Screenwriting : In a spec script should I keep all headings to DAY/NIGHT? by Jai Jackson

My educated guess is to keep the same standards as a non-spec script.

I've seen "MORNING," "AFTERNOON," etc. in spec scripts. I try to only use "DAY," "NIGHT," and "LATER."

You can add variants, but I still try to keep it basic.

Think of these as light.

DAY, NIGHT, are obvious DAWN and DUSK are the other two. The light at these times is different.

You can’t tell if it is 11am or 3pm (day) or 11pm or 3am (night).

I have used morning to show that it was the break of dawn. I think it is important to have that because the scene before takes place at night and they are continuous (so the character couldn't just jump from night to day). I know you are probably thinking I should use LATER but the second scene is in media res so that is not a good option.

Yes, Dan Guardino. Thanks for making that clear.

The DAY/NIGHT is there primarily for the crew loading the Grip Truck...Do we load a generator or pack in reflectors & silks? As the writer you show us if it's dawn, dusk, dark of night..., or whatever in your scene description.

The issue is it can take hours to setup and shoot a scene. When you specify a relatively brief time of the day, it can put a lot of strain on the production to try and capture. There's only so much that can be faked on a budget.

If my character wakes up it's MORNING...I keep them responsible as I do my kids...

Kiril Maksimoski How beautiful is this one. Just feel you.

@CJ Walley

So you'd advise not to put that in the scene header. I only had it because in the story I wanted that early morning light.

Jai Jackson, you can write "DAY" in the scene heading, then mention that it's morning in the action line.

"I've often put descriptions of the light both for mood and specifying the time of day really helps the DP light it accurately." Great idea, M LaVoie.

Here's Wenk's page 1 of The Equalizer.

Nobody told him he couldnt use morning sluglines, or Cut To, or "orphan" one word sentence spacing.

With any advice, listen to ppl who are paying you, and you as the writer should be consistent with formatting pages. Know exactly why you insist for morning & dusk scenes. (Them hours are expensive to film). And then there are cinematographers like Roger Deakins- when you hire him he has final say when to film.

Night or Day, yes. If important to the scene for tone or feel - ie - the rising sun to show beginning of a new day, then include it in action briefly. "Alise sips her coffee as the sun rises, she spots a man at the edge of the trees. Just my method.

Ext. Suburban House - Day

Alize sits on the veranda in the back yard. The sun is on the rise as she sips her coffee.

She spots a man watching from the tree line.

(that's a bit better, I haven't had enough caffeine this morning. Good luck).

Thanks Dan Guardino! Yes, I know they don't shoot scenes chronologically. In this case, this scene happens during the early hours, so I thought I should mention that in the header, but I only did this once.

"Cameras are motion tracked with the background so the perspective changes as the camera moves and the actors are lit by the background wall so it looks 100 times closer to reality than a greenscreen. Keep that in mind when writing. Things you may assume are budget breakers are getting much more affordable." Thanks for the info, M LaVoie (the last two sentences).

Jai Jackson, by all means use it but try to only use it sparingly in short scenes, in the same location, or only interiors.

Context here is low budget filmmaking. You don't need to worry about this as much if you're aiming for bigger budget films. That said, it can be an issue with big setups. Ridley Scott only got one hurried take of the finale scene in Thelma & Louise because it was set at sunset in the desert and they fell behind. Thankfully all went to plan but, if the car hadn't soared through the air the right way, if a dummy had lost a wig, if a camera had failed, it could have been a disaster.