Page Count in Eighths: How to Measure a Script
By Muhammad Wisal and Muhammad Ali / 6 min read
Film crews measure script length in eighths of a page. Each page is split into eight equal parts of roughly one inch, and every scene gets a length such as 3/8 or 1 5/8. That number goes on the breakdown sheet, the stripboard and the call sheet, and it is the basic unit for planning how much you can shoot in a day.
What is an eighth of a page in film?
An eighth of a page is one eighth of a standard screenplay page, about one inch of printed text. A full page is 8/8 and is written as 1. Because screenplays follow a fixed format (12 point Courier, set margins), an inch of text means roughly the same amount of story in every script, so eighths give everyone a shared way to talk about length.
The habit comes from the days of paper breakdowns, when an AD laid a ruler on the page and counted inches. Software does the measuring now, but the unit stayed because it is fine enough to describe short scenes and simple enough to add up by hand.
Why do ADs count pages in eighths?
Eighths let the 1st AD and the producer compare scenes on the same scale. You use the page count to:
- Fill in the length box on each breakdown sheet.
- Total each shoot day on the stripboard, so no day is badly overloaded.
- List the scenes and total pages on each call sheet.
- Track progress during the shoot: pages planned against pages shot.
A scene's eighths tell you its length on paper. They do not tell you how hard it is to shoot. "They fight their way through the market" is 1/8 and might take a full day. Use eighths as a starting point, then adjust for setups, stunts, extras and moves.
How do you measure a scene in eighths?
Measure from the scene heading to the start of the next scene heading, then convert the length to eighths of a page. Here is the manual method.
- Use a locked, properly formatted script. If the formatting is off, every count will be off. Page counts are normally done on the shooting script, after scene numbers are locked.
- Mark each page into eight sections. Divide the text area of the page into eight bands of about one inch each. A ruler or a printed overlay works.
- Measure each scene. Start at the scene heading and stop where the next scene heading begins. Count how many bands the scene covers.
- Round to the nearest eighth. A scene that covers two and a half bands is usually counted as 3/8. Be consistent across the script.
- Add up scenes that cross a page break. Measure the part on each page and add them together.
- Apply the minimum. Any scene, even a single line, counts as at least 1/8.
- Check the total. The sum of all scene counts should come out close to the number of script pages.
How do you write and add page counts?
Page counts are written as whole pages plus eighths, and the fractions are not reduced. You write 4/8, not 1/2, and 6/8, not 3/4. That keeps every number on the same scale, so adding a column is easy.
| Length on paper | Written as | Eighths |
|---|---|---|
| A single line of action | 1/8 | 1 |
| About half a page | 4/8 | 4 |
| One full page | 1 | 8 |
| A page and three inches | 1 3/8 | 11 |
| Two and three quarter pages | 2 6/8 | 22 |
To add counts, convert everything to eighths, add, then convert back. For example, 2 3/8 + 4/8 + 1 6/8 is 19 + 4 + 14 = 37 eighths. Divide by 8: 4 pages with 5 left over, so the total is 4 5/8.
What does a worked example look like?
Take three scenes from a short drama about a ferry worker named Petra and her brother Collins. They run across pages 14 to 16 of the script.
| Scene | Where it sits | Measurement | Page count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22. INT. FERRY TERMINAL - NIGHT | Top of page 14 | 5 bands on page 14 | 5/8 |
| 23. EXT. PIER - NIGHT | Bottom of page 14 into page 15 | 3 bands on page 14 plus 6 bands on page 15 | 1 1/8 |
| 24. INT. COLLINS'S TRUCK - NIGHT | Bottom of page 15 through page 16 | 2 bands on page 15 plus all of page 16 | 1 2/8 |
| Total | Pages 14 to 16 | 5 + 9 + 10 = 24 eighths | 3 |
The total matches the three pages the scenes fill, which is a quick check that nothing was missed or counted twice. On a stripboard, each strip would carry its count (5/8, 1 1/8, 1 2/8), and if all three land on the same shoot day, that day has 3 pages.
How do eighths relate to screen time?
The common rule of thumb is that one page of a properly formatted screenplay plays as roughly one minute of screen time, so 1/8 is roughly seven or eight seconds. It is only an average. Fast dialogue plays shorter than its page count, and a page of dense action can play much longer. See how long a screenplay is for page counts by format.
For scheduling, the more useful link is between page count and shooting time. Most productions set a daily page target, then adjust each day for setups and complexity. The guide on how many pages you can shoot a day covers that step.
What are common page count mistakes?
- Counting on a badly formatted script. Wrong margins or fonts change every count. Fix the format first.
- Reducing fractions. Writing 1/2 instead of 4/8 makes columns harder to add and confuses people reading the board.
- Giving a short scene 0. Every scene is at least 1/8, even if it is one line.
- Forgetting the page break. A scene that runs onto the next page needs both parts added.
- Treating eighths as effort. A 1/8 car chase and a 1/8 phone call are not the same day's work.
- Not recounting after revisions. New pages change lengths. Update the breakdown and the board when revised pages come out.
Where does page count fit in Lowerated?
Page counts feed the schedule, and in Lowerated the schedule lives on the stripboard. Each scene is a strip built from your breakdown, and you plan shoot days by dragging strips between them. You can also filter the board, for example to night scenes, and see how the days take shape.
The clip shows scenes as strips, filtered to night scenes, with one dragged onto day one.
Before you schedule, script statistics show how long each scene is and how dialogue is split between characters, which helps you spot the long scenes early.
FAQ
How many eighths are in a page?
Eight. A full page is 8/8 and is written as 1, so a scene of 1 3/8 is one full page plus three eighths.
What is the smallest page count a scene can have?
1/8. Even a scene with a single line of action is counted as one eighth, because it still needs its own setup.
Why use eighths instead of half and quarter pages?
Eighths give finer detail for short scenes, and keeping every count in eighths makes totals simple to add by hand.
Who does the page count?
Usually the 1st AD or the production office during the script breakdown. On small shoots it is often the director or producer.
Key takeaways
- A page is divided into eight parts of about one inch, and scenes are measured in those eighths.
- Write counts as whole pages plus eighths (1 3/8), never reduced fractions.
- Every scene counts as at least 1/8, and scenes across a page break are added up.
- Eighths measure length on paper, not difficulty, so adjust your schedule for setups and complexity.
- Recount when revised pages come out, and update the breakdown and stripboard.
