From what I gather the most important thing is making it clear with the writing what's going on i.e., what we're looking at. The second important thing is from which character's POV we're looking at.
Incidentally, I watched a repeat viewing of The Story Of Film - An Odyssey, by Mark Cousins, last night and he referred to a film in which there was a flash back within a flashback. However, the first flashback dealt with the POV of a child and flashbacked to a scene with his mother. From that scene they flashed back to another scene but this time the POV was the mother's.
Also, happened across this, here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyxYqfvhRfEAnd this article by Trottier:
http://www.keepwriting.com/tsc/flashback.htmSo, you can have a SERIES OF FLASHBACKS or: FLASHBACK MONTAGE or: QUICK FLASHES (also known as SEQUENCE OF SHOTS or: FLASHBACK WITHIN A FLASHBACK.
For your purposes I'm guessing the 'quick flashes' might be the way to go but I also had a stab at the FWAF.
EXT. FRONT LAWN - DAYDoug throws a baseball against the pitch-back.
The front door to the house opens and Peter emerges, laden with suitcase and carry-all. Doug places the bags on the stoop, looks over at his son - pain clearly etched on his face.
PETER
I'll be off now, Dougie... (dialogue is optional here, I reckon)
Doug ignores him, hurls the baseball against the pitch-back, this time harder...
He throws it again.
Peter hoists the carry-all over his shoulder, picks up the suitcase. He trudges up the front walkway, through the gate, and out onto the street.
Steals a glance back at his son who continues to throw the ball.
A chink as the gate closes.
Doug stops throwing the ball, glances behind him.
QUICK FLASHES: DOUG'S MEMORIES-- Peter instructs Doug, (age 5), how to tie his shoelaces. Doug ties the final loop, masters it, beams up at this father.
-- Doug, dressed in school uniform. He clutches his father's hand as they stand outside the School yard.
-- Doug, (age 6), and Peter, on the beach. Peter holds on to Doug as they fly a kite. The kite soars into the air against the backdrop of a perfect blue sky.
-- Doug and Peter, legs dangling over the boardwalk, lick double ice-cream cones and stare out to sea. They watch as the sun dips below the horizon.
BACK TO SCENEThe ball ricochets hard off the back-pitch post, Doug catches it.
Doug's clenches/grips the ball in his hand, white knuckling it.
After a minute he throws the ball to the ground, tears up the front path through the front gate, and down the street.
Too late.
He watches as his father disappears over the crest of the hill.
Or: His father is gone.
A tear slowly rolls down Doug's cheek.
NB: Presuming Doug is aged (5) when Peter leaves (as is in the draft I read) it might be difficult to incorporate too many flashback memories from Doug's POV - because there's limited time for Doug to recall them. Perhaps make him slightly older at the time his father leaves the house?
IF IT WERE A
FLASHBACK WITHIN A FLASHBACK, I'd give it a go something like this:
EXT. FRONT LAWN - DAYDoug throws a baseball against the pitch-back.
The front door to the house opens and Peter emerges, suitcase in hand.
Peter trudges up the pathway to the front gate.
Doug ignores Peter, continues to throw his ball.
The sound as the front gate catches.
Doug shoots a look behind him, to see his father gone. He looks down at the base-ball in his hand, white knuckles it.
BEGIN FLASHBACK:INT. DOUG'S HOUSE - DAYStreamers hang from the ceiling - a banner reads: HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY, DOUG. Doug, sits at the head of the table opening presents, a huge cake in front of him, a half dozen KIDS sit around the table singing Happy Birthday.
Peter stands off to one side of the room. The singing stops. He places a gift in front of his son.
Doug frantically tears at the wrapping, to reveal: a baseball and mitt.
He looks up at this father, a huge grin on his face.
Peter beams in response to the look of pure joy on his son's face.
END FLASHBACK.BEGIN FLASHBACK:INT. HOUSE - NURSERY - DAYPeter picks his son, AGE 1, out of the cot. Tears stream down baby Doug's red face. Peter holds him, jiggles him up and down, soothes him.
A record-player in the corner of the room.
Peter walks over to it, places the needle into the vinyl groove, the record spins, music fills the room. NEIL DIAMOND - HOT AUGUST NIGHTS. Peter dances around the room, baby Doug in his arms.
MINUTES LATER:Baby Doug, sound asleep in his father's arms. Peter places a now sleeping baby Doug back into the cot, pulls the covers up around him.
END FLASHBACK.BACK TO SCENE:EXT. STREETPeter, struggling against the weight of his bags, an occasional glance back behind him - no one follows.
A tear rolls down his cheek. He hastily wipes it way, trudges on.
EXT. DOUG'S HOUSE - MINUTES LATERDoug tears up the pathway and out the front gate. He peers down the street - just in time to see his father disappear over the crest of the hill.
He walks back inside the gate, shuts it behind him, leans against it.
A tear rolls down his cheek.
Summing up, clarity is key, and POV. Hope this helps.