Trending Lounge Discussions

If you're aiming to strengthen your understanding of distribution and position your project for success, learning directly from distributors, sales agents, and industry executives can make a tremendous difference. These webinars and classes break down real-world strategies for releasing films, navigating global markets, securing sales, and building distribution plans that maximize visibility and revenue.

We're excited to spotlight some of our most widely viewed Distribution webinars and classes from this year. These sessions have guided filmmakers across the globe in navigating the release process, identifying distribution opportunities, and planning the best path forward for their films.

TOP WEBINARS:

How to Secure the Best Distribution Deal for your Feature Film Project

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/understanding-the-economics-o...

Learn from the President of Packaging and Sales at Ramo Law, Tiffany Boyle who's produced hundreds of films & TV shows! You will walk away feeling confident in making a distribution deal because you will know what to expect.

Feature Film Distribution Contracts 101

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/feature-film-distribution-con...

Learn everything you need to know about independent film distribution contracts from an accomplished entertainment attorney who works with WME and recently worked on Ben Affleck's new film AIR with Mandalay Pictures! You will walk away from this webinar with the know-how to successfully navigate the legal minefield of independent feature film distribution contracts and negotiations.

Domestic Distribution in 2025 - A Look at Theatrical, VOD & Streaming

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/domestic-distribution-in-2025...

Learn from former SVP at Vertical Entertainment, with years of experience in acquisitions and distribution, working directly with Netflix, Starz, and other major buyers! You’ll gain insight into how to confidently approach the right buyers, tailor your pitch to what they’re actually looking for, and position your project for success—whether it’s for theatrical release, VOD, or streaming platforms.

TOP CLASSES:

Stage 32 2-Part Class: Advanced Film Distribution: Contracts, Sales Agents & Streamer Agreements

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-2-part-class-your-de...Learn from the SVP of Development & Production at Vertical Entertainment. You’ll walk away knowing how to structure deals, protect your interests, and secure the right partnerships to get your film in front of the right audience.

Stage 32 2-Part Distribution Class: The Future of Film Distribution - A Masterclass to Navigate the New Terrain

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/creating-a-distribution-and-m...

Learn from the entertainment industry's top distribution expert, Jon Reiss. Whether you're looking to make a splash on the festival circuit, break into streaming services, or explore international markets, this class will provide you with the tools to make informed decisions and craft a distribution strategy that aligns with your artistic and commercial aspirations.

Stage 32 4-Part Class: How to Produce, Finance, and Distribute Your SAG Ultra-Low Budget Film

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/producing-an-ultra-low-budget...

Learn a step-by-step process from a PGA producer who has made over 25 feature films! Michelle will dive into distribution and marketing strategies tailored for ultra-low budget films and share case studies to help you with your own project!

We’re currently planning our 2026 education calendar and would love your input.

What distribution topics would you like us to feature next year?

Share your ideas in the comments below—your feedback helps guide the programs we develop.

So, this is probably end up being ranty-- and I apologise ahead of time. But I keep running into this issue with some of my scripts-- the one page equals one minute. I swear I'm developing a phobia about this aspect that's becoming ridiculous the more I dwell on it.

For new screenwriters and even for established ones- it can be difficult to know how to parse and write a script with enough white space and yet-- to help achieve the aspect of being able to discern how much time is taken by certain actions, dialogues, montages, and more. It can be a bit frustrating- especially when you've layered some deep action sequences to showcase a character along with some dialogue to make the point come across.

White space is good. (This one is not the same as novel writing and I want people to realise when prose writers talk about white space it's almost the opposite of what screenwriting is-- yet it's not.) The idea is to not have tons of action without some speaking and vice versa. Breaking up the space creates interest, develops the story and helps it move forward.

So how DO you figure it out?

I went a bit crazy doing some research on this because honestly, for some scripts- it's imperative to know how you're converting over these elements. It also helps if you can showcase the per minute versus the length of the finished script. (I never realised I'd care so much about this-- but then again, I'm neurodivergent and this has been my gravesite while writing.)

I read recently on Writing Stack Exchange the following and it made sense-

Character Count + Location Count + Plot Complexity = Page Count

Less characters = less characters to develop = less pages

Less locations = less situations to set up = less pages

Simple plots = less explaining = less pages

Now, does that mean less time on the actual screen? No, not necessarily. It just means when you have action- it takes up less space. The goal is Actions have no longer than three lines- in theory.

