How to Write a Scene Heading

The scene heading is the first line of every scene and the most-read line in any screenplay. It tells the reader, the director and the whole crew where they are and when. This guide shows you how to write one correctly, every variation you'll need, and the mistakes readers spot in seconds.

Updated September 2026 · 7 min read

1. What a scene heading is

A scene heading, also called a slugline, opens every scene. It's written in capital letters at the left margin and answers three questions in a fixed order:

INT.Inside or outside?

COFFEE SHOPWhere?

NIGHTWhen?

TogetherINT. COFFEE SHOP - NIGHT

Production teams build schedules and budgets from these lines, which is why the format is so strict. Every scene set in the coffee shop at night can be shot on the same day, and the scene headings are how a first assistant director finds them.

2. INT., EXT. and INT./EXT.

Prefix	Use it when
INT.	The scene takes place inside: a room, a car, a spaceship.
EXT.	The scene takes place outside: a street, a field, a rooftop.
INT./EXT.	The scene moves between inside and outside, or we see both at once. A conversation in a moving car with the road visible is the classic case. I/E. is a shorter form of the same thing.

Always include the period after INT and EXT. It's small, but readers notice it.

3. The location

Name the place as simply and as consistently as you can. If a location is called MARIA'S APARTMENT on page 3, it must still be MARIA'S APARTMENT on page 80. Production uses the exact text to group scenes. MARIA'S FLAT would look like a second set.

When a scene happens in one part of a larger place, go from general to specific, separated by a dash:

General to specificINT. MARIA'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - NIGHT EXT. CENTRAL STATION - PLATFORM 4 - DAY

4. Time of day

The last part says when the scene happens. Most of the time you only need two words: DAY and NIGHT. They tell the crew whether to light for sunlight or darkness, which is all production really needs.

Time	Meaning
DAY / NIGHT	The standard choices. Use them unless the story needs more.
MORNING, EVENING, DAWN, DUSK	Only when the specific light matters to the scene. A sunrise escape, for example.
CONTINUOUS	The action flows straight from the previous scene with no time jump, like a character running from the hallway into the kitchen.
LATER / MOMENTS LATER	We stay in the same place, but time has passed.

Avoid clock times like 3:47 PM in the heading. If the exact time matters, show it in the action: a clock on the wall, a phone screen.

Reflex

In Kashna Script you don't format scene headings. You just type. Write int coffee shop night in lowercase and it becomes INT. COFFEE SHOP - NIGHT as you go, capitals, period and dash included. Join the early access list.

5. Sub-locations and short headings

When characters move between rooms of the same place without a jump in time, you don't need a full heading each time. Many writers use a short heading, just the new area in capitals:

INT. MARIA'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Maria hears a noise. She walks into the hall. HALLWAY The front door is open.

Use short headings to keep a fast sequence readable. If time jumps or the story moves to a new place, go back to a full scene heading.

6. Special headings

Some scenes need a label that tells the reader what kind of scene it is. These are the most common:

Heading	How it's used
FLASHBACK	Added to the heading, e.g. INT. SCHOOL GYM - DAY (FLASHBACK). End the sequence with END FLASHBACK or simply return to a present-day heading.
DREAM SEQUENCE	Works the same way as a flashback.
MONTAGE	A series of short moments showing time passing. Open with MONTAGE or BEGIN MONTAGE, list the moments, close with END MONTAGE.
INTERCUT	Two locations shown back and forth, typically a phone call. Establish both places once, then write INTERCUT - MARIA / DETECTIVE and continue the dialogue without new headings.
ESTABLISHING	A short exterior shot that sets the location, e.g. EXT. HOSPITAL - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING.

7. When to write a new scene heading

Write a new scene heading every time the location changes or time jumps. That's the rule. If you cut from the kitchen at night to the same kitchen the next morning, that's a new scene, even though the room is the same.

A useful check: if the crew would have to move the camera to a different set, or change the lighting, you need a new heading.

8. Common mistakes

Describing in the heading. INT. A DARK, DUSTY OLD ATTIC puts action inside the heading. Write INT. ATTIC - NIGHT and describe the dust in the action line.
Missing the time of day. Every full heading needs one.
Inconsistent names for the same place across the script.
Scene numbers in a spec script. They belong in the shooting script, added once production begins.
Bold or underlined headings in a script you're submitting. Some writers use bold, but plain capitals are the safe standard.

9. Frequently asked questions

What is a slugline in a screenplay?

Slugline is another name for the scene heading: the capitalized line that opens each scene, such as INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT.

Do scene headings need a time of day?

Yes. Every full scene heading ends with a time of day, usually DAY or NIGHT. Short headings for rooms inside the same continuous scene can leave it out.

Should scene headings be bold?

Plain capitals are the standard. Bold headings are a personal choice some writers make; they aren't wrong, but they aren't expected.

What does CONTINUOUS mean in a scene heading?

CONTINUOUS means the scene follows the previous one with no time jump, as when a character walks straight from one room into another.

Fade out.

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