Day-night-later-continuous?

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  • Day-night-later-continuous?

    In writing my first screenplay, all of my sluglines went DAY or NIGHT, even if it was the same day or night in the scene. I wanted to change that for my second and now have starting using CONTINUOUS if the scenes are in the same day or night. I've never used LATER. Am I using the CONTINUOUS correctly, or will that confuse the reader?

  • #2
    Re: Day-night-later-continuous?

    Big shrug. What was wrong with DAY and NIGHT?

    -Derek

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    • #3
      Re: Day-night-later-continuous?

      Originally posted by dpaterso View Post
      Big shrug. What was wrong with DAY and NIGHT?

      -Derek
      Nothing. Actually, I like just using them fine. I'm just wondering if my script wouldn't be professional enough unless I used other than DAY and NIGHT. I like just using the two, but I see others with LATER, MOMENTS LATER, etc.

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      • #4
        Re: Day-night-later-continuous?

        You need a different slugline when you go from one place to another, or when you change from day to night.

        But when you go from INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY to another scene that is still INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY, the only difference is that time has passed. Most writers use LATER instead of repeating the exact same slugline two or more times in a row.

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        • #5
          Re: Day-night-later-continuous?

          but I see others with LATER, MOMENTS LATER, etc.
          The DAY or NIGHT part of the Scene Heading is a production element: it tells whoever is making the film that the scene needs to be scheduled as a NIGHT scene or a DAY scene.

          Many writers use MORNING or AFTERNOON or LATER or CONTINUOUS ... but these are really for the benefit of the reader. From a production standpoint, DAY or NIGHT is fine.

          The problem with CONTINUOUS is that if you move the scene to a different place in the story, what does CONTINOUS mean? You obviously have to change CONTINUOUS to something else.

          "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

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          • #6
            Re: Day-night-later-continuous?

            I say skip it if it's the same scene and so obvious you'd have to be coo-coo to miss it. And only use 'continuous' if you MUST. It's such a drag.

            Like this:

            INT: THE BROWNSTONE - DAY

            BEDROOM

            They wake up Blah blah blah

            BATHROOM

            Get ready for work Blah blah blah

            FOYER

            Mary gets her purse blah blah blah

            EXT: THE BROWNSTONE

            As Mary goes out her door, she stops and answers her cell blah blah blah



            See what I mean? It's leaner and let's the story flow easier without all the stops and you still know exactly what's going on. When Mary goes from inside the foyer to outside her house and hasn't changed clothes or anything, DAY and CONTINUOUS are not needed. Also, once inside the house you don't need to keep adding INT: THE BROWNSTONE if it's obvious, just the once. You can test your clarity by having a smartypants friend read it and see if they completely understand what's happening. Use your best judgment.

            Once you leave the Brownstone and come back, then INT or EXT and DAY/NIGHT is needed again.

            I have a feeling that 'continuous' has the cooties right now in the screenplay world! lol Even 'moments later' is better, and only if you have to.

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            • #7
              Re: Day-night-later-continuous?

              Write it however you wish; it won't make a lick of difference. Read a lot of screenplays & see what works for you.
              "Witticism"
              -Some Guy

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              • #8
                Re: Day-night-later-continuous?

                Originally posted by cynicide View Post
                Write it however you wish; it won't make a lick of difference. Read a lot of screenplays & see what works for you.
                It makes a difference if you tire out your reader and they can't get past page ten.

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                • #9
                  Re: Day-night-later-continuous?

                  Really? Is it that exhausting to read sluglines? I would be very suprised if a reader has ever said, "The story's good, but if only they had used mini-slugs. Oh well. Pass!"
                  "Witticism"
                  -Some Guy

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                  • #10
                    Re: Day-night-later-continuous?

                    Originally posted by suzeaa View Post
                    I say skip it if it's the same scene and so obvious you'd have to be coo-coo to miss it. And only use 'continuous' if you MUST. It's such a drag.

                    Like this:

                    INT: THE BROWNSTONE - DAY

                    BEDROOM

                    They wake up Blah blah blah

                    BATHROOM

                    Get ready for work Blah blah blah

                    FOYER

                    Mary gets her purse blah blah blah

                    EXT: THE BROWNSTONE

                    As Mary goes out her door, she stops and answers her cell blah blah blah



                    See what I mean? It's leaner and let's the story flow easier without all the stops and you still know exactly what's going on. When Mary goes from inside the foyer to outside her house and hasn't changed clothes or anything, DAY and CONTINUOUS are not needed. Also, once inside the house you don't need to keep adding INT: THE BROWNSTONE if it's obvious, just the once. You can test your clarity by having a smartypants friend read it and see if they completely understand what's happening. Use your best judgment.

                    Once you leave the Brownstone and come back, then INT or EXT and DAY/NIGHT is needed again.

                    I have a feeling that 'continuous' has the cooties right now in the screenplay world! lol Even 'moments later' is better, and only if you have to.
                    Agreed -- the goal is to let the eyes fall down the page.
                    "Take the thing you love, and make it your life"--Californication. [email protected]

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                    • #11
                      Re: Day-night-later-continuous?

                      I use LATER and CONTINUOUS.

                      And, uh, I don't really know what else to say. I use them. I also use mini-slugs. And DAY. And NIGHT.
                      Last edited by Tony R; 12-21-2007, 01:09 PM.
                      Ralphy's Fvcking Blog

                      "
                      Ever notice how 'monogamy' rhymes with 'monotony'?" -- Christian Troy

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                      • #12
                        Re: Day-night-later-continuous?

                        I use the laters as the imply a passage of time...

                        I don't use continuous because I feel a mini-slug accomplishes the same thing with less words.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Day-night-later-continuous?

                          Every now and then, I like to throw in a MILLER TIME
                          "Forget it, Jake. It's Hollywood."

                          My YouTube channel.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Day-night-later-continuous?

                            Originally posted by cynicide View Post
                            Really? Is it that exhausting to read sluglines? I would be very suprised if a reader has ever said, "The story's good, but if only they had used mini-slugs. Oh well. Pass!"
                            If a reader has a huge pile of scripts to go through and has been reading them all day, then he/she gets one that's loaded with 'continues' and long sluglines that over describe the scene, it slows down the action and can dull the story.

                            If a better approach (lean and mean) makes the read easier and keeps the reader on the action (rather than them thinking every few minutes about what a waste of time it is that you have a 'continued' on every page...) why not do that instead?

                            I doubt it would kill a good story, but on the other hand I've heard of readers thumbing through a script to see how it looks (is it crowded? Does it look amateurish?) and deciding then if it's worth a further look.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Day-night-later-continuous?

                              I try to imagine I'm watching the movie. If the character is just
                              Waking up.
                              Eating breakfest.
                              Things where FILM transitions wouldn't demand a new "cinematic" language (like a "cut" is supposed to be invisible, right? But a "dissolve" is supposed to be seen, a dissolve shows us passing tme) ...
                              I don't use it because it's invisible.

                              If the character is reading a book, and reading a book, and then a knock comes on the door ...

                              You can describe the daylight changing as it shifts across the room, yes ... the careful reader will realize time has passed ...

                              BUT I make sure I've told the reader in the slug that she was reading for two hours, or all day, etc.

                              But I agree, putting DAY or NIGHT in every new slug for every new room, that jolts the reader out of the sense of time. So use it TO take them out of that time only if that's your point?
                              sigpic
                              "As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world -
                              that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves."
                              -Mahatma Gandhi.

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