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INT/EXT: Master Scene Headings

Slug Lines with a Side of Time

By SaviNienPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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Type, type, tea, type.

Hey hey!

How did your first dive into screenwriting go? Well? Great!

So, I figure you are now typing away following the Scene Heading, Narrative Description, and Dialogue primer, and while typing away in your scriptwriting program of choice, you think to yourself: What is this business with the extra scene heading tags?

Okay, maybe not, but I'm going to throw it at you now.

In my last post, I mentioned that the Scene Heading had three sections: PLACEMENT (of the camera); LOCATION; TIME and would look something like: INT. KITCHEN - DAY. If you haven't guessed, slug lines should always be in all caps, no exceptions.

This sequence is called the Master Scene Headings and is the foundation of how scenes are built. There are two other parts that go with the slug lines called Secondary Screen Settings and Special Headings, but in this post, we'll deal with the Master Scene Heading and the tags that alter the time section.

Master Screen Headings are always the top slug lines and will rarely differ in format save for the few directions that are listed below. When you establish your room but need elaborate on the passage of time, these keywords will help you with minimal fuss: SAME, CONTINUOUS, LATER.

So! Let's start off with...

Same

Synchronicity or stalking? Let your character decide!

When you use this tag, it means that the next scene is happening at the same time as the previous one but in a different location.

Example:

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

TAMARA thumbs through a cookbook with intense focus as the various pots simmer and bubble on the stovetop behind her. The book title reads THE ART OF NOT BURNING YOUR FOOD.

EXT. FIREHOUSE STATION 38 - SAME

Holding a pot under the running tap, IAN reads the same book with a mirrored expression.

The tag is useful for things like telephone conversations where you want to show what's happening in both scenes without having to split the screen. But it mainly helps keep continuity and tells the director and the editor that it’s still within a specific time frame of the story. Now, what if you want to stay in the current scene a while longer and have your character move? Well, that's when you use...

Continuous

Just moving along.

This is not to be confused with the CONT'D tag. That one belongs to dialogue and spacing. It is also different from the use of the tag SAME where CONTINUOUS covers the action from the previous scene and carries it into the next scene.

Example:

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Oblivious to the boiling pots TAMARA continues to read her book. She walks towards the hallway and turns off the kitchen LIGHTS.

LIVING ROOM

Tamara walks to the overstuffed chair, flops into it, and continues to read.

This tag is mighty useful when you're dealing with moving characters through a section of a building or any type of connected shot. It allows you to omit long slug lines in each location, helps with story flow, and saves time when reading.

NOTE: When dealing with the placement switch (going from INT to EXT or vice versa) you will always write out the slug line; however, if you use the CONTINUOUS tag like the example above, you can omit it.

And the last tag will be...

Later

Meanwhile, with fire...

This tag establishes the passage of time. It can be used for any type of time passage but is generally used to express an event that occurs within a few hours of the same day of the original scene.

It's a good way to think of it is if you want to do a before and after shot.

Example:

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

TAMARA thumbs through a cookbook that reads THE ART OF NOT BURNING YOUR FOOD with intense focus as the various pots simmer and bubble on the stovetop behind her.

INT. KITCHEN - LATER

or LATER

Dense smoke rises from a frying pan resting on the crowded stovetop. The piercing BEEPS of the smoke alarm spur Tamara on as she frantically searches for the fire extinguisher.

Using LATER in this way will create a break within the action. Instead of building up to the fire you can see the before and after of the moment in an instant.

NOTE: Just like the example used for CONTINUOUS, the second way to use LATER falls into the Secondary Scene Heading formatting.

Do you have any slug line grief? What were your most elaborate locations? Let me know and we'll dive into that in the future posts!

That's it for now. Happy writing, and see you in the credits!

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About the Creator

SaviNien

Ex-Games and Web QA Tester, Beginner Screen and TV Writer, Baker, Procrastinator, Lover of Movies

Post for INT/EXT: The blog that gives beginners the ins and outs of screenwriting formatting.

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