CONT'Ds & SAMEs

[ysl21]

Do I have to put (CONT'D) if the character is continuing his/her conversations? E.g:

RECEPTIONIST
Mr. Rieper!

He stopped in his tracks and turned to look.

RECEPTIONIST (CONT’D)
You forgot to check in.

She reads off a list on a clipboard which had the day’s schedule and shifts.

RECEPTIONIST (CONT’D)
You’re early today, Mr. Rieper. Mr. Farrid doesn’t finish until seven. Looks like you’re working Section 3 today. I believe…

She looks back, flipping through the history of his shifts.

RECEPTIONIST (CONT’D)
…this is your first morning shift. Do you know remember where Section 3 is?

And do I have to put SAMEs next to heading titles everytime I go back to the same heading, in one scene?

[ysl21]

sorry if the format's a little stuffed..

[dpaterso]

I've sure I've seen some gurus suggest that (CONT'D) has gone out of favor, certainly in spec scripts, much like CONTINUED and MORE page labels. Though I haven't changed my software setting yet, and probably won't. What's the harm?

I'm not familiar with SAME -- haven't seen it before, and it's not listed in FD's glossary of screenwriting terms.

-Derek

[icerose]

I've never seen same and I never use cont'd unless the dialog splits across the two pages. My final draft does that one for me.

[ricetalks]

You use CONT'D if the dialogue splits across the page and (continuing) if the dialogue is interupted by an action.

So it would be:

RECEPTIONIST
Mr. Rieper!

He stopped in his tracks and turned to look.


RECEPTIONIST
You forgot to check in.

She reads off a list on a clipboard which had the day’s schedule and shifts.


RECEPTIONIST
You’re early today, Mr. Rieper. Mr. Farrid doesn’t finish until seven. Looks like you’re working Section 3 today. I believe…

She looks back, flipping through the history of his shifts.

RECEPTIONIST
(continuing)
…this is your first morning shift. Do you know remember where Section 3 is?