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SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board  /  Screenwriting Class  /  Using slug lines as part of the action.
Posted by: Tommyp, May 17th, 2009, 2:54am
Hey guys, just wondering what the standard is when it comes to using slug lines as action lines. The type of thing that was happening in the Angels and Demons script.

Example:

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Phil walks over to the bench. He picks up a glass, and smashes it on his head. Blood trickles down his face as he walks into the -

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

and picks up the remote from on top of the television. blah blah blah.

I'm against using the slug line in that way, but some people prefer it. Is there a right or wrong way? Or is it just a different style of writing?
Posted by: mcornetto (Guest), May 17th, 2009, 2:57am; Reply: 1
If I had to use INT or EXT then I wouldn't style it like that either.  I would, however, use this:

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Phil walks over to the bench. He picks up a glass, and smashes it on his head. Blood trickles down his face as he walks into the

LIVING ROOM

and picks up the remote from on top of the television. blah blah blah.
Posted by: Sandra Elstree., May 17th, 2009, 3:04am; Reply: 2

Hello Tommy,

I love your question!

To me, it's a matter of style. If YOU feel right doing it, then go ahead. I mean, if you've been inside the outside of the craft and you know it's right, then you just know it.

I like the idea of working "the craft" as much as possible so that we can get the most "bang for the buck" as far as words are concerned; so for me, it's VERY fitting.

But it depends upon the writer's style I think. In the end, don't do anything that doesn't feel right. You have to navigate through the territory of your script and it's a murky territory.

I just LOVE questions like this though. They really help me question every thing I put on the page. And that's what I want.

That and to be able to have a good night's sleep again. Will that EVER be possible? I'd like to write THAT into a movie that would manifest into REALITY.

:) :)

Sandra
Posted by: Tommyp, May 17th, 2009, 5:20am; Reply: 3
Michael, when the character moves to the Living Room, is it counted as another scene?

Sandra, I see that you do it because it takes up less words, and yeah, it doesn't really feel right for me to do it, so I don't. I use very little words in the action lines anyway, my action is very simple, and (hopefully) easy to follow.

I suppose by including the slug line as action, it might flow better ... but on the other hand, it might be a bit hard to follow, and scenes become one murky mess.

I like the idea that you can start from any scene, and see what is happening at the start of it. By including slugs as action, you have to read the scenes before and after the one you want to read, to fully understand it. With me?
Posted by: stebrown, May 17th, 2009, 5:32am; Reply: 4
Tommy

The general rule of thumb is to only include things that have changed in the scene heading, so if your first heading is;

INT. BILLY BOB'S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - DAY

and you have Billy Bob do something in the living room, walk through to the kitchen and do something else, that would all be one scene as far as I'm concerned. You wouldn't need the INT part as that's the same, same with the main location and the time of day is CONT which we don't need. So all you actually need for the SLUGLINE is the change of room, as Michael suggested.

Whether you include that as part of your action or not is totally upto you. For me, I just think it saves room and gives the script a better flow. If at the end of an action line you say that Billy Bob has walked into the kitchen, I don't think we really need to read that he's in the kitchen again.

I know people have differing views on this though so I don't think there is a definate right or wrong answer. Would be interesting to hear from any directors though, as to which way they prefer and what's easiest as far as set-up goes.

Ste
Posted by: mcornetto (Guest), May 17th, 2009, 5:41am; Reply: 5

Quoted from Tommyp
Michael, when the character moves to the Living Room, is it counted as another scene?


Yes Tommy.  LIVING ROOM is a scene and when the scenes are numbered for production, it would be numbered as well.
Posted by: Tommyp, May 17th, 2009, 7:43am; Reply: 6
Ste... thanks for that. It makes sense what you are saying. Good rule.

Michael... Gotcha, thanks.
Posted by: dogglebe (Guest), May 17th, 2009, 8:19am; Reply: 7
With spec scripts, you don't need all the sluglines.  If a scene opens up in a kitchen, and the character moves into the dining room, you don't need a second one.

With shooting scripts, it's another matter entirely.


