Hey guys/gals, I'm looking for some help in this regard with my latest script. I'm just not quite sure how to handle it.

I'm struggling because the script has essentially two timelines.

TIMELINE 1
This is all the important moments in my character's life up that help inform who the character is in the present day. This timeline essentially catches up to the present day, but in the first half of the script I want to jump between the two.

TIMELINE 2
This is the character as he is now, changing and growing and making decisions etc. He recounts some things from his past, in the form of a video blog which gives rise to the backwards jumps.

My problem comes from the jump between the two. I just don't know how to handle it in the script. For example...

1. Do I use the SLUGLINE to make it clear ie.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - PRESENT DAY

John watches TV.

or

2. Use a SUPER every time ie.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

SUPER: 1981

John watches TV.

or

3. Tell the reader the character's age each time ie.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

John (12) watches TV.


I'm kinda leaning towards option 1 because the jumping back and forth happens quite a lot so maybe SUPER: 1981 would get annoying and the problem with the third one is that not all scenes involve John. Is there something else I could do?

Apologies if this has been discussed before.

-- Steve

Just jump without saying anything and let the viewer figure it out. If some dumb shit gets confused, don't beat yourself up over it... remember, they are a dumb shit.

I would personally lean towards the slugline approach.

Quoted from DustinBowcot Just jump without saying anything and let the viewer figure it out. If some dumb shit gets confused, don't beat yourself up over it... remember, they are a dumb shit.

I'm not sure about this, Dustin. Whilst it would be immediately clear on film which timeline we are in, if there has been some visible change between the character's/s' appearance (ie, like in True Detective), how is this going to come across on the page?

That is pretty terrible advice, Dustin.

What I would say is to use normal sluglines then, at the end of the slugline, put the year or amount of time it was in parentheses.

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT (TWO WEEKS AGO)

That's what works for me, but you'll find your own thing after practicing.

Sounds to me like it's a simple case of Flashbacks, and if that is indeed the case, don't do so in your Slugs - just use...

BEGIN FLASHBACK:

SLUG

Action/description

blah, blah, blah

END FLASHBACK.

Quoted from Toby_E I'm not sure about this, Dustin. Whilst it would be immediately clear on film which timeline we are in, if there has been some visible change between the character's/s' appearance (ie, like in True Detective), how is this going to come across on the page?

I've never seen True Detective... but I understand your point anyway.

It will come across on the page the same way it will on film. The reader will obviously question who this character is and it will become clear through the narratives of both timelines. If it doesn't, then there's something wrong with the writing.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde That is pretty terrible advice, Dustin.

What qualifies you to say that?

If in doubt - go for clarity.

Tricky - a tough nut to crack and keep the story clear. I have seen several answers here that seem to be correct. For example, the flashback approach made by Jeff is certainly technically correct. e.g.,

Quoted Text BEGIN FLASHBACK: SLUG Action/description blah, blah, blah END FLASHBACK.

The problem is that it might get messy/unclear if:

• The flashbacks involve multiple scenes rather than being contained withing a scene.
  
  If just as much of the story involves the primary timeline vs. the alternate timeline.
  
  There are elements of the Primary and Alternate timelines that are told in a non sequential manner (i.e., you certainly would want to avoid flashbacks within flashbacks).
  
  

The use of SUPERS would also be correct, IMO.

What you have to ask yourself is - what makes the transition between time periods the clearest. The problem is you may not be able to arrive at a conclusion in this regard until you are actually done with the script. So, if it were me - I would write the draft with the different timelines in EVERY scene heading and not bother with either flashbacks or supers. I would even add a note in the front of the script - e.g., this story is told in two timelines. The Characters CURRENT LIFE and the CHARACTERS prior life ....blah, blah, blah...which will be indicated in the scene headings. Your scene headings would look something like:

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT (CURRENT LIFE)

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT (PRIOR LIFE)

It doesn't have to be CURRENT and PRIOR - use whatever term most precisely describes the time of the story.

IMO, that will at least free you from having to worry about the format right now, finish the draft and then make an informed opinion on which format will be the clearest.

Really appreciate the help folks. Still undecided if I'm honest. I dunno, I'll just focus on getting the draft done first, then tidy up after. Thanks!

Quoted from eldave1 Tricky - a tough nut to crack and keep the story clear. I have seen several answers here that seem to be correct. For example, the flashback approach made by Jeff is certainly technically correct. e.g., The problem is that it might get messy/unclear if: [list] [*]The flashbacks involve multiple scenes rather than being contained withing a scene. If just as much of the story involves the primary timeline vs. the alternate timeline. There are elements of the Primary and Alternate timelines that are told in a non sequential manner (i.e., you certainly would want to avoid flashbacks within flashbacks).

Actually, Dave, the beauty of using Flashbacks - when you use "BEGIN FLASHBACK:" and then end the Flashback with "END FLASHBACK." is that you can have as many scenes within that Flashback as you want.

