Screenwriting : Opinions on scene subheadings? by Bob Johnson

I have been told by more than one reader to use subheadings, but I have seen the other way around (your second example) in professionally produced screenplays.

You were taught wrong and doing it wrong. You don’t want to say A HOUSE, LIVING – DAY Also if you have more than one house you might want to give each a unique name for their location.

Should be:

INT. HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY

A KNOCK. John heads into:

KITCHEN

John looks around. He heads into:

HALLWAY

Blah, blah...

Bob Johnson, I write my scene headings and subheadings like Dan Guardino.

As a personal preference, I don't use all caps for sound effects. Many sources advise using them, but I couldn't care less. I occasionally use continuous for long action sequences but don't format it as a subheading. I agree with Dan about not having a farmhouse and living room in the same scene heading.

I do it like this.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

Joe grills sausages while reading his cell phone.

EXT. FARMHOUSE

Three men wearing hoods armed with machine guns quietly approach the front door.

Reference: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/continuous-screenplay#what-is-the-d...

Hey, Bob! I used to do that too. I'm sure most of us did. It wasn't until I started talking with professionals that I was clued in and corrected it. Now, I don't use CONTINUOUS anymore.

We all have our own take on this. I don't mind using CONTINUOUS (or CONT) within a long scene and it generally means (to me) a moving/tracking shot. When you say a KNOCK - tell me where - at the front door, the living room window, in the wall, upside his head? Does he answer the door, shoot through it - give the actor some business. I still capitalize sounds but I'm old school

I write a lot of single location stuff, so SUB and transitions are king to me.