Not sure if this specific thing has been a thread before...

How do you use mini slugs? I know they're used for a smooth scene transition...I.E a character walks between two locations and there is no cut. Like INT. JOHN'S HOUSE - John walks into the...BEDROOM (mini-slug).

But I also use them when cutting between different rooms/sections of the same location. Like for instance if I'm cutting from the living room (so INT. JOHN'S HOUSE  - LIVING ROOM) and another character is in the bedroom, I'd just do a BEDROOM minislug (even though I've cut betwenn two different characters and it might be a whole new scene). Does this make sense?

I try to only use them when the action is continuous within a master location and/or no considerable time has lapsed. Also, the mini slug needs to match the INT/EXT of the master location (if you go from INT to EXT, you need to start a new main slug).

Just on the production side of things, especially if the script is in Final Draft, mini slugs do make it difficult for the production crew to number/keep track of scenes for a shooting script (at least in Final Draft). It keeps track of the INTs and EXTs. I had to eliminate a number of mini slugs a few times in scripts.

-- Michael

Here's a few past discussion threads FYI:

https://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-screenwrite/m-1421429453/s-0/
https://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-screenwrite/m-1436482987/s-0/
https://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?m-1433274616/s-5/highlight-Mini+Slugs/#num5
https://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?m-1348662984/s-5/highlight-Mini+Slugs/#num5
https://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?m-1335905860/s-13/highlight-Mini+Slugs/#num13
https://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?m-1327618421/s-4/highlight-Mini+Slugs/#num4

Not trying to dampen any current conversation btw.

Thanks LC, I saw some of them, but they don't really help with non-continuous action like my example. I don't know if I'm describing my issue very well though.

Quoted from AlsoBen Not sure if this specific thing has been a thread before... How do you use mini slugs? I know they're used for a smooth scene transition...I.E a character walks between two locations and there is no cut. Like INT. JOHN'S HOUSE - John walks into the...BEDROOM (mini-slug). But I also use them when cutting between different rooms/sections of the same location. Like for instance if I'm cutting from the living room (so INT. JOHN'S HOUSE  - LIVING ROOM) and another character is in the bedroom, I'd just do a BEDROOM minislug (even though I've cut betwenn two different characters and it might be a whole new scene). Does this make sense?

Mini-slugs are used when you're going from one sub-location of a larger overall location to another. As you said, INT. HOUSE, then BEDROOM, or BATHROOM, or what have you. But mini-slugs are only appropriate when it's one single, continuous scene.

You can also use minis to indicate a jump in time between scenes occurring in the exact same location, using a mini like LATER. But this only really works if the new scene is a continuation of something that was happening in the scene before it.  For instance, someone lights a candle. Mini-slug: LATER. The candle has burned halfway down.

There are other exceptions. For instance, if you want to intercut between two different actions occurring at the same time in different locations.  A mother is giving birth in the hospital while the baby's father is dying in a gun fight (a great sequence from John Woo's A Better Tomorrow 2). You can use mini-slugs to jump back and forth between the two.

But generally speaking, a new scene typically includes a change in time and/or location, and therefore would need its own new slug-line.

Ben. I'm sure you'll get more opinions/feedback. Jeff might chime in. I personally think what you've described sounds fine, but I could be wrong. Different character different room but same time/ principle location.

What's been said correct.

It's about the time...or lack of a time change, thus the lack of the time element in the Slug.

The exception is as Lon presented - the Mini Slug "LATER", or the like.  This is also a Mini Slug, but in this example, the location in the Slug is omitted, because it stays constant, while the time element changes.

IMO - everything written above is correct.

Ben - if I understand you correctly, you're concerned when the master scene involves more than one character doing different things in different rooms.

The answers above still apply. But keeping in my mind that clarity is king, it seems to me that you are concerned whether or not the mini-slug will cause confusion. I don't think so - but if you do, there are ways to address it. Let's start with the classic use.

CLASSIC STYLE

Quoted Text INT. DAVE'S HOUSE/LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Dave plops down in the sofa, cracks open a  beer and turns on the TV. KITCHEN Laura removes two steaks from the refrigerator.

Now if you think that causes confusion. You can --

Quoted Text INT. DAVE'S HOUSE/LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Dave plops down in the sofa, cracks open a  beer and turns on the TV. Meanwhile, back in the -- KITCHEN Laura removes two steaks from the refrigerator.

Or - you can do this:

Quoted Text INT. DAVE'S HOUSE/LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Dave plops down in the sofa, cracks open a  beer and turns on the TV. KITCHEN - SAME TIME Laura removes two steaks from the refrigerator.

Just pick what you think is clearest.