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A FLASHBACK TO TELL MY STORY?

Posted: Sep 11, 2011 9:49 am
by Kippy
Some guidance please...Anyone know of other screenplays that use the same type of storyline as "Forrest Gump"? I'm drawing a blank..

By same "type", I mean a story that begins in the past (which is my starting point, or "current day") and transitions to another point further in the past. The story begins toward the end, but we're "flashbacked" by our main character as he tells of how he "got to this current point". Does that make sense?

Here's my specific issue:

EXT. COLLESIUM OF ROME - DAY (AD 98)

Action blah, blah,

CHARACTER
dialog

EXT. GARDEN - DAY (AD 90)


Any help is appreciated. At least that's what I came up with. Fairly unique, so not many sripts to review...THANKS!

Re: A FLASHBACK TO TELL MY STORY?

Posted: Sep 13, 2011 8:45 am
by Chris Huntley
"Remains of the Day" and "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" do this. So does "Little Big Man" and "Hearts in Atlantis.," and "Stand by Me," though I think "Remains of the Day" is closest to what you are talking about.

Re: A FLASHBACK TO TELL MY STORY?

Posted: Jan 02, 2012 8:07 am
by Havel
What you're doing is creating a narrator who will then lead you onto a journey into a New World and the change which will occur within (see Kal Bashir's fabulous work).

The narrator may be the hero himself (Forrest Gump) or another (the Stranger in The Big Lebowski).

The narrator also breaks up the story into sections (we keep returning to Forrest on the bench). Though not narrators, the same process is seen in When Harry Met Sally when we keep returning to the old couples.

Re: A FLASHBACK TO TELL MY STORY?

Posted: Jan 23, 2013 7:41 pm
by Robb6669
I agree with Havel you need something that ties the characters together and tells the audience where they are and when they are. Flashbacks can be confusing if you don't give the audience important that tells them when they are in time. A good way to avoid this is by writing the story backwards so that you get the timeline correct. Or write out your backstory and write in detail the times that you want to use as flashbacks so that you can have in detail that is suppose be happening or have happened in order to keep the characters faithful to the timeline.

It is all about the timeline with flashbacks.




Rob Bettencourt
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