# A-scenes

Source: https://storiara.com/glossary/a-scenes
Last updated: 2026-09-14
Author: Nick Harty, Storiara

> A-scenes are scenes inserted into a locked script after its scene numbers have been frozen. A new scene that falls between scenes 42 and 43 is numbered 42A, the next one 42B, so the existing scene numbers on schedules, strips, and slates never change. A new scene before scene 1 is A1.

## A typical A-scene

The blue revisions add a short beat between the gas station and the chase:

```
42   EXT. GAS STATION - NIGHT                             42
     ...
     The clerk reaches for the phone.

42A  INT. GAS STATION - CONTINUOUS                       42A   *

     The CLERK dials. Watches Maya's taillights.          *

                         CLERK                            *
               Yeah. She's headed north on 9.             *

43   EXT. ROUTE 9 - NIGHT                                 43
```

Scene 42A gets its own [breakdown sheet](https://storiara.com/glossary/breakdown-sheet), its own [strip](https://storiara.com/glossary/strip), and its own entry on the schedule. Here it's a new interior set (the store interior), 2/8 of a page, cast member 7, and a phone. It might shoot on the same night as 42 or on a different day if the store interior is a stage set.

## Rules most productions follow

| Situation | Number |
|---|---|
| First new scene after 42 | 42A |
| Second new scene after 42 (after 42A) | 42B |
| New scene before scene 1 | A1 |
| A-scene later cut | 42A OMITTED |
| New scene after 12, where I would be next | many skip to 12J, avoiding 12I |

Skipping I and O is common because 12I and 12O are easy to misread as 121 and 120 on a slate or in an editor's bin. Check your production's convention before the first revision goes out.

## What to update in the breakdown

When an A-scene appears in revision pages:

1. Create a new breakdown sheet with the A-scene number and measure its [page eighths](https://storiara.com/glossary/page-eighths).
2. Tag its elements. New sets and new speaking parts are the expensive surprises.
3. Add a strip and place it on the [stripboard](https://storiara.com/glossary/stripboard), usually on the same day as its neighbors if the location allows.
4. Update the [day out of days](https://storiara.com/glossary/day-out-of-days) if it changes which days an actor works.
5. Tell the [script supervisor](https://storiara.com/roles/script-supervisor) and the editor so the new number is expected in slates and logs.

## Confusion with A-pages and setups

An A-scene is a scene number. [A-pages](https://storiara.com/glossary/a-pages) are page numbers. Adding scene 42A may or may not create page 31A, depending on whether the page overflows. The slate is a third place a letter shows up, which is why A-scenes deserve a word at the production meeting on a show that uses lettered setups. See [scene number](https://storiara.com/glossary/scene-number) for how numbering works before any revisions, and [omitted scene](https://storiara.com/glossary/omitted-scene) for the reverse case.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does scene 42A mean?

It is a scene added after scene 42 once the script's scene numbers were locked. It sits between 42 and 43 in story order. It is a separate scene with its own breakdown sheet and strip.

### What is the scene number for a new scene before scene 1?

A1, then B1 for a second one before that. The letter goes in front so the new scene sorts before 1 without renumbering.

### Is scene 42A the same as setup 42A on a slate?

No, and the overlap causes real confusion. Under the letter-setup system, 42A on a slate can mean the second camera setup of scene 42. When a script has A-scenes, the script supervisor and editor agree on a slating scheme before the first shoot day so the two can't be mixed up.