Flashbacks?

[Spoonius]

So, what do you guys think?

Do they jumble up a storyline? Do they tear you out of the action? Do they destroy any sense of continuity?
Or are they a good way to flesh out backstory without taking ages to get into the action?

I'm talking about games, books, movies, whatever.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[PureChaos]

they're usually fine. i'd rather see a flashback than listen to someone tell the story of what happened.

 

[dommyuk]

I think they're good if they don't start to take priority over the present. The way Iron Man did it was quite good. For my Film Studies screenplay, I used still images with a narrator instead of flash backs, which my teacher throught worked well.

 

[Marter]

I find them to be only worth it if used correctly. I really hate it when shows have episodes that are predominantly flashbacks.

 

[Capt. Crankypants]

I'd say they're a pretty standard method of storytelling, and there are a variety of ways to execute them, my favourite being an interactive one, where you can play through someones past experiences.

 

[Grimplewurst]

If they're used properly they're great, like in the book In the Lake of the Woods, the narrator's flashbacks are what makes the story. But there have been many cases where the flashback medium is just thin and/or hollow and adds nothing to the story. Like in Prey.

 

[unreal713]

It really depends on how they're used I guess. Currently I'm against them because of Heroes. Damn flashbacks every few episodes starts to get quite annoying. It explains stuff, but the way they do it seems to break the pace somewhat.

 

[Ekonk]

I have no trouble with flashbacks. My favourite novel consists half out of flashbacks.

 

[Layz92]

They are fine as long as it is possible to pick up instantly that the time has changed. Nothing worse that a author/writing seamlessly having dead people alive and making YOU figure out it is a flashback.

 

[Spoonius]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I just want to ask about your thoughts on parallel threads? As in, two or more entirely seperate sequences, sometimes happening at two different points in time.

A better or worse technique than flashbacks?

 

[Ldude893]

I watch LOST, and personally, I think flashbacks are a pretty effective storytelling tool if used properly.

 

[Drakmeire]

I think they're fun. epically when the the word the character just said is repeated as they fade to white white white white ite.*flashback sound*

 

[rokkolpo]

not a fan, if done right can work. (and by that i mean NOT in a epilectic flash attack kind of way)

 

[unreal713]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I just want to ask about your thoughts on parallel threads? As in, two or more entirely seperate sequences, sometimes happening at two different points in time.

A better or worse technique than flashbacks?

Hmm, are you talking about stuff like Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy), where different stuff that seems unrelated that comes together to make sense later?

Same with flashbacks really, depends on how well it