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What am I doing wrong that the script is too long?

H

harmonica44

I wrote a script single lined, cause double spacing was just making it too long. It has a lot of action/suspense scenes, and I was told before that in order to make a good impression to script readers, I should double line it all. I wrote using the three act structure, most thrillers use, that are around 90-110 minutes. My script single lined, came out to 134 pages, so I can only imagine how long it will be all double lined. What did I do wrong with the formula that it came out so long?

And no, there are no really unnecessary scenes to cut out that are left.
 
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If you followed that format, then it should be formatted correctly. Double spacing is not normal for screenplays.

But then again, you could write it in crayon as long as the story and writing are good enough...
 
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harmonica44 said:
I was told before that in order to make a good impression to script readers, I should double line it all.
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You often say "I was told..." and very often what you were told
is inaccurate and sometime very wrong - like this. Script readers
are no "impressed" by script out of standard format. Double spacing
the entire script is not standard format. Whoever told you that
you should double line it all is unfamiliar with standard script format.

If your properly formatted script is 134 pages you can't reduce the
page count by changing the proper format. Script reader can tell
when a writer "cheats" - or slightly, carefully, alters the standard
format. If you have done all the cutting you can and if you have
followed the standard format then you have a 134 page script. That's
the script you have to submit. There is nothing you can do to reduce
the page count.
 
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Double spacing *EDIT: Between headings and text* is the correct format for scripts, no matter how much you want to condense the page count down.

It's formatted like that for very good reasons. If it's going to be 300+ pages long, then it either means that your story demands that many pages (LOTR, Avatar) or, the more likely reason, you've written too much junk. In the case of the latter, you've got a load of editing to do. Read back through the full thing and see how much fat needs to be cut. Scenes that aren't doing anything for the story is one thing, but it's best to get somebody to prof read your script and get another perspective on it. Economy of storytelling is key here, and it's often said that "Less is more".
 
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LasVegasIRA said:
I think you mean the single spacing is the correct format. Double spacing is not normally used...
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I was thinking of between headings and the text as well as well as between scenes, which are normally double spaced. If everything is done single spaced, then that would be incorrect. Otherwise, you'd be right.

*Edit* And yes, I knew that.
 
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Maybe I read the OP wrong. I thought he was talking about double spacing all the action.

And to get back to the orginal question at hand, I know when I first started to write scripts, I was VERY heavy handed in the writing. And by that I mean I was trying to direct the film on the page. I included camera angles, cuts, freeze frames, music choices, etc... I don't know if these kinds of things are in your script, but perhaps you might want to look at this. You just need to put enough in to let the reader know what's going on. If there is any "direction" going on, cut it...
 
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Oh! Now that I think of it, there is a free template for script writing in Microsoft word called Script Smart Gold. There's some jazz with macros that you'll have to disable in order to use it with Word but it formats your screen play automatically with add-on buttons for headings, text and dialogue.

Alternatively, you could download CeltX, though I prefer to use Script Smart myself. Just see if these work for you.
 
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If your script is 134 pages and it's formatted probably and there's nothing you can cut out, then one of four things has happened:

1) You're not being honest with yourself about what you can cut out
2) You've written too much unnecesseary stuff like direction, camera moves etc.
3) Your story is too bulky and needs to be reworked
4) Your script is 134 pages long. That means your movie would be 134 minutes long. It better be a high-action thriller or you're going to have trouble selling it.
 
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ALL great points! The odds that you need all 134 pages to tell your story are I would say 100,000 to 1.
Maybe, maybe maybe you are the ONE genius screenwriter that has this epic tale to tell.

Post just the first 2 pages and we'll see if you are "overwriting"
BTW - my first feature script was 124 pages. I got an A on it in my script writing class.
I'll bet the teacher gave it an A so she wouldn't have to discuss all the boring scenes!
I probably had 10 pages of good stuff out of 124 pages hehheheheh;)

jax_rox said:
If your script is 134 pages and it's formatted probably and there's nothing you can cut out, then one of four things has happened:

1) You're not being honest with yourself about what you can cut out
2) You've written too much unnecesseary stuff like direction, camera moves etc.
3) Your story is too bulky and needs to be reworked
4) Your script is 134 pages long. That means your movie would be 134 minutes long. It better be a high-action thriller or you're going to have trouble selling it.
Click to expand...
 
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Okay thanks, I think I will post some pages once I get the file off my old computer. I don't think the script is long enough for 134 it just somehow came out to that. One thing is, is that I was told by others online to create a new scene heading every time the scene changes, even if it's continuous. This is the professional way, when it comes to shooting and all.

But having to create a new scene heading every time a man walks out of the WASHROOM into the HALLWAY for example, takes up a lot of space. I can't just write that he goes from the washroom into the hallway in once sentence, I actually was told to write a new scene heading every time. All those headings make the story longer than it is, and are part of the problem.

Another thing is my first short film I wrote and shot. It came out to 11 pages in writing, but now that I am almost done editing, it is almost 30 minutes. I am trimming as much as I can but I already trimmed off most of the leftover fat already. So for my next script I want to write it in a way that it will hopefully come out to as long as I intend, once shot. Could the scene headings be a common problem?
 
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