Transparent time range
See a fast-to-slow planning range based on editable dialogue and direction reading speeds.
Free · private browser tool
Free screenplay table read time planner
Estimate a cast table-read session from dialogue and action word counts, then tune reading pace, directions, setup, breaks, and scene timing.
Useful output, not a score
What this tool gives you
Scene run-of-show
Estimate each scene's read time and cumulative position so breaks and room bookings are easier to place.
Reader load
Compare approximate spoken time for the most dialogue-heavy characters before assigning or scheduling readers.
How to use it
- 1
Add Fountain text
Paste a full draft or selected scenes. The browser counts dialogue and action separately.
- 2
Set the room assumptions
Adjust dialogue pace, decide whether directions are read aloud, and add setup and break time.
- 3
Copy the run sheet
Use the planning range, scene timings, and reader load to book the room and share a practical schedule.
Questions writers ask
Is this the same as the one-page-per-minute rule?
No. Page count is a rough screen-runtime convention with wide variation. This planner uses actual dialogue and action word counts to estimate a live read-through, then adds explicit setup and breaks.
What dialogue pace should I choose?
Start near 130–140 words per minute for a natural read, then move slower for rehearsal, unfamiliar material, or frequent discussion and faster for a polished cast.
Should action directions be read aloud?
Include directions for story clarity and early development; omit or shorten them when the cast already knows the material and dialogue flow is the focus.
Defined in the glossary
Table read
Actors reading the script aloud around a table — no cameras, minimal blocking — to hear pace, jokes, and confusion before you lock a draft.
Dialogue
Spoken lines under a character cue. In Plot, a dialogue pass proposes changes, mostly to the spoken lines, that you accept or reject one at a time.
Action
The descriptive prose of a screenplay — what the audience sees and hears, written in present tense. Also called description.
Keep working with the draft
Free screenplay rehearsal sides builder
Create actor-ready rehearsal sides from Fountain: filter by character, select exact scenes, include directions, or mask the role's lines for cue practice.
Open toolFree screenplay analyzer
Analyze scene pacing, dialogue/action balance, character share, and locations from a Fountain screenplay—privately in your browser, with free CSV reports.
Open toolFree writing deadline and word goal planner
Turn a word-count or page goal into realistic writing-day targets, weekly pacing, buffer time, milestone dates, and a copyable schedule.
Open toolWant to continue in Plot? Your screenplay stays in this browser tool and is not transferred automatically; paste or import it after you sign in.