Screenwriting : Sci Fi action Thriller by Lieutenant Coopwood

Fire your Editor.

LT,

I went through the whole thing and trimed it to keep the flow and pacing on track. As it was before, there were a lot of dead spots in the pacing where the script seemed to drag on.

It's now 85 pages vs 118, which is ideal for a sci-fi spec with all the CGI's this movie will have. The movie will probably be 1:30 or 1:45 once it's done.

That’s what my editor wrote

I just finished a first draft of a spec script that's 86 pages. We're going to go through it again and try to push for about 95 pages. In the long run, I'd rather have a shorter, tighter film than something that just has extra scenes for the sake of page count. Other writers I've talked to suggest that around 90 is good for Scifi.

My point exactly I want a tighter script that moves quick and he’s write when I sale it most likely they well add things anyway since they own the rights to the script . So I shouldn’t worry to much about the page count . I just want to get the ending and the story told . Actions scenes Translate on time on screen differently in length of time right ?

Yes, it's not a direct 1:1 translation. For example, The Bourne Identity script was 105 pages, but running time was 119 minutes. In action movies you might have a script that says "They fight" and that ends up being 10-20 seconds of onscreen time.

Ok I got you . Have you sold a script before ? Do you have an agent or manager? I’m using the IMDB prime to send query emails to producers in hope they wanna read my script .

Your editor is wrong and I am not sure why you would allow an editor to cut your script in the first place. I would fire mine if she did that.

I agree with Dan on this one. Your editor is wrong, 84 pages is too short for a scifi thriller, and the better question to ask is - what produced projects has your editor worked on? I can tell from your posts that this script probably still needs some work. do not start submitting it to anyone until it is truly ready!!

Yes i feel like my script is never ready and your alway changing the its ends or starts or the flow. It’s like I guess you get as close to ready as you think . But who really knows except for the person writing the check. I don’t think he’s produced much of anything. He just has the format down and how to tell a story by readying a lot of scripts and knowing the industry standard. If you guys have a reasonable priced editor I’m alway in search for a good one.

Bourne scripts are not specs. They are adaptations, assignment gigs. Tony Gilroy doesn’t even use slug lines, writes one word action.

A better spec comparison would be something like “Passengers.” Compare your world building skills to that script.

Passengers is 127 pages.

If you did the cut and the story still makes sense, you were right in cutting it. Smaller page count is consistently a plus. Shorter scripts imply well-edited, and, sometimes, cheaper. That said, you can check Blacklist and see the page count of spec-scripts in your genre, which is shown in the evaluation. Most of the sci-fi top scripts are in the range of 90-110. It's rare a script under 90 pages.

I wouldn't let my editor cut one thing.

Update so I fired my editor and have a new one and he says he loves my script and and action thriller should never be less then 100 pages if not more . Your just selling the script once you sell it they will do s rewrite and cut things if they want too . My new editor is great and his last writer he worked with sold her script and another writer sold a script to actovison and for a video Game . He got 5 million . ...hopefully that’s me one day .

Good luck!!!

I believe that you made the right choice by firing your first editor. A feature screenplay no matter the genre is generally between 90 and 120 pages. An editor should know that. Good luck with the new editor. And I hope we both make that million dollar sale one day.

I'm looking for an editor. Would you be able to recommend your new editor?

Yes Taylor DM I’ll give your his contact

THANK YOU!

It's only fat if it's not moving the story along. I will watch a 4-hour movie if the story stays intriguing throughout. Try to look at it as someone not involved in the project. INCREDIBLY hard to do but will really help you make that decision.

Um. Isn't made for television Sci Fi 2 hr. time block about 1hr. 24 min. per movie with all the commercials they show.. IDK silly marketability notion I guess. Is intent screen or television.