A screenplay scene heading — also called a slugline — is the line at the top of every scene that tells the reader exactly where and when the action takes place. It looks deceptively simple, but it carries real weight: production coordinators use it to break down locations, directors use it to plan coverage, and readers use it as a mental reset between moments in your story. Understanding the scene heading is one of the first things any working screenwriter needs to get right.

The basic format is three pieces of information in a specific order: interior or exterior, the location, and the time of day. Those three elements are separated by hyphens and written in all capitals, flush with the left margin. That's the whole rule. But knowing why each element exists — and how to handle edge cases — will save you from formatting mistakes that mark a script as amateur before the reader even hits page two.

The Three Parts of a Scene Heading

Every standard scene heading follows this structure: INT. or EXT. — LOCATION — TIME OF DAY

INT. or EXT. tells the reader whether the scene happens indoors or outdoors. INT. stands for interior; EXT. stands for exterior. That distinction matters practically because it affects lighting budgets, shooting permits, and crew requirements. If a scene takes place in a car moving through city streets, you may see INT./EXT. to signal that both conditions are in play — a character inside the car while the world outside is visible and relevant.

The location should be specific enough to be useful but not so granular that it fragments your breakdown needlessly. JOHN'S APARTMENT is useful. JOHN'S APARTMENT — KITCHEN is more useful when you cut to the kitchen separately and need it treated as its own scene. JOHN'S APARTMENT — KITCHEN — CABINET ABOVE THE STOVE is almost never useful and will frustrate a script supervisor.

The time of day is most commonly DAY or NIGHT. DAWN, DUSK, MORNING, and CONTINUOUS are also standard. CONTINUOUS is used when a scene follows directly from the previous one without any jump in time — for example, a character walking from one room into another in an unbroken action. LATER is sometimes used but should be reserved for moments where you want to signal that time has passed without cutting to an entirely new scene.

Formatting Rules Worth Knowing

Scene headings are always written in all capitals. They are never punctuated with a period at the end. They sit on their own line with a blank line before the action description that follows. In industry-standard screenplay format, the scene heading uses a 12-point Courier font, like everything else in the script.

Scene numbers are not part of a spec script's headings. Numbers appear in production drafts after a script has been sold and locked, so a producer or assistant director can track revisions by scene number. If you're writing a spec, leave the numbers out. Adding them signals that you don't understand where your draft sits in the development process.

One formatting habit worth building early: keep your location names consistent. If you establish SARAH'S HOUSE — LIVING ROOM in act one, don't later write SARAH'S LIVING ROOM or SARAH'S HOME — FRONT ROOM. Inconsistency creates confusion during breakdown and makes the script harder to follow for anyone reading quickly.

When to Start a New Scene Heading

Start a new scene heading every time the location changes, every time the time of day changes, or every time you want to signal a meaningful narrative shift even within the same space. A conversation that begins in a restaurant and then moves to the sidewalk outside gets two scene headings. A montage of different locations gets a scene heading for each new location unless you're using a dedicated MONTAGE structure with its own formatting conventions.

One common mistake newer writers make is using too few scene headings because they want to keep a sequence feeling fluid. The reader will follow your rhythm through action description; the scene heading is for the production side. Use them whenever the location or time genuinely changes, even if the emotional momentum is continuous.

Secondary Headings and Master Scenes

Sometimes a script uses what are called secondary headings — or intercut headings — to move within an established master scene without writing a full new slugline. These look like AT THE BAR or ACROSS THE ROOM, written in capitals but without the INT./EXT. prefix. They're used sparingly in spec scripts and work best when the master location is firmly established and you're directing the reader's attention without implying a full scene change.

The master scene approach — establishing a location with one full slugline and then using secondary headings to move within it — is common in television scripts where action moves quickly through a single set. Understanding when to use this technique versus writing full scene headings is partly a judgment call and partly a genre convention. Procedural television, for example, uses it more than feature film specs do.

Common Scene Heading Mistakes

  • Putting camera directions in the heading. Writing INT. OFFICE — DAY — CLOSE ON DESK is not standard format. Camera direction belongs in action lines, used sparingly.
  • Using vague locations. A NICE PLACE or SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY tells the reader nothing useful. Even if the exact real-world location isn't determined yet, be specific about what kind of space it is.
  • Forgetting CONTINUOUS. When a character moves from one room directly into the next in unbroken time, the second scene heading should read CONTINUOUS, not DAY or NIGHT again. It's a small thing that signals formatting fluency.
  • Capitalizing character names in headings. The heading is for location and time only. Character names go in dialogue headers and action lines, not sluglines.

If you're working through a script and noticing inconsistencies in your scene headings, Better Draft can flag formatting issues as you write — not by rewriting your work, but by keeping your eye on what matters so you can stay focused on the scene itself.

Why Scene Headings Matter Beyond Format

A well-chosen scene heading does quiet narrative work. It orients the reader instantly, which means they spend zero effort figuring out where they are and can give all their attention to what's happening. That's good storytelling infrastructure. When scene headings are inconsistent, vague, or wrong, readers feel a low-grade friction they might not be able to name — they just know the script feels harder to follow than it should.

There's also a craft dimension. Strong writers use location choices deliberately. Placing a confrontation in a cramped INT. ELEVATOR — NIGHT means something different than placing the same confrontation in an EXT. ROOFTOP — NIGHT. The scene heading is the first signal of that choice. It sets expectation before a single line of action description.

This connects to the larger principle that structure and format serve the story. Scene headings are how you signal scene breaks, which is where turning points and structural beats live in a script. Getting comfortable with scene headings isn't just a formatting exercise — it's part of learning to think in scenes, which is the fundamental skill of screenwriting.

If you want your format checked against industry standards while you work — not after you're done — take a look at Better Draft's plans. The margin notes and structure analysis tools are built to help you catch these things without breaking your writing momentum.

FAQ

What is the correct format for a screenplay scene heading?

The standard format is INT. or EXT., followed by the location, followed by the time of day, all in capitals and separated by hyphens or dashes — for example, INT. POLICE STATION — NIGHT. There is no period at the end of the line, and no scene numbers in a spec script.

What does CONTINUOUS mean in a scene heading?

CONTINUOUS means the new scene follows directly from the previous one without any gap in time. It's used when a character moves from one location into an adjacent one in unbroken action. It tells the reader — and eventually the editor — that no time has passed between the two scenes.

Can I use INT./EXT. in a scene heading?

Yes. INT./EXT. is standard when a scene takes place both inside and outside simultaneously — most commonly in a car scene where the character is inside the vehicle but the exterior environment is visible and active. Some writers also use EXT./INT. depending on where the primary action is focused.

Do scene headings need to match throughout the entire script?

Yes. If you name a location one way in act one, use the same name every time you return to it. Inconsistent location names create problems during script breakdown and signal to industry readers that the draft hasn't been carefully reviewed. Many writers do a dedicated pass just to normalize their sluglines before submitting.