Morphing settings for a scene

[Jabbermonkey]

I have scene where the character is having a hallucination thinking he's in the countryside but, as the action continues, he's jarred back into reality where he's standing in the middle of New York City. The action is continuous and the scene carries on.

Do I have to interrupt my action and insert a new slug line when the scene morphs from one setting to another. Or is describing the change in the body of scene enough?

Thanks

[Revisionist]

Jarrod stands slack jawed. Nothing but a field of hay touches the horizon in every direction. He turns slowly. Running his hands over blades of grass. Amazed they're real.

BAM

Literally. He's bowled over on the sidewalk and knocked to the ground. Rushing feet step around and over him. Horns blast. Sirens wail. A reality check from hell.

[sppeterson]

I'd include the slugline business because if you're morphing to a different location then they'll have to go ahead and set up a shot at the different location. Screenwriting programs usually do their automatic breakdowns by scene headings, so that can help the producers and director plan how they're going pay for and shoot the film (e.g. collect all scenes at one location on a few pages so they can shoot them with maybe one lighting setup).

[Revisionist]

I agree but just be sure to have a nice smooth transition or it'll read either clunky... or you'll lose the reader entirely.

EXT. FIELD - DAY

Jarrod stands. Jaw slack. Nothing but a field of hay touches the horizon in every direction. He turns slowly. Running his hands over blades of grass. Amazed they're real.

EXT. CITY - CONTINUOUS

Jarrod's bowled over on the sidewalk and knocked to the ground. Rushing feet step around and over him. Horns blast. Sirens wail. A reality check from hell.

Doing it like this is really a matter of preference, I suppose. But I like the earlier version better because with the use of the minislug it seems to read clearer and more interesting. I'd think, however, that if you go with the second verision it would be one of the rare instances where CONTINUOUS should be used in the slug so there's no confusion as to when during DAY or NIGHT, etc. Keep in mind you're writing a spec script not a production script. If need be, separate scene locations can be added later at the director's convenience.

[DUCPHO]

Just a suggestion here. If you want, as you stated, to limit the interruptions of your action I'd simply use an INTERCUT;

INTERCUT-COUNTRY/CITY

Now, in this particular situation it will only work by indicating clearly to the reader when you are in the COUNTRY or the CITY.

With most employment of INTERCUTS the locations are indicated by the characters themselves, such in a telephone conversation.

However in this situation you would have to create something ,central to each location, that you include in the
transitions to make them absolutely clear since your only using , from what I understood, one character whose movement from the city to country is caused by an hallucination.

So if you can center the action in each of the two locations your using , CITY-COUNTRYSIDE, around "something" immediately recognizable to the reader as an indicator as to which one of these two locations they're now in, then the INTERCUT will work! Although non-conventional it will still work!

INTERCUT- CITY/COUNTRYSIDE

Bla, bla, bla,bla.

Bla, bla, bla, bla

Bla, bla, bla, bla

Bla, bla, bla, bla

END INTERCUT

P.S. To highlight these transitions in and out of an hallucinatory state you could employ a technique of filtering the hallucinations with a green or other colored lens.
In any event, best of luck with whatever course of action you decide upon!:smokin