large scale exteriors

Large settings can have 'sub scenes' if you will. You can establish

EXT. FORREST - DAY

The group moves through the forest. Action takes place

EXT. FOREST - CAMPFIRE - NIGHT

More action takes place, but Ranger Bob has left the campfire, and moved off to

EX. FOREST - HORSE PICKET LINE

Where he meets up with the Indian that has been follwoing them. Perhaps then you have scenes that intercut


PICKET LINE

Action taking place

CAMPFIRE

More action



The point is - there's usually SOME sort of "Location" you can anchor to. I suppose that in a featureless desert - that stretches for infinity - Yeah, maybe ONE Slug line would work. But usually your group is going to break apart into 'locations' for scenes. Or you're going to break for TIME CHANGES - Afternoon, Night etc.

Same thing with interiors. Consider a High school dance that takes place in the gymnasium or a ball room.

INT: JACKSON HIGH GYM - NITE

The gym is decorated for the dance. Balloons and streamers hang from the ceiling. There is a four piece BAND up on the stage at one end, and a punch bowl and buffet table at the other.

PUNCH BOWL - John and Mary argue about the night.

BAND STAND - Susan tries to get Marty's eye.


That sort of thing.

Paradis said:

thanks for the reply. I think i'm driving at something in between your forest and desert examples.

Don't think I'd go as far as an infinite desert, but i'm trying to write a story that has a fairly large portion take place the outdoors where they're lost. There's not going to be campfires, tents, houses, etc. Maybe a "clearing" or "near a river" is about location specific as i want to get. I don't want there to be any sense of bearing or familiarity or anything. Just dominating nature.

Click to expand...

In situations like this, a "location" can also be defined as much by characters as by particularities of landscape.

Of course, that's not going to work if you're dealing with a group that stays together throughout the whole piece, but presuming that you have scenes with separate groups of characters, one can often divide scenes up in this way.

EXT. THE FOREST - WITH JOHN AND SAM - DAY

NMS

On another website, someone recommended I should use slugs within slugs in these cases. For instance:

INT. DESERT - AFTERNOON

The riders trot.

INT. DESERT - AFTERNOON

WELL

The riders arrive at a well.

I like this simplicity myself.

Eumenides said:

On another website, someone recommended I should use slugs within slugs in these cases. For instance:

INT. DESERT - AFTERNOON

The riders trot.

INT. DESERT - AFTERNOON

WELL

The riders arrive at a well.

I like this simplicity myself.

Click to expand...

Except - I'm thinking there's not much INTERIOR to the desert.

Oh, yeah, sorry, that was habit; most of my last script took place in INT