Flashback Sequences

PhantomScreenwriter · Dec 15, 2013

Like any storytelling technique there comes a point where it can become too cliche whether its the 'car won't start in an emergency' or 'the whole thing was just a dream' but what about flashback sequences?

Does it depend on the execution and the timing of where it's placed and the context in which it relates?

What are some of the do's and don't's with incorporating flashback sequences?

baoliun · Dec 15, 2013

I loved how "Mad men" treated one of the flashback sequences.

Don walks up the stairs,trips and falls down.
As he lays on the floor he looks up and there is his family talking to him.
Camera cuts to him as a child.

Given that he was on the floor,relatives looked down on him (same way they look at a small kid) so for a second there was confusion whether they were actually in the room with grown up Don,once they cut to Don in his childhood we find ourselves in the flashback world,photographed normally. I think this was one of the greatest transitions especially given it is TV.

Main point is that flashback happens from POV of the person experiencing it,so it is very subjective. It could be almost abstract as if the memories faded,dream like or crispy clean hyper real or w.e emotion the main hero is experiencing. Write emotions and let director/DOP figure out good way to shoot it

Birdman · Dec 15, 2013

One of the better flashbacks/dream sequences I think is from original Terminator. I mean, seriously, ...how many flash backs/dreams within a movie end up being a movie all on its own later on?

BTW: I think the only time they are really useful is to convey pertinent information in a more entertaining way than the character just talking about it.

-Birdman

time2focus · Dec 15, 2013

In general, I hate flashbacks of things that we've already seen. This is especially true when the flashback seem plays exactly the same as it did earlier in the film. Each progressive scene should come with new revelations and this includes flashbacks. It is definitely overused and poorly executed on a regular basis but there some great films that uses flashbacks in a very successful way.

moonshieldmedia · Dec 15, 2013

I hate flashbacks that literally flash to a new screen or add sound effects to let us know we're going back in time. Modern audiences don't need clues, just cut to the past when it feels right, maybe give your actor a different hair style or whatever.

One of my favorite movies in Blue Valentine which constantly cuts back and fourth between present day and the past. The actors look a little younger, and the director used 2 different cameras for each era, but the cuts are always natural and subtle. It's beautiful.

Another modern example is the movie Martha Marcy May Marlene. The first time I watched it I actually didn't even know it was cutting back and fourth between past and present because it was so subtle, which can be confusing, but that's the whole point of the movie. It's supposed to make you feel uneasy and unsure, just like the lead character. Another great film.

tokenwhiteboy · Dec 15, 2013

One of the best examples of FBs that I can recall is from Shutter Island.

I personally like to play with shutter speed when shooting a FB scene, either speeding it up or slowing it down depending on the mood of the FB.

ChimpPhobiaFilms · Dec 15, 2013

You can give some visual or audio indication that a scene is a flashback, but it is best to keep them subtle unless you are making a parody or film with comedic elements. Perhaps the image is slightly softer, or the sound feels more distant. Or the style more represents films of that time. Although, in some cases, going over the top can actually work (ex. Django Unchained). But those occasions are very rare. Although it really comes down to the style of film you are making. For a drama, extreme color changes and loud music will often be jarring to the audience and take them out of the film. When doing camera tests and working with an editor (or editing yourself), play around and find what suits the film's tone best. If you are writing the script, then leave those elements up to those involved in production and post-production.

I recommend you check out Once Upon a Time in America, Django Unchained, It's a Wonderful Life, Annie Hall, Citizen Kane, and the Dark Knight Trilogy if you have not.

jonbonjovidepp · Dec 19, 2013

The purpose of a flashback is to explain prior happenings in order to explain unexpected events. So essentially, it's giving you a flash (short glimpse) into the the backstory of the person experiencing the flashback.

Flashbacks should happen EARLIER in the story, because flashbacks take you out of the immediate action, and stories should increase in pace as they develop. So if you're doing flashbacks, do them in in act 1, or early-middle of act 2.

Flashback in Act 3 is like blowing up a balloon, and then letting it go farting across the room.

Flashbacks could also be treated as a storytelling device, so a story revolves around a single event that you keep returning to, and seeing it from different perspectives. Sort of like Rashomon in a way, but not really, but kinda.

PhantomScreenwriter · Dec 19, 2013

Thanks for the advice everyone it has really helped me with one of my scripts that uses flashback.

I have included hints of the past event that will affect the outcome of the story through the character remembering the words said to them after an event in the present triggers the memory. They basically hear the other person's voice inside their head saying what was said in the past. The full context of these auditory memories are revealed in the visual flashback the character experiences later in the story.

baoliun · Dec 19, 2013

PhantomScreenwriter said:
Thanks for the advice everyone it has really helped me with one of my scripts that uses flashback.

I have included hints of the past event that will affect the outcome of the story through the character remembering the words said to them after an event in the present triggers the memory. They basically hear the other person's voice inside their head saying what was said in the past. The full context of these auditory memories are revealed in the visual flashback the character experiences later in the story.

Take a look for a micro-flashback sequence in the very beginning of the 39 Steps,might be a good previs

Doghouse Reilly · Dec 19, 2013

Woody Allen has some great flashbacks in quite a few of his movies. They seem to occur very naturally, no fancy transitions or unnecessary titles, just a cut and we're there. Sometimes it's good to go 'back in time' in order to advance the story forward.