Short Screen Time

I'm working on a script that takes place in only forty eight hours of screen time. It's challenging. I have to compress the drama and action and use complex, dense characters and scenes. For inspiration, I asked myself, "Are there many successful films that have equally short screen time?"

For an answer, I scanned the AFI Top 100, the WGA Top 101 and the imdb Top 250. Here's the list of results. It's not exhaustive; you may note a film I missed. The categories are my own and arbitrary.

Screen Time is LESS THAN TWENTY FOUR HOURS;
- American Graffiti.
- Dog Day Afternoon
- High Noon
- Slumdog Millionaire
- 12 Angry Men

High Noon has the distinction that, to my knowledge, it's the only mainstream film where chronological time is actually less than screen time.

12 Angry Men was released in 1957 and is currently #7 on the imdb top 250, with over 100k votes. The action occurs in a single location, is all dialog and still holds up after 50 years. Way to go Mr. Lumet! Note to my Indian friends: Ek Ruka Hua Faisla is a Bollywood remake of 12 Angry Men.

Screen Time is LESS THAN ONE WEEK:
- Back to the Future
- Casablanca
- Chinatown
- ET
- Fargo
- Groundhog Day
- Jaws
- Kill Bill vol 2
- Little Miss Sunshine
- The Matrix
- On the Waterfront
- Pulp Fiction
- Saving Private Ryan
- Sideways
- Terminator
- Terminator 2
- Thelma and Louise
- Unforgiven
- West Side Story
- Witness
- The Wizard of Oz

The techniques that are most frequently used to compress the drama include:
- Flashbacks
- Subplots
- Muliple plotlines
- Plenty of characters