An independent feature shoots about 4 to 6 pages a day. Studio films shoot 1.5 to 3, television shoots 5 to 8, and a tightly planned short can do 6 or more. The page count is a proxy for the real constraint, which is the number of camera setups and how long each one takes. This guide gives the numbers by production type, explains what makes a page fast or slow, and shows how to use page counts to build a schedule that holds.
How many pages a day by type of production?
| Production | Pages / day | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Studio feature | 1.5 to 3 | Many setups per scene, large crews, slower moves, budget for time |
| Indie feature | 4 to 6 | Fewer setups, smaller crew, no money for an extra day |
| Short film | 4 to 7 | Like an indie feature, usually with simpler scenes |
| TV drama (episodic) | 5 to 8 | Standing sets, repeat locations, a crew that shoots the same show weekly |
| Soap / multi-cam | 15 to 30 | Several cameras at once, minimal relighting |
| Commercial | Under 1 | A 30-second spot can take two days: every frame is a setup |
| Documentary | Not page-based | Scheduled by scene or interview, not script pages |
Why pages are only a proxy
Page count is the number everyone has in front of them, so everyone schedules by it. But a page of script says nothing about how many angles the director wants or how long each takes to light. That is why a schedule built on page count alone is a guess dressed as a plan.
What makes a page slow?
Each of these cuts the pages you can shoot, and they stack.
| Factor | Effect on the day | Plan for it |
|---|---|---|
| Company move | Two to three hours lost per move | One location per day where possible; never two moves |
| Night exterior | Shorter usable window, slower crew, rain and cold | Half the page count of a day interior; group nights together |
| Children | Legally limited hours, tutoring, short attention | Half the pages; schedule their scenes first |
| Animals | Unpredictable, handler time, repeated takes | Budget double the time and a cover scene |
| Stunts, effects, water, rain | Safety resets, prep per take, specialist crew | Often one scene is the whole day |
| Large cast or extras | More to direct, more to wrangle, more to light | Fewer pages; more ADs |
| Many setups (action, coverage-heavy director) | Each setup is 20 to 40 minutes | Count setups, not pages, for those scenes |
| First day, new location, new crew | Everything takes longer once | Plan Day 1 at two thirds of a normal day |
And the things that make a page fast: a standing set, daylight interiors, two actors in one room, a director who shoots a master and two singles, a crew that has been together for a week.
How do you use page counts to build a schedule?
- Count every scene in eighths during the breakdown. Rounding up. A three-line scene is 1/8, never zero.
- Pick a daily target for your production type. For an indie feature, 5 pages is the planning number; 4 for nights and effects days; 6 only for simple interiors.
- Group scenes by location, then cast, then day/night, and fill each day toward the target without crossing it.
- Override by setups for scenes you know are heavy. Ask the DP how many setups Scene 31 needs before you give it a share of a day.
- Re-total every day after every change. Days creep. The 9-page day is never planned; it accumulates.
What if the pages don't fit the days?
Three honest options, in the order to try them.
- Fewer setups. Ask the director and DP which scenes can be covered more simply. A scene shot in a master and one single instead of five angles gives a day back, and is often better.
- Fewer locations. Every location is a move or a day. Two scenes written for two apartments can usually live in one.
- More days. The expensive option, and sometimes the right one. One extra day costs less than a schedule that collapses on Day 9.
What does not work: planning 7 pages a day on an indie feature and hoping. The crew will make the first three days, and then the overtime starts.
What comes next
Page counts come from the breakdown and go into the schedule. For the full method, read How to Create a Shooting Schedule, and use the schedule template, which totals pages per day for you.
Frequently asked questions
How many pages a day does a studio film shoot?
Around 1.5 to 3 pages a day. Big productions shoot slowly because each page gets many setups, large crews take longer to move, and the schedule has room for it. Independent films cannot afford that pace.
How many pages a day for a TV drama?
Typically 5 to 8. Television schedules are compressed, sets are standing, and the crew shoots the same locations week after week, all of which make pages faster.
How long is a script page on screen?
Roughly one minute, which is where the "one page equals one minute" rule comes from. It holds on average across a script, not scene by scene: an action page can run three minutes, a dense dialogue page forty seconds.
What is a setup?
One camera position with its lighting. Every time the camera moves to a new angle and the lights are adjusted, that is a new setup. Pages per day is really setups per day in disguise: a scene with eight setups takes most of a day regardless of its page count.
Is 8 pages a day possible?
Yes, for simple dialogue scenes in one location with a prepared crew, and it is normal on TV. For an indie feature it is a sign the day will run long, unless the scenes are genuinely simple and the DP is shooting with minimal setups.