How Many Words About Page 2

The very fact he's snorting it at his Gran's suggests he's not taking it for recreation: he needs the hit.

Accordingly, he's likely to react in the same way an alcoholic does when downing the first mouthful of a much-needed drink.

It's not a strictly physical reaction as both cocaine and alcohol take time to reach the blood stream after ingestion. Nevertheless, when the hit is needed, the effects of introducing the substance into the body can be both immediate and significant.

He'll be a much happier bunny immediately after taking it and he'll get higher by degrees over the following half hour.

Oh right, thanks Roodeye

Quote: bushbaby @ November 2 2009, 12:58 PM GMT

I've gone off a page a minute before but this is sort of single and a half spacing, directions in caps and I'm on page 5 and it doesn't seem much.

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I was also told that for standard scripts 1 minute for 1 page is the general rule, however for sitcom scripts it is 30 seconds a page - this is also my experience of writing. Therefore as a rough guide, a 15 minute script would be 30 pages long. Alternatively to get a more precise idea, reading it out with stage direction time taken into account is the only way really.

Quote: Griff @ November 9 2009, 2:52 PM GMT

Someone who's obviously been to the Sitcom Trials...

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Quote: Marc P @ November 9 2009, 2:54 PM GMT

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I've finished it now and timed it, it's about 14 minutes long and 13 pages.

Just to clarify then, are we saying a 30 minute sitcom should be approx 60 pages at 30 seconds a page and roughly 7000 words?

Quote: Dowl @ November 9 2009, 6:28 PM GMT

Just to clarify then, are we saying a 30 minute sitcom should be approx 60 pages at 30 seconds a page and roughly 7000 words?

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Wait, let me get my calculator....

A dialogue-heavy script (e.g. Yes, Minister) would be much longer in terms of pages and words than a dialogue-light script (e.g. The Royle Family).

Unless you're experienced enough to know just by looking at it, the only way to know how long your script runs is to act it out in your head and time it.

Yes, that's what I did...ahem, as an actoooor.....and timed it..LOL
I was worried initially if a company goes off word count rather than timing a script

7K is porbably too long, I'd stick to six and a half. But as a spec script it's not outrageous. Easy to trim something.

I tend to aim for 6.5k now, Marc Blake's book says 6-7k. That said, I had a script at just over 7k and 67 pages that went to the BBC and, whilst they did say it was too long, they commissioned a pilot script off the back of it. So don't get too bogged down with it.

I tend to find my scripts in screenplay format have a higher wordcount than their sitcom format counterparts.
Probably because, in screenplay format, I tend to be more wordy with stage directions.

My most recent 30 minute (or rather 27 minute) screenplay format script came in at just over 5500 words.

Wordcount is only an estimate of length. The best method is timing it by acting it/reading it out aloud.

Quote: Marc P @ November 10 2009, 8:46 AM GMT

7K is porbably too long, I'd stick to six and a half. But as a spec script it's not outrageous. Easy to trim something.

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it's only 2500 words!!!!...14 mins

Quote: bushbaby @ November 10 2009, 10:59 PM GMT

it's only 2500 words!!!!...14 mins

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If it's a drama BB that's probably a tad short for a fifteen minute piece unless it is a film??? If it's TV you'd probably want to add a bit.

For me, 3000 words is about fifteen minutes. And 6,000 words thirty minutes.