Trending Lounge Discussions

Using flashbacks to add a few more episodes to a TV series is a particularly annoying trait.

As a generalization, that’s wrong. However, he may be responding to your implementation of flashbacks Maybe your FB scenes don’t inform the narrative well.

Each scene should have a purpose, and I think of flashbacks either answering a question set forth by the previous scene or asking a question that will be answered later.

I love the film Out of Sight, which uses flashback scenes to answer questions about character relationships and set up plot points — at the time we need to know information.

The original Highlander does this as well, revealing the exposition related to immortals a piece at a time.

Someone mentioned Godfather II, which I love, but that’s a bit different. That’s two stories being intercut, not a single narrative. There are thematic ties, but it’s not working the same way.

I believe some flashbacks are needed. You don’t have to get rid of all of them. Wish you luck with your script.

Flash backs, used as lazy writing to “simply inject” a flagging script fails, but I never dismiss them per sae. Flashbacks can work extremely well, in a well thought out script, particularly so in a non linear structure. Flashbacks range from simple to complex in nature. Classic vintage noirs can have dream sequences, or a narrator showing/telling backstories. Any genre can have a parallel narrative, two or more stories, where flashbacks serve different purposes. Eg; One story in the present & one in the past, double relationship line both past & present, to highlight disturbances, crises, or crucial time jumps, or a story in the present solves a mystery of the past. An above post gave a great example with Citizen Kane, the enigmatic outsider is dead, but little by little, the truth is uncovered by a detective asking questions of the living. Later, in Bridges of Madison County, flashbacks used letters to convey the past. Aside many more recent films, there are multiple TV serials where even simple flashbacks, add emotional beats & reveals.

Everyone has their own preferences, and I understand how frustrating or confusing it can be to get this kind of feedback. There are plenty of movies and tv shows that successfully use flashbacks: Memento, The Secret Life of David Gale, Arrow, and The 100 just to name a few.

I think the key is ask yourself these questions whenever you get feedback:

- What's the feedback under the feedback? What is this person trying to say to me?

E.G. if you reread your script, looking specifically at the flashbacks, are they organic? Are they fluid and sensical? Are they triggered by something? Are they seamless based on what happened right before? Or are they hard shifts without thoughtful transitions?

- Is this a taste preference or a craft issue?

Taste is a huge part of who we are as creatives, including readers and coverage professionals. It can be difficult to separate feedback between craft and taste. Some people will never like flashbacks. Others will be obsessed. But what matters is the craft feedback and being able to identify where you think the feedback is coming from will help you sort what's helpful.

Not all criticism is helpful. Sometimes, we need to take the harsh criticism to heart so we can grow. Part of our path as writers is learning what to absorb and what to release.

I'm all about 2D animation, with a strong preference for 80s to 2000s anime feel. If I could get Studio Madhouse to animate any of my projects, I'd be in Heaven.

Wow, Studio Madhouse is amazing Banafsheh Esmailzadeh I admire their anime style! I’m definitely going to binge more of their work; is there a specific project of theirs that inspires you most?

Same Dwayne Williams 2~ I love that they did CLAMP’s animes so Cardcaptor Sakura and Clover, and what I saw of X. Of course their work on Satoshi Kon’s stuff is also wonderful, like Millennium Actress, and Redline is one of my absolute favourites. Their work on NANA is also gorgeous. If I had to choose between them I’d say Redline is my favourite example. Every single frame is pure art.

Thanks for sharing those, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh I just checked out Redline, and it looks amazing! Definitely something I’d spend time diving into. I appreciate you putting me onto that. :D

You’re welcome, Dwayne Williams 2~ enjoy Redline!

Hi Ken! Thank you for your service, both in the Army and during your long career in law enforcement. Relentless Valor sounds like a project with immense heart, and a 'Band of Brothers' style streaming series is exactly what audiences are craving right now.

I specialize in helping authors like you build the digital infrastructure needed to support a creative project of this scale. Since you are focusing on the writing and the vision, I’d love to help you with the 'Home Base' side of things so you can monetize the journey while you build it:

Patreon & Ko-fi Strategy: You have a lifetime of research, photos from battlefields, and stories from your law enforcement days. I can help you set up a platform where supporters pay a monthly fee to see your behind-the-scenes research, draft chapters, and script progress. This creates a revenue stream that funds the development of your screenplay.

Pitch Materials & Research: To get a streaming series made, you’ll eventually need a 'Series Bible' or a pitch deck. I can handle the deep research into target producers and streaming platforms that look for military-themed content, ensuring your work gets in front of the right eyes.

A Passion-First Partnership: I am so driven to see stories like yours told that I work on a 'success-first' basis. I don’t ask for a fee for my time, I only ask for a small budget to cover the essential digital tools (hosting, research software, etc.) needed to build your platform. When you thrive and succeed, then we can discuss my work, but for now, I just want to help you get this story to the screen.

You’ve spent a lifetime studying history; let’s make sure this next chapter of yours is the most successful one yet!

