Slug Line

Format

Definition: A slug line is any capitalized, standalone line that provides location or technical orientation. While often used interchangeably with "scene heading," slug lines also include secondary slugs (also called mini-slugs) — shorter headings within a scene that redirect attention to a new area without triggering a full scene change.

Understanding Slug Line

The term "slug line" predates modern screenwriting — it comes from newspaper jargon for the short identifier on a story. In scripts, a full slug line is a scene heading (INT. HOSPITAL - NIGHT). A secondary slug (or mini-slug) is a truncated heading used mid-scene to jump between nearby locations without resetting the time of day. If two characters are in different rooms of the same house, you might write a full heading for the first room and then a mini-slug for the second: KITCHEN — no INT., no time of day. Mini-slugs keep the pacing tight during sequences that bounce between adjacent spaces. They signal the same general time and location.

Example in a Screenplay

INT. POLICE STATION - BULLPEN - NIGHT

Detectives work the phones. Chaos.

INTERROGATION ROOM

Silence. DETECTIVE WARD sits across from the SUSPECT.

OBSERVATION ROOM

Captain BRIGGS watches through the one-way glass,
arms crossed.

Common Mistakes

Confusing slug lines with scene headings and treating them as identical in all contexts. Using mini-slugs when you should write a full scene heading — if the time of day changes or the location is far away, use a full heading. Writing mini-slugs in lowercase. Over-relying on mini-slugs to avoid numbering scenes properly in a shooting script.