Action / Dialogue Ratio Analyzer
Script dialogue ratio · Screenwriting format analyzer
A golden rule in Hollywood is the visual balance of the page: plenty of white space, no dense black blocks. Too much dialogue puts the reader to sleep; too much action exhausts them.
Paste a scene below. The tool detects structure (dialogue is often centered or indented) and Fountain-style character cues, then shows the share of action vs dialogue so you can check your script format and balance.
Runs entirely in your browser , no data is sent to any server. Uses indentation and Fountain formatting rules to classify lines.
Supported formats
Fountain: character names in ALL CAPS (optional parenthetical like V.O. or O.S.) with dialogue on the following lines. Standard screenplay: lines with significant indentation are counted as dialogue, left-aligned lines as action.
How to use this script dialogue ratio analyzer
- Paste one complete scene, sequence, or a few pages of your screenplay into the text area above. Fountain (.fountain) and standard screenplay format both work.
- The tool scans each line, classifies it as action or dialogue using indentation and character cues, then calculates the percentage of the page taken by each.
- Use the bar and percentages to quickly see whether the scene reads as dialogue-heavy, action-heavy, or balanced before you export to PDF or Final Draft.
What is a healthy action / dialogue ratio?
Every genre and writer has a different rhythm, but these rough ranges are useful when you want to sanity-check a draft:
- Around 40–60% dialogue: often feels balanced , the reader sees enough white space, but the script still moves.
- Over 60–70% dialogue: the page may start to feel dense, especially if speeches are long and there is little action or behavior.
- Under 30–40% dialogue: can feel very physical or visual. Great for action or horror, but you may want to check whether key turns are dramatized only in description.
Use the ratio as a quick health check, not a rule. The point is to support pacing and clarity for the person reading your script.
FAQ: script dialogue ratio and format
There is no single number that fits every script, but many produced features land in the 40–60% dialogue range on most pages. Some scenes will be mostly dialogue (two-hander arguments), others mostly action (set pieces). The goal is to avoid page after page of dense blocks that are hard to read.
It is not a full spec-checker, but it does catch two important signals: whether your dialogue is properly centered or indented, and whether Fountain-style character cues and scene headings are being used. If the tool counts everything as action, your dialogue may not be indented or formatted as character + dialogue blocks.
Yes. The analyzer does not assume a specific page count or act structure. It simply looks at how much of each page is action versus dialogue, which is useful for features, pilots, shorts, and web series.
No. This is a diagnostic surface, not a writing AI. It helps you see density on the page so you can make craft decisions yourself,cut speeches, break action into clearer beats, or let behavior replace on-the-nose explanation.
See structure and pacing in one place
ScreenWeaver keeps your outline, beats, and script in sync. Check action vs dialogue balance here, then develop your full script with a living map of structure and rhythm.
Discover ScreenWeaver