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Monday, January 17, 2022

Screenplay Format #9 - Scene Tag List

SCENE TAG LIST
 
I have set up the Scene Tag List, in this way -
 
 
 
Top of Page ____________________________________________________________________________



                                                                                                                                             Khaki Town – White Draft – 18 Nov 2019

                                      1.  SCENE TAGS

     
                                                                                                                                                                          Book                Screen
                                                                                                                                                                          Page                Play
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Page
 
                             1       .1  [INT. THE OFFICE OF THE US PRESIDENT, LBJ, THE OVAL OFFICE              1                      1         

    – AFTERNOON] – 1964

 

    .1.1  [FLASHBACK – A COUPLE OF YEARS EARLIER] – 1961 – 63                        2                      2

 

    .1.1  [FLASHBACK – END] – BACK TO 1964                                                              2                      2

           

    .1.2  [FLASHBACK – A COUPLE OF YEARS EARLIER] – 1961 – 63                         4                      4

 

    .1.2  [FLASHBACK – END] – BACK TO 1964                                                               4                      4

 

    .1.3  [FLASHBACK - 22 YEARS EARLIER] – MAY/JUN 1942                                       6                      6

     [INT. THE OVAL OFFICE – DAY or NIGHT]

 

    .1.3      .1  [REVERSE CUTAWAY – TO THE PRESENT] – 1964                                  6                      6

                 [INT. THE OVAL OFFICE – AFTERNOON]

 

    .1.3      .1  [REVERSE CUTAWAY – END] – BACK TO MAY/JUN 1942                        6                      6

 

    .1.3  [FLASHBACK – END] – BACK TO 1964                                                                8                      8

 

    etc.

 

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

  ___
 


SCENE TAG
 
So, the general form here, is–
 
Sc        .Section Number  [SCENE TAG]
 
 
 
Within the Scene Tag, the main line, which gives the instructions, takes this form –
 
            [INT. &/or EXT. LOCATION OF SCENE – TIME OF DAY]
 
           
 
I have also used another line, before this one,
to indicate other contextual information, in this way –
 
            [TYPE OF SCENE – RELATIONSHIP IN TIME TO THE PREVIOUS SCENE] 
            – DAY No MONTH YEAR of this scene

 
 
When not needing to include    TYPE OF SCENE,
I have blended the two lines, such –
 
            [INT. &/or EXT. LOCATION OF SCENE – TIME OF DAY, RELATIONSHIP IN TIME 
            TO THE PREVIOUS SCENE] – DAY No MONTH YEAR
 
 
 
And, another line at the end of each of these types of scenes -
            FLASHBACK
            CUTAWAY
            REVERSE CUTAWAY
 
Such –
 
                        .Section  [TYPE OF SCENE – END] – BACK TO TIME, DAY No MONTH YEAR
                                                          - STILL TIME, DAY No MONTH YEAR
                                                          - TO TIME, DAY No MONTH YEAR


Note - The Full Stops

 
 
SCENE TAG DETAILS

These details describe what type of location it is –
 
INT.      -           INTERIOR                  Interior locations, such as inside a room, inside a car
EXT.     -           EXTERIOR                 Exterior locations, such as in a field, on a road, etc.
 
LOCATION OF SCENE                      The particular location of the scene,
                                                            eg.,     THE OVAL OFFICE
                                                                        VAL’S CAR
                                                                        COMPANY C OFFICERS’ TENT, KELSO FIELD CAMP
                                                                        WITHIN &/or WITHOUT KELSO FIELD CAMP
 
TIME OF DAY                                     eg.       DAY &/or NIGHT
                                                                        6.10 AM, BREAKFAST BREAK
                                                                        7.15 AM, MORNING, A SHORT TIME LATER
                                                                        AFTERNOON
                                                                        SUNSET/DUSK
                                                                        EARLY EVENING
 
TYPE OF SCENE                               eg.       FLASHBACK
                                                                        CUT TO
                                                                        CUTAWAY
                                                                        REVERSE CUTAWAY
                                                                        FLASHBACK & JUMPCUT
 
RELATIONSHIP                                  eg.       A COUPLE OF YEARS EARLIER
                                                                        3 DAYS LATER
                                                                        15 MINUTES LATER
                                                                        AT THE SAME TIME
 
DATE                                                   eg.       MID JAN 1940
                                                                        MAY/JUN
                                                                        MON 9 JUN 1942
 
                                                                        using either - BEG / EARLY / MID / LATE / END
 
Note -  Use only whichever details are applicable.
 
 
 
 
SCENE TAG CHRONOLOGY
 
I have used this form –                                            

Sc        .Section.Sub-Section    .Sub-Sub-Section

   
eg.

1          .1
                
            .1.1    

                                      .1.1       End 
                       
                                      .1.2

 

                                      .1.2       End 

 

                                      .1.3 
                       
                                      .1.3       .1 
                                   
                                      .1.3       .1         End 

 

                                      .1.3       End
 
 
 
(Note - The Full Stops)

This will be a bit clearer in the SCENE LIST blog entry.
 
 
 
BOOK AND SCREENPLAY PAGES
 
I also included the book and screenplay page numbers for the beginning of each scene,
for handy reference.

These numbers, I have aligned across the page with the Scene etc. Number, for easy visual tracking.




(c) Katherine Stuart 2022
Dochas Books Film 
 

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