Scene inside a convertible - INT or EXT?

[Hairy Lime]

My protag is topdown cruising on a state highway in a 1925 Stutz Bearcat.

What's the slugline for that scene?

Given my love for cars and for putting them into my scripts, I'm surprised I hadn't questioned this before ... how do you slug a scene in which the characters are in a convertible with the top down?

INT. STUTZ BEARCAT - DAY

or

EXT. STUTZ BEARCAT - DAY?

No special lighting needs are required for the scene, so I'm guessing EXT ...

[wcmartell]

What's the camera focusing on?

The interior of the car (seats, people in seats, etc) or the exterior of the car (wheels, the whole car driving down the street, etc).

- Bill

[Hairy Lime]

Protag and his best friend in the world are having a conversation. That's the focus of the scene - inside the car.

[Deus Ex Machine]

You answered your own question, with some wonderful help by Bill.

[Hairy Lime]

Alright, but here's the thing. I'm not disagreeing, mind you, just trying to straighten this out in my own mind and perhaps helping others along the way.

My understanding was that the slugline INT/EXT was used to determine lighting needs in addition to the need for a set, etc. A scene inside an open convertible driving down the highway on a sunny day won't need any lighting. Perhaps a closed car wouldn't either, but I think that's more likely than a convertible. Perhaps I'm making the INT/EXT designation more precise than needed, but when I went to write that slug yesterday, I was unsure which way to go.

I wrote it INT before asking the question, but then guessed EXT in my question, because I was doubting myself.

Thanks for the help, Bill and Deus.

[Deus Ex Machine]

I've always used the placement of the camera to determine if it is INT or EXT. If you picture the camera giving us shots that are from inside of the car than I would say it is INT. If you picture shooting in through the windshield or from across the street, then it is EXT regardless of if the car is a convertible or T roof. I use the same logic if I am writing a scene looking into a house from outside or am looking at a pool from outside of the pool or from inside of the pool.

[dk23]

I would imagine those gray area decisions aren't a big deal as long as you're consistent. If the directory has a problem with any of the choices, they'll likely be corrected for the shooting script. I can't imagine anyone would be reading the slug lines closely enough to object prior to production.

Dan

[Mona Mars]

Piggybacking on this issue, I always have trouble with slugs when I have a person in the car watching action outside the car (an INT slug) and don't want all the action outside the car to be filmed from inside the car, but don't want to keep slug-hopping btwn. INT and EXT. I use the old INT/EXT, but my friend insists I'm wrong. Any opinions? Thanks, Monamars

[dk23]

I would probably use mini-slugs for that.

EXT. - FREEWAY - DAY

cars drive by...

INSIDE THE MIATA

so and so blabbers...

OUTSIDE THE MIATA

etc.

Dan

[pantalone]

A spec script isn't a shooting script. This allows you to take liberties with your expression.

If I was writing a scene on the freeway with the character in the car watching events outside the car, I might use an EXT to establish the character in the driver's seat, then say DRIVER'S POV to get the point across that he is rubber-necking.

I think along the same lines as Deus, the INT or EXT designation is more about the camera placement and POV of a scene.