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The benefits of brevity: 11 Good Reasons to keep Scripts Short

7/11/2023

25 Comments

 
By Ian Long, Euroscript's Head of Consultancy. 

​Click here to find out about our feedback services.
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"Be brief"

​Rather than a friendly “hello”, the first utterance of the actor Errol Flynn on answering the phone was the clipped instruction “be brief.”

A Hollywood star with a host of bad habits, Flynn was a busy man. But we’re all time-poor these days, which may be why the debate over film duration kicked off by Martin Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour Killers of the Flower Moon has had such traction.

Like people, some films need a lot of time to make a point - others, not so much.

The shortest-ever Oscar-nominated film, Adam Pesapane’s clever Fresh Guacamole (2012), lasts less than two minutes. Meanwhile, ​Gone with the Wind (1939) was four hours long and won eight Academy Awards.  

But when it comes to spec scripts (ones which haven’t been commissioned or solicited by producers), we advise writers to go for economy over length.

And here’s why.
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'fresh guacamole' (2012)
​
1.  Think about the reader

The person who reads your script will be busy and stressed, whether they’re a well-known producer or an intern working through a pile of submissions. The reading process requires time, concentration, and emotional investment.

Readers typically check the length of a script before starting on it. If yours is well over 100 pages, they will have questions. If it's over 120, they may not read it at all.

Unfair, perhaps, but true. And this reaction will only be enhanced by such things as typos on the first page – or any page, in fact.

Making the reader's task manageable and enjoyable will immediately get them on your side. 
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A classic - but a mammoth

​2.  Shorter is cheaper

Film is a very expensive medium, and the longer a film lasts, the more it costs.

​Producers are painfully aware that every extra page of a script makes a film more expensive.

So challenge yourself to tell a great story in an economical way which gets the most out of its locations and performers and has a tight page count.

Doing this gives the reader several strong reasons to recommend your script. 
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your script advertises your abilities

​3.  An advert for you

As well as a dramatic work, a script is effectively a proposal to set up a medium-sized business and an inventory of the elements needed to make it work.

If it goes to production, every word will be pored over by costume and set designers, location finders, illustrators, VFX specialists, composers, and everyone else required to bring it to life. So you need to give all these things a lot of thought.

Even if your script doesn’t make it to production, you can make it work as an advert for you and your abilities - a “calling card” for other writing opportunities.

And turning it in at a reasonable length is a big part of this.


Apart from its other merits, your script can show that you understand the medium you’re working in, demonstrate that you are practically-minded, and infer that you are likely to be a good colleague who is not prone to making crazed or unreasonable demands.
​
A script that does all this is a better character reference than anything in your CV.
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'OPPENHEIMER' - Bringing the length

​4.  Length belongs to auteurs

People like Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan and Lars von Trier seem free to make films that run well beyond standard length.

You may have ideas to rival theirs. But before you get to realise them, you’ll probably need to prove yourself first with leaner and meaner stories.

If you do plan to broaden your canvas later in your career, honing your craft on compact material is the best possible preparation (see notes on Stanley Kubrick, below).

And arguably, Tarantino, von Trier, Nolan and Kubrick could have benefited from a little judicious cutting at times . . .
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'high noon' - 85 minutes of real-time tension

​6.  Shortening your script will help improve your style

Interrogate every word in your story, and get rid of all the ones that don't need to be there.

Are there repetitions in the dialogue? Can you make the descriptions more succinct?

Is it possible to get rid of “orphans” (single words which dangle from the end of a paragraph, occupying their own unnecessary line)? 


If you do this throughout your script you will shorten it by a good few pages. It will be easier to read - and you will become a better writer.
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'drive my car' is long, but uses its duration well

​5.  Stories have a natural tendency to run out of steam


Scripts usually exhibit problems a long time before the 120-page mark.

It's really difficult to keep up the invention within a limited scope of action, and after a certain point many stories begin to repeat themselves or strain too hard for effect.

Certain genres are particularly prone to outstay their welcome.

