Page count
One of my students instant messaged me this morning to check if her page count was right. She said she was only 20 pages past the midpoint when she reached the low point, and was worried that that wasn’t long enough. So what are the signposts along the way for your major story points?
First of all, there are no rules; it’s not like there’s a speed limit your must stick to or your script will be pulled over and you’ll be given a ticket. It’s all about balance and what’s really necessary to get your point across. Yes, there are guidelines. It usually takes 15 or so pages for you to introduce the protagonist and his condition, so the inciting incident comes around page 15, give or take a few pages. It takes him another 15 pages or so to decide what to do about it. He works towards his goal for about 20; the goal shifts and so does he and he strives towards his new goal until he hits his low point about another 20 pages into it. The third act is another 25-30 pages and you’re outta there!
But that would be a short script. Not too short, but short. Feel free to adjust in proportion to the length of your script, but remember, too, it’s better to write it right than to write to a specific number of pages. It’s good to keep the script in balance, but many good movies have been made outside those exact parameters. What’s best for your movie? Only you can decide; but use the guidelines to help you.
Tags: balance, guidelines, length, page count, script