Hi Mary, In the course of my life I have found it more fruitful to have one on one chats. So, I can be reached at 513-502-2052, or colk8f90@gmail.com thanks much, stay safe, have a blessed day, Ken

Welcome.

it is a pleasure to know you

WELCOME!

welcome

What kind of talent are you scouting for.

Nice to meet you here, Christian. Right now I'm juggling several projects. First and foremost one of my screenplays, The Tattered Book, has been picked up by a producer. It's in that nebulous phase of pre-production. Thankfully my producer (Mark Holmes--Holmestead Entertainment) is interested in having me take part in the pitching to investors. I am learning so much!

I just had an international facetime table-read for a different screenplay, Aunt Jane's Nieces, which went very well with solid feedback. The opinion was this should be made into a series.

How about you? What are you working on?

Greetings and Welcome, Christian A.

I am currently revising an adventure script. Tropical island, storms, danger, and romance.

My primary project now is a female-driven, feature adaptation of Mary Welsh Hemingway's autobiography. It is an epic project told through the eyes of a Yale doctoral student who has chosen Mary's book for her dissertation and finds that their life experiences correspond across time to the point they become companions at the intersections through magical realism.

yess

Greetings, Christian A.

I've completed the pilot episodes of the adaptation for the first four books in my series into the first season of a high-concept psychological sci-fi thriller TV series (20x60). Currently I'm awaiting the results of the review process for the requested materials and simultaneously continuing to work on a sequel to the book series with a new, large storyline, with the potential for a second season.

Thank you in advance for any insights — I’m happy to clarify anything about the project.

Hi David-is this a joke? This is what is called "AI slop." There is no "emotional arc." Pacing? The "actors" jump herky jerky and there is no editing-views are held too long and there is no continuity. I guess it's a satire, but "We Are Family" has nothing to do with what's presented in your "trailer." Maybe it should be titled "Exam Room." Good luck, but to me it's a total mess.

Thanks, Joe — I appreciate you taking the time to watch it and share your thoughts.

This is exactly why I posted it here before showing it to friends. I’m experimenting with an AI‑assisted workflow, and I’m still learning how to shape performance, pacing, and continuity within those constraints.

Your notes give me a clear sense of what isn’t landing yet, and that’s genuinely helpful as I refine the next version.”

David Lewis 1. This is not a trailer. It is an experimental short. Your trailer should normally be ~1 minute long or 90 seconds if it is very engaging. 2. A trailer has to show the best of your (usually completed) film. This one is AI generated ideation, visually poor. People will see it and understand this is the best you have. They do not forgive this kind of thing. 3. BTW, as AI generated video, it (a) does not attract copyright, (b) suffers from the Uncanny Valley effect almost by definitions, and (c) is likely to be roundly rejected by most audience, who continue to grow in expression of anti-AI sentiment

Thank you, Shadow — this is extremely helpful. Your points line up with what I’ve been learning as I work through this process. I agree that what I’ve created so far functions more like an experimental short or proof‑of‑concept than a traditional trailer, and your clarity on that distinction is spot on.

I’m still in the early stages of exploring AI‑assisted workflows, and I appreciate your insight about how audiences perceive AI imagery, the Uncanny Valley issues, and the importance of showing only the strongest material in a trailer. Your feedback gives me a much clearer sense of how to approach the next iteration with more discipline and intention.

Thanks again for taking the time — I genuinely appreciate the candor and the craft‑focused perspective.

Nicely put.

So true. Structure is king, but sometimes overlooked even if the character, hook, concept etc “rock.” A script reader can pass on a script, even if it fits the producer’s remit, and is good on many levels. Problems, edits & changes down the line, are not cost effective. if the film were to be made.

Debbie Croysdale That’s a great point — especially around how much can slip through if the underlying structure isn’t doing its job early on.

Edits can refine, but they can’t always rebuild what wasn’t designed to hold in the first place.

That’s where I’ve been focusing more recently — trying to solve problems at the structural level before they show up later as “fixes”.

Appreciate you bringing that angle in.

Congrats Lori Peters .

Congratulations Lori!

Thank you all so much!!

Good job!

AWESOME!!!!

For me, it's all about the plot, nothing but the plot. A story without a solid foundation is a stillborn story.

Who offers other opinions?

Hi Harold Ferré I am not understanding how your comment relates to the post. Can you explain how a bad plot makes you afraid you can't pull off playing your character?

Adam Spencer this is such a profound and articulate message that is so insightful. WOW, thanks Adam.

Darrell Pennington, Inconsidered not posting this, because I don’t want to offend anyone or claim moral authority over how others should live their lives — far from it. You, having read Mercy Guides, know I’m not that person. But I felt it was important because mercy creates more possible outcomes than vengeance ever will. It leaves room — for grace, for growth, and ultimately for greater creativity.

Beautiful post, and honestly you’re right. I think our current culture finds weakness and vengeance rather alluring and comforting, probably because it’s easier to give into rage than it is to forgive and be merciful. It’s something I think about a lot myself, and now I want to learn more about Pope John Paul II.