Let’s talk about the difference between FLASHBACK and FLASH. Traditional flashback plays out over a longer period of time. Put the lead-in in the slugline: INT. JIMMY’S ROOM- DAY (FLASHBACK). Be sure to tell the reader when it’s over with END FLASHBACK. A standard flashback might last a full scene, or even a sequence of scenes, as in Ray.

FLASH is shorter than a traditional flashback. We go into the character’s head for a rapid-fire glimpse of a past moment or moments. They play out in a character’s mind and we see it with them.

Here a couple of examples, the first from The Incredible Hulk:

EXT. PLATEAU OF THE GLACIER -- DAY

The man has been walking a long time. He stops and looks around.

Ice. Mountains behind. The green-black of the sea out in front.

Not a human sign, no life at all. Except...

AN ARCTIC FOX, buried almost invisible, watching.

The man looks up at THE AURORA BOREALIS – eerie dancing sheets of

green and purple flowing across the sky.

Tighter on THE MAN’S FACE: looking up...hollowed out, haunted.

MEMORY FLASH:

A banshee shriek of sound. An image streaked liked a camera moved

on a slow shutter. A WOMAN’S BODY on the ground, FLAMES...but we

probably can’t make it out.

EXT. GLACIER -- DAY

THE MAN’S EYES: wide open. Anguish.

We’re on the plateau, into the man’s mind, and then back out on the plateau. The “MEMORY FLASH” lasts seconds. This is not a traditional FLASHBACK, and shouldn’t be treated so, format-wise. Here’s another, same movie:

Timecut: BANNER MEDITATING: in the lotus position, unmoving

PULSE: 55 – THE SOUND OF A SLOW HEARTBEAT that RISES and SPEEDS UP

MEMORY IMAGES: his mind wandering, happy memories leading to bad.

– BETTY ROSS at a LAB TABLE looking up at us, smiling

– BETTY and BRUCE sitting on a CAMPUS LAWN in late afternoon light

with pizza; she gives him a bite and kisses him

– JARRING SOUND and SURREAL IMAGE: FLAMES; a POV from 10 FEET

HIGH, looking down at BODIES on the floor beneath CRUSHED AND

BROKEN LAB EQUIPMENT. One of them is BETTY, a GASH in her head

-GEN ROSS looking right at us, hand on our shoulder consoling;

lips move but no sound comes out; intense

-our POV: looking out a CURTAINED WINDOW down on a FRONT DOOR.

Two MILITARY POLICE, knocking. We JERK AWAY from the window.

EYES: SNAP OPEN PULSE: 89...90

He sighs and breathes deeply. He can’t clear his mind tonight.

Banner in “lotus position,” then the “MEMORY IMAGES,” then back to Banner, eyes snapping open. Always seek the visual solution, visual storytelling over verbal exposition.

My personal preference is to use FLASH for this device, but there are several I’ve seen in use, for instance here, from Shane Black, The Long Kiss Goodnight:

UNDERWATER -- Sam THRASHES and jerks, to and fro. Dead Nathan, mocking her. There, under the water, the memories come... In a flood. Stark and vivid.

MEMORY FLASH – THE YEAR

THE TRUNK OF A CAR opens, revealing a patch of night sky.

Mostly obscured by two familiar individuals --

There’s ONE-EYED JACK, remember him? Few years younger. One eyeball heavier. The other man is TIMOTHY. He looks in the

trunk. Nods.

TIMOTHY

Okay, I’ll signal Daedalus. Your money will be waiting, and Jack...? Do yourself a favor, do her and dump her, I’m serious. Don’t get cute, try to play doctor first. I made that mistake.

The lid SLAMS SHUT.

BACK UNDER THE WATER

The world of rushing MADNESS, memories unspooling now, faster and faster --

MEMORY FLASH: A CLIFF overlooking the ocean. Darkness.

Sheeting rain. Our heroine, for it is unquestionably SAMANTHA,

lying unconscious atop a rocky bluff. Drenched.

Dialogue can go into a FLASH. Notice how we stick with the present scene, even in the flashes, by use of Voice Over in The Fugitive:

DETECTIVE ROSETTI (V.O.)

Do you own a gun, Dr. Kimble?

KIMBLE

Yes.

DETECTIVE ROSETTI (V.O.)

What kind of gun?

KIMBLE

A .38 Smith.

FLASH – FORENSICS TECHNICIAN DUSTS CRYSTAL LAMP

DETECTIVE KELLY

Did you have your key with you tonight, Dr. Kimble?

BACK TO SCENE

PHONE RINGS. Rosetti answers it. Kimble watches him write something down, he slides it to Kelly.

FLASH – MEASURE “NECKLACE” OF BRUISES ON HELEN’S NECK

DETECTIVE KELLY (V.O.)

Your wife was loaded wasn’t she? I mean, she was worth quite a bit of money.

Kimble looks up at the two cops. For the first time he seems to sense something aggressive in their questioning. They no longer seem on the same team.

When you come out of the FLASH, go BACK TO SCENE, which brings you back to the present moment scene. Ok?

6 Responses to Format: 11: Flashback vs. Flash
  1. Paul – Hi!

    I am wondering what is one to do if they have an idea for a sitcom…but do not know how to write a script?

    susan snippets is improperly equipped
    :^)

  2. Paul, Is there such a thing as a flashforward? I am thinking to begin my script with a flash to something that happens in the middle of my script. Then go back to the beginning in the next Screen Description.

    Looking forward to see you presenting at Chicago Screenwriters Network! Be sure to bring some extra business cards with you 🙂

    • It’s impossible to flash forward at the top of the movie because you haven’t established a “present” yet.

      Just hit us in the slugline with the future time frame (1990) then give us a second slugline with the present time frame (say 1989) that you’ll follow in linear fashion until you reach the point in the movie we saw before. Ala Citizen Kane.

  3. Hi,

    I was wondering how you would write a scene where the lead character has a momentary black-out and hears thumping sounds in his head. Can I just write it out in an action element or as a memory flash?

    Thanks much!

    • Are we doing a POV from the character who passes out? Or is it more objective with the camera seeing him pass out?
      An inner view would be seeing it as he/she sees it, so maybe

      BLACK OUT

      Emerging sound of…what the fuck is it?…a THUMPING. Continuing. Thump-thump-thump…

      vs.

      Jimmy wobbles and crashes to the ground.

      A thumping commences

      Jimmy wakes….

      i like the POV angle better, put it in his head.


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