When peeps try and use "FLASHBACK" as part of the Slug - that's when it can get messy, cuz each Slug would have to contain the "FLASHBACK: element, and when reading, it's easy to miss.

Obviously, each to own, but for me, it's truly a no brainer.

Flashbacks to handle hefty back story exposition is not something I could agree with. It will look messy throughout the script.

From what I read, you're attempting to tell essentially two stories. With the back story being quite substantial. If it is the case that the back story plays around a 20% part in the script or more, then the narrative should naturally inform the viewer/reader without the need of signposts.

Quoted from StevenHarvey Really appreciate the help folks. Still undecided if I'm honest. I dunno, I'll just focus on getting the draft done first, then tidy up after. Thanks!

That's the approach I would take - best of luck

Quoted from Dreamscale Actually, Dave, the beauty of using Flashbacks - when you use "BEGIN FLASHBACK:" and then end the Flashback with "END FLASHBACK." is that you can have as many scenes within that Flashback as you want. When peeps try and use "FLASHBACK" as part of the Slug - that's when it can get messy, cuz each Slug would have to contain the "FLASHBACK: element, and when reading, it's easy to miss. Obviously, each to own, but for me, it's truly a no brainer.

Jeff - I don't necessarily disagree. Like I said in the original post - it certainly is one correct way to handle it. That being said, when I read NI's post, it sounded to me as if he was blending two different, substantial stories - one that is happening today and one that is happening in the past. It's not really like the protag is going to create the transitions to justify a flashback to the past - there's just a different story happening in the past.

Long winded way of saying this - yes, your recommended approach certainly is technically correct and would work well with a script that has a limited number of flashbacks.  Your approach would also be technically correct in NI's situation - but I'm not sure it would be readable. I think it would be the script look haphazard - schizophrenic and a reader would give up on it early.  

I don't think a time or era should be included in the slugline. I use the SUPER: ... approach for this. It's also what you usually see in movies or television, a text is fading in saying something like "10 YEARS EARLIER"... Probably that's what they would make from a slugline as well, because a slugline is not visible in the moved picture.

Quoted from Equinox I don't think a time or era should be included in the slugline. I use the SUPER: ... approach for this. It's also what you usually see in movies or television, a text is fading in saying something like "10 YEARS EARLIER"... Probably that's what they would make from a slugline as well, because a slugline is not visible in the moved picture.

Yep - that would work quite well if you had a few instances in a script - not sure how it would look if you had 50.

Quoted from DustinBowcot Just jump without saying anything and let the viewer figure it out. If some dumb shit gets confused, don't beat yourself up over it... remember, they are a dumb shit.

I lean this way, maybe without the dumb shit part ;-) .

Read All You Need Is Kill. Constantly jumping back to the day before and never writing "24 hours earlier" or "we jump back to the day before," et al.. Reason is the narrative gets you on track (if you're not a dumb shit). You could easily say old Bob and young Bob to set the time and use the TV program to show what year it is, or use a landline phone with a 25 foot cord versus smart phone, what have you. Once you get in the swing, any (dumb shit) will follow.

My dumb shit comment was more aimed at the writers that will likely complain about such a way of doing things when they read it. Not the viewers and general (even pro) readers who are usually very good at following things.

When reviewing the work of others, writers tend to play devil's advocate (often in the misguided belief they are helping the writer) and in doing so, dumb themselves down to a level they believe the average viewer is at. So they act all confused even though they know exactly what you're doing. I just find it a bit annoying... hence the dumb shit comment.

Quoted from cloroxmartini I lean this way, maybe without the dumb shit part ;-) . Read All You Need Is Kill. Constantly jumping back to the day before and never writing "24 hours earlier" or "we jump back to the day before," et al.. Reason is the narrative gets you on track (if you're not a dumb shit). You could easily say old Bob and young Bob to set the time and use the TV program to show what year it is, or use a landline phone with a 25 foot cord versus smart phone, what have you. Once you get in the swing, any (dumb shit) will follow.

Some people won't get past the CAPS in that script, lol.

Quoted from eldave1 Yep - that would work quite well if you had a few instances in a script - not sure how it would look if you had 50.

True, but if you got 50, there's something wrong with your script in general.

no

Quoted from Max Some people won't get past the CAPS in that script, lol.

Isn't that the truth.

I use the slug-line approach but ITALICIZE it if it occurs in another period.  So BOLD slugs would be present, Italicized slugs would be the past, and underlined slugs would be the future.

So in a way, it'd work like this:

INT. LOUNGE - NIGHT
INT. LOUNGE - NIGHT
INT. LOUNGE - NIGHT

I'd add in NOTES prior to every FIRST time switch, I.E: NOTE: Italicized slugs = past, Underlined slugs = future or something of the sort, so people REMEMBER where they are without being reminded every two seconds that they're in a new time period.

But that's my way.  The prod-co I'm working with seems to like the style as it's easy for them to interpret.