Well, thanks for all the help. At least now I have an idea of how to write underwater headers.

Bert’s example is correct; secondary headings are one way to go. But if you’re going to use full scene headings for and underwater scene, use EXT.

Underwater scenes are exterior scenes, and the fact that your characters/props are surrounded by water doesn’t change that. The opposite criteria would force you to write the rest of the scenes in your script as ‘INT. EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE’ because your characters are always surrounded by air.

Think more about structures (i.e. a submarine, a shark cage) to write ‘INT’ scenes underwater.

Here a couple of random examples I quickly collected.

In The Phantom Menace when the jedis swim with Jar Jar toward his city: “EXT. NABOO LAKE – UNDERWATER”

And when they reach the Gungan City: “INT. OTOH GUNGA - CITY SQUARE”

In Return of the King, when Deagol finds the one ring: “EXT. UNDERWATER, RIVER ANDUIN – DAY”

Hope that helps.

not sure if this is correct but it is taking directly from the script for Jaws 2 (found on this site)

they have it as

UNDERWATER - SEA BOTTOM - DAY     

so if it was a lake and at night it would be

UNDERWATER - LAKE - NIGHT

I figured that. Thanks for making it clear George.

I am having trouble with format. I am writing a screenplay that takes place, for the most part, in the cars of several characters, but also houses. First off, I saw it used, and I just want to double check if it's OK to use, INT./EXT. "JEFF"'S CAR in order to describe both the action in the car and the action of the car itself or whether I have to say EXT. STREET first. Also, I have two characters that live next door to one another and one scene where a character crosses the lawn of one house, walks to the lawn of the other house and I don't know how to head that. Also, I have several scenes that start inside a car that is parked outside a house and lead into the exterior of that house. Can I describe those scenes as also, INT./EXT. JEFF'S CAR? Also, can I use EXT. STREET to describe two different streets? Sorry if these are fundamentals, but they are really confusing me.

INT/EXT is perfactly acceptable. Use it as much as you like.

For the lawn crossing scene, you could have the following:

EXT. FIRST MAN'S HOUSE

First man exits his house, walks across the lawn and comes to --

EXT. SECOND MAN'S HOUSE

-- second man's lawn.

Or you could have:

First man exits his house, crosses the lawn and walks up to second man's house.

It's all right to ask questions about the fundementals.
As long as you're learning, it's all right.
By the way, welcome to the site! Have fun here.


Matt.

thanks a lot. You've been really helpful. And thank you for the welcome.

Hey, no worries. We were all "the new guy" once, hehe.
It really is a great site for aspiring screenwriters. You'll learn a lot, I guarentee it.


Matt.

Keep in mind that you don't have to show him actually crossing the lawn.  You could do it:

INT.  JOHN'S HOUSE.

John opens the front door and steps out, SLAMMING the door behind him.

INT.  PAUL's HOUSE

Heavy, rapid KNOCKING forces Paul to rush to his front door.  He opens it.  John stands there.

            JOHN
    We need to talk.



No one is going to complain that they didn't see John walk over to Paul's house.

This is actually a problem I've seen with a lot of scripts.  The writer includes every step of something when it's not needed.


Phil

I agree with Phil.

Keep the descriptions lean. You should only touch on details when it serves a point.

Yup, like Phil said one of the most common newbie mistakes is doing the "transportation scenes" when they're not needed.

If you show JIMMY get up in the morning and shutting off his alarm-clock, then you can cut to Jimmy on the bus or Jimmy at work and the transportation that got him there will be inferred.

Of course transportation scenes can have meaning, especially in montages, but you should ask yourself when writing: do you wanna convey something in the transportation scenes or are they simply there to show your subject go from A to B? If the latter is the case, then, in most cases, they're not necessary and will end up as filler.

I have seen times show up in the scene headings in scripts for Doctor Who and Life On Mars.  Is this a British trend?

tweak

If the time is important to the plot, I don't see any problem with it.

So:

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT (9:00PM)

That's how I'd format it.

Most of the time, however, the time isn't important to the scene and should be left out of the scene heading.

Having the time in the scene slug (as in a previous example) tells the audience nothing, so if the time is pertinent to the scene, it needs to go in the scene itself.  Do it something like this:

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Jack is in bed.  The clock on the bedside table reads 9:15.  


If you don’t have a clock to show us the time, then you can have it superimposed over the scene, like this:


INT. INTERROGATION ROOM – NIGHT

Jack sits wearily at the table with the two detectives.

SUPERIMPOSE: 11:00PM


You can also show us the time over a black screen, something like this:


BLACK SCREEN.  Over this...

SUPERIMPOSE: MONDAY, 10:00PM

INT. FBI OFFICE – NIGHT

A dozen armed AGENTS fill the room...