SimplyScripts Discussion Board
Blog Home - Produced Movie Script Library - TV Scripts - Unproduced Scripts - Contact - Site Map
ScriptSearch
Welcome, Guest.
It is March 29th, 2024, 5:45am
Please login or register.
Was Portal Recent Posts Home Help Calendar Search Register Login
Please do read the guidelines that govern behavior on the discussion board. It will make for a much more pleasant experience for everyone. A word about SimplyScripts and Censorship


Produced Script Database (Updated!)
One Week Challenge - Who Wrote What and Writers' Choice.


Scripts studios are posting for award consideration

Short Script of the Day | Featured Script of the Month | Featured Short Scripts Available for Production
Submit Your Script

How do I get my film's link and banner here?
All screenplays on the simplyscripts.com and simplyscripts.net domain are copyrighted to their respective authors. All rights reserved. This screenplaymay not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.
Forum Login
Username: Create a new Account
Password:     Forgot Password

SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board    General Boards    Questions or Comments  ›  Slug Line Question
Users Browsing Forum
No Members and 8 Guests

 Pages: 1
Recommend Print
  Author    Slug Line Question  (currently 510 views)
beyondpluto
Posted: June 28th, 2018, 3:54pm Report to Moderator
New


Posts
2
Posts Per Day
0.00
For slug lines, I know you're supposed to provide 3 pieces of information only, such as:

INT.  BEDROOM -- DAY

However, I have many scenes that take place in various individuals' rooms.   Is it acceptable to say something like the following:

INT.  MARY'S BEDROOM -- DAY   or
INT.  AL'S LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT    ???

If not, then I can easily say something after the slug line such as:  

"Having invited Jim over the night, Mary awakens with a panic attack in her room;" something like that to indicate specificity.


Thank you.


Logged Offline
Private Message
HyperMatt
Posted: June 28th, 2018, 4:05pm Report to Moderator
New



Location
London, UK
Posts
440
Posts Per Day
0.17
I'd put full slug line every time. Better to be safe than sorry.


Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 1 - 5
FrankM
Posted: June 28th, 2018, 4:21pm Report to Moderator
January Project Group



Location
Between Chair and Keyboard
Posts
1447
Posts Per Day
0.63
One thing to keep in mind is that you want to use the same slug for the same location each time. So, I would go with MARY'S BEDROOM if it's visited more than once.

The reverse is not necessarily true. The slug FOREST PATH could appear several times but not be the exact same location (for example, the soon-to-be-victim hikers are going along the trail, making some progress while the story jumps elsewhere).


Feature-length scripts:
Who Wants to Be a Princess? (Family)
Glass House (Horror anthology)

TV pilots:
"Kord" (Fantasy)
"Mal Suerte" (Superhero)

Additional scripts are listed here.
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 2 - 5
ReneC
Posted: June 28th, 2018, 4:59pm Report to Moderator
Old Timer



Location
Vancouver, BC
Posts
1435
Posts Per Day
0.31
The purpose of slug lines is to denote a physical location. That location then has to be scouted, or a set built for it, or VFX created for it.

You want to be consistent with that location throughout your script. Screenwriting software can spit out a list of all the locations in your script, so if you call a location "AL'S HOME" in one slug and "AL'S HOUSE" in another, it will be treated as two different locations.

Beyond that, you will often have locations with a location. Like in your example, the bedroom and the living room of the same house. You still need a slug line whenever you change locations because it requires a new camera setup for the new location and sometimes it might even be an entirely different filming location (the bedroom of one location and the living room of a different location) pretending to be all the same location within the film.

In those cases, you still want to use the same slug line and add an additional location within it (INT. AL'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - DAY or INT. AL'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT).

You can even transition from sublocation to sublocation by using a mini-slug:


Quoted Text
INT. AL'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - DAY

Frustrated, Al tears off the pillowcase and crams it into a ball. He storms out the door, muttering to himself.

LIVING ROOM

Al thrusts the pillowcase down into the couch as far as he can. He adjusts the cushions and inspects his handiwork. Satisfied, he flops onto the couch and breathes a sigh.


Here, we understand that LIVING ROOM is still within AL'S HOUSE. Usually you would reserve this for a principal location, one you spend the majority of time in. It doesn't help to have LIVING ROOM within Al's House and within Mary's House because that locations list will treat both as the same if they are called the same thing.

Of course, there are no hard rules saying you have to follow this methodology. All that's important is you be clear and consistent with your slug lines, and give each location a unique identifier. A generic location like FOREST PATH would likely all be filmed at one location from multiple angles to make it seem like multiple locations, so that's perfectly fine.


Logged Offline
Site Private Message Reply: 3 - 5
eldave1
Posted: June 28th, 2018, 7:37pm Report to Moderator
January Project Group



Location
Southern California
Posts
6874
Posts Per Day
1.95
Rene pretty much nailed it


My Scripts can all be seen here:

http://dlambertson.wix.com/scripts
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 4 - 5
beyondpluto
Posted: June 29th, 2018, 7:16am Report to Moderator
New


Posts
2
Posts Per Day
0.00
Thank you all!   Really appreciate the insight!
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 5 - 5
 Pages: 1
Recommend Print

Locked Board Board Index    Questions or Comments  [ previous | next ] Switch to:
Was Portal Recent Posts Home Help Calendar Search Register Login

Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post polls
You may not post attachments
HTML is on
Blah Code is on
Smilies are on


Powered by E-Blah Platinum 9.71B © 2001-2006