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The scene begins in bathroom, then one character moves to bedroom, cut back to bathroom to other character, then back to bedroom, then other character shows up there, then they both go to the living room, then one locks self in bedroom and they talk through door. Both bathroom and bedroom open into the living room.
Obviously, I wouldn’t want to make a new scene heading every time the characters move into a new room; it’s all one continuous scene.
I am looking for the least page-consuming way to do this. If there were a way to do this without cut-to’s, that'd be great, too.
Say, could just one action line describe happenings in bathroom, and the next line begin thusly:
In the bedroom, XX stares at the ceiling,...
Whatever the case, how would one write the slugline? INT – APARTMENT or INT – BATHROOM/BEDROOM/LIVING ROOM?
A simply way to do it is to use sub-headings within the original scene. The sub heading is part of a sentence of action without a break. The rule, as I recall, is that it can't end a sentence, but it can start one. Something like this:
INT. APARTMENT
In the bathroom, stuff happens. After stuff happens, dude walks
INTO THE BEDROOM
where more stuff happens. Once stuff happens again. Dude walks
INTO THE BATHROOM
where stuff happens again, including something completely unexpected. Then, the Dalek rolls back
INTO THE BEDROOM
where he gets it on with a Cyberman, proving that eyestalks have multiple uses. Once finished (ah....), the original dude walks
You could also use a full slug, as you are using a line anyway, but for repeated changes back and forth, a mini slug mades the reader easier and neater IMO.