On Jan 8, 1:28 pm, "David E. Powell"
 wrote:
> Hate to ask a silly question, but in JMS' book on script writing, the
> TV film is mentioned as usually being 120 mins. in length, with a
> 101-110 page script.
120min air time or 120min programme time?
120 min sounds like the time with ads.  2 hours exactly so the next
show starts on the hour/half hour.
> However I have noticed that many TV films these days are 90-94
> minutes. I believe that IMDB lists both "In The Beginning" and
> "Thirdspace" at 94 minutes.
With 26 min of ads.
> So I was wondering what the usual length is for those scripts? I am
> guessing 48 + 24 = 72 pages, approximately? I was going by the hourly
> drama requirements of about 48 pages.
The general guide is a page a minute, so 94 pages for 94min of
programme to fill a 120min slot.
Hense the 48 page script to for a 48min show to fill a one hour slot.
> I also wonder if one of the
> tricky things in page length relative to minutes is camera shots or
> effects shots that may have descriptions longer in relation to the
> dialogue than the percentage of time they actually take in the
> finished film.
Yes, action takes less script room than dialogue.  It's a guide, not a
rule.  Experience will help, but even JMS talked about episodes going
over or going under time when filmed...
> I also wonder if they are usually in four act structure
> or if they go to five? 120 minute telefilms were mentioned as being
> six to eight acts in length.
I think those acts are determined by how many commercial breaks there
are.  Act ends, go to commercial, new act starts.
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= DUG.
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