MarieThegreat
New member
I have two scripts I plan to shoot this summer one is two pages and the other one is three pages long. Are those scripts long enough to shoot a short film?
How long should a script be for a short film?
- Thread starter MarieThegreat
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D
Digigenic
Guest
ONE PAGE = ONE MINUTE
ONE PAGE = ONE MINUTE
The measurement used most often to determine accurate time translation from script to screen sequencing is one page = one minute. That's usually what most people go by, and that's why feature length scripts should only be 120 pages long (120 min. = 2 hrs.). So, it just depends on how short you'd prefer to make your story, if you desire to make a movie that's 5 minutes in duration, then I'd suggest writing anywhere between 3 to 5 pages, see how it measures for out you...
ONE PAGE = ONE MINUTE
The measurement used most often to determine accurate time translation from script to screen sequencing is one page = one minute. That's usually what most people go by, and that's why feature length scripts should only be 120 pages long (120 min. = 2 hrs.). So, it just depends on how short you'd prefer to make your story, if you desire to make a movie that's 5 minutes in duration, then I'd suggest writing anywhere between 3 to 5 pages, see how it measures for out you...The simple answer is: as long as you need to tell the story and no longer, and you can cut a lot of corners in a short script with setting up characters and situations that you wouldn't do on a feature.
A lot of shorts I see are 15-20 minutes long but the first 5-10 minutes are just irrelevant and dull, making even shooting that a total waste of time. A good 5 minute short will probably benefit you a lot more than a bad 30 minute short, and the shorter it is, the easier it should be to get into a festival: most can find time for a 90 second short, but it's much harder to justify showing a 30 minute short rather than three 10 minute shorts.
Seriously, some of the best shorts I see are TV commercials and they're typically only 30 seconds long... even 30 seconds is a lot of time to tell a story if you keep everything tight.
A lot of shorts I see are 15-20 minutes long but the first 5-10 minutes are just irrelevant and dull, making even shooting that a total waste of time. A good 5 minute short will probably benefit you a lot more than a bad 30 minute short, and the shorter it is, the easier it should be to get into a festival: most can find time for a 90 second short, but it's much harder to justify showing a 30 minute short rather than three 10 minute shorts.
Seriously, some of the best shorts I see are TV commercials and they're typically only 30 seconds long... even 30 seconds is a lot of time to tell a story if you keep everything tight.
T
themovieman
Guest
OKay a short as defined is a movie under 30 minutes.
The Company
New member
Yeah 3 pages is definetly enough. There is no minimum or maximum just so long as yuo tell your story.
D
DerekEastham
Guest
A short is just that... short
A short is just that... short
A short screen play has no real limit on length...
but once you've broached the 90 to 120 page situation, then you're definetly out of the short film category.
I've seen short films range anywhere from 30 seconds to 45 minutes.
Once you go beyond that, it get's closer to feature length.
For film festivals, it's good to stay around 3 to 5 minutes, as they are easier for film festival planners to program into the festival.
However, do not restrict yourself.
Write it first.
Then do a second draft.
Then a third if necessary.
Finally polish up your script...
and then see how long it is.
Who knows, maybe you'll write a brilliant short, or a wonderful feature.
A short is just that... short
A short screen play has no real limit on length...
but once you've broached the 90 to 120 page situation, then you're definetly out of the short film category.
I've seen short films range anywhere from 30 seconds to 45 minutes.
Once you go beyond that, it get's closer to feature length.
For film festivals, it's good to stay around 3 to 5 minutes, as they are easier for film festival planners to program into the festival.
However, do not restrict yourself.
Write it first.
Then do a second draft.
Then a third if necessary.
Finally polish up your script...
and then see how long it is.
Who knows, maybe you'll write a brilliant short, or a wonderful feature.
There is no official consensus or definition of length for a “short.” Any film shorter than 50 minutes qualifies as a short film for the Sundance Film Festival, while any film with a run-time under 40 minutes is eligible for the shorts categories at the Academy Awards.
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