Screenwriting : Backstory by Amy Gray

I suggest either a flashback or even beginning the script with the first scene in the past.

One way I'm doing that in my present script is by using blink-of-an-eye-quick flashbacks of my protagonist's childhood at key moments in the story.

I've been playing with flashabacks, but also more subtle visual back story mechanics (show don't tell kinda vibe), such as photos, scars, or other silent interactions between characters.

Flashbacks can be good if used sparingly from my experience. A lot of times backstory can be revealed through couple of sentences rather than a whole soliloquy.

Without context, this is a difficult question to answer. Flashing back isn't always the answer unless there is some vital moment that needs to be shown that can't be revealed in the current timeline.

I think you need to look at two things. 1. What's your character's backstory wound and how does this inform the internal struggle that prevents them from achieving their goal - this is the growth they must go through as part of their arc. 2. What's the emotional map for the character and what emotions are you trying to elicit in the reader. The backstory informs who your character is - the choices they make, the way they speak, things they say, the subtext in scenes - these pieces from the backstory, need to be in each scene. This is more powerful than flashing back.

I agree with Nick. People really don't want backstory and it's usually not relevant. If something is not moving the character and the story forward, it's filler.

Extremely helpful, thanks to all of you!

When production starts on a film, do actors/writers often work more with backstory/character diving? I'm a newb, please forgive me. I just don't want to include certain subtleties in the script, but feel the actors must know some things that make them tick, etc...

Nick Assunto - Stage 32 Script Services Coordinator -glad I could help, lol! Alien abductions- no biggy... Sounds like a GREAT idea. Lmk if you wanna collab, lol.

If it is being done in performance show it in parentheses or action lines.

Husband

(I love you)

Idiot.

You don’t need to have a scene saying that he is madly in love with his wife and her pet name idiot. An actor will know how to approach that.

When you say backstory do you mean the effect that someone’s his story has had on them? Or an actual backstory?

The effect someone has can be shown with action.

Three men in suits stand waiting to cross the road. One looks back at a homeless made. The business man looks down thinking for a second and rejoins the conversation with his friends.

Doesn’t scream that he had no money. But it shows that he has a connection to a poor person.

You cab cheat a little, only do it to help and actor, not your story.

He reaches onto the shelf and checks the price of the ton beans. He tries a few brands, a leftover from growing up poor. He drops his selection in the trolley.

I was lucky enough to be part of some rehearsals. The actors would ask me questions. That taught me two things.

1) Actors are amazing at interpretation.

2) I am not as clear and clever as I think I am.

Amy - a screenplay shows the story in present tense; as the audience sees it on the screen. Flashbacks have their place to be sure but it's best to use them very sparingly. Usually the character's backstory can be doled out as needed. When you write your story, you need to know your character very well - this is where the character bio is important to you and when you get to casting, the actors need that bio and an understanding of the driving force so the actor can become the character.

Film is visual story telling so you might use props like family photos, maybe a "news" story on the television. Also you can use emotional response. For instance a character was a victim of abuse but doesn't talk about it however; they don't respond well to physical touch or intimacy. Be careful though, you don't want to direct from the page. Hopefully I understood the question?

I'm from Karnataka, and we got a recent commercial movie which was a blockbuster hit, "KGF Chapter 1". Now this movie is Non linear story telling, with multiple narrators telling a back story with flashbacks from different view points while happening in the current time in it's unique way. It kind of breaks every screenwriting rules, but still impressed audience not only from India but outside too. Check it's trailer it's an action thriller movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXgF-iJ_ezETrailer itself got multiple narration, backstory, and current story shown which is hard to guess.

This is "KGF Chapter2" teaser which is similar too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qah9sSIXJqk

Now the writer, director of the film Prashant Neel of this I tried to reach but couldn't get the script from him. It's his second film and much anticipated movie in India. You can watch the first chapter on Netflix, Amazon prime with English subtitles. It might give you lot of ideas imagination flexibility on what all you can do with writing direction too. The issue I feel would be "What you built the backstory, flashback we got to have control on how we end it with the current story or else it backfires". Even I have written a short film of that kind but as I'm a filmmaker I know how I got to shoot it, but for a screenwriter convincing how the story flows and how visually a director can weave the story is going to be tricky.

I mean if you are a writer Director you will have a clear idea where you will be cutting and how you can keep it intact, but if you are only keep yourself as a screenwriter than selling that script anywhere is bit tough. I mean I can't share my script here as it's comes to the shooting it which is tricky like how you set the mood, story arc. I once shared here for few for review, it's hard to explain you know. But as a filmmaker I know what I am doing in my edits.

Hmmm. How to explain it, Please check that film KGF Chapter 1 , you will get what I'm saying how tricky it is to write it and even convince a filmmaker how to shoot it. You will get how that disassociation happens. You will get a better idea may be how to write it than. I mean I can show you how it can be written, but it would like how I would be directing. It's not the perfect movie but helps to see how things can be written differently. So as a screenwriter one if they know who is directing, they will know how to write for them. It needs to have that association. For instance, I know what Nolan is doing, I can see why, how he is writing, as a filmmaker it's tricky to explain it to a writer alone, but if you are writer director than you see why one is doing this how and other aspects of how scenes are cut. Hope I'm making sense.

Do watch that movie I recommended, it will give you a different perspective and might help you understand and help your writing as well. Try to talk to a director who done such stuff, they might help you wherever you are, like how it might work for the audience there. They will get why I said this to you and how that association of writer director happens with these kind of scripts.

_ REWROTE(Summarize) my thoughts here

Screenwriting skill is writing steps of a story which is like a puzzle pieces. To me film making is like mosaic pieces joining in a way which brings an abstraction and audience figures it out how it is.

Direction skill is how one knows which pieces falls here and how it can be made interesting for audience to join those pieces in their mind/view.

Now flashback is one such piece of the puzzle which is odd, hard to know for both of these individual people's skill to look at it separately. Because it's often will come across a feeling like "Not needed", "Why it is". But it's a communication or a sense of understanding between both the skills which brings the beauty of flashback, backstory, nonlinear sense. Because if you don't like puzzles, and place the flashback in a wrong place, it doesn't create much needed impact for audience. And not every writer or director likes puzzle solving and it's all fine. But if you are writing those elements in story, you got to talk to those who love those directors who loves puzzle solving , because whatever you are going to write, it should make sense for the director which both loves to do it. You are stuck how to write because of this. Hope you get my point now.

You're the author of the story, actor is the author of the character...you have anything to say to actor or director must be included in the script...otherwise, just let them develop the story within their own range....