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As Led once said, or words to that effect 'You can write your script with red crayon. If it's really good no-one will give a fig.'
I think he meant fuck, not fig.
I moved abode and left said slugs behind. My latest problem - regulars will only too well be aware of many afflictions and failings - concerns wasps. Or as I call them - wankers.
Buzzing little stripy barstards. They're following me, I tell you. Even when I run they manage to keep up - always just mere inches behind me.
They are helpful. I have used them once or twice and whenever I have my scripts have looked more defined for some reason.
I also use italicised slugs sometimes, for example, in a snap-flash segment. This helps save a tremendous amount of space, as an example:
EXT. OUTSIDE THIS RANDOM HOUSE THINGY - NIGHT
That saves me the whole "DUDE'S FLASHBACK" or "MONTAGE" segment, therefore saving script space.
In fact! I think more people should do this. Bold slugs for natural scenes, itacilised slugs for flashbacks. Helps the reader define what is what, so whatever's in bold is present and whatever's in italics is a flashback/flashforward type deal.
I've been re-formatting with scripts as of late. You'll see it in an upcoming script of mine where I put a NOTE on the title page saying:
Italics are something I've started using only in dialogue to show a person is yelling, or saying something in a pointed manner.
Regarding bold slugs, I've never been one to follow a trend, but if it improves clarity then I'm all in. At the end of the day I guess it all comes down to personal preference.
In the olden days, italics and bold font were always frowned upon.
This is because as copies were made -- then passed around -- and more copies made -- italic and bold font eventually became muddy and unreadable.
That is why underlining is pretty much the only "fancy" thing you see in older scripts -- and the only thing writers were advised to use. It was the only thing that endured multiple rounds through the copy machine.
In the modern age of PDF and such, this has become a non-issue, and this is why the "standard" is changing and evolving. Another example of a "rule" finding its way into the ash-can.
Thanks Bert! I didn't know that, but it makes perfect sense. I use them too since a couple of years back. The producers I'm working with also like them. It makes it easier to flip through a script for a particular scene. When you're flipping through, only the bold slugs stand out and the scene they're looking for is easy to find. It's a little bit like using the "scene list" function in FD.
Ah yes. I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier.
Strangely there is a lack of corpses. Usually Fat Frank takes care of that kind of thing. He was none too pleased. Said something about drunks and kebab houses. The blabby whiner.
Strange smell round here now. How am I supposed to write when there's an obese man on my sofa?
I did discuss slugs. He said something about nine millemetres. I told him I don't care what he's packing. And neither do the ladies.
For those newer to the game I suggest going easy on boldness. And italics. Concentrate on story.
And putting your scripts in a readable format that contains the minimum of typos.
It's hard enough to get decent reads. Don't get too worried about about bells and whistles.
Or else you too might end up with a smelly room and a fat man who wants paying and refuses to leave.
Hi. I actually think about such small things as bold slugs or not, followed the discussion here, and finally took some time to check out the scripts on my PC.
Result: From about 15 specs and shooting drafts (finally produced), no single script has bold slugs.
I didn't count exactly but it looked like almost half used triple spacing before the new scene starts.
Another interesting point is that lots of scripts have double dashes before the time orientation
EXT . PARKING LOT -- DAY
Most scripts have some tiny differences, idiosyncrasies in case of the format. Concerning this point, the only group of scripts which haven't got those tiny differences are the "old school ones", with double spacing before every scene. They don't differ further in case of individual formatting at all. I guess it could be called conservative formatting.
My personal argument for not writing bold slugs is: I don't want that readers know when a scene stops by just turning around the page, look over the layout. I don't want that she/he knows there are many short scenes coming now. Yeah, the usual capitalized slug does this too, but there's still a bigger difference of the type face with bold slugs. I like it when they are hidden. Yes, it's all so marginal.
My standpoint here could be somewhat compared with another "small thing". I found out that in many scripts the slug gives too much information and personalize what's not even seen by now. There's an office; but the slug already tells me (depicted exaggerated)
INT. OFFICE - PHILIP MORRIS TOBACCO COMPANY - DAY
Is that how we experience the circumstances in a movie? I don't think so. The author completely gives away the point when I really know that the office is part of a tobacco company. In my eyes, it's wrong to do so.
Just some input from my side. As I said before, I always have discussed all those little things concerning screenwriting with myself. I guess it's my philosophy to build a connection from those thousands small things. In the end, that's what I tell to strangers when they ask me how I do what I do and what's that odd screenwriting thing is about – the true work. I answer it's about proved habits, detailed handling, experiences. And I mean those points same way concerning characters, stories, titles, everything.
I use bold slugs in all my scripts nowadays - I personally think they look cool and make it harder for the reader to subconsciously skip the various scene headings - some of which may be particularly important to the story.
That said, the benefit of using bold slugs is minuscule. What really matters is writing a great script and that's something I'm still working on!