Pacing

Scene length and character presence

Compare scene lengths, character appearances, and changes across versions.

The strip Link to The strip#

Open File → Pacing to see the script as one strip. Click any segment to open its scene.

  • Width: scene length in eighths of a page, matching the stripboard.
  • Shade: dark for night, light for day.
  • Bands below: interior/exterior and returns to earlier locations.
Wider segments mean longer scenes. Character lanes show who shows where.

Character presence Link to Character presence#

Each frequent speaker has a lane that marks their appearances. A gap of ten pages or one-fifth of the script shows a warning. For example: "MARCUS silent for 22 pages."

Other measurements Link to Other measurements#

  • Acts: linked beat-board cards color the strip by act.
  • Rewrites: on synced scripts, shading shows how much each scene changed across versions.
  • Rhythm: scene-length bars show differences in length.

The timeline below compares screenplay order with story chronology. Select a flashback point to open its scene. Set the sequence of events in Outline & story order.