Screenplay formatting is one of those things screenwriters need to learn and understand early on in their screenwriting careers. While the story, characters, and concepts are what ultimately matter most, proper screenwriting format is essential when you're trying to translate your cinematic images to whoever is reading your script.
It's also essential to follow the industry format guidelines and expectations when you're trying to sell a script or use it as a writing sample to get hired for writing assignments.
With that in mind, let's discuss one of the most common formatting mistakes screenwriters make involving the use of the scene heading formatting terms CONTINUOUS and MOMENTS LATER (or LATER). These mistakes may seem minor, but they serve important purposes in communicating how scenes connect, how time passes, and how the eventual production will approach those scenes.
We'll explore when and how to use CONTINUOUS and MOMENTS LATER, as well as some other connected terms and common mistakes.
What Are Scene Headings in Screenplays?
Let's start with where in the screenplay those formatting terms are most used - Scene Headings. Scene Headings are used to establish where and when a scene takes place. You'll generally find three sections within a Scene Heading that tell us:
- Whether the scene takes place indoors (INTERIOR) or outdoors (EXTERIOR). To save room, interior is abbreviated to INT. and exterior to EXT.
- What LOCATION the scene takes place at.
- Whether the scene takes place in daylight (DAY) or night (NIGHT), both of which make a huge impact on the production of the screenplay for scheduling, lighting, location hunting, and budget.
Scene Headings looks like this:
INT. LOCATION - DAY
-or-
EXT. LOCATION - DAY
-or-
INT. LOCATION - NIGHT
-or-
EXT. LOCATION - NIGHT
More specific examples:
INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY
This tells us that the scene takes place inside a coffee shop during the day.
EXT. PARKING LOT - NIGHT
This tells us that the scene takes place in an outside parking lot at night. It's simple, straightforward, and communicates everything the reader and production team needs to envision and bring to life.
Variations to Scene Headings
There are also variations where you can add a location within a location.
Locations Within Locations
Let's say you want to establish that you're in a house, but more specifically, you're in a bedroom within that house at night.
You would format that like this:
INT. HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT
You always want to convey the main location first, especially if you call back to that main location often, but also within different rooms of that main location.
Why You Should Stick to DAY and NIGHT in Scene Headings
One of the best formatting habits screenwriters can develop is using DAY and NIGHT whenever possible. You'll often see screenwriters use more specific variations like DUSK, DAWN, MORNING, and AFTERNOON.
While these aren't forbidden, they can sometimes create unnecessary complications when a screenplay moves into production. During preproduction, assistant directors and production personnel break down a script to determine everything needed to shoot the movie.
Scene headings play a major role in that process. DAY and NIGHT are important because they determine how scenes will be scheduled, lit, and shot.
If you're writing a screenplay with a dozen scene headings using MORNING, AFTERNOON, DUSK, or DAWN (or other variations), you're introducing additional information that may need to be interpreted during production breakdowns.
That doesn't mean a scene can't take place at dusk or dawn. It just means that it's best to communicate those specifics within the scene description.
Instead of writing:
EXT. BEACH - DAWN
You should write:
EXT. BEACH - DAY
The sun begins to rise over the ocean horizon.
Since terms like DAWN, AFTERNOON, and MORNING all involve daylight, DAY should be used in the Scene Heading while those more specific details can be communicated in the scene description or inferred by the order of scenes.
Using the Scene Heading Term SAME
SAME is a Scene Heading designation that communicates a scene is happening at the same time as the next scene. SAME can essentially connect scenes that are unfolding simultaneously.
Here's an example:
INT. BANK - DAY
A masked BANK ROBBER points their gun at the terrified BANK TELLER.
EXT. BANK - SAME
Two POLICE OFFICERS sit inside their patrol car, unaware of the robbery taking place inside the bank.
The script is communicating that the events happening inside the bank and outside the bank are happening at the same time. That distinction becomes especially important when characters in scenes of suspense, thrills, and action are doing different things at the same time.
How to Use CONTINUOUS Properly in Scene Headings
CONTINUOUS is one of the most commonly misunderstood elements of screenplay formatting. Many screenwriters believe that CONTINUOUS should be used whenever two or more scenes at different locations are happening at the same time. As we discussed above, the proper formatting term would be SAME.