Phil
Posted by: George Willson, May 17th, 2009, 12:14pm; Reply: 8
They're called secondary headings and they're a matter of opinion as to whether you need them in the example you give. You don't need to put the INT./EXT. part or the time of day because it's included in the original heading. You also never use them as the end of a sentence.

Your example should go something like this (I tweaked something else in there too):

Example:

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Phil walks over to the bench. Picks up a glass. Smashes it on his head. Blood trickles down his face as he walks

INTO THE LIVING ROOM

and picks up the remote from on top of the television. blah blah blah.

=====

It's totally opinion, and you don't have to do the secondary if you don't want to, but as it is technically a new location, it doesn't hurt to already have it there.

Where they are used just as often is when two or more sequences are occurring in basically the same location, but different parts of that location. This way you're not writing INT. HOUSE - FOYER and INT. HOUSE -STAIRS every few lines. It reads clearer if you just say (and this is an extreme example, obviously):

INT. HOUSE - FOYER - NIGHT

Bob tells Linda he is in love.

ON THE STAIRS

Harry tells Sally he isn't in love.

IN THE FOYER

Linda gushes over Bob's declaration.

IN THE KITCHEN

Jeff pops popcorn.

ON THE STAIRS

Sally pulls a gun on Harry.

IN THE FOYER

Bob reveals he's in love with Harry.

IN THE KICHEN

the popcorn goes crazy and pops everywhere.

IN THE FOYER

Linda opens the door and tells Bob to leave.

ON THE STAIRS

Sally shoots Harry. He tumbles downs the stairs and

INTO THE FOYER

where his body runs into Bob and thy both tumble the door. Linda closes the door behind them. Jeff runs out and asks for help with popcorn.
Posted by: slabstaa (Guest), May 17th, 2009, 1:46pm; Reply: 9

Quoted from mcornetto
If I had to use INT or EXT then I wouldn't style it like that either.  I would, however, use this:

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Phil walks over to the bench. He picks up a glass, and smashes it on his head. Blood trickles down his face as he walks into the

LIVING ROOM

and picks up the remote from on top of the television. blah blah blah.


This is what I do, so I'll 2nd this post
Posted by: jecastellon, May 18th, 2009, 11:15am; Reply: 10

Quoted from slabstaa


This is what I do, so I'll 2nd this post


...Smashing a glass on your head? lol

Anyway, I just wanted to add that when you use slug lines as part of the action you can give the script more dynamism, and even control the pace of the story. For example, I wouldn't do it if I'm writing a slow dramatic scene about someone preparing a bathroom for commiting suicide, but would certainly do it when writing an action scene.
Posted by: Why One, May 18th, 2009, 12:43pm; Reply: 11
jecastellon makes a good point.  At least, that's how I certainly see things anyway.  It's about the reading experience.

But I agree that's it down to personal preference whether to utilize full scene headings, secondary headings, or even skip the heading altogether and continue as action.
Posted by: JamminGirl, May 18th, 2009, 3:21pm; Reply: 12

Quoted from stebrown
Tommy

The general rule of thumb is to only include things that have changed in the scene heading, so if your first heading is;

INT. BILLY BOB'S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - DAY

and you have Billy Bob do something in the living room, walk through to the kitchen and do something else, that would all be one scene as far as I'm concerned. You wouldn't need the INT part as that's the same, same with the main location and the time of day is CONT which we don't need. So all you actually need for the SLUGLINE is the change of room, as Michael suggested.

Whether you include that as part of your action or not is totally upto you. For me, I just think it saves room and gives the script a better flow. If at the end of an action line you say that Billy Bob has walked into the kitchen, I don't think we really need to read that he's in the kitchen again.

I know people have differing views on this though so I don't think there is a definate right or wrong answer. Would be interesting to hear from any directors though, as to which way they prefer and what's easiest as far as set-up goes.

Ste


Were I a director, I would want to look at a page where location changes pop out for me to see them. I wouldn't want to have to go fishing in the action lines for scene changes. But that's just me...
if I do otherwise in any of my scripts, it's because it's a mistake.
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