All About Flashbacks

Dave Trottier is a produced screenwriter, award-winning teacher, acclaimed script consultant, author of The Screenwriter's Bible , and friendly host of keepwriting.com. Follow Dave on Twitter: @DRTrottier.

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Although you often hear the advice to avoid flashbacks, they’re perfectly legitimate if used properly.

Some basic guidelines include:

You accomplish that last guideline by making the audience want to know what happened before the flashback, and then writing the flashback in a way that makes them want to know what’s going to happen next. This is clearly the case in the “What happened in Paris” flashback of Casablanca.

Flashbacks can be tricky to format, and many writers leave readers confused about what they just read. There are numerous correct methods of formatting flashbacks, but the overriding principle is to be clear.

Method 1—A flashback within a scene

In the example below, we label the flashback like we would a montage.

The above method is designed for short flashbacks that happen within a scene.

For longer flashbacks—that is, flashbacks that comprise an entire scene—consider one of the following methods.

Method 2—A flashback that is itself a complete scene

Method 3—Alternate method when a flashback is a complete scene

Or

If you use either of the above notations, then the next scene heading would follow the same pattern and look like this.

Or

You can also use either of the above BACK TO PRESENT DAY notations for Method 2 as well.

If you wish, you may shorten the extension, as follows:

Or

Alternate flashback endings for Methods 2 and 3

At the end of a flashback, you can use one of the following alternative methods to end the flashback.

It would also be correct to place the phrase END OF FLASHBACK flush to the right margin followed by a period, as follows:

Method 4—A flashback longer than one scene

If a flashback is more than one scene in length, you will use Method 2 or 3 for your first flashback scene heading. Subsequent scene headings will be written as normal scene headings without the word FLASHBACK. The reader will assume that each scene that follows that first flashback scene is part of the flashback until he sees END OF FLASHBACK or BACK TO PRESENT DAY in some form. Here’s an example.

Or:

If you wish, it’s perfectly correct to label each scene heading in a flashback sequence. For example:

Method 5—Flashback sequences

An alternative method is to label the entire flashback comprised of more than one scene as a flashback sequence.

And then write out all the scenes in sequence, just as you would normally write scenes, and then end the sequence with this:

Method 6—A series of flashbacks and flashback montages

Here’s a question from a client that I think is instructive: Suppose you have a situation where your character recalls different scenes from the past, some of which contain dialogue, as he puts the pieces of the puzzle together. How would you format that?

In most formatting situations, there is more than one possible formatting solution that is “correct.” In this case, you could use a SERIES OF SHOTS, SERIES OF FLASHBACKS, or a MONTAGE. With any of the above three devices, it’s perfectly okay to include dialogue.

I suggest a FLASHBACK MONTAGE where you identify the location of each FLASHBACK to help the reader recall it along with the character. We could call these QUICK MEMORY FLASHES if your desire is for a quick succession of images. For example:

However, in this particular case, it appears that my client wants to insert entire scenes in succession. I suspect you will be best off showing as little of those past scenes as possible—just the key moment of each to remind the reader. This was done to great effect at the end of The Sixth Sense.

In the example below, I made up the content just to illustrate one possible flashback solution to my client’s question.

...And so on. If desired, you could replace the CAPPED locations above with complete master scene headings; for example: INT. SUZY’S BEDROOM – DAY. That would be perfectly fine. You could also use a non-capped version; for example: In Suzy’s bedroom, Jim spots a bottle….

Finally, you could use a different expression to identify the nature of the FLASHBACK MONTAGE, depending on your dramatic purpose. For example: FLASHBACK MONTAGE – JIM PUTS THINGS TOGETHER.

Naturally, if this MONTAGE takes place within a scene, then at the end, you would return BACK TO SCENE.

Method 7—Very quick flashbacks

If you want to shoot some quick flashes at your audience, use the montage format, as follows:

If you have just one quick flashback, use the following format:

Here’s an interesting question I received from another client: I have a series of quick flashbacks at the end of a short script that reference a character’s memories of three different people. Do I create three flashback headings, one for each flashback?

You could, but I recommend you use my answer to Situation #1 above as your guide and create a series of QUICK FLASHES.

Method 8—Flashforwards

Flashforwards are rare, but they are occasionally used, as in Slumdog Millionaire, for example. Handle them just as you would flashbacks.

And keep writing!

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