What's the minimum running time for a feature-length film?

Heath McKnight · October 3rd, 2007, 09:09 PM

I think Woody Allen had a movie (wish I could remember which one) that was 72 minutes, and that's where I heard about that rule. He had to make it EXACTLY that time.

Also, people doing TV shows (30 minute ones with commercials) had to cut their stuff down (or in some cases add to it) to get the shows to 22 minutes or so. I recently worked on an infomercial that had to be 28:30 precisely.

heath

Daniel Ross · October 3rd, 2007, 09:41 PM

TV shows have a particular reason for being that length. There are, however, variations, such as the weird new trend to have "2 hour" premieres (about 1:30 of actual content).

Movies, though, are based on popularity. No set schedule for them. Theatres schedules around the films.

As for the 72 minute Woody Allen film, that's reasonable. But that is also older, and it's a new faster age when things aren't so set in stone. FX are expensive... or are they? You can't make a movie without a professional crew. Or can you?
Etc.

In the early days of film, they couldn't show a dead mouse, so Of Mice and Men had a bird instead of a mouse... odd.

Anyway, give it time. (Or maybe 72 minutes is a magic number that will never get improved upon.)

Heath McKnight · October 3rd, 2007, 09:48 PM

I'd say anything over 65-70 minutes is feature-length. But a lot of fests call movies 40-60 minutes "featurettes." Er, not a lot of fests, only the ones that accept movies that long. Off topic: most fests seem to like shorts that are no longer than 15 minutes.

heath

Mike Teutsch · October 4th, 2007, 06:52 AM

According to the 78th Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences rules:

a. feature length (defined as over 40 minutes)

Mike

http://www.oscars.org/78academyawards/rules/rule02.html

Richard Alvarez · October 4th, 2007, 07:46 AM

I think what these posts have illustrated is there is NO OFFICIAL length. I doubt there's a festival out there that will consider a forty minute film, "Feature Length"... and I doubt you'll see a film of that length stand alone on a bill in a theatre. Try entering a forty minute film under a feature category, and arguing with the judges that it IS a feature. THEY get to set the gategory lengths, and they are not strictly consisitent from festival to festival.

Television lengths are a 'closed format'. Features are cut to fit in the time slots with the adds stuck in. Sitcoms and Dramas are also shot to fit in a known time frame.

I cut my doc American Jouster to EXACTLY fit the PBS requirements of a SPECIFIC series, and it's considered both a short and a feature when I enter it in festivals at 56:30.

Like I said, it all depends on who's asking.

October 3rd, 2007, 09:09 PM	#31
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	I think Woody Allen had a movie (wish I could remember which one) that was 72 minutes, and that's where I heard about that rule. He had to make it EXACTLY that time. Also, people doing TV shows (30 minute ones with commercials) had to cut their stuff down (or in some cases add to it) to get the shows to 22 minutes or so. I recently worked on an infomercial that had to be 28:30 precisely. heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

October 3rd, 2007, 09:48 PM	#33
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	I'd say anything over 65-70 minutes is feature-length. But a lot of fests call movies 40-60 minutes "featurettes." Er, not a lot of fests, only the ones that accept movies that long. Off topic: most fests seem to like shorts that are no longer than 15 minutes. heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

October 4th, 2007, 06:52 AM	#34
Mike Teutsch Inner Circle Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Port St. Lucie, Florida Posts: 2,614	According to the 78th Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences rules: a. feature length (defined as over 40 minutes) Mike http://www.oscars.org/78academyawards/rules/rule02.html __________________ Chapter one, line one. The BH.

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October 3rd, 2007, 09:41 PM	#32
Daniel Ross Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Marin & Davis, CA, USA Posts: 418	TV shows have a particular reason for being that length. There are, however, variations, such as the weird new trend to have "2 hour" premieres (about 1:30 of actual content). Movies, though, are based on popularity. No set schedule for them. Theatres schedules around the films. As for the 72 minute Woody Allen film, that's reasonable. But that is also older, and it's a new faster age when things aren't so set in stone. FX are expensive... or are they? You can't make a movie without a professional crew. Or can you? Etc. In the early days of film, they couldn't show a dead mouse, so Of Mice and Men had a bird instead of a mouse... odd. Anyway, give it time. (Or maybe 72 minutes is a magic number that will never get improved upon.)

October 4th, 2007, 07:46 AM	#35
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	I think what these posts have illustrated is there is NO OFFICIAL length. I doubt there's a festival out there that will consider a forty minute film, "Feature Length"... and I doubt you'll see a film of that length stand alone on a bill in a theatre. Try entering a forty minute film under a feature category, and arguing with the judges that it IS a feature. THEY get to set the gategory lengths, and they are not strictly consisitent from festival to festival. Television lengths are a 'closed format'. Features are cut to fit in the time slots with the adds stuck in. Sitcoms and Dramas are also shot to fit in a known time frame. I cut my doc American Jouster to EXACTLY fit the PBS requirements of a SPECIFIC series, and it's considered both a short and a feature when I enter it in festivals at 56:30. Like I said, it all depends on who's asking.