Screenwriting : How do you SLUG LINE exactly? by Alden Tan

http://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/scriptsample.pdf

I've always found this sample script from the Nicholl Fellowship to be really helpful for the basic formatting questions.

Alden, also pick up a copy of "The Screenwriter's Bible" by David Trottier. It's a reference book you'll use again and again. ;)

Alden - basically the scene header/slug line is used to place a camera setup and it's quite important during the production setup. The INT./EXT. part tells the guys loading the grip truck what equipment to pack. Imagine the expense of an EXT. NIGHT scene and no one loaded the generator or stringers. The middle element is locational and plays a role in the shooting schedule. The DAY/NIGHT element, again, tells 'em what to pack. It's unnecessary to specify the time of day unless it critical to the shot.

The Director (and the AD) will develop the shot list that minimizes the shooting schedule (expenses) so it's common to shoot all the EXT. scenes together and the INT. shots as a group. Although your script follows a linier path, the actual shooting probably won't.

It matters more with day or night on EXT. shots - we can always black out windows for an INT. NIGHT shot.

A slugline is a scene heading and it's formatted as: INT. or EXT. space, LOCATION, space, hyphen, space, TOD

Yes, the Screenwriters Bible rocks. The ONLY thing I don't like is he kept/keeps putting out new versions that only have a few page of edits to the original. You have to make money somehow I guess. Yes, I've used this and actually still refer to this work of art. I have 4 different editions with a gap year between them of this Screenwriters Bible and think it is a great tool. It's on my screenwriting bookcase. Pick any version up and write the script. Get to work people! Much Love and Warm Regards,

RJN

Raymond, yeah Dave's a good guy. He keeps his ear to the rail but there isn't all that much new happening. I'm at the 6th edition but I won't update it until all the pages are dog-eared and it starts to look really ratty. It really is the screenwriter's bible and ought to be on every screenwriter's desk. Alden - just get a copy - it will answer all (most) of your formatting questions.

For me. INT or EXT then LOCATION and light DAY or NIGHT or DUSK or DAWN. Nothing more than that.

Curious how others do this. If your scene is set in a location within a location do you write it as master-micro, micro-master, just micro, or both as one? Here it is a little clearer:

a) INT. COFFEE SHOP - BACK ROOM - DAY

b) INT. BACK ROOM - COFFEE SHOP - DAY

c) INT. BACK ROOM - DAY

d) INT. BACK ROOM OF COFFEE SHOP - DAY

e) other

a

a, b or d

e) INT. COFFEE SHOP / BACK ROOM - DAY

Jericho, THRONE ROOM would be a mini slug or a secondary scene heading. Slugline is just another name for a scene heading.

Frankie; As the Director, I decide how to shoot it. You give me a Master Scene: INT. COFFIE SHOP - DAY. If I'm moving around in the coffee shop, give me a Sub Scene (Sub Shot), i.e. BACK ROOM - CONTINIOUS (I know we're still in the coffee shop and that it's still DAY. I might shoot it as a one shot (follow shot) or use an invisible cut or whatever to support continuity.

Jericho - overly wordy and how do I film he "can't believe his eyes"?

Oh THOSE are the sluglines. Okay I more or less get that.

I was referring to the random items in action paragraphs.

E.g. This is from The Wrestler screenplay:

Hellbilly Cannibal grabs Randy by the hair and smashes his

face into the corner post. He scoops him up and FLIPS HIM

OVER THE TOP ROPE, out of the ring. Randy LANDS HARD on the

concrete floor.

Why are "OVER THE TOP ROPE" and "LANDS HARD" capitalized?

Some people cap words for various reasons, to emphasize, to highlight actions, or whatever. I think most of it's wrong and I will only cap the occasional sound FX that's important to the story. When I'm giving notes on scripts, too many caps drive me crazy and pull me out of the story and that's not what you want to do to your reader, but The Wrestler is a production script and the writer of a production script can cap whatever they want, that doesn't mean it's a good thing to do for a spec script.

The only thing I've ever capitalized is ENTER and EXIT. I understand you capitalize the characters' names when they first appear, so I've been doing that, and my software automatically capitalizes action lines in sit-com scripts although I've never seen that before. Pierre would know far better than I - and thanks, PIerre! :)

Four different replies to my question and four different answers. But seems the most popular response is a. I either do a or b, but should really settle on one of the two, which is why I asked out of curiosity of what others do.

Alden - In the example you gave the caps are for sound effects. LANDS HARD is an obvious sound effect. FLIPS HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE isn't as obvious, but the assumption is when a wrestler is flipped over the top rope they'll also land hard, and this will require a sound effect. In this case landing hard outside the ring isn't written in for the sake of brevity, it's just assumed.