Thrillers and Horror stories which push beyond 100 pages often struggle to maintain the tension and suspension of disbelief which keep viewers engaged.

And even the fizziest comedies can go flat if overly protracted.

​7.  Memorable longer films have found ways to overcome these problems

A big budget can take a story into new settings, using something other than pure narrative to maintain audience interest.

It’s worth analysing how this works in longer films that you like. Perhaps the action moves to some interesting new location, like an entirely different country; or a big set-piece like a pitched battle occurs.

These episodes may take on such weight that the film’s structure could be seen as falling into more than three acts.


​8.  And what’s wrong with that?


There’s no absolute rule that films should conform to three-act structure. But there are reasons why this form is so useful for storytelling.

As more units of action are added to a narrative, it can start to feel episodic. Which means that forward momentum is lost. The story becomes repetitive and implausible.

And, ultimately, boring.

​Great shorter films don't have to do this.
​
So, to sum up . . . for all these reasons . . .
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'Persona' - distilled psychological states

​9.   . . . it's harder to make a great long film than a great 'normal-length' film

Actually, "greatness" is a matter of opinion, so we can't really verify if the percentage of great longer films is lower than the percentage of great normal-length films. 

But it probably is.

Obviously, there's nothing at all wrong with a great, long film. Quite the opposite. Total immersion in something original, creative and entertaining is a joy.

However, even hardcore cinephiles have their physical and psychological limits.

And it has to be considered that . . .

10.   . . . Watching a bad, long film is much worse than watching a bad, shorter film

It just is. 
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'rashomon' - the virtues of cutting to the bone

​11.  “But I want to make a big statement!”

A fine ambition. But longer isn’t necessarily deeper. 

Many commercially and/or artistically successful movies clock in under 90 minutes.

Here are 16 inspiring examples.

  1. In just 88 minutes, Akira Kuroswa’s Rashomon (1950) showcased four differing accounts of an event, giving its name to a narrative method - "the Rashomon Effect" - which calls truth and memory into question.

  2. Persona (1966) by Ingrid Bergman redefined the cinematic portrayal of identity and deep psychology in its 83-minute span.

  3. The influence of Luis Bunuel’s searing 85-minute Los Olvidados (1950) can still be seen in stories of crime and deprivation like Gomorrah (2008).

  4. Stanley Kubrick is known for epic length, but built his early reputation with pithy, concise films. ​The Killing (1956) created a complex narrative and a host of memorable characters in just 85 minutes, giving heist movies a new template.

  5. In Paths of Glory (1957), Kubrick took 88 minutes to anatomise the follies of war.

  6. High Noon (1952) told a tale of a lawman betrayed by the community he supposedly protects in 85 minutes of real-time.

  7. Good comedy and animation don’t outstay their welcome. Borat (2006) is 84 minutes long.

  8. This Is Spinal Tap (1984), nominated by Time Out as the funniest film of all time, lasts 82 minutes.

  9. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) crams a love story, eleven songs and ground-breaking stop-motion techniques into just 76 minutes.

  10. No one felt short-changed by the 81-minute runtime of Toy Story (1995).

  11. Underlining how shorter durations work well for Horror, The Wicker Man (1973) casts its spell in only 87 minutes.

  12. The Blair Witch Project (1999), whose income was 4,000 times its budget, lasts 81 minutes.

  13. A similar runaway Horror success, Paranormal Activity (2007) is 86 minutes long.

  14. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), one of the most effectively disturbing films ever made, clocks in at a mere 83 minutes.

  15. The many critics who acclaimed Locke (2013) didn’t complain about its 85-minute duration.

  16. Same with the well-reviewed Petite Maman (2021), which lasted 72 minutes.
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'Locke' - aristotle would have approved


​HOW WE CAN HELP

​WE HAVE A BRILLIANT CONSULTANCY TEAM WAITING TO GIVE YOU FEEDBACK!

Again, we don’t say your script has to “be brief” - in Errol Flynn’s words.

