Standard script lengths, format by format
| Format | Screen time | Script pages |
|---|---|---|
| Feature film | 90–120 min | 90–120 |
| Streaming/one-hour drama episode | 42–62 min | 45–65 |
| Half-hour comedy | 21–28 min | 22–35 |
| Festival short | 5–15 min | 5–15 |
| Vertical mini-drama episode | 1–2 min | 1–2 (× 70–90 episodes) |
| Commercial spot | 30–60 s | ½–1 |
Why one page ≈ one minute (and when it lies)
The rule works because screenplay format is a metering system: 12-point Courier, fixed margins, dialogue in a narrow column. Averaged over ninety pages, the variation washes out. It lies at the extremes — a page of one-line dialogue exchanges plays much faster than a page describing a battle. That's what the style selector adjusts. For dialogue-driven work, the honest number comes from reading aloud: paste your script into our script timer for a word-count-based estimate instead.
Once the length is set, structure it: the beat sheet calculator maps the Save the Cat beats onto your exact page count.
FAQ
How many pages is a movie script?
A feature screenplay runs 90–120 pages, with 110 the traditional sweet spot. Comedies trend shorter (90–105), dramas longer (105–120). Studio readers get suspicious below 85 and above 125 — not because the rules are sacred, but because outliers usually signal pacing problems.
How many pages is a script for a TV episode?
One-hour drama episodes: 45–65 pages (streaming runs looser than broadcast). Half-hour comedy: 22–35 pages — more if it’s single-camera with fast dialogue. Broadcast scripts also carry act breaks for commercials, which streaming scripts drop.
Is one page of screenplay really one minute of screen time?
As an average across a whole script, yes — the one-page-per-minute rule holds up remarkably well because standard screenplay format (12pt Courier, fixed margins) meters content evenly. Individual pages vary wildly: a page of rapid dialogue can play in 40 seconds, a page of action description can take two minutes on screen. That is why this calculator lets you set a pacing factor.
How many pages should a short film script be?
Same rule, small numbers: a 5-minute short is ~5 pages, a 15-minute festival short ~15 pages. Under 3 pages, formatting overhead makes the rule mushy — time the read aloud instead.
How long are vertical drama (mini-drama) episode scripts?
The vertical short-drama format that exploded via ReelShort and DramaBox runs 60–120 seconds per episode — about 1 to 2 script pages, typically 70–90 episodes per season. Writing them is closer to writing a hook-per-page than traditional TV: every episode needs its own cliffhanger.