I've often read that flashbacks are a big no-no in screenwriting. But I've also read that sentiment is a myth and, as long as they propel the story forward, they are okay to use.
My question is, how many flashbacks are too many flashbacks? I have a scene I'm writing where two flashbacks in quick succession feels necessary to propel the story forward, but I'm hesitant to do that in fear of making the scene appear too choppy. Is there anything else I can do or is this okay if it's a one-time thing in the script?
My other thought is to make it more of a vision-like sequence, where you only see hands and have the characters speaking O.S.
All advice appreciated!
Great question! Flashbacks used to be considered cliche but over the past few years, they have come back into style. In my opinion, if Flashbacks are set up early in the script then it's fine to use them. The best way to look at this is that within the first few pages, we are educating the reader/audience on how we will be telling this story. So if we hit them with flashbacks early on in act 1 then it is fine to do so throughout the rest of the script as they now know what to expect. If a flashback comes out of the blue toward the end of a script then it can come off as quite jarring. Possibly consider adding a flashback early on in act 1. Whether it be a quick flash, dream, or even haunting voices "echoes from the past"
I think your instinct is spot on with having two short flashbacks too close together. That can come off as choppy and mess up your pacing. Your idea for a vision-like sequence sounds like an elegant solution.
Thank you!
Happy to help! Feel free to hit me up on here if you need anything else screenwriting 😉