Looking back on a few of my scripts, I realize I've been getting a lot of complaints about not using CONTINUOUS in slugs or CONT'D when dialogue spills from one page to the next. I've read plenty of scripts, both produced and unproduced, that don't use either. I've never read or heard mention of them in either screenwriting books or classes. Personally, I always thought such things were implied. Nevertheless, the comments seem to be increasing. Why these issues were never addressed in my earlier, crappier scripts, I don't know. Anyway, just figured I'd start a thread on the subject. Are these devices really that important or are they just a matter of preference/inserts on screenwriting software?

By default screenwriting software will insert them, they are part of the "rules" of screenwriting and were expected a few years ago.

But I hate them and never use them. I do not see the point, you know it is continuous because the same person is speaking! All they seem to do is clutter up the page with meaningless words that disrupt the flow and make the page look untidy.

If anyone criticized a script of mine for not using  them then I would just tell them to get lost and get a life.  Review my writing, criticize my story, discuss how i have built my plot and created my characters. But pull my script apart for not writing continued after every character name then I would rather you did not read my script at all.

As for continuous, I have used before but no longer do. I will always demote a passage of time in my slugs but if no time has past and it is continuing action then no, again, what is the point?

Very rarely do any pro scripts use these anymore, so then why should we?

As far as I understand, "cont'd" in dialogue are pretty standard, though not as absolutely required as they were years ago. If your software includes them, just use them. There's no harm in it.

The use of continuous to break up action lines between pages? That's another story. They're not used at all today.

And as far as continuous in sluglines go -- they are there just for the sake of clarity. It just reminds you that the scene is a continuous sequence rather than another scene altogether. I don't believe they are REQUIRED, but you can use them if you want to. No one will complain. And if they do, fuck them.

I don't believe things are strictly set in stone regarding this.


--Julio

Quoted from Murphy If anyone criticized a script of mine for not using  them then I would just tell them to get lost and get a life.

Indeed. I tend to find most of the so-called "rules" of writing are nothing of the sort - obvious things like dialogue down the middle and so on, yes - but some pro scripts will have one thing, such as CONT'D in the dialogue headers, others won't.

It seems to me that there are as many ways to write a screenplay as there are screenwriters.

I once read (on another site) of a screenwriter who was told by a Producer that he threw any scripts with (CONTINUED) in the dialogue headings in a bin unread. Which says more about the Producer than the writers.

My Celtx software automatically inserts them anyway, and it does, in my opinion, look better with them when you break dialogue between pages, but this is just a personal opinion. When I first started writing I was told it was best to avoid breaking dialogue between pages, if at all possible, but it seems quite common now!

The general advice using CONTINUED is to keep it to a minimum in a spec script as not to interrupt the flow for a reader.

So dialogue from one character interrupted with an action line will not have (CONT’D) behind the character’s name on the continuous dialogue.

Where dialogue is interrupted by a page break it seems it is still acceptable to use (MORE) at the foot of the page and (CONT’D) after the character’s name at the start of the next page.

What has gone is the use of (CONT’D) at the foot of each page and (CONTINUED) at the start of each new page.

CONTINUOUS should and is used in the Scene Heading to indicate a continuous shot from one location to another.

For example from an external shot  outside a front door shot to an internal shot the other side of the door. A shot that will use one camera movement.

Shooting scripts have their on requirement and the best book to read regarding these is, “The Hollywood Standard” by Christopher Riley.  

It also explains why many of the guide lines exist.

Quoted from Niles_Crane ...I was told it was best to avoid breaking dialogue between pages, if at all possible, but it seems quite common now!

I tend to agree with this, and hate breaking the flow of dialogue for a page flip.

An extra 2-3 empty lines at the bottom of the page will go unnoticed -- just starting the dialogue at the top of the next page as opposed to breaking it up -- will solve this about 90% of the time.

Ah yes, 1 of my favorite topics to discuss.  You guys knew sooner or later, I’d pop in here, right?  James, I wonder if this thread came about from my review of your last script, because I know it was something I brought up repeatedly, because I had trouble figuring out the timing of many scenes and events.

