--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If a scene is longer than three pages, it…" description: "\"If a scene is longer than three pages, it better be for a good reason.\" — Alan Ball" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/alan-ball-7404_pages_if-a-scene-is-longer-than-three-pages-it_2029748.jpg" --- # If a scene is longer than three pages, it better be for a… ![“If a scene is longer than three pages, it better be for a good reason.” quote by Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/alan-ball-7404_pages_if-a-scene-is-longer-than-three-pages-it_2029748.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/alan-ball-7404_pages_if-a-scene-is-longer-than-three-pages-it_2029748.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/alan-ball-7404_pages_if-a-scene-is-longer-than-three-pages-it_2029748.jpg) > “If a scene is longer than three pages, it better be for a good reason.” [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Long scenes must earn their length by serving the story meaningfully. **In simple terms:** Scenes need purpose if they’re long. Key Takeaway Ensure every extended scene advances plot or character. Themes writing structure scene length purpose storytelling Mood analytical practical Type instructional creative When to use this quote - screenplays - novels - stage plays - storyboarding Key Concepts narrative economy dramatic pacing Questions to Reflect On - When is a long scene justified? - How can you tighten a lengthy scene? A Different Perspective Risk of filler content that drags pacing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-reason/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [I don't believe moviegoers don't have patience. Screenwriters are told a scene can't be longer than three minutes, that you have to cut to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/i-don-t-believe-moviegoers-don-t-have-patience-screenwriters-are-told/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [The big new development in my life is, when I turned 80, I decided I no longer have to do four pages a day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/the-big-new-development-in-my-life-is-when-i-turned-80-i-decided-i-no/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [I have preferred to teach my students not English literature but my love for certain authors, or, even better, certain pages, or even better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/i-have-preferred-to-teach-my-students-not-english-literature-but-my/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [Books are like flypaper, memories cling to the printed pages better than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/books-are-like-flypaper-memories-cling-to-the-printed-pages-better/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [If there isn't a good reason, go home. If there is, then do something ... loud, now, and memorable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-there-isn-t-a-good-reason-go-home-if-there-is-then-do-something/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Never call a stomach a tummy without good reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-call-a-stomach-a-tummy-without-good-reason/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Unless you got a really good reason, you should be nice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-louise-parker/unless-you-got-a-really-good-reason-you-should-be-nice/) [Mary-Louise Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-louise-parker/) > [No reason to stay is a good reason to MOVE ON.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/no-reason-to-stay-is-a-good-reason-to-move-on/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Just because you can't see or imagine a good reason why God might allow something to happen doesn't mean there can't be one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/just-because-you-can-t-see-or-imagine-a-good-reason-why-god-might/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Sometimes, If you Have A Good Reason To Hold On, You Have To Realize That It'd Much Better If You Let Go...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/sometimes-if-you-have-a-good-reason-to-hold-on-you-have-to-realize/) Pacifiersucker > [“nothing is arbitrary in this whole world, there is a good reason behind each and everything…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-kumar/nothing-is-arbitrary-in-this-whole-world-there-is-a-good-reason/) Nikhil Kumar > [Once you realize just the sort of glut of books that exists out there, it does become incumbent on you not to add to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/once-you-realize-just-the-sort-of-glut-of-books-that-exists-out-there/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [Not all debt is bad. From time to time we should get into debt when there's a good reason for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/not-all-debt-is-bad-from-time-to-time-we-should-get-into-debt-when/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Recently a study proved that working from a larger, less cluttered computer screen increases concentration. I could have told them that. And yes, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-schiff/recently-a-study-proved-that-working-from-a-larger-less-cluttered/) [Stacy Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-schiff/) > [An friend asked me a while ago to give her one good reason why I love you so much. I smiled and said, Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edchelyn/an-friend-asked-me-a-while-ago-to-give-her-one-good-reason-why-i-love/) Edchelyn ## More by Alan Ball > [The important thing is that he shook hands with us over the phone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/the-important-thing-is-that-he-shook-hands-with-us-over-the-phone/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [“Well did you call the hypothetical hardware store and buy a theoretical chainsaw?-- Pam to Jessica, True Blood”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/well-did-you-call-the-hypothetical-hardware-store-and-buy-a/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [“Pam: I don't know what it is about me that makes people think I want to hear their problems. Maybe I smile too much.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/pam-i-don-t-know-what-it-is-about-me-that-makes-people-think-i-want/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [Television viewing has become for me a completely different experience, because I don't watch shows on a weekly basis. I wait until the DVD…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/television-viewing-has-become-for-me-a-completely-different/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [I don't really know what it is about vampires that makes them such a powerful symbol, metaphor, whatever in people's consciousness. But I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/i-don-t-really-know-what-it-is-about-vampires-that-makes-them-such-a/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [I am a little suspicious of industry paradigms. I feel like so many movies and TV shows feel so familiar because of over-reliance on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/i-am-a-little-suspicious-of-industry-paradigms-i-feel-like-so-many/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [“I had always heard your entire life flashes in front of your eyes the second before you die. First of all, that one second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/i-had-always-heard-your-entire-life-flashes-in-front-of-your-eyes-the/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [I'm 53. I don't care about high school students. I find them irritating and uninformed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/i-m-53-i-don-t-care-about-high-school-students-i-find-them-irritating/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [Beauty is in the strangest places. A piece of garbage floating in the wind. And that beauty exists in America. It exists everywhere. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/beauty-is-in-the-strangest-places-a-piece-of-garbage-floating-in-the/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [The difference between film and TV is the pace. You don't have the leisure of time in television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/the-difference-between-film-and-tv-is-the-pace-you-don-t-have-the/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > ['Six Feet Under' was about repressing our deepest, most primal impulses, and 'True Blood' is about giving full sway to them all the time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/six-feet-under-was-about-repressing-our-deepest-most-primal-impulses/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [I'd seen 'Interview with A Vampire' and saw Dracula movies growing up, but I never thought, 'I love vampires; I have to do a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/i-d-seen-interview-with-a-vampire-and-saw-dracula-movies-growing-up/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [“The idea of celibate vampires is ridiculous. To me, vampires are sex. I don't get a vampire story about abstinence. I don't care about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/the-idea-of-celibate-vampires-is-ridiculous-to-me-vampires-are-sex-i/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [As a writer, it's fun to create. And once you get into a long-running show with very established characters and a very established tone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/as-a-writer-it-s-fun-to-create-and-once-you-get-into-a-long-running/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [I'm from the South, so while I personally find it impossible to live there, I still have a fondness for it as a geographical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/i-m-from-the-south-so-while-i-personally-find-it-impossible-to-live/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) [Explore all 91 Alan Ball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) ## More Good reason quotes > [An friend asked me a while ago to give her one good reason why I love you so much. I smiled and said, Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edchelyn/an-friend-asked-me-a-while-ago-to-give-her-one-good-reason-why-i-love/) Edchelyn > [Recently a study proved that working from a larger, less cluttered computer screen increases concentration. I could have told them that. And yes, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-schiff/recently-a-study-proved-that-working-from-a-larger-less-cluttered/) [Stacy Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-schiff/) > [Not all debt is bad. From time to time we should get into debt when there's a good reason for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/not-all-debt-is-bad-from-time-to-time-we-should-get-into-debt-when/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Once you realize just the sort of glut of books that exists out there, it does become incumbent on you not to add to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/once-you-realize-just-the-sort-of-glut-of-books-that-exists-out-there/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [“nothing is arbitrary in this whole world, there is a good reason behind each and everything…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-kumar/nothing-is-arbitrary-in-this-whole-world-there-is-a-good-reason/) Nikhil Kumar > [Sometimes, If you Have A Good Reason To Hold On, You Have To Realize That It'd Much Better If You Let Go...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/sometimes-if-you-have-a-good-reason-to-hold-on-you-have-to-realize/) Pacifiersucker > [Just because you can't see or imagine a good reason why God might allow something to happen doesn't mean there can't be one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/just-because-you-can-t-see-or-imagine-a-good-reason-why-god-might/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [No reason to stay is a good reason to MOVE ON.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/no-reason-to-stay-is-a-good-reason-to-move-on/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Unless you got a really good reason, you should be nice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-louise-parker/unless-you-got-a-really-good-reason-you-should-be-nice/) [Mary-Louise Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-louise-parker/) > [Never call a stomach a tummy without good reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-call-a-stomach-a-tummy-without-good-reason/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If there isn't a good reason, go home. If there is, then do something ... loud, now, and memorable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-there-isn-t-a-good-reason-go-home-if-there-is-then-do-something/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Dillinger at one point was the second most popular man in America after President Roosevelt. And he was a national hero for a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mann/dillinger-at-one-point-was-the-second-most-popular-man-in-america/) [Michael Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mann/) > [Our nation's immigration policy has been of top concern in recent years, and for good reason. With between eight and twelve million illegal aliens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cannon/our-nation-s-immigration-policy-has-been-of-top-concern-in-recent/) [Chris Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cannon/) > [There is no good reason why we should not develop and change until the last day we live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/there-is-no-good-reason-why-we-should-not-develop-and-change-until/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [Hello, my name is Lisa Jakub. But most people in a restaurant/dentist's office/yoga studio dressing room, call me 'Hey, you look like that girl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-jakub/hello-my-name-is-lisa-jakub-but-most-people-in-a-restaurant-dentist-s/) [Lisa Jakub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-jakub/) [Browse all 182 Good reason quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-reason/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If a scene is longer than three pages, it better be for a good reason.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Ball" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/if-a-scene-is-longer-than-three-pages-it-better-be-for-a-good-reason/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Good reason" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/if-a-scene-is-longer-than-three-pages-it-better-be-for-a-good-reason/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/alan-ball-7404_pages_if-a-scene-is-longer-than-three-pages-it_2029748.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/alan-ball-7404_pages_if-a-scene-is-longer-than-three-pages-it_2029748.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/alan-ball-7404_pages_if-a-scene-is-longer-than-three-pages-it_2029748.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If a scene is longer than three pages, it better be for a good reason.” — Alan Ball", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alan Ball", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If a scene is longer than...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/if-a-scene-is-longer-than-three-pages-it-better-be-for-a-good-reason/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/if-a-scene-is-longer-than-three-pages-it-better-be-for-a-good-reason/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```