![]() What’s Darlene doing when she receives the call? Is she studying at a desk? Cooking breakfast? Playing with her cats? Show us. That’s no good! You need to set the scene for the reader. Here’s an example: Judy picks up her cell phone. It’s a bad thing, and I see it far too often in amateur scripts - especially when setting up a phone conversation. It just sits there, exposed… then goes straight into dialogue. Instagram: / daniellekaragannis/ Portfolio: /įor all the latest from The Script Lab, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.Actually, even before that - what’s a slugline?Ī slugline is just another word for a scene heading.Ī naked slugline is a scene heading that has no action line(s) after it. She’s in post for her third short film (and proof of concept) GROUND CONTROL and in development for several productions including features, shorts, and music videos. And as always, happy writing!ĭanielle Karagannis is a writer/director. If you haven’t practiced the tactic of mini-slug lines yet, give it a try. Meaning, in addition to your screenplay sticking out due to its awesome story, sense of structure and beats, sharp dialogue, and interesting characters - make sure yours is also noteworthy because of its clean formatting. Keep in mind, people who read screenplays for a living – readers, script doctors, judges, developers, producers, financiers, actors, etc – they read a lot of them. Voila! A simplistic breakdown of how to handle your mini-slug lines (and master-slug lines). Your new master-slug line would look like: You’d have to write a new master-slug line since the primary location will differ. Now, let’s say Charlie walks out the front door and ends up in her front yard. Notice how I only noted the information that changed? I was able to provide what was needed, without using the primary location, because again - that detail did not change, therefore you do not need to note it. It would simply be:īut then let’s say from the bathroom, Charlie walks back into the hallway, but it’s no longer night, it’s now DAY: Why? Because we’re still in the primary location of CHARLIE’S HOUSE, which is INT.įrom there, let’s say Charlie walks into the bathroom. If Charlie walks from her bedroom into the hallway, your slug line would simply become: Your mini-slug line only notes a change within the master. Unless we exit the primary location - as in, Charlie goes from inside (INT.) to outside (EXT.) or if Charlie goes from outside (EXT.) to inside (INT.) - you do not have to re-set up the entire master-slug line for scenes to follow. The secondary location is CHARLIE’S BEDROOM The primary location of the scene is the INT. It covers, at the minimum, three identifying factors of the scene:ġ) Primary location: Does the scene take place inside/interior (INT.) or outside/exterior (EXT.)?Ģ) Secondary location: Literally, where? A house? School? Backyard? Park?ģ) Time of day: DAY or NIGHT? And if vital to the scene, maybe EARLY MORNING or MIDDLE-OF-THE-NIGHT.įYI: Within your slug line, whether master or mini, do not use descriptor words - another sign of an “amateur.” If you need to paint a picture of your location, do that with your action lines.Īn example of a master slug line using the three identifying factors: Your master-slug line always comes first. So, with slug lines (formally known as scene headings), we’ll start with the basics. They make for a cleaner read, and for any newer screenwriters here, it’s a detail (there are many) that will help show you’re not an “amateur.” Mini-slug lines are a screenwriting tactic that fits within the screenwriting world’s rules. To study the formatting of the industry’s best screenwriters, download your favorite scripts for free from the TSL Screenplay Library All along the way, you pick up on little tactics that fit within the rules, making driving that much more seamless. And when people follow the rules, things work. It can be overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. ![]()
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