Reader Question: What does a secondary slugline/shot look like?
Question from @SharkRaygun:
Could you give an example of what a secondary slugline/shot should look like in a screenplay?
As long as we’re here, let’s review both Primary Sluglines, Secondary Sluglines, and something I call Pseudo-Sluglines.
First, there is the Primary or Master Slugline (aka Scene Heading) which generally denotes the beginning of a scene and include three parts: INT or EXT, LOCATION, DAY or NIGHT.
There are variations as primary slugs may also include the city, country, and year, if applicable like:
EXT. EIFFEL TOWER — NIGHT (PARIS, 1958)
A Secondary Slugline (aka Shot) is generally used for two reasons:
* To shift the location within the context of the scene location as indicated by the Primary Slugline.
* To ‘direct’ the focus of attention, again with the context of the primary scene location.
Per the first use, here is an example from Wikipedia:
INT. BALLROOM - NIGHTCouples dance to the band. An atmosphere of carefree joy. A lot of punch has been drunk already.AT THE BARJenny sips on mixed drink.ON STAGEMikey keeps playing his guitar, but his attention's not on the band. He's staring at Jenny.
Per the second use, here is an excerpt from the script Wreck-It Ralph. I chose it because the movie came out in 2012, therefore it reflects current style and format sensibilities. Note: I have cut the scene to spotlight the use of secondary slugs:
EXT. NICELAND - DAYWRECK-IT RALPH is asleep inside his stump. A voice-over kicks
in, sounding more like a confessional than a traditional V.O.---We pull back from the game console. We’re in...LITWAK’S FAMILY FUN CENTERThe place is bustling.----TIME LAPSE -- The arcade expands over the years. Games get
wheeled out. New games get wheeled in. Owner LARRY LITWAK
takes real good care of the place through the years.----INSET THE GAME: The dancer relaxes.----INSET STREET FIGHTER GAME CONSOLE: Two fighters, RYU and KEN
stop beating each other.----BACK ON THE FIX-IT FELIX CONSOLE: Felix and the Nicelanders
are on the roof.FELIX
Quittin’ time!
The last four are examples of what I call Pseudo-Sluglines which I posted about previously here:
Technically when you use a Secondary Slugline (or Shot), you need to provide a line-space, then go to scene description. For example:
OUTSIDE THE DOOR
Eve uses her body as a barricade.
In the past, I have gotten away with this:
OUTSIDE THE DOOR — Eve uses her body as a barricade.
Note how that potentially saves 2 lines. I call it a pseudo-slug and it can not only save you lines, it also reads really well in action scenes.
Here’s an example from a script I co-wrote “Stalemate,” optioned several times, but as of yet unproduced:
SNIPER P.O.V. — THROUGH RIFLE CROSSHAIRS
Focuses in on Marty… dead center.
QUINN dives at Mary, knocking him down. The Sniper SHOOTS.
A bullet bites dust… where Marty was standing.
QUINN whips out his Walther. Unloads the magazine at the
Sniper, who swan dives into the dust…
The BOXCAR DOOR rolls open… a GUNMAN leaps down, blazing
away with an Ingram machine gun… a trail of slugs at…
QUINN AND MARTY who roll apart, bullets RIPPING the ground…
TRUMBULL AND DONOVAN shove Sharon into the limo… the Driver
GUNS the engine…
MARTY darts behind his Porsche… machine gun fire pierces
the car.
THE LIMO spins away…
And so on. The beginning of each sentence, when capitalized, gives the same effect as a Secondary Slugline, but because the scene description begins on the same line as the pseudo-slug, the version of what we wrote above saves about 14 lines of space.
Nowadays the concept of using lines or short paragraphs to ‘direct’ the action, suggesting individual camera shots, is pretty standard, so you don’t even need to cap the object of attention, the line itself can indicate the point of focus, but that’s basically a stylistic choice for the writer.
Again a reminder: Screenplay format and style is not etched in stone, it is always evolving. Some writers bold primary slugs. Some underline them. Some do both. Some use secondary slugs. Others do not. Contrary to what floats around as a supposed screenwriting ‘rule’ about sluglines, you are free to approach them however you’d like as long as you are servicing the story, being clear to the reader, and making the look of your page as easy on the eye as possible.
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