StudioBinder had an article dealing with script length and basically said, "It's an average between a dialogue heavy scene and one that's action packed. The average rule of thumb is- 1 page equals 1 minute."

Many of the articles I read and researched said to take a stopwatch to the dialogue you've run and make sure you're getting into it deep. Is there action between the dialogue or anything so it's not just two talking heads? (The talking head phenonemon is huge in novels- you don't want to have talk without some kind of action being described or it can get boring trying to see who is who.)

"Get in late, get out early." That's the guide for most action, and honestly, for some dialogued scenes. Why? Because too long and you get bored. Too short, you don't tell enough of the story through that sequence of events. So the idea is -- drop into where the action and revelations begin and get out before you run long. (Kind of like this post.)

The Celtx Blog has a great way of helping people to shorten their action sequences to sentence fragments and shorter, punchier lines that showcase exactly what's happening with the minimal words- which allow the director and actors to do their thing. But-- what if we're talking spec here? Where IS that line? (https://blog.celtx.com/writing-action-four-tips-to-make-your-script-move/)

"Kill your darlings"- Something I've lived by with my writing. Slash and burn baby. Not everything needs to be in a script. BUT-- sometimes you do need that atmosphere. You need the description if there is a set way things have to look on the screen because of what happens next. But I'm all for-- "Does this move the script forward? Does this allow the director to do their job without me pushing in? Is it an adequate description to give the heft of the scene without dragging it down? Do the characters live and breathe in each scene as they move forward toward their destinies?"

That brings me to scenes and sequences. The rule of thumb seems to be no more than 7 pages for a scene, but sequences are a series of scenes that usually belong to one character and help develop the ebb and flow for the tension and release that happens within these scenes put together to achieve a specific outcome.

There's a good reason to think on the page per minute deal-- the remake of Gone in 60 Seconds the car chase scene. How was it written on the page for that absolute brilliant scene?

INT. COUNTACH - MIRROR MAN

is freaking out ... The snake wrapped all around him...

MIRROR MAN

What do I do? What do I do? Aw, man.

He's gonna swallow my shit whole

Let's go to a hospital or something!

But The Sphinx shakes his head. No.

MIRROR MAN (cont'd)

C'mon, you creepy no-nosed motherfucker.

Take me to a hospital!

Nope. The Sphinx drives on... Into yet another

DIRECTOR'S CHASE SCENE

This one even cooler than the last ... And once they've eluded all

of the police, The Sphinx pulls over to the side of a DARKENED

STREET...

MIRROR MAN

What are you doing? I'm gonna die!

(There's more, but I cut for brevity here)

That's the scene and in the movie? about 2-3 minutes. It's less than a page-- but the direction from the writer is clear-- it's not one page equals one minute- but gives rein to the director to make it better than before.

And if all of that didn't clear up the confusion-- yeah, exactly that. You can have a page mixed with action and dialogue and it take 4 minutes of screentime versus a page of rapid back and forth dialogue with visual handles and that last all of 30 seconds. They says it all averages out.

All is Lost- 31 pages. 1 hr 46 minutes runtime.

The Artist- 42 pages, 1 hr 42 minute runtime

Yet these movies were average feature length. So, definitely not a moment where a page per minute is truly the case. There's a script which I cannot remember of late- where there was literally "And they were still running" as the direction on ONE page and you flipped to the next and it was another action line, done diagnonally on the page. It was amusing, but it made me realise- they were giving direction but also trying to adhere to that page per minute standard.

And how do they justify this? Formatting, formatting, formatting. Makes my neurodivergent mind go mad.

So does it work? Maybe. Does it help to realise if you're doing a script reading how long it takes and you time it? Yeah- but again- some characters speak slower than others. Some action sequences may be longer due to the description of what's happening. The idea here is the average really isn't average depending on the type of script you're doing.

Congratulations to the Semifinalists in this year's Action/Thriller Contest! Let's show our support for the semifinalists, and if you placed, let us know more about your script!

Check out all the semifinalists here:

(https://www.stage32.com/happy-writers/contests/5th-Annual-Action-Thrille...)