What's the Shortest a Feature Can be For Distribs?
- Thread starter Lordmanji
- Start date
I've seen movies that just creep over the 60 minute mark called a "feature." I felt a little jipped, though...
I think 60-65 minutes is the official benchmark. If you can hit 75, that's better.
I think 60-65 minutes is the official benchmark. If you can hit 75, that's better.
Length
You can also add a long credit roll... And maybe some bloopers... if it fits the story (like a comedy, etc.)
You can also add a long credit roll... And maybe some bloopers... if it fits the story (like a comedy, etc.)
You’re going to get the dreaded “It depends.”
According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and
the British Film Institute a feature is a running time of 40
minutes or longer. The screen Actors Guild defines feature length
as 80 minutes.
Festivals are all over the place.
Distributors usually want at least 80 minutes, but that, too
depends on the distributor.
And remember that the one page/one minute guideline isn't
set in stone. You're final movie may be much shorter if it's
mostly dialogue or if you cut a scene that doesn't work. And it
might be much longer if you have a six minute car chase that
takes up 3/8's page.
According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and
the British Film Institute a feature is a running time of 40
minutes or longer. The screen Actors Guild defines feature length
as 80 minutes.
Festivals are all over the place.
Distributors usually want at least 80 minutes, but that, too
depends on the distributor.
And remember that the one page/one minute guideline isn't
set in stone. You're final movie may be much shorter if it's
mostly dialogue or if you cut a scene that doesn't work. And it
might be much longer if you have a six minute car chase that
takes up 3/8's page.
Most distributors I've talked to request 80 min. as the minimum. It took a lot of finagling to get our 78 min. feature licensed.
Personally, I wouldn't go lower than seventy-five, but that's just my own taste.
