From screenplay pages
to screen time
Estimate a screenplay's runtime from page count, then account for dialogue-heavy scenes and action sequences when planning your draft.
Calculate runtimeCalculate page-to-runtime
Calculate your script's estimated screen duration in Courier 12-point format. Calibrate between rapid dialogue, heavy action paragraphs, and industry standard pacing benchmarks.
Pages
Est. Runtime
Duration
Format Class
At 105 pages, this draft sits in the ideal sweet spot for commercial feature submissions (90 to 110 pages). Studio readers favor scripts under 115 pages for faster read passes.
The Truth Behind the "One Page Equals One Minute" Rule
Why Page Counts Deceive Writers
The oldest rule in Hollywood screenwriting is that one page of Courier 12pt format equals approximately one minute of screen time. While this rule is a dependable broad estimate for studio production budgets, it breaks down significantly when applied to individual scenes.
A page consisting entirely of rapid banter between two characters will often play on screen in forty seconds. In contrast, half a page describing a silent, tension-filled hallway standoff—such as the border crossing sequence in Sicario—can easily consume three minutes of actual screen time once camera blocking and edits are staged.
White Space and Reader Velocity
In modern screenwriting, white space dictates how fast a development assistant or literary manager flips your pages. Dense, novelistic paragraphs of action description stall reading momentum and inflate perceived length.
Professional screenwriters rarely write action blocks thicker than three or four lines. By breaking actions into visual beats separated by line breaks, the script mimics the camera's eye. If your script clocks in at 125 pages, pruning novelistic exposition and trimming dialogue fluff will bring it down to a lean, competitive 105 pages without losing a single plot beat.
Industry Screenplay Standards by Format
| Project Type | Target Page Count | Estimated Runtime | Studio Acceptance Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short Film | 5 – 20 pages | 5 – 20 mins | Festivals prefer under 15 mins |
| 1-Hour TV Pilot | 52 – 62 pages | 45 – 55 mins | Strict 60-page ceiling for spec pilots |
| Feature Screenplay | 90 – 110 pages | 90 – 115 mins | Sweet spot for spec sales is 95–105p |
Related Script Development Tools
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