Continuous or not?

[Trauma Surgery Writer]

If the next scene has different characters can you denote it as continuous? I was told recently you couldn’t. Example below.

EXT. TOMB -- CONTINUOUS

Joe and the Bedouins jump back. Bedouins YELL and one FIRES at the door. They all FIRE at the door.

INT. TOMB -- CONTINUOUS

Natasha leaps up and places explosive charges on the doors and lights the fuses. A massive metal door slides out of the wall. The door shears the explosive charge off the stone door and seals the tomb. Lights go on.

[pantalone]

CONTINUOUS just indicates that these things are happening at the same time.

So why couldn't you use it?

As far as I'm concerned, it is only important to use it when events are happening at the same time at the same location - especially when those scenes are not within sight of each other. I wouldn't use for a scene with President Roosevelt in the White House talking about Japanese aggression, then do CONTINUOUS to show Admiral Tojo working out his plan of attack.

In your example, I can certainly imagine a director filming the scene in such a way that he intercuts between brief individual actions, or even uses a psuedo-split screen where the door divides the two actions.

[jimjimgrande]

CONTINUOUS in your example is SUPERFLUOUS because it is OBVIOUS that the action is SIMULTANEOUS

[TwoBrad Bradley]

If the next scene has different characters can you denote it as continuous? I was told recently you couldn’t.
If you were told this by someone who says it's sometimes appropriate to use "continuous" in the SLUG, then I would ignore everything he/she says and you can do it any way you want.
CONTINUOUS just indicates that these things are happening at the same time.
What???

[Deus Ex Machine]

CONTINUOUS does NOT indicate events happening at the same time.

Continuous indicated events happening in series, with one after the other, with no disruption of the time line, IOW the action is continuous from one scene to the next.

Example:

EXT. CAR - DAY

Bob opens the car door and climbs inside.

INT. CAR - CONTINUOUS

Bob settles into his seat and closes the door.

The action is continuous with no break in the time line.


SAME indicates events happening in parallel with two or more events happening at identical points int he time line, IO the action is occurring at the SAME time.

EXAMPLE:

INT. JEWELRY STORE - NIGHT

Bob lights a fuse to the bomb mounted on the safe.

EXT. STREET - SAME

A policeman strolls toward the jewelry store.

The actions are happening at the same time.


I don't think you need either since the narrative make sit clear if the actions are continuous or happening at the same time. Eventually the script will have to be changed to either DAY or NIGHT for the breakdown so as far as I am concerned you should use only DAY or NIGHT.

My 2 cents.

[DUCPHO]

I have found a lot of differing opinions about the inclusion of CONTINUOUS!

It definitely does not mean the same thing as SAME TIME, because the CONTINUOUS indicates the ensuing action follows the prior action!

My rule of thumb for CONTINUOUS is if it's in the same MASTERSLUG location, exp;

EXT./INT.- FACTORY - NIGHT - ON BOB
making his way back from Humbert's office to-wards the loading dock.

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS
Someone entering through a window.

Some writers mistakenly put;

INT. BASEMENT - (SAME TIME)

Of course, there isn't any rule that you have to use CONTINUOUS at all... there aren't any rules... just "craft"!