Therefore, a pilot script functions as a kind of tease or advertisement for what the rest of the show will feel like. However, due to the way the TV business works, usually a pilot is approved before a show is “picked up” and the rest of the show is produced. While the script itself is shorter than a feature screenplay, the sum total of scripted pages for a full show far outweighs a single feature script. The main difference between TV pilot scripts and feature screenplays is that the pilot script is meant to tease an entire show. Prestige shows like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones also fit in this category due to the increased time span giving the characters more time to breathe. 60-minute shows tend to be dramas and procedurals, shows that can hold your audience’s attention for a full hour with the requisite twists and turns to keep them engaged. There’s nothing inherently less valuable about these kinds of pilots, just that comedy tends to operate in a shorter timeframe than drama. 30-minute TV shows tend to lean towards comedies or sitcoms that are short, snappy, and get to the point quickly. TV pilot scripts are traditionally split between two categories: 30-minute pilots and 60-minute pilots which corresponds to around 30 pages and 60 pages respectively. Traditionally they are split into five individual acts, however, with the advent of streaming this practice is becoming increasingly uncommon. So, for example, if you’re writing a detective show, the pilot should introduce the main detective, introduce the setting in which they operate, and show what a typical case looks like. TV pilot scriptsĪ TV pilot is the very first episode of a series that introduces the main characters, the setting, and a prototypical conflict that they’ll be dealing with in every episode. If these two key features aren’t fulfilled then it may be a good idea to look elsewhere. Of course it’s possible, but does it best serve the story as a whole? Do you feel like your best ideas are in the first and third acts? Then your story probably isn’t suited to be a feature screenplay. While an idea like “a man tries to stay alive in a broken down car in the arctic wilderness” may sound like fun, ask yourself if you can truly write a fully fledged second act about that idea. Second, make sure that your story idea can sustain an exciting second act. Even if the story is set in a sprawling universe, make sure the story itself begins in a definitive fashion and ends conclusively so that the package as a whole feels satisfying for the reader. While a sprawling universe is a fun idea, we’re not going to get a lot of time to enjoy it. What format is best for my screenplay?įirst, make sure your story is contained. The general page limit allows the screenwriter to figure out their beats in advance and set short-term goals along the way to hit. While the three-act is far from obligatory to making a great story, it inexorably appears time and again in feature screenplays for the simple reason that it works so effectively for the format. Perhaps the most important feature is the three-act structure that lies beneath the surface. In a general sense the plot is contained within those pages with little regard for where the story might go after “the end” (although if you’re writing a franchise movie this is different). ![]() Side characters are rarely sketched out in as much detail as the protagonist and the antagonist is specifically tailored to offer a potent opposition to the protagonist. With there being a limited amount of pages the screenwriter usually clarifies and focuses in on one specific character and their journey through an exciting plot filled with internal and external conflict, with a strong inciting incident. A feature script will use all the basic conventional screenplay formatting rules and is a great training ground to learn the mechanics of screenwriting.Īlthough your mind may go to the likes of Star Wars that has a sprawling universe full of mystery and adventure, feature scripts are actually quite contained in scope. A feature screenplay is usually a self-contained story that runs somewhere between 80-130 pages with the intent of turning the story into a feature film that runs somewhere between 80-130 minutes (approximately 1 minute of screen time per page). ![]() These are what the stereotypical image of a screenwriter pumps out on their archaic typewriter before typing “fade out” after churning out a massive stack of pages. Perhaps the best known kind of scripts are the screenplays for feature films. Although conventional wisdom indicates that outlining your story is the first step in the screenwriting process, I want to dig into a question that too often goes unasked: What is the best medium for this story? Feature scripts
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