If sound is going to be added to the film after the scene has already been filmed then you can all cap it if you want. If the sound occurs while the scene is being filmed then you shouldn't all cap the sound. You really shouldn't do both so if a newer screenwriters isn't sure they should bother with all capping sounds. The only thing I bother to all cap are the slug lines, shots, transitions and character's names when they first appear on screen.

I've also seen [whoever] cap ACTIONS, SECONDARY CHARACTERS, and other things. As mentioned, it seems to be particular to each script, and I have no idea if they are production, draft, etc. I've seen plenty of scripts that aren't even consistent internally.

As Pierre explained, Alden, those two examples from THE WRESTLER are in all caps simply to call attention to the action, to place emphasis upon it. But that script of THE WRESTLER is a production script, not a spec script. Some writers new to the craft may be confused by this practice and may think the use of all caps gives some sort of artistic significance to something. And therefore they may mistakenly all cap random words within a spec, which may be distracting and confusing for a reader—okay, why is my attention being called here? Anyway, like Pierre, I too as a reader find the overuse of all caps very annoying—it rather crowds the page, does it not? But like every writing tool and device, learn how to use it effectively. With all caps used in this way for a spec, I suggest thinking about its use as if a powerful spice; you only need a wee little bit, too much may ruin the pot. ;) An alternative—again use this "spice" sparingly—is to use italics to highlight a key element in a spec. It gives a more subtle nudge to something. All caps is rather like SHOUTING, is it not? Lol! Some people underline a key plot moment, et cetera, but always keep the reader's experience of your screenplay in mind. You want to create an easy, quick read where your story and characters shine. Overuse, or overwriting, bogs a spec script down. I hope that helps! :)

Secondary characters are capped when they first appear, have some sort of importance or perhaps dialogue. Secondary headings are all capped, are very common, and a writing style/technique often used for action sequences, etc. Secondary headings may be used when writing a spec. Absolutely. ;) Alden, do pick up that copy of The Screenwriter's Bible. Mine is within reach at all times. Lol!

Lots of good discussion.

First, I try to be consistent in my sluglines/scene headings:

EXT. SEATTLE COFFEE HOUSE - DAY

INT. SEATTLE COFFEE HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY

INT. SEATTLE BOOKSTORE - DAY

I specifically try to avoid mixing things like:

INT. BOOKSTORE IN SEATTLE - DAY

INT. SEATTLE RESTAUANT - DAY

Try to be consistent. If you have multiple locations in a city or area (or inside a building) format them the same with just the variances. (NEW YORK - TIMES SQUARE or NEW YORK - CENTRAL PARK) or (JOHN'S HOUSE - KITCHEN or JOHN'S HOUSE - BEDROOM)

I also prefer to BOLD my scene headings.

I would use separate slugs for the different locations and avoid SUB-scene slugs UNLESS action moves between them or through them or it's a series of shots (if action is separate and unrelated between a bedroom and kitchen, then generally use separate slugs) especially if separated by time (LATER) but use SUB scene slugs if the action is happening simultaneously for example if a wake is happening throughout the house and John is in the PARLOR and Jan is in the KITCHEN and Bob is in the BASEMENT then use SUB scene slugs IMHO.

As far as CAPS in Action. I cap the introduction of speaking part characters the first time. I cap the description of a group of focus ('a GANG OF HOODLUMS approaches') especially if they are an ACTIVE participant in the scene (not just background). I also cap items of focus ("Oprah takes her hands off the audience members eyes so they see -- A BRAND NEW CAR." I also cap audible sound fx "CRASH" "BANG", etc.

Just how I try to do it.

Personally, I prefer an easy-going, simple, clean, minimalist approach, being mindful of redundancies, etc. Of course clarity is always key. ;)

Chad. Why would you only all cap speaking part characters? Actors playing characters that don't have dialogue have to know when they first appear in the film as well as those that have speaking roles.

The basic convention nowadays is to only CAP a speaking character on into, walk-ons are not CAPed unless they speak. I would not capitalize a "gang of hoodlums" but if FAST EDDY speaks, I would (along with a brief visual for the Casting Director). I wouldn't CAP the doorman who holds the door (unless he spoke).

Doug I agree you wouldn't all cap an extra that doesn't speak. However I have at least a couple of sci-fi scripts that have several major nonhuman characters that don't speak because they aren't human but the characters aren't just extras in the movie.

Dan - true enough but many non-human characters (like R2D2) speak in their own language & play significant roles. Like HAL in 2001.

That is true. I am just going by my own scripts like my Big Foot character name CINDY who only gestures and never speaks but is a main character in one of my screenplays .

A. And other , using my man Pierre's example...

I would watch that movie, DanG.