Well, anyway, here’s my take on the use of “continuous” (as well as other time elements) in Slugs.

Because a screenplay is a literary medium, as apposed to a visual medium, like a finished movie, IMO, the writer should take advantage of every literary opportunity he has to make things as clear and easy to follow as possible.  One way to do this is with Slugs, and more importantly, with time elements in the Slugs that make sense and help the reader follow the action.

In a visually based medium, it’s easy to “see” and figure out when scenes take place, in relation to other scenes.  There are all sorts of visual clues, ranging from wardrobe, hair, weather, lighting, etc.  Ton and tons.  We don’t have this luxury in a written script, because there isn’t room to write details down to the level you’ll see in a finished movie, nor would you want to even try.

Writing detailed Slugs doesn’t take any extra space and it doesn’t require any extra time in the read.  It’s all on the same Slug line, and is easy to glance over when reading.

If you’re using mini Slugs, while moving from 1 room to another inside a structure, obviously “continuous” isn’t necessary, because it’s not only obvious it’s a continuous shot, but it’s also assumed.

So, IMO, when you don’t use a time frame in a Slug, the reader has to assume it’s a continuous scene, and that’s not usually correct.  It’s most likely “moments later” or “later”, and because of that, it makes perfect sense to me to use the correct time element all the time, including “continuous”.

Many times, writers simply use “day” or “night” over and over again in their Slugs.  That’s not technically incorrect, but it’s lazy, doesn’t tell the reader much, and shows, IMO, that the writer didn’t take the time to really figure out exactly how things play out in relationship to time.

I understand that in a shooting script, it makes sense to simply have the time be day or night, or whatever it is, so the crew doesn’t have to go back and figure out what “later” refers to, etc.  But in a spec script, IMO, the idea is to make your story as clear as possible to readers…do it in a way so that readers can figure out if it makes sense the way it’s written…catch time problems and reality checks based on time, etc.

Once I set a “time”, as in morning, day, evening, night, whatever, I use time elements like “moments later”, “later”, and “continuous” until the time of day changes.  If I have 2 or more scenes taking place at the same time, in different locations, I use “continuous” so that the readers realize that it’s important to “know” that these scenes are taking place at the same time, and that time is in play, and will most likely play a factor in the action.  If the time element is left out, or simply a constant “night”, the reader could easily be confused, and that’s the last thing you want in your script.  You want things to be clear and you want your readers to easily be able to follow along with your action/story.

I realize that some may call this very formal, or even old fashioned.  I don’t, because to me, it makes perfect sense, and achieves what it sets out to accomplish, which is clarity.  And that’s what I’m always after (whether or not I achieve that clarity, is another discussion entirely!).

That’s my take on it and I hope, if nothing else, it makes sense.

Quoted from Dreamscale Ah yes, 1 of my favorite topics to discuss.  You guys knew sooner or later, I’d pop in here, right?  James, I wonder if this thread came about from my review of your last script, because I know it was something I brought up repeatedly, because I had trouble figuring out the timing of many scenes and events.

You have brought up the issue quite a few times, haha. I'm also well aware of your stance on slugs based on your reviews of my scripts, other scripts and your comments in threads just like these. You're not the only one who's brought up the issue though. Comments about "continuous" aren't particularly common for me but I've noticed them enough to make a thread about them. I think they started up around the time I posted Tis the Season or possibly even Outsiders. So I've got about 2 years or so hearing about the subject. I figure if enough people are talking about it, it's worth making a thread, if only for clarification's sake.

I'll have to give this business some thought. I doubt I'll be using "continuous" each time the same character enters a new room in a continuous stream of events. Then again, there are instances where to events are occurring simultaneously, possibly in the same environment. Perhaps said instances could benefit from the use of the slug description.

As for CONT'D, I don't think I'll be giving it another thought. I don't use screenwriting software so that means every time I revise a script, no matter how insignificant a revision, I'd have to look over the entire Word document and reinsert CONT'D for every old and new instance of dialogue spilling over to the next page. No thank you. No thank you also to switching to screenwriting software. I enjoy the reflexive nature of Microsoft Word and now that I've got a Mac, I don't have to worry about viruses wiping out my scripts. Haha!