CONTINUOUS is used when a character or characters move directly from one location to another without any passage of time. Think of a character walking through a doorway, moving from one room to another, or stepping outside of a building from the inside.
The action is continuous because we're following a character from one location to the next.
INT. HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Sarah hears a loud crash coming from the kitchen. She rushes toward the sound.
INT. HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS
Sarah enters the kitchen and discovers broken glass scattered across the floor.
In that example, we're following Sarah from the living room directly into the kitchen. There's no passage of time between those two scene locations.
We also need a new scene heading for the second location she rushes into, which is where we use CONTINUOUS in the next scene heading.
We should note that using SAME would be a correct option as well, but it's always good to let the production know that a shot or edit cut is going to be needed to convey a character moving from one location to another without any passage of time. CONTINUOUS communicates a more specific type of shot or edit cut than SAME would dictate.
In short, CONTINUOUS follows uninterrupted action from one location to another. SAME connects simultaneous action in separate locations.
When NOT to Use CONTINUOUS
Here's where many screenwriters make mistakes.
They'll use CONTINUOUS to connect scenes that are taking place at the same time, even though those scenes feature different characters at different locations.
Let's go back to the bank example, but this time we'll use CONTINUOUS (incorrectly) in place of SAME.
INT. BANK - DAY
A masked BANK ROBBER points their gun at the terrified BANK TELLER.
EXT. BANK - CONTINUOUS
Two POLICE OFFICERS sit inside their patrol car, unaware of the robbery taking place inside the bank.
Yes, technically, those scenes are happening simultaneously. But we're not following a character from one location directly into another.
So, the original version is correct.
INT. BANK - DAY
A masked BANK ROBBER points their gun at the terrified BANK TELLER.
EXT. BANK - SAME
Two POLICE OFFICERS sit inside their patrol car, unaware of the robbery taking place inside the bank.
The CONTINUOUS version is wrong.
How to Use MOMENTS LATER in Scene Headings
MOMENTS LATER communicates that a small amount of time has passed in the same exact location or in another location.
It could be a few seconds or minutes. It doesn't matter. The key is that the story has moved forward slightly in time.
INT. HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY
Sarah pours herself a cup of coffee as she checks her phone.
INT. HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Sarah sits on the couch, sipping her coffee, as she still scrolls.
We're not following Sarah in one uninterrupted movement, like we would use with CONTINUOUS. Instead, a brief amount of time has passed.
There's another way to use MOMENTS LATER as well.
INT. HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY
Sarah pours herself a cup of coffee as she checks her phone.
INT. HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER
Sarah sits at the table, sipping her coffee, as she still scrolls.
This would represent more of a minutes later than seconds later version of MOMENTS LATER.
MOMENTS LATER communicates that small passage of time without requiring the screenwriter to describe every single second or the director to have to use up screen time to show every single movement the character makes. It's very useful when you want to maintain the general flow of a sequence without showing every moment or activity.
However, always remember that MOMENTS LATER should only be used when the small passage of time matters to the reader's understanding of the sequence. If the transition is already obvious, you may not need to use MOMENTS LATER at all, with DAY or NIGHT as the preference in place of it.
Using LATER instead of MOMENTS LATER
There's a very subtle but important variance between MOMENTS LATER and LATER.
MOMENTS LATER suggests that only a brief amount of time has passed. LATER is more ambiguous because it could mean several minutes, an hour, or even longer, depending on the context.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
Sarah sits beside her unconscious husband's bed.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - LATER
Sarah is asleep in the chair.
This communicates that some time has passed within the same location. When produced, the first movie scene would dissolve to or cut to the second scene set later on in time within the same location. They're connected.
A variation could be going from the first scene to Sarah being gone from the location.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
Sarah is asleep in the chair.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - LATER
Sarah is gone.
Don't Overthink CONTINUOUS, SAME, or MOMENTS LATER
You'll read produced screenplays that use these terms incorrectly. And no producer is going to reject your script because you incorrectly used them. But understanding the distinctions can and will make you a more efficient and professional screenwriter. You won't have a script reader stop reading your script, even for a second, noticing that a mistake has been made. They won't have to stop the flow of the read to regroup and figure out what you really meant.
Scene Headings are there to help the reader understand where the story is taking place, when it's happening, and how the action flows from one scene to the next. The less attention readers have to give to figuring out your format, the more attention they can give to your story. And that's exactly what they want and need.