# How to format continuous action, SAME, LATER, and time jumps > Use CONTINUOUS for unbroken movement into a new location, SAME for simultaneous time, and a plain action beat or new time label for an actual jump forward. Sources reviewed: 2026-08-10 Article updated: 2026-09-23 ## Direct answer Use CONTINUOUS when the action moves directly from one location to another without a break, such as following someone through a door. Use SAME when a new scene happens at the same time as the previous scene but is not necessarily one continuous move. For a real time jump, state the elapsed time in action or use a clear scene-heading time such as LATER when the reader can understand its reference; do not use CONTINUOUS merely because two scenes are adjacent. ## On the page One continuous move, then a real jump ``` INT. ARCHIVE - NIGHT Mara shoulders through the fire door. EXT. ARCHIVE ROOF - CONTINUOUS Rain catches her before the door slams shut. THREE HOURS LATER The rain has stopped. Mara has not moved. ``` ## Current practice ### Name the temporal relationship the audience experiences _Common choice_ CONTINUOUS describes uninterrupted action across a location boundary; SAME describes simultaneity; LATER or an action line marks elapsed time. Choosing the accurate relationship is more useful than varying labels for style. ## Accepted variations ### Elapsed time in action _Common choice_ A separate action line such as THREE HOURS LATER is direct, visible, and avoids turning a relative phrase into production location metadata. ### LATER in the scene heading _Context dependent_ INT. ARCHIVE — LATER can work when the location is re-established and the prior temporal reference is close enough to be unmistakable. ### A new DAY or NIGHT _Context dependent_ Use a fresh concrete time of day when the jump changes the production period or when LATER would make the schedule and the image less clear. ## Where reasonable writers disagree Some writers reserve CONTINUOUS for a literal continuous shot; others use it more broadly for uninterrupted story action across adjacent spaces. Both readings exist. If the distinction affects staging, describe the movement itself so the scene remains clear without relying on the suffix alone. ## Mistakes to avoid - Using CONTINUOUS as a synonym for the next scene on the page. - Using SAME when the story advances in time; SAME communicates simultaneity, not closeness. - Writing LATER after a long intervening sequence that leaves the reference point unclear. - Putting dates, durations, and explanatory prose into every scene heading instead of using action when appropriate. ## Submission versus production ### Submission or reading draft Choose the shortest label that lets a reader picture when the scene occurs. A reading draft benefits more from clear temporal movement than from exhaustively specifying schedule categories. ### Production draft Time-of-day labels affect breakdowns and scheduling, so a production may normalize LATER, SAME, dawn, or continuous sequences. Coordinate those changes instead of silently revising locked scene identities. ## Working in Plot In Plot, each location change is a Scene Heading, and the time you give it — CONTINUOUS, SAME, LATER — shows beside the location in the scene list. Put an elapsed-time card such as THREE HOURS LATER in Action, where it reads as story rather than as a scene's time of day. ## Questions writers ask ### What is the difference between CONTINUOUS and SAME? CONTINUOUS means the action moves unbroken into the new location, like following someone through a door. SAME means the new scene happens at the same time as the previous one, without a continuous move connecting them. ### What does MOMENTS LATER mean in a scene heading? A short jump forward, usually back in a location the reader has just seen. Use it when it is obvious what it is later than; for a longer or less obvious gap, say how much time has passed in an action line. ### Can I use CONTINUOUS for scenes that simply follow each other? No. Adjacent scenes are not continuous by default. Keep CONTINUOUS for uninterrupted action across a location change; otherwise use an ordinary time of day or LATER. ## Sources and context - [Final Draft — SAME and CONTINUOUS in scene headings](https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/do-screenplay-scene-headings-need-to-be-in-all-caps) - [Final Draft — Phone-call guide and continuous movement](https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/how-to-format-a-phone-call-in-a-screenplay) - [Final Draft's current SAME and CONTINUOUS examples](https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/do-screenplay-scene-headings-need-to-be-in-all-caps) These sources document current screenplay practice, software guidance, or production workflow. Screenplay style remains flexible, and any delivery brief or submission rule supplied by the recipient takes precedence. --- Canonical page: