Now I'm pretty good at the basics and I understand the three components of a scene heading ( slug line) and know why they're there. But my mantra is "write tight!" I have a small, quik transitional scene. Which is better the better scene heading?
FLASHBACK
SUPER "1957"
EXT. GRAVESITE DAY
or
FLASHBACK EXT. GRAVESITE DAY - SUPER "1957"
I'm leaning toward the 2nd one as it gives me a couple more valuable story lines.
Hey Doug, advice to me was to prevent confusion of the reader. I like that; meaning stating the word "Flashback" or "Dream Sequence" on its own and in italics; and possibly the whole scene in italics may be worth consideration. "Super 1957" helps the audience; but I think it depends on how many time jumps there are (eg Back to the Future).
Robert: italics = no.
And there's the rub. Different advice from experts - every day...
EXT. GRAVESITE - DAY (FLASHBACK - SUPER "1957") --- this is my two cents as its ease of use when making a strip for a shooting schedule (especially if the scheduling program auto-pulls the data to create a strip)
...doan think you can put a Title Card or Super in a slug line which is reserved for ext/int location or day/night. I've seen dates in slug lines, but not one's in "__" to be seen onscreen...and we have to provide a description of the scene the Super is going over, so perhaps...
FLASHBACK ---- EXT. GRAVESITE ---- DAY
A tattered OLD MAN weeps over terra cotta dirt.
SUPER: "1957"
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And that's the thing with this screenwriting caper, a different opinion from each respondent.
Clarity is the key and as you said, no italics. Personally, I'd go with:
EXT. GRAVESITE - DAY (FLASHBACK)
SUPER - 1957
blah blah blah
BACK TO PRESENT (or) END-FLASHBACK
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I've gotta go with Pierre on this.
Keep your slugline simple and consistent.
I second Pierre. A Super in the scene heading seems confusing.
EXT. GRAVE SITE - DAY - 1957
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Thanx one & all. I'll probably blend Pierre's and Dan's suggestions and when I'm done, I post this short script on my profile page and ask for free-for-all comments from anybody/everybody. I want to keep the read clear/concise and quick. I'll let you all tell me how I did.
I am going with Dan.
EXT. GRAVESITE - 1957 - DAY
Is it supposed to be all in caps?
I agree with Laura, that it absolutely does NOT go in the SLUG line, I will disagree with some others. I feel strongly you tell the reader this is a FLASHBACK before you do the SLUG LINE. However, I do think different writers would handle this differently - in whether to put this before or after the SLUG LINE.
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I would write it like this:
FLASHBACK - EXT. GRAVESITE - DAY (1957)
SUPER "1957"
A couple of action description lines here.
END FLASHBACK
Hope this helps :-)
I was taught a number of ways to write flashbacks. The two I use are
EXT. GRAVESITE - MORNING (BEGIN FLASHBACH)
Ending it with
NEXT SCENE HEADING (BACK TO PRESENT DAY
Or
EXT. GRAVESITE - MORNING
BEGIN FLASHBACK
And
END FLASHBACK (before next scene heading.
Both are acceptable to Trottier
Just my 2cp.
If the entire flashback sequence is one scene, then I can see perhaps putting it into the slugline with the parenthesis, etc. I haven't done that but I can see how that would work.
However if the flashback encompasses multiple scenes, I could see putting a BEGIN FLASHBACK as it's only line before the first scene of the flashback and then an END FLASHBACK after the last scene of the flashback sequence.
It's good food for thought and again we are trying to save page real estate but at what expense?
Dan M - I understand completely (and I pretty much agree with you) but this is a public screenwriting forum where very few of the participants have yet to master the finer points of the craft. I occasionally bring up these nominal little issues in an attempt to provide a little bit of education.
I'm against relying on post to fix anything when I can just as easily 'do it right' on the shoot - that's just the kinda guy I am.
The only right way is the way that sells (or doesn't get you removed from the project).
That said, I find it useful to have a big note like that about time and place reflected in the slug even if it's again addressed in the action text that follows or with a Title note like "SUPER "1957." FLASHBACK in the slugline tells me as much about tone as it does the set and setting. When I'm reading, it's a big clue that something has changed in how I should read the scene.
I do advocate for maintaining the convention of starting it as Pierre did: EXT. GRAVESITE - DAY then FLASHBACK so it's hard to miss. Titles or descriptions should follow that elaborate on the time, period and tone within the action block.
I think it's important also to distinguish it as a FLASHBACK as opposed to just simply a new TIME because a flashback carries implications that the tone of the scene is related to the character remembering the experience, informing the scene going into or coming out of the Flashback.
But there's no absolutely "right" way. As long as you manage to clearly and cleanly get your point across. And in the end, a paycheck is the only measure of success.
I HATE the whole "End Flashback" part Sucks up SO much space...it is the reason why I include it in the slug line. Real estate. Use it wisely. (My pilot is told in 2 timelines...I go back and forth often and I use THEN and NOW at the end of the transitional slug line- reads well....BUT we all use what works for us)
Anyway... I posted this little short (7 & 1/8 page) script on my profile page for all to see and make comments (snarky & otherwise) right here in public... It's in pre-production right now. I'll start a new thread.