It's About Time

No, I'm not referring to my two-week lag in posting here. At least not yet.

Instead, I'm talking about the length of my HOUSE spec and how time translates in a script.

At this point, I'm on page 39. If you say "good, you're moving on it" you're wrong. I'm moving on it, but not at the right pace, at least for the story constraints.

See, scripts have norms they need to follow. Spec film scripts are supposed to typically run in the 90-110 page range. Longer than that and you've branded yourself an amateur that ensures the readers won't give it the level of consideration you want. Plus, I hear they let Al Gore know, and you don't want to be on his bad side.

Once you've won the Oscar, you can blather on as much as you want. Steven Zaillian (SCHINDLER'S LIST) said at the Screenwriting Expo last month that his script for AMERICAN GANGSTER was around 165 pages. If you saw the movie, you're probably not surprised.

The reason page count counts is the premise that 1 page=1 minute of screen time. There are variances--supposedly the 10 minute-long car chase in BULLITT, with all its complications, reversals, etc., is written in the script as "There is a car chase." And once it leaves the writer's hands, the directors, actors and editors will use a pacing appropriate to their interpretation of the material. In general, though, 90 pages=90 minutes.

With TV, you have different constraints. Part of that is a function of the medium; advertising pays the bills. Assuming ratings don't suffer, networks want to maximize revenue by cramming as many ads in as possible. So a 30-minute sitcom is actually a 22-minute program. A 1-hour drama is actually a 44 minute program.

So my 1-hour HOUSE spec should run about 45 pages. Maybe I could justify a few pages more, since the characters talk so quickly. In looking at David Shore's script for the Occam's Razor episode from Season 1 (you can get it here), it runs 66 pages. But there are two major reasons he can get away with this:

1. It's his show for christ's sake--he knows the pacing.
2. His script I'm reading is a shooting script. It's got partially blank pages and other information that wouldn't go in a typical spec script.

So, my lengthy setup here is identical to my problem with the 39 pages I've done so far. Based on my allotted page length, I should be into the final act and working to wrap things up. Instead, I've still got another scene, plus the final act. At the rate I'm going, my first draft will likely come in around 50-55 pages.

So I've got to finish in the next week, then work to trim about 10 pages.

As I said at the top, it's about time.