How much have you over-shot by? Do you generally clock in on the dot? I must say, I'm terrible at keeping it to 110-120 pages. My structure needs work and I often overwrite. Hey, I'm working on it. Better to be over than under - that's my motto.

  • #2
    Re: The cutting process...

    The most I've ever cut was from 107 to 90. It's a comedy. I like to shoot for around 100 and was just happy it didn't drop below 90. I think I tend to write toward the lean side so there were entire scenes I axed, not just lines of action and dialogue here and there.

    Corona
    I love you, Reyna . . .

    Brown-Balled by the Hollywood Clika

    Latino Heart Project's MEXICAN HEART...ATTACK!
    I ain't no punk b1tch...

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    • #3
      Re: The cutting process...

      First draft of one of my scripts was 147 pages.

      Next draft was 0 (yes, ZERO) pages. This happened after I acidentally deleted the damn file.

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      • #4
        Re: The cutting process...

        I rewrote a friend's script that was 186 pages down to 126.

        I haven't looked at it in a few years, but I could probably chop it down even further now.

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        • #5
          Re: The cutting process...

          Originally posted by doubler83 View Post
          First draft of one of my scripts was 147 pages.

          Next draft was 0 (yes, ZERO) pages. This happened after I acidentally deleted the damn file.



          Corona
          I love you, Reyna . . .

          Brown-Balled by the Hollywood Clika

          Latino Heart Project's MEXICAN HEART...ATTACK!
          I ain't no punk b1tch...

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: The cutting process...

            Oh, and looking over my own work... I had a script which, based on the outline, I estimated was going to turn out to be 160 pages. I wrote the first draft as conservatively as possible and ended up with 134 pages. Then chopped it as much as I could until it was finally at its current state of 116 pages.

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            • #7
              Re: The cutting process...

              I've now learned that computers are spawn of the devil and I've gone the George Lucas way of writing.

              Longhand.

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              • #8
                Re: The cutting process...

                138 - 108
                what the head makes cloudy the heart makes very clear

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                • #9
                  Re: The cutting process...

                  I use to do that, now my goal is to write 90 pages and no more. I usually stop at 110.

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                  • #10
                    Re: The cutting process...

                    138-98-110-unfinished draft.

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                    • #11
                      Re: The cutting process...

                      Originally posted by Angeloworx View Post
                      138-98-110-unfinished draft.
                      Are you writing The Oprah Story?

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                      • #12
                        Re: The cutting process...

                        I cut 80 pages out of a draft once. The script's first draft was 105. Technically, it was a complete re-do because I took that whole script and smashed it into 1 act, about 25 pages, and took off from there. New draft of it is like 110... Bad thing? I'm going to rewrite this project once more and yes, another sorta page 1. Only thing I ever had to do this with but its a passion project which I am going to look to direct... So I dunno. Try to avoid this...
                        Last edited by qualitycontrol; 09-09-2008, 11:44 AM.

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                        • #13
                          Re: The cutting process...

                          I'm down from 156 to 125 now. Amazing how easy it is to drop the numbers once you start slicing all the fat.

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