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A short is in the field of 5-45 pages. Most people stay out of the area between short and feature. Anything below 5 pages shouldn't be posted anywhere, or attempted to be sold.
A feature is 75-120.
Anything above that definately needs to get cut down. That is a good question though.
Post your script, see what people think, if it is a huge deal I'm sure that you would be able to cut it down a good 5 pages.
Anything below 5 pages shouldn't be posted anywhere, or attempted to be sold.
Why not? I've entered such shorts in competitions and have placed with them. Sometimes, this is exactly what a director wants because a three minute short is easier to get into a film festival than a fifteen minute short.
I was surprised when I saw that one pager, but it was actually quite good. It had more depth in a single page than a lot of the feature scripts on here. "Jason vs. Romy and Michelle III" couldn't touch it.
Well, I guess I am incorrect. Sometimes there are exceptions for shorts under 5 pages. Maybe your script is one of them, I do not know. A majority of the scripts that I have read that are under 5 pages were horrible.
I read one short the other day, beautiful description, but lacked story, and lacked an ending.
Most short scripts that are only 1-5 pages long don't really have enough build up for a satifying ending, but I guess that's just me.
Some well made 30 second commercials manage to tell a story as well.
As far as my own script, I'll probably try to extend it, making it my first short feature rather than a long short. I don't think I can ad 35 pages, but we shall see. My short attention span and lack of self discipline may prevent me from doing that.
As far as my own script, I'll probably try to extend it, making it my first short feature rather than a long short. I don't think I can ad 35 pages, but we shall see.
You could always add a subplot and/or a new character to flesh it out a little.
We had this discussion about writing a good five page script not too long ago. I wrote one in two days and it became a finalist in the Gimme Credit Screenplay Competition. Another five pager I wrote took third place in the shorts.
Don't write anything into your script that doesn't inspire you as much as the original idea that made you start writing it in the first place. If it ends being a too-long-for-a-short and too short-for-a-feature script, so be it.
Sure, that page count could be a problem in contests, query letters, etc. But I think people here will read it. Specially if it's a lesbian western
Worry about the page count later. Just friendly advice.
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