Most great films run long, with very few exceptions. That may just be how long it takes to develop interesting characters and a fascinating story with a profound theme and payoff. Or perhaps substantial length lends a sense of import to a cinematic experience. But a new writer in Hollywood will find it hard to get anything read that looks like it will last more than two hours.

At an industry rule of thumb page-a-minute, that means keeping the script to under 120 pages, two hours being about as long as anyone expects to keep a busy audience in its seat. Ninety pages tends to be a good minimum length, and 107 to 117 a good upper range.

After first checking the page number on the last sheet of the script, the reader will often backflip through the script quickly to check the 'blockiness' of the narrative and dialogue passages. Break up the dialogue and action passages, as discussed elsewhere.

Length of screenplays in Hollywood is so important in terms of making a good first impression on readers that writers often resort to all manner of tricks to make their scripts seem shorter. Playing with margins, adjusting font sizes, even manipulating the copy machine. But . .