Screenplay Page Count Estimator
Estimate the formatted page count and runtime of a screenplay from raw word count, format type, and scene heading count.
Results
What is it?
Screenplays use Courier 12pt in a specific format where 1 page equals approx 1 minute of screen time. The format is deliberately spacious; a feature film screenplay averages approx 55 words per formatted page (compared to 275 words in a novel page).
How to use
Enter your word count from Final Draft, Fade In, or any screenwriting software. Select the format type -- action-heavy scripts run longer per word than talky scripts. Add your scene heading count to account for the whitespace each INT./EXT. line introduces.
Example scenario
A 15,000-word action screenplay with 80 scene headings: base = 15,000/55 = 272 pages x 1.1 + 80x0.15 = 299 + 12 = 311 pages. That is too long -- industry standard is 90-120 pages -- suggesting significant trimming is needed.
Pro tip
The 1-page-per-minute rule holds for live-action film but breaks down for animation (1 page approx 30 seconds due to dense action lines). Final Draft's Production page count is authoritative -- it auto-paginates with real Courier formatting. Use this estimator early in the writing process to gauge length before full formatting.