My Films

Module 3 · Lesson 6 of 6

Fix a script that runs long or talks too much.

Three common problems, and a fix for each. Make one pass through your script for each problem.

The steps

Too long

  1. Cut the setup: the part before the trouble starts.

  2. Start later. Begin at the first moment something is wrong.

  3. End sooner. Stop right after the turn, on your last image.

Too much talk

  1. Find a line that says what someone feels. Replace it with a look or an action.

    For example, cut “I’m so angry with you.” Write instead: She walks out and leaves the door open.

The trouble shows up late

  1. If the trouble starts after the first line, move it up.

  2. Make the problem the very first thing said or seen. Everything before it can go.

One pass for each

  1. Read the whole script three times. Each time, look for only one of the three problems.

  2. Time it again after the three passes. It should run the same length or shorter.

Your film

My Films

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Do this now

Make one pass through your script for each of the three fixes.

Check yourself

  • Does the trouble start in your first line?
  • Did you swap at least one line for a look or an action?
  • Does your script run the same length or shorter than before?

If any answer is no, go back over the steps, or look below.

Stuck?

After cutting, the story doesn’t make sense.
Put back one line: the one that says who these people are to each other. Then time it again.
Nothing feels too long to me.
Read it to someone else and watch their face. Where they look away, cut.
My script is short enough already.
Still do the other two passes. A short script can still start late or talk too much.

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