What Does Slug Line Mean?

Used in screenplays, slug lines (also known as master scene headings) begin new scenes with three important pieces of information specific to each scene: interior or exterior, location (can be general or specific), and time of day. Slug lines are formatted as an uppercase line of text with a single blank line above and below it.

The following abbreviations are used to indicate whether the scene is set indoors or outdoors:

• INT. – Interior
• EXT. – Exterior
• INT./EXT. – Scenes inside vehicles

When it comes to indicating the time of day, there are four different blocks:

• DAWN
• DAY
• DUSK
• NIGHT

Check out the following video for even more great tips on how to construct your slug lines:

“Screenplay Format Pt 1 – Sluglines” by The Script Lab

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