How short can my screenplay be?
Generally speaking, as a novice your [spec scripts](https://screenwriting.io/what-is-a-%E2%80%9Cspec-script%E2%80%9D/) should be between 110 and 120 pages. The rule of thumb with screenplays is that...
View ArticleHow do you format an on-screen countdown clock?
There is no hard and fast rule to format an on-screen countdown clock. As with all general formatting advice, your goal is to express your idea clearly and simply, without taking the reader out of the...
View ArticleWhat is the difference between a logline and a tagline?
A “logline” is a movie’s concept boiled down to one or two sentences: *On his deathbed, a father tells the story of his life the way he remembers it: full of wild, impossible exaggerations. His grown...
View ArticleIf I am adapting a classic work that is in the public domain, should I credit...
When adapting and updating a well known property in the public domain, it is a bit of a judgement call as to whether or not the original work needs a “based on” credit. If it feels dishonest not to...
View ArticleHow should I approach rewrites?
In a [blog post](http://johnaugust.com/2005/how-to-rewrite) from 2005, John August has this general advice: >>Decide out what you want to accomplish, then figure out which scenes would need to...
View ArticleWho is Robert McKee?
Robert McKee is a screenwriting guru whose book (and seminar series), [Story](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0060391685/?tag=johnaugustcom-20), is one of the most popular and polarizing how-to screenwriting...
View ArticleHow do I write a screenplay?
Writing a [screenplay](https://screenwriting.io/what-is-a-screenplay/) is a large undertaking. In [not much more than 100 pages](https://screenwriting.io/how-long-should-a-screenplay-be/), a...
View ArticleWhat is a two-hander?
A two-hander is a movie where there are two main characters of roughly equal importance to the story, and whose arcs are given roughly equal screen-time. Romantic comedies and buddy cop movies are...
View ArticleCan I use real people in my screenplay?
It is not uncommon to see a screenplay refer to a real person or use a real person as a character, but we recommend you tread lightly, as it could be considered libel. In general, it’s okay to refer to...
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What are colored revisions/drafts/pages?
Colored pages are used in film and television to keep track of revisions to a script as it goes into production. Spec screenplays and screenplays in development won’t have colored pages. It’s generally...
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