Scene Heading (also called a slugline)—This signifies the beginning of a new scene and tells the reader where and when it takes place.
Formatting
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Flush with the left margin (1.5"). |
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Right margin is approximately 1.0" from the right edge of the page and staggered. |
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ALL CAPS; usually underlined. |
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One blank line (double-spaced) above. |
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Never at the bottom of a page. |
There are three components of a standard Scene Heading: the Start of Scene, Location and the Time-of-Day.
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Start of Scene—A typical Scene Heading begins with INT. (interior) or EXT. (exterior). |
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Location—This signifies where the scene actually takes place (e.g., MANHATTAN HIGHRISE). |
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Time-of-Day—Shows what time the scene takes place (typically DAY or NIGHT). The Time-of-Day is separated from the Location commonly by one hyphen, although a dash (double hyphen) is also acceptable. |
EXAMPLES:
INT. MANHATTAN HIGHRISE - DAY
INT. MANHATTAN HIGHRISE -- DAY