Script Cover Page and Scene Headings

A script uses standard layout conventions so everyone can find information quickly: performers can locate their parts, while the production crew can check the details they need for each scene. Following the same pattern every time makes a script easier to read and reduces confusion during production.

The cover page

The cover page sits at the front and identifies the script. It includes the title, the scriptwriter or author, the date and a draft number. The draft number matters because scripts change; it shows which version someone is holding. A cover page may also include contact information, such as an email address, so questions can be sent to the right person.

Scene headings

A script is divided into scenes. Each scene begins with a heading written on the left in capital letters. The heading starts with INT for an interior location, meaning inside, or EXT for an exterior location, meaning outside, followed by the location.

A scene heading, also called a slugline, shows where and when the scene takes place. It often gives the INT or EXT label, the location and the time of day, all in capital letters. For example:

EXT. SKATE PARK - EVENING

This tells the reader the scene is outside, at a skate park, in the evening. The time of day is included because a scene can happen in the morning, afternoon or night, so the heading records when it happens without the reader searching the rest of the script. Writing the heading in capitals and aligning it to the left makes each new scene stand out, so a particular scene can be found quickly.