When it comes to laying out your screenplay, sluglines are your bread and butter. Otherwise known as scene headings, they are the most common direction given to the directors and those performing the script.

So, you may now be wondering how to write a slugline in the first place. Don't worry in this blog we will get to that and all the details below.

And remember Arc Studio is here to help you every step of the way with our professional formatting tools included as standard.

Why bother with sluglines?

Be sure to understand what a slug line is and the basics of a slugline before writing your first draft. Correcting them after you've miswritten your first draft can be a pain that can take you several hours to rectify.

Formatting is just as much a part of the craft of being a screenwriter as storytelling.

If you want to be taken seriously by directors and agent then you need to include them and get them right.

How to write a slugline

In screenwriting, a slugline - also known as a scene heading - is written at the top of every scene. They are written in uppercase capital letters. Remember Arc Studio will format this for you correctly and automatically. You have to right-click and press the scene heading option or use command and 1 on your keyboard.

Example 1: INT/EXT

Scene heads give us basic details about the scene we are about to see unfold and help us visualise the scene more effectively. Every change of location, direction and time should be given in a scene heading.

The convention is to begin a slugline with INT or EXT - short for internal or external. Sometimes if the scene takes place partly outside and partly inside, we will see screenwriters using INT/EXT. A general guide is that scenes that take place inside cars generally also use INT/EXT.

It would help if you also mentioned the time of day: evening, afternoon, morning, it's relevant to the scene.

Here is our first example.

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Within the confines of Amanda's personal space, the slugline "INT. LOS ANGELES, CA – AMANDA'S BEDROOM – CONTINUOUS" offers a glimpse into her world. It speaks volumes with minimal words, situating us in a specific location while the term "CONTINUOUS" seamlessly connects this scene to the immediate past, maintaining narrative momentum.

This slugline's simplicity mirrors the authenticity of the moment. The bedroom is a personal sanctuary, and the screenplay respects this by not cluttering the scene heading with unnecessary detail. Yet, it provides the crucial information needed for production: we are inside ('INT.'), we know the city ('LOS ANGELES, CA'), and we understand the scene flows directly from the previous action ('CONTINUOUS').

Within the confines of Amanda's personal space, the slugline "INT. LOS ANGELES, CA – AMANDA'S BEDROOM – CONTINUOUS" offers a glimpse into her world. It speaks volumes with minimal words, situating us in a specific location while the term "CONTINUOUS" seamlessly connects this scene to the immediate past, maintaining narrative momentum.

This slugline's simplicity mirrors the authenticity of the moment. The bedroom is a personal sanctuary, and the screenplay respects this by not cluttering the scene heading with unnecessary detail. Yet, it provides the crucial information needed for production: we are inside ('INT.'), we know the city ('LOS ANGELES, CA'), and we understand the scene flows directly from the previous action ('CONTINUOUS').

In the following description, we see Amanda in her early 20s, an "actress" by day and a waitress by night. The distinction between her day job and night job is not just a fact but a narrative device, hinting at the dual life many aspiring actors lead in the city of dreams. The slugline sets this up without fanfare, but the subsequent action delivers the emotional punch, thanks to the concise foundation laid by the slugline.

Arc Studio's screenplay software excels in assisting writers to craft such efficient sluglines. The software's intuitive design ensures that the formatting is correct, allowing writers to focus on the content, knowing that the technical aspects are in capable hands.

It streamlines the screenwriting process, just as a well-written slugline streamlines the reader's understanding of the script.

Example 2: The Devil Wears Prada

A great slugline example is this one from the script of The Devil Wears Prada:

Try to give a pithy summary of where we are and the context of the scene. A few sentences are all you need, and one sentence alone often does the trick.

In the whirlwind world of fashion depicted in The Devil Wears Prada, the slugline "EXT. 57TH STREET -- DAY" sets the scene on a bustling New York street. The script then vividly paints the picture of the protagonist, Andy, moving against the tide of pedestrians, likening her to a salmon going upstream. This simple, yet powerful, slugline immediately orients the reader to the external setting and time of day, while the subsequent action underscores Andy's struggle in her environment.

Moving to "EXT. ELIAS-CLARKE -- DAY," the script succinctly moves us to the front of the iconic building where the fashion magazine is headquartered. The polished girls streaming into the building, their heels clicking on the concrete, are not just auditory details but indicators of the pace and atmosphere of the setting. It is a brilliant use of a slugline followed by descriptive action to enhance the reader's visualization of the scene.

