Scene heading: Meaning in Film Production

Scene heading

Definition

A scene heading is the capitalized line at the start of every scene in a screenplay that states whether the scene is interior or exterior, where it takes place, and when, for example EXT. PARKING GARAGE - NIGHT. Breakdown and scheduling start from these three pieces of information.

Taking a heading apart

Every heading maps directly onto the header of a breakdown sheet:

INT. ROSIE'S DINER - KITCHEN - NIGHT

Heading piece	Breakdown field	Entry
INT.	INT/EXT	INT
ROSIE'S DINER - KITCHEN	Set	ROSIE'S DINER, KITCHEN
NIGHT	D/N	N

The location part often has a general and a specific piece separated by a hyphen. "ROSIE'S DINER - KITCHEN" and "ROSIE'S DINER - COUNTER" are two sets but probably one physical location, and the 1st AD will want both on the same shoot day. Writing them consistently is what lets anyone, human or software, group them.

Set names have to match across the script

A stripboard sorts on the text of the heading. If the writer uses "MAYA'S APARTMENT" in act one, "MAYA'S APT." in act two, and "APARTMENT - MAYA" in act three, the board shows three sets. Before breaking down a script, run through the scene list and normalize set names on the breakdown side (you don't have to touch the script itself). A quick table saves you from scheduling a location twice:

As written	Normalized set
INT. MAYA'S APARTMENT - DAY	MAYA'S APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM
INT. MAYA'S APT. - BEDROOM - NIGHT	MAYA'S APARTMENT, BEDROOM
INT. APARTMENT - MAYA - NIGHT	MAYA'S APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM

Times that aren't times

The last part of a heading is supposed to be the time of day, but scripts are full of CONTINUOUS, LATER, MOMENTS LATER, SAME, and MAGIC HOUR. Only the last one tells you anything about light. For breakdown purposes each scene has to land on day or night, and a few productions add DAWN or DUSK as separate values because they need a short, specific shooting window. Read the scenes before and after to work it out, and write your reasoning in the notes if it's not obvious.

Heading versus INT./EXT.

A heading like "INT./EXT. MAYA'S VOLVO - MOVING - NIGHT" tells you the scene plays both inside and outside the car. See INT./EXT. for how that affects a schedule. For secondary headings inside a scene, see slugline.

When you upload a PDF or Final Draft file to Storiara, the Scenes module reads each heading into INT/EXT, time of day, and page length in eighths, and those scenes are ready to schedule. Details on script analysis.

Frequently asked questions

What are the three parts of a scene heading?

Interior or exterior (INT., EXT., or INT./EXT.), the location (such as ROSIE'S DINER - KITCHEN), and the time of day (usually DAY or NIGHT). They are separated by periods and a hyphen and written in capitals.

Is a scene heading the same as a slugline?

Mostly, yes. Slugline is the older, informal name. Some people use slugline to include secondary headings inside a scene, like LATER or BACK TO SCENE, while scene heading usually means the master heading that starts a new numbered scene.

Should I write CONTINUOUS or LATER in a scene heading?

Writers use them, but they are not times of day. A breakdown still has to resolve every CONTINUOUS or LATER scene to day or night, so if you are the writer, it helps to make the time clear somewhere nearby.