A tight, well-paced screenplay is a professional screenplay. While the “one page equals one minute of screen time” rule is just a guideline, an overly long script—typically over 120 pages for a feature, and often closer to 90-110 is preferred—is a red flag for readers, suggesting a lack of conciseness or an underdeveloped structure.

cutting the fat scripts

Trimming your screenplay can be painful, but it’s a vital part of the revision process. Here are actionable tips, moving from the big-picture story down to line-by-line tweaks, to help you cut the fat.

Phase 1: The Big Picture (Scenes and Structure)

This is where the most significant page reduction will occur. Be ruthless; if something doesn’t move the plot or reveal character, it has to go.

Map Out Your Story Beats: Create a detailed outline or beat sheet of your existing script. Review every scene’s function.

Question Every Scene: Does this scene absolutely need to be here? Does it advance the main plot, or is it merely “setup” or “aftermath” that could be woven into another scene?

Eliminate Redundancy: Look for scenes that achieve the same plot point or emotional beat. Can you combine two or three scenes into one more impactful, multi-faceted moment?

Cut Secondary Plots and Characters: Are there any subplots that distract from the main theme or protagonist’s goal? If a storyline doesn’t directly raise the stakes or illuminate a core character arc, cut it. Likewise, remove or combine any minor characters whose function can be absorbed by an existing character.

Go Late, Leave Early (Trim Heads and Tails):

Start a Scene as Late as Possible: Get into the action right before the most critical dramatic moment. Don’t linger on characters walking into a room or exchanging pleasantries.

End a Scene as Early as Possible: Once the central conflict or beat is resolved, cut to the next scene. Don’t waste space on a character walking out or recapping what just happened.

Phase 2: Scene-Level Tightening (Action and Dialogue)

Once you’ve removed the non-essential scenes, focus on making the remaining ones as lean as possible.

Ruthlessly Trim Scene Description:

Focus on the Broad Strokes: You are writing a blueprint for a camera, not a novel. Avoid flowery prose and excessive detail on costumes, décor, or internal thoughts. Only describe what the camera sees and what is vital to the story.

Embrace Fragments: Use sentence fragments (e.g., “A single light flickers.” instead of “A single light is flickering in the distance.”) to save space and increase pace.

Avoid Camera Directions: Unless essential for a major plot beat, leave shot directions (CLOSE UP, PAN, ZOOM) to the director.

Pare Down Dialogue:

Kill Your Darlings (Talky Ones): Delete any lines of dialogue that are merely “filler,” such as overly long greetings, characters recapping information the audience already knows, or lines that simply restate what the scene description has already communicated.

Replace Dialogue with Action: Is a character telling us they’re sad? Find a visual action or gesture that shows it instead. Action lines take up less vertical space than dialogue blocks.

Cut “Handles” and Filler Words: Eliminate unnecessary names at the start of a line (“Tom, I think…”) and filler words like “just,” “kind of,” or “maybe” unless they are vital to the character’s voice.

Tighten Action Lines:

Cut Gerunds: Replace passive phrases with active, strong verbs (e.g., “He starts running” becomes “He runs.”).

Word-by-Word Edit: Scrutinize every word in your action blocks. If a word can be deleted without changing the meaning, delete it. Combine short sentences where possible without creating run-ons.

Phase 3: Formatting Hacks (Use with Caution)

These subtle adjustments exploit the physical space of the page and can save a few pages, but should never replace structural or line-level cuts. Never adjust standard margins or fonts, as professional readers will spot it immediately.

Eliminate Widows and Orphans: A “widow” is the last line of a dialogue or action paragraph that spills onto the next page. An “orphan” is a single word dangling on the last line of an action paragraph. Edit the preceding lines to pull that text up or down, saving an entire line of real estate.

Condense Parentheticals: Use parentheticals sparsely, as they consume page space. Often, the intended tone can be made clear in the preceding action line or in the dialogue itself.

Utilize Dual Dialogue: If two characters are speaking over one another, use the “Dual Dialogue” feature in your screenwriting software. This places the dialogue side-by-side, effectively halving the vertical space consumed by those lines. Use only when appropriate for the scene.

Final Word of Advice: Save a copy of your current draft before you begin cutting. Title the new file something like “Draft_Cut” to give yourself permission to be brutal. When you think you’re done, let the script sit for a week, then read it again. You’ll likely find even more you can live without. A smaller, faster-paced script is one that is more likely to be read, praised, and produced.

Cutting the Fat: Essential Tips to Trim Your Screenplay to Size
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