Lastly, "INT. ELIAS-CLARKE ELEVATOR -- DAY" brings us into a confined space with Andy. The transition from the street to the elevator is seamless, yet the stark contrast in setting highlights Andy's journey from the larger world into the microcosm of fashion hierarchy. Even within the elevator, we understand the scale of her challenges — she's described as a 'shrub in a clacker forest', a single sentence that richly describes both her physical setting and her emotional state.

Example 3: Don't overdo the description

If you're adapting your novel for the screen, you might be tempted to offer us paragraphs of Description. Avoid this. While this works for a novel, for a script, it's unnecessary. Your Description is not going to be read by the audience, and the purpose of the script is to tell the director and the cast where we are situated.  

Any details you give in terms of set decoration or how a character is dressed are likely to change. They will be subject to decisions by the casting director, set designers, and directions and will also largely be dictated by the picture's budget.  

In the film and TV industry, the rule is roughly a page per minute. Adding too much Description in the scene headings, and you'll soon find your script is too long.

There are a few exceptions to this. This descriptive slugline from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as Hagrid brings baby Harry to the Dursley's for the first time works quite well. Although it is a pretty dense paragraph it is focused on moving the action forward and still describes what happens.

Example 4: mid-scene location and time changes

A slugline is generally supposed to be a master heading that appears every time we switch scenes. But with modern editing and storytelling techniques, we often want to change locations mid-way through a scene.

We think of this as a sub-slugline. However, there is no difference between a mid-scene location change and a normal slugline. They are formatted the same way.

One example of when we'd want to use a sub-scene heading to denote location changes could be when a character changes rooms inside a building. If we are situated inside a family home, a parent may walk upstairs from the living room to the bedroom. We may follow them, leaving one room and entering another.

Equally, in a police serial, an officer may step out of the car to chase after a suspect on foot. In which case, we'd need not just an indication of action but a new slugline to indicate the change of scene from the car to the outside.

Example 5: later

We also may want to indicate the passing of time without starting a new scene. A great example is if characters have been studying hard in a library. This is common in the early Harry Potter films: Hermionie and sometimes Harry and Ron are often seen looking in the library, and hours go by.

You can use a scene heading for this. One great way to do this is to use the scene heading LATER. This simply helps us understand that an unspecified amount of time has passed.

If you want to be more specific, you could use:

LATER THAT EVENING, LATER THAT DAY or LATER IN THE DAY.

In action sequences

Using sluglines for action sequences must be handled carefully. If you change scenes a lot, you need to think creatively about how to express this on paper in the most concise way.

It might not always be as straightforward as writing in a new scene heading whenever you location.

This could interrupt the flow of the script. Instead, you might want to use your slugline to situate us more generally.

For example:

EXT - DAY - THE BUSY STREETS OF LONDON

You can then use the action shortcut to describe the nature of your character's movements in more detail.

If you are unsure, do your research

Do some research if you are unsure how a certain scene should be formatted or include a slugline.

If you are in midflow on the first draft, then it might be best to carry on with the story and leave yourself a note to address this later. Or you could keep a specific book with formatting corrections that you can tick off.

If you are connected in the film industry - a writer or director - you could ask them when they have time. Contrary to popular belief, the film industry is thriving, so people working in the industry are likely to be busier than ever. You may need these useful contacts later on in the process, so don't bug them with every minor formatting problem you face.

Another great way to check that you have formatted your script correctly - particularly if you have a particular question - is to read scripts. Many of these are available online for free on sites such as Internet Movie Script Database.

You can see how other writers have formatted similar scenes.

How to write a slugline  

Using sluglines in your screenplay correctly is imperative. If you fail to do this, you can look like an amateur to directors and executives when you're pitching to companies like Netflix.

This is a bad look and can affect how your script is read. It might even lead to your script being dismissed without being read.

This might seem unfair, but the TV and film world is competitive. Standards are high. Thankfully scriptwriting software like Arc Studio Pro makes it easy for you as it formats your script automatically and as you go along.

However, like any computer program, you can't rely on it, sometimes it might have interpreted your actions as a slugline or your dialogue for a slugline. Formatting your screenplay still requires your input, though you can consult thousands of scripts with slugline examples that are now available online for free.

You must ensure that you check that your sluglines are formatted correctly before you submit your screenplay.