Archived release
Initial publication
anatomy-of-a-produced-screenplay-2026-08-v1
268 produced feature scripts.
This is an earlier release. Read the current corrected study.
- Published
- 13/08/2026
- Cohort
- 268 features
- Measurement engine
- 1.5
Inspect the full manifest and checksums (JSON)
Published figures
The original aggregate table, with each measure’s eligible sample. Missing values are unavailable, not zero. The package includes genre and decade tables and code to reproduce them.
| Measure | Eligible n | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| pages | 268 | 118 | 106 to 133 |
| scenes | 268 | 118.5 | 87 to 159 |
| mean scene eighths | 262 | 7.3 | 5.63 to 9.85 |
| median scene eighths | 262 | 4 | 3 to 5.5 |
| interior share pct | 262 | 63.1 | 51.93 to 72.55 |
| day share pct | 230 | 60.75 | 47.78 to 74.15 |
| unique locations | 268 | 60 | 41 to 83.25 |
| location changes | 268 | 98.5 | 73.75 to 141.25 |
| speaking characters | 268 | 45 | 33 to 59.25 |
| dialogue blocks | 268 | 923 | 761 to 1,089.5 |
| dialogue words | 268 | 8,945.5 | 7,027.5 to 10,879.75 |
| dialogue action ratio | 268 | 1.23 | 0.87 to 1.62 |
| monologues | 268 | 20 | 11 to 32 |
| top character pct | 268 | 27.5 | 21 to 35.35 |
| dialogue line share pct | 268 | 41 | 35 to 45 |
| action line share pct | 268 | 34 | 28 to 41 |
| runtime minutes (modelled estimate) | 268 | 117 | 107.75 to 130.25 |
| parenthetical rate | 268 | 0.11 | 0.07 to 0.16 |
Reproduce this release
The ZIP contains the original CSV, complete derived rows and aggregate tables, an expanded analysis CSV, manifest, field dictionary, inclusion/exclusion records, measurement guards, checksums, licence and a standalone reproduction script. No screenplay text or private file links are included.
Original files retained unchanged. These releases predate the per-record metadata review ledger; missing historical provenance and incomplete credits are disclosed in the package. Approval preserves the published record and does not certify missing metadata.
What is on your pages?
Upload your screenplay to see its page, scene, location and speaking-part counts. The measurements and their export are available on the free plan, without an AI analysis. Use this research as context, not a score your draft needs to match.
Measure your screenplayFree account required. Use a laptop or desktop; on a phone, we’ll email you a link for your computer. Plan storage limits apply.
Use this research
The PreList Industry Intelligence. The Anatomy of a Produced Screenplay. Snapshot anatomy-of-a-produced-screenplay-2026-08-v1; cohort n=268, eligible n varies by measure. https://www.theprelist.io/research/versions/anatomy-of-a-produced-screenplay-2026-08-v1
Licensed CC BY 4.0: reuse the figures, charts and dataset with attribution and a link back to this page. Snapshot anatomy-of-a-produced-screenplay-2026-08-v1; every number above traces to it.
