Screenwriting : Flashbacks by Christine Capone

I think that's fine, Christine Capone. I also think that's an interesting way to show the audience things from her past. The audience would be learning things in pieces as she has the flashbacks.

Thanks Maurice! I personally don't like flashbacks but I need this particular one. It helps move the story along but I want it to be more grainy and show snippets of it.

The Fugitive uses this a lot when Dr Kimble is trying to remember what happened the night his home was invaded and his wife was killed.

You're welcome, Christine Capone.

Hi Christine Capone ! In Past Lives Celine Song makes a quick line of whatever it is we should see, followed by "blink and you miss it" all in bold.

Ex. For a moment, we see the little Na Young smiling at Hae Sung at the art gallery, back when they were children. Blink and you miss it.

I'm not a big fan of flashbacks either, but I thought this was a really unique and effective way to show it without taking the reader/viewer out of the time entirely.

Thanks CJ, I'll check out!

Thanks Rachel! this helps.

Hey Christine Capone it can definitely be worth it writing short flashbacks to create a narrative pattern from the past, that informs the present story. My only advice is to be consistent with it. Not just consistent with the story arc. But consistent with the way you're communicating it's a flashback. Using the same slugline/format every time helps trigger in reader's minds that we're going back to the same memory and continuing on with it. If you go too broad and wide with where the flashback is jumping through time, it may start to feel a tad random and convenient. Short memory flashbacks definitely work best when relatively contained to a key memory from a character's past and not an assortment of all of their memories. So keep that in mind as well.

Christine Capone It sounds like you're looking for a quick flashback within a scene, and not an entire scene dedicated to a flashback.

Just use the typical formatting (from Get Out):

PRESENT DAY - INT. MISSY’S OFFICE. NIGHT

.

.

.

TING TING...

Chris’ hand has compulsively scratched open the arm of the

chair. His hand stops. His mouth drops and eyes open, frozen.

FLASHBACK - INT. SMALL APARTMENT - NIGHT

...TING TING.

Suddenly, 11-year-old Chris falls through the bed and floor.

END FLASHBACK

Yes Chris that's exactly right!!

Pat, true, I didn't think about that. I might need to rework the script a bit. Thank you!

Flashbacks have become a staple throughout dramatic film and television series. Years ago most development execs tried to tell writers that no one wanted to see them. It's a great way to handle exposition - by ILLUSTRATING IT. Make sure it's crystal clear in the SCENE HEADING. I always write FLASHBACK - INT (EXT.). LOCATION - (DAY or NIGHT) and when I'm finished, I write BACK TO PRESENT - then repeat the location. Readers tend to skip over Headings - I make sure they follow my lead. I have taught Advanced Screenwriting for 30 years, and time and again I see writers who don't know how to leave a precise trail for the reader to follow. It's death to any hope of keeping them engaged.

One flash back? Two or more and your protagonist is suffering from amnesia, and you're winding us up for the full unveiling scene.

Right now I currently have one flashback. Like I mentioned, I'm not a fan of them but kinda need this particular one because the person that's in the flashback is not alive.

The protagonist is investigating her cop husband's murder and she remembers something that he told her a few weeks prior to his murder. A key piece of evidence.

One flashback seems out of place. I always use the line "spoonfeeding information." Mysteries are some of the best genres for Flashbacks. Why not employ more to build character and tension? I have a very smart, edgy thriller that builds and builds on the story going both forward and backward, with the resolution to both journeys uniting at the end. It's a strong dramatic device.

James, true but I'm on deadline and it's already at 120 pages. At some point, I might be able to fit in more flashbacks because it might make more sense in that her husband left her a trail of breadcrumbs.

Just an FYI - at 120 pages you are pushing against the maximum page count. That number has shrunk over the years - I have sold or been hired on more than three dozen projects and have not turned in one of that length in quite some time. PLEASE SEE MY INVITE to WRITERS BLOCK this Sunday at 4:00 PM California time, it's free, it's monthly, and there will be some very accomplished writers and filmmakers attending. James

James, oh well. I will check that out, thank you!

Christine, maybe you can use specific dialogue or items as clues.

One of my favorite films, The Limey, uses brief flashbacks (and flash forwards) throughout. I just took a look at the screenplay, and they’re done with a FLASH CUTS slugline, followed by the list of shots all in italics. It’s an interesting choice, but would break form if the script were ever stripped of italics. (Personally, I avoid using italics, bold, or underlines because I’m often copy/pasting in plain text.)

https://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/the-limey.html

Manchester By The Sea (Oscar winner) has over 20+ short flashbacks. It is all execution on the page & with your circle of peers (if it ever gets to production) GL!

Dan, funny enough, I was checking out that script last night! Thank you!

Thank you Mike, I'll check that out!