4/15/2023 0 Comments Slugline for car interior![]() Some screenwriters will scoff at the mention of proper screenwriting format - dismissing it as nothing more than academic nitpicking. (Their scripts also break down the characters for each scene under that scene’s heading.) Unless you are writing a television sitcom or a soap opera, you should not use “CONTINUOUS” as a time of day.Are you formatting your screenwriting scene headings correctly within your script? We're going to explore that question here for this installment of our ongoing Screenwriting Basics series. The one format that does use “CONTINUOUS” is multi-camera television. ![]() What’s more, when the production manager breaks the script down for scheduling purposes, the term “CONTINUOUS” would be meaningless, as it does not inform us as to whether the scene is day or night. This is redundant, for unless the master setting changes, we may assume that each successive scene is part of a continuous sequence. ![]() One of the more common mistakes is to use the term “CONTINUOUS” as a time of day. Adding it avoids confusion as to why both scenes could not be merged into one. In such cases, the headings would be identical, were it not for the modifier. The modifier “LATER” is used only when a scene takes place in the very same setting as the previous one. There are just two acceptable times of day: “DAY” and “NIGHT.” Unacceptable times include “THE NEXT DAY,” “LATER THAT MORNING,” and “THAT SAME MOMENT.” No matter when one scene takes place relative to another, all that’s evident on screen is whether it’s day or night.Ī time-of-day modifier, such as “DAWN,” “DUSK,” and “LATER,” may be added, if necessary, in parentheses: one room to another), and when we cut to a different spot outside the line of sight in the same exterior setting. It’s not enough to just insert the slug line “LATER.” (More about “LATER” later.) This new heading must include a time of day.Ī new scene heading is also needed whenever we cut from one interior setting to another (e.g. If some action takes place in the same setting as the one preceding it, only later in the day, it's necessary to break out the new scene with its own heading. Do not use a period, as if each element in the heading were a sentence. It’s customary to separate the elements in a scene heading with a single dash (or hyphen) flanked by single spaces. Where the scene heading prefix “INT.” or “EXT.” is concerned, standard screenplay format calls for only one space, not two, after the period. The exception is when they are joined together as “INT/EXT.” (See below). Double-space (one blank line) between the heading and the action or description that follows it.Īlways use complete scene headings, beginning with the abbreviation “EXT.” or “INT.” It is neither necessary nor acceptable to spell out “EXTERIOR” or “INTERIOR.” When cutting to a different room or area in the same setting, “INT.” or “EXT.” is still required. It’s acceptable to double-space, but triple spacing is standard. Triple-space (making two blank lines) before each scene heading. Such idiosyncrasies should be avoided in a speculative script. Francis Ford Coppola underscores his scene headings, but he’s Francis Ford Coppola. In speculative scripts, scene numbers only clutter the page and distract the reader.ĭo not bold or underscore scene headings. It’s not necessary to number the scenes in a screenplay intended for submission. Scene headings are numbered only in shooting scripts, so as to provide a reference for production personnel. If the setting has a proper name, as in the case of a restaurant or a ship, it should be enclosed within quotes. ![]() ![]() If the setting is “JOSEPH’S HOUSE” in one scene, for example, don’t make it just “HOUSE” in another. Indicate a scene is stock footage with a dash and the word “STOCK” in parentheses at the end of the heading.īe consistent with scene headings. ![]()
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