August 18, 2026
"How many pages should my script be?" is one of the first questions every screenwriter asks, and the answer is more precise than you'd think. Because a properly formatted page in 12-point Courier runs about one minute on screen, page count is really a runtime target in disguise.
A feature screenplay lands between 90 and 120 pages. Comedies skew shorter - 90 to 100 is common. Dramas run longer, up to 120. A first-time writer submitting a 140-page feature signals, before anyone reads a word, that the script hasn't been tightened. When in doubt, aim for around 100.
An hour-long TV drama script is roughly 45 to 60 pages. A half-hour single-camera comedy runs about 30 to 40. A traditional multi-camera sitcom is often shorter on the page but formatted differently, with double-spaced dialogue, so it can look longer than its runtime. Know the specific show or slot you're writing for.
A short film is anything under about 40 pages, and most festival shorts are far shorter - 5 to 15. Whatever the format, the one-page-per-minute rule holds well enough to plan around, which is why editors show you a live page count as you write. If your third act is thirty pages, you already know it's running long before anyone tells you.
Planning your structure beat by beat is the surest way to hit a page target without gutting the story - you can see which act is bloated and trim there, instead of shaving lines everywhere.
See a live page count as you write, with a beat-by-beat outline that keeps each act in proportion - free to start.
Plan your script beat by beat
