Hi all.  My apologies if I'm not posting this in the right forum - just a quick writing question:

In an attempt to inject a little more action / suspense into the opening of my screenplay, I'm considering to use the 'Act One Turning Point' for the opening scene and then doing the good ol' "One Week Earlier" (after the opening credits) until the story leads back up to that point (around page 20-25).

My question is:  If I make this revision - when I actually do get back to that point in my script, should I show the same scene again or (God forbid) think of a different / more creative way to parlay that info?

Some advice would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks in advance.

Ideally, you would structure it so that the opening raises questions -- so by the time we see it again, we want to see it again -- as we see everything in a new light and our understanding is enhanced.

The old set-up and payoff.

A particularly good example of this is the pilot episode of a series called "Breaking Bad".

We open with a guy tearing through the desert in a beat-up RV -- in his underwear and a gas mask, of all things -- with what looks like some dead guys rolling around on the floor behind him.

It is all marvelously WTF -- but by the time we reach the "replay" of this event, we understand everything that is going on.

There are probably many other examples -- or other ways to handle the scenario you describe -- but if I read you right, this sounds almost exactly like the effect you are after.

Yes, that's exactly how it would be set up.  As the very first scene you won't quite  understand what's happening or who the people involved are until it builds back up to that point again at the end of Act 1.  But it will serve it's purpose to raise a question and keep the audience hooked, atleast for a short period of time (until the scene is understood).

Thanks for the advice.  It got the gears turning a bit - I think I have a good idea on how to try it out.  =)

Quoted from Skippa646 Yes, that's exactly how it would be set up.  As the very first scene you won't quite  understand what's happening or who the people involved are until it builds back up to that point again at the end of Act 1.

That's generally the idea. =)

Another good example or two, in my opinion, are Mission Impossible III and In the Mouth of Madness.

But, yeah, you could re-show the scene again in the form you had it, or you could shorten it to the ending of the scene, something like that.

I think that I'll opt to not repeat the scene exactly as it plays out in the opening, but rather end it (the second time around) the exact moment before the event happens.  Maybe even lead up to it from the POV of another charachter... we'll see! =)

Thanks guys!

Quoted from Skippa646 I think that I'll opt to not repeat the scene exactly as it plays out in the opening, but rather end it (the second time around) the exact moment before the event happens.  Maybe even lead up to it from the POV of another charachter... we'll see! =)

That is a good way to do it so that the audience doesn't have to watch the scene play out again. They already know what happens so they want to see the result of it, which in your case is you plot point that will hurtle us into Act II.

As a matter of fact, I do something quite similar in the script I am writing now. The script opens up on a group of soldiers barricading themselves in a small warehouse. They are pursued by some unknown assailants that are trying to tear through the walls to get to them. Over their radios they are talking to another team that is in a similar situation but the chatter is cut short as something happens to the team on the other end of the radio. The opening scene ends with them clearing the other side of the door and charging out to fight the enemy.

Later on in the script when we reach that event again we are with the other team and we see what caused them to stop responding to the first team. From there we continue the story until the two teams meet up again.

Quoted from Skippa646 Hi all.  My apologies if I'm not posting this in the right forum - just a quick writing question: In an attempt to inject a little more action / suspense into the opening of my screenplay, I'm considering to use the 'Act One Turning Point' for the opening scene and then doing the good ol' "One Week Earlier" (after the opening credits) until the story leads back up to that point (around page 20-25). My question is:  If I make this revision - when I actually do get back to that point in my script, should I show the same scene again or (God forbid) think of a different / more creative way to parlay that info? Some advice would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks in advance.

Watch Trainspotting to see how they do it there.