Hi Everyone - My screenplay begins with an image meant to evoke the questions how and why did she end up in this predicament? As she comes to, the audience learns along with her, the how. To define her, I recently added a flashback of why she is where she is and shows what she is like as a person - recently laid off and empathic - in the flashback we see her walk away with fellow laid off colleagues - instead of chucking the sack lunch at the building, she hands it to a homeless person on a bus bench.
I wanted to revert to original opening, but at same time wanted audience to know her a bit.
In 10 Page pitch review with Katie Splete, as I was afraid of, she commented flashbacks confused her and wanted to know about the characters. I will define the other main character more if needed but we do know more about her by page 12 and through the piece.
Question is: your favorite examples of flashbacks, how you write them and thoughts about knowing everything about characters in 10 pages.
I am rewatching "The Last Thing He Said To Me" to prep for Season 2 and want to find a script for that, because so much is told in flashbacks. :)
I don't write flashbacks; like reality, all my scripted experience of time is sequential. But since we are creatures both of great imagination and memory, it is natural for us to bring to life memories in people's minds. But if you do so, you have to be very clear to your audience that this is a step or 100 back in time. Techniques include using the makeup department to make the character look younger. If it's recent, you can't use that. One technique which was used a lot in the past was the slow fade to make scene look like it's dissolving into a kind of dreamlike imagic experience to evoke that we've moved from the actual scene to inside the character's head.
It sounds from what you shared like you haven't defined or introduced your story well enough. Otoh, some writers start with a flashback and then jump to the present. But that is a different setup. Jumps back to a past within a story already happening connotes the character is remembering or the writer wanted us in the story but then felt, "but there's something about _______ you should know first."
Knowing characters, many of whom don't even know themselves (fully) is something that often comes slowly and not necessarily in the first 10 pages, especially in a series which has time to explore the characters more fully than a two hour movie. What you need to be clear about is what is the story you wish to tell? Before yoou know your character? The story itself is where you need to be focused and techniques like flahbacks should only be told when absolutely necessary. put any words on the page, how well do y
I actually really enjoy flashbacks, especially in TV series. Many great examples with Breaking Bad, Ozark, Better Call Saul, and so many others to numerous to mention. For me, it is a structural device designed to show important parts of the story that can sound stilted or clunky on the page because linear timelines can leave out a lot of important backstory.
I love them. I always thought stories in chronological order were boring.