About Screenplays

Every Hollywood movie seen in theaters started out with a screenplay. Screenplays are a lot different than novels because they are specifically created for use on the big screen. A lot of the work that comes with a screenplay is formatting and even if you have the best story, it could get passed up because of a poorly written screenplay.

The Facts

Screenplays are generally between 90 and 120 pages. Each page represents about a minute of screen time, so a 90-minute movie will have a screenplay around 90 pages long.
Screenplays are typically typed using specific screenwriting software like Final Draft and Magic Movie Screenwriter. These programs cover formatting basics and allow writers to concentrate on stories.

Features

Screenplays can be split up into three separate sections: Slug Lines, Action and Dialogue.
Slug Lines set the scene and time. For example: INT. LIVING ROOM -- DAY. The slug lines are always in all caps and the time put should simply be day or night. Things like dusk, dawn and sun rise should be put in the action section.
Action lines are everything that the viewer sees. Thoughts do not belong in here, and everything is in the present tense. For example: Joe eats a piece of corn. He throws the corn all over the floor.
When characters are first introduced, they should be in all capital letters in the action lines.
Dialogue is everything spoken in a movie. This also includes voiceovers. Dialogue is typed with the name centered, underlined and capitalized. The dialogue is written directly underneath it.

Type

Movies fall into several different genres and screenplays do as well. Action screenplays may feature a lot less pages because more of the focus is action and not space-taking dialogue. A drama screenplay could be only 80 minutes on the screen but have over 100 pages of writing because they focus all on dialogue.
There are two types of screenplays: the regular screenplay and the shooting script. Shooting scripts are written off of the screenplay and are used more for scene direction and planning for the director and crew.

Time Frame

A fully written script takes on average between a month to two months to write. Times can vary, but once the first draft is completed, many rewrites and drafts may have to be done before it is fully completed.

Risk Factors

Writing a screenplay can take a lot of time and focus. You may be risking social and family time to complete the screenplay. Unless a treatment or idea was sold, nothing is ever guaranteed in the screenwriting business. You could end up waiting ten years to even gain interest on your story, but many times it might not even end up selling.