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Of course, we all know scene headings should include DAY or NIGHT.
But what about when several of your key locations throughout the script are windowless rooms? A submarine underwater, or inside a bank vault, for example. Is Day/Night even necessary? It seems to add unnecessary clutter.
I notice on the Apollo 13 screenplay, for Int. Mission Control there's never Day/Night assigned to it.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on whether Day/Night can be dropped from those scene location headings without rankling readers! Thanks!
You might use a Super after description with where they are (what ocean) and the time perhaps?
Perhaps indicate looking at an internal clock 2300 Hours or write in a Super: Twenty-Three Hundred Hours. Cutting to outside shots, (if you do) will indicate Day or Night.
As far as your windowless location, or Bank Vault, or mine shaft, cave, or train tunnel, I'd leave it off and only consider it if cutting same time to an outside location. If for example you cut to a rescue team in another location readying to pull someone out of that Cave it might be DAY, but it's always going to be lit the same way in the cave, so I wouldn't bother. I'd bother more with atmosphere.
In The Descent 2
INT. CRAWLSPACE - DARKNESS Tight. Claustrophobic. The team wriggle on hands and knees as the tunnel tapers ever tighter. Rock bears down above.
It's a good question. But yes, it can be dropped and no rankling should result.
Thanks for your reply and thoughtful answer! Very helpful. And thanks for being the Admin!
You're most welcome, Brad! Hope to see more of you. Don is actually Site Admin/head honcho around here. Us Mods have temporary bragging rights as Admins due to some technical issues.
Here’s a follow up question. Does anybody use morning afternoon evening anymore. I know theyre in trottier’s bible and are one of the defaults in final draft.
Reason I’m asking. I use to use them - then i switched to day / night. But i felt i lost continuity. Let’s say story goes from afternoon to next morning. I know you can clarify in action but that adds lines.
Seen both in scripts (and a lot of others that i have no clue about.