But good, tight ​writing is something of a lost art. People write long-winded scripts not out of choice, but because they haven't honed the craft skills and discipline to do otherwise.

If your script is over-long, we’ll help you find the shorter, sweeter, probably much more saleable story hiding within.

If it’s too short, we’ll work with you to find the right material for expansion.

And if it’s a good length, we’ll make sure it’s polished to the highest level. 

YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT OUR AFFORDABLE FEEDBACK SERVICES HERE

Contact me via email here to find out how we can help you.


And let us know what you think about length in scripts and films below - we want to hear your opinion.




25 Comments
Leslie Grice Mr
13/11/2023 01:38:18 pm

Good advice for writers and viewers - folks will quote how the giants of movie-makers can make these 'long' films, but they are generally in another league and don't have to pass through hundreds of doors to get what they want, they get lots of free passes, even on budgets. Blade Runner 2049 is magnificent all round but financially is a flop as was the first iteration, but its so engaging and in the oft quoted phrase 'ahead of its time'. (I saw it in huge 3D initially which was unbelievable). Also I think on second and third viewings these films (Oppenheimer for example) become shorter in the mind as we can accumulate more information and story with each watch. I imagine that with the advent of streaming and DVD etc. multiple viewings at home soon after the first release brings home the bacon to director, writer and viewer despite the supposed short attention spans we humans are acquiring. Years ago up to the 1980's I believe, there could be an intermission, perhaps for practical reasons in the cinema and I wonder if screenwriters would dare to write one in these days? Somewhere just after the midpoint? Theatre still does it and I don't hear complaints about intermissions but maybe thats a cultural thing. Over-writing is always a problem, how to succinctly express everything writers try to say in short scenes, acts and movies is a problem for me as it is anyone I imagine. I imagine much of this comes from not establishing some solid foundations early on, like having a clear concise and often simple story and sticking to it. It is amazing to watch some films and realise just how little information is being relayed to us and yet we still get it, maybe thats the give them 2 + 2 and let the audience add it up at work. Another beautiful example of a great short beautiful film, 96 minutes, is the Irish movie 'The Quiet Girl', actually an adaptation of a novella and its quite a slow moving film and very character driven too. Good article Ian Long thanks.

Reply
Ian Long link
15/11/2023 10:06:59 am

Your point about starting with "a clear concise and often simple story and sticking to it" is a particularly good one. Maybe that's why so many good films are based on short stories rather than novels (I think a lot of screenwriters could benefit from acquainting themselves with short stories in all their forms). Many thanks for your comments!

Reply
Erick
13/11/2023 03:48:14 pm

Amen to that!

Reply
Ian Long link
14/11/2023 10:38:35 am

Coming as it does from a professional script reader, your comment is particularly meaningful, Erick!

Reply
Sanchia Oppenheimer
14/11/2023 08:34:12 am

I agree wholeheartedly. When a screenplay is tight and engaging, when the final credits roll I’m left wanting more. I’ve watched something special when this happens. It’s indicative of a writer who is truly ‘in relationship to’ their audience rather than…dare I say it… self-indulgent.

Reply
Ian Long link
15/11/2023 09:41:59 am

Yes, that's a good point - the feeling of yearning to stay in the fictional world because there's a sense that its possibilities haven't been exhausted, versus gratitude at being released from it!

Reply
Charles Harris link
14/11/2023 04:07:39 pm

Absolutely. Excellent article. As a BAFTA judge, I get to see all the films submitted for awards and I'd say I hardly ever find a movie wouldn't have been better with 30 mins cut out. That would be about two movies in every hundred. At best.

There's another reason for writing shorter, which I don't think you mention. Cinemas don't like long films, because it means they get fewer screenings per day and that means fewer ticket sales - and fewer sales of popcorn and Coca-Cola, which is where they make most of their profits.

So long films tend to get pulled much more quickly.

I remember a film school tutor once saying, nobody ever came out of a film saying it was too short. And he was talking about shorts... How much truer for features!

Reply
Ian Long link
15/11/2023 09:50:08 am

Very good points, Charles. The idea that most films would benefit from the subtraction of 30 minutes is very telling. And yes, the commercial consideration is also an important thing to remember. Many thanks for your comments.

Reply
Lewis B Ockenheimer
14/11/2023 07:20:31 pm

T.E.L:

We've found your original Seven Pillars MS.

Please get in touch -- Box 753

Reply
Ian Long link
15/11/2023 10:14:12 am

I didn't know I owned the original manuscript of Seven Pillars (of Wisdom?), or that I'd lost it. You learn something new every day.

Reply
Charles Harris link
15/11/2023 06:10:43 pm

LOL. Actually LofA is indeed in seven acts. The divisions are quite obvious when you watch it. But you can get away with that if you compensate the audience with a stonking good story, riveting scenes, rich characters, stupendous scenery and - of course - some of the most memorable film music ever composed. (Plus an intermission!)

Reply
Ian Long link
16/11/2023 10:28:13 am

Maybe audiences for historical epics are also primed for a didactic 'total immersion' in an era, a succession of events, the elements that formed an exceptional individual's character, and/or the ways in which it is expressed - and the elongated act structure gives them the feeling that they are receiving this?

It will be interesting to see what kind of act structure Ridley Scott's 'Napoleon' uses.

Simon Bovey
15/11/2023 06:38:59 pm

Great article, I've had this argument so many times. These days length is equated with quality, but my numb cinema arse would say different. While we're on the subject, there are very few TV series which wouldn't have benefited from losing an episode or three.

Reply
Ian Long link
16/11/2023 01:12:37 pm

Or even a season or two, in some cases! Many thanks for your comment.

Reply
Edwin M. Cornhauser
19/11/2023 12:59:50 am

Instead of scriptwriters having to compromise on length, perhaps the solution to longer films would be reintroducing the intermission?

Reply
Charles Harris link
19/11/2023 02:23:27 pm

Hi Edwin. Intermissions would be great. Sadly, in most cases the scripts were too long on the first place and no number of intermissions would help. :-( Cutting is professional, but painful to learn. However, I've personally found that when I've endured the pain, the gain is almost always worth it.

Reply
Ian Long link
22/11/2023 09:44:41 am

I concur with Charles - script problems are almost always solved by cutting rather than allowing a story to run to its full, 'uncompromised' length.

Reply
Laura Pritchard
21/11/2023 12:29:43 am

Having just read a script with loads of potential that was ruined by an excessively episodic format that ran to 110 pages, I concur with point 8 in particular.

I think the exercise of stripping out everything that is frivolous or repetitive and seeing what you have left is really beneficial for a script to improve. You might pan to put it all back in again and then fall in love with the sparse document you've created. But sparse doesn't need to mean lacking in character development and plot. Another word for padding is flab and no one wants to see that. xx

Reply
Ian Long link
22/11/2023 09:48:13 am

Many thanks for that comment, Laura - again, particularly meaningful advice when coming from a professional script reader. Sparse is good!

Reply
Christine Garabedian link
22/11/2023 04:14:56 pm

Thank you for this clear and insightful article about the benefits of brevity.

Alfred Hitchcock also wisely said: 'The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder'...

Reply
Charles Harris link
22/11/2023 06:12:27 pm

LOL.

Reply
Ian Long link
23/11/2023 04:45:23 pm

A very relevant comment, Christine! Many thanks!

Reply
Anna Bowman link
28/11/2023 12:58:37 pm

Excellent advice

Reply
Ian Long link
29/11/2023 12:22:56 pm

Thank you, Anna!

Reply
Fazil link
13/1/2025 03:40:08 am

Great points on the importance of brevity in scripts! A concise story not only keeps readers engaged but also showcases the writer's skill in creating a compelling narrative within limited space. Regard <a href="https://jakarta.telkomuniversity.ac.id/en/virus-characteristics-spread-prevention-and-protection/virus-ciri-penyebaran-pencegahan-dan-pelindungan-2/">Tel U</a>

Reply



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