On Jan 7, 11:28 pm, Duggy  wrote:
> 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?
I was thinking air time. It is tricky as some Network TV movies run 3
hours with ads.
> 120 min sounds like the time with ads.  2 hours exactly so the next
> show starts on the hour/half hour.
Yes, that's what I was thinking. I was trying to figure in the ads,
etc. and wondering if 101-110 pages could do it. Thank you very much
for your response, it's something I was trying to get around as far as
time vs. script length.
> > 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.
Thank you! That works, and I get it now :)
It seems the 120 min block allows for more time than I was thinking!
> > 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.
OK. I was sort of used to thinking in terms of four act or five act
play formats. I see that one could split the act breaks for commercial
within the "acts" thematically.
Thank you again!
David
> ===
> = DUG.
> ===
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