by Can Tran

Created on: May 09, 2009

When it comes to determining the ideal length for a screenplay depends on what type of screen play you are writing. Keep in mind that the common format of a screenplay would be in the "Courier New" font. The font size will be at "12." That is the general format when it comes to writing a screenplay.

Normally, screenplay standards are usually between ninety and one hundred and twenty pages. Ninety pages usually dictate a film that is about an hour and a half. One hundred and twenty pages usually dictate a film that is estimated to be about two hours. Normally, movies last from an hour and a half to two hours in length. If it goes longer, then the movie would probably last around two and a half hours. There are a few movies that last over two and a half hours. Under most circumstances, movies that last over two hours are usually rejected unless the storyline is good.

However, a ninety-page screenplay does not necessarily mean that the story is going to be an hour and a half. When produced into a movie, there could be things happening in the scene that could make the movie go a bit longer. That is something very common when it comes to screenplay production. Ideally, the best thing to do is to have a screenplay that is between 90 and 120 pages. But, that is usually for mainstream Hollywood. Independent Hollywood is by all means a different story.

However, that is for your typical full-length feature. Screenplays are not just for the movie screen. There are TV screenplays as well. For a TV movie, the screenplay will probably be around ninety pages at least. One has to remember that time has to be made for commercial breaks. On TV, movies aired usually last for about two hours with the commercial breaks.

But, there are exceptions. There are usually very limited commercial breaks when movies such as "Schindler's List" are aired. Schindler's List is a movie that lasts for about three or four hours. In that respect, the number of pages for the screenplay would be between 180 and 240 pages. 180 gives the estimate that a movie will last about three hours while 240 gives the estimate that a movie will last about four hours.

For a TV show, screenplay lengths are usually between 24 and 45 pages. 24 is the estimate for a thirty-minute show with commercial breaks. 45 is the estimate for a TV show that lasts about an hour. Again, one has to consider the commercial breaks. However, there are uncut and director's cut versions

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