I'm glad you wrote this. Cinema, just like music, literature, fashion, and theatre, has evolved ove time and will continue to evolve. Some people act like that's a bad thing, but it shouldn't be.

I watched EAST OF EDEN (1955) last night and I was struck by how the story-telling and pace is so different. If that screenplay was being passed around as a spec script, I doubt anyone would want to produce it.

the plot really didn't thicken until about 45 minutes later in the film. it was still a good movie, though.

it seems like in a lot of earlier films, the first hour focuses on character development and the plot doesn't show up until much later... today, it's the opposite.

I don't know though. You can use the opposite argument against the same film. For The Dark Knight, the movie is, what, 2 and a half hours long? There are plenty of things in that movie that went on for too long and everybody loved it.

But in general, I agree that you should look for the shortest quickest way to tell a scene/sequence.

I have to agree with the post, but on principle, I have to disagree. I think it stinks that our generation is so focused on the instantaneous with no sense of patience. Some of the greatest films in history don't start quickly or even move quickly. The running time for flicks are becoming smaller and smaller, which actually translates to (and I hear this) people not wanting to pay full price for a movie that's less than 90 minutes. Now sure, look at some of the movies that make bank for being under 90 minutes, I'M JUST SAYING, I agree with your post and I agree with what the reader is saying, but I have to disagree that things have to be this way.

This quote struck me as odd:

"Today in a theater, in that 2.5 minutes, you'll see five trailers."

That's not true. At all.

This is something I've been trying to get better at. But hasn't the ten-page rule been around forever though? Before twitter and all that, possibly even before the internet, weren't people already saying you needed the 'inciting incident' before page 10?

I was interested in this post at first, but then I lost interest...

Seriously, the opening line “people can't seem to pay attention for long periods of time anymore,” says much more than just follow the 10 page rule. What it really says is that there is a NEW 10 page rule: The 10 page rule occurs every 10 pages – or less!

How often have you been watching a film or reading a script when you got 30 – 60 minutes in and found yourself bored and now disappointed because it didn’t live up to the first few minutes? If anything ever spoke to the value of some form of sequencing, this has got to be it. Every segment must be dynamic. Every scene must move the story forward. Every scene needs to have its own mini three act structure. Just to keep the audience interested.

At the end of the article, the author writes, “The experts agree: Tell it quick. Or tell it well. Or both.”

Amen.

Ryan H. hit the nail on the head. I will have to test this theory out when I go to a movie next, but trailers have been getting longer lately.
I swear the trailer I saw in the theater for Shutter Island was 3 minutes long.

You posted a scene from THE EXORCIST a few days ago. It's frightening to consider what it would be like if it was made today. It's a cinch the whole prologue in Iraq with Father Merrin would hit the floor, for example. The subplot about Karras's mother maybe would be there, but severely truncated at best. The same with Det. Kinderman's part in the story... and so on.

Thanks for the post about the 10-minute rule. I'm the publisher of John Medina's book, Brain Rules. Here's a multimedia tutorial where he explains it: http://www.brainrules.net/attention/?scene=1

Mark