Hey all, I'm currently revising my first tv pilot and I still don't know how to best do this -- right now, I have an individual scene heading for each scene and then followed by "LATER", so, INT. FBI - LATER -- I know, people don't like it when they're being told they're in the same location over and over again and a lot don't like "later"s either. Can I just put LATER in a sub heading or is that very frowned upon? It's four sequences in the exact same location but hours apart. I also have a lot of "later"s in the scene headings -- I tried to look it up but every website stated something different. Is there a universal rule to this or is every person different? Thanks in advance!
Screenwriting : Consecutive scenes in the same location... by Lisa Bogner
Actor, Screenwriter, Dancer, Videographer, Director, Producer
7 years ago
Consecutive scenes in the same location...
Other topics in Screenwriting:
Check out Trending Discussions
Register / Log In
3 people like this
What's the problem with using LATER as a sub heading? Works for me - later implies a shift of time in the same location.
On one website it said that just putting LATER in a sub heading is not enough -- probably wasn't a very reliable source. That was my first choice anyway, so I'm just gonna go with that. Thanks!
LATER is fine.
1 person likes this
CONTINUOUS generally means the action moving sequentially from one scene to another with/without a time lapse. (LATER = time, CONTINUOUS = location - with or without time.)
There's a big time difference between CONTINUOUS and LATER, as Doug said.
Unless it's important to the story, use only DAY/NIGHT in the scene header - LATER & CONTINUOUS are generally used as sub-headings. CONTINUOUS often becomes a transition in reality. (Don't tell the Director.)
Is there no way you can insert different scenes in between? I'm sure there are subplots happening in the pilot. Makes way for creativity.
It's a shooting script; I used CONTINUOUS in the heading when I moved from one location into another, and I think I used EVENING once and MORNING twice. Jeff: unfortunately, there's no way to put scenes in between -- it's already a 60-minute pilot and I'm at 83 pages and change.
whoever is doing your script breakdown will figure it out during the location scout. Many times a CONTINUOUS scene on paper does not work logistically during the shoot & location. Fake rooms, fake Hallways, exteriors, interiors, moving lights & camera set-ups. All fake. Hire a good script supervisor for continuity.
Thanks! I just don't think I can cut any more scenes because I'm afraid it will cause plot holes. I have a lot of descriptions, though (fight scenes, etc.) so it might sound more than it really is.
Thanks, Laura and Dan! I'll see what more I could cut. I never looked at it that way. I always primarily focused on dialogues to cut (unnecessary thank you's and you're welcome's, etc.). Never occurred to me to do the same with action lines; even though I've turned a few action lines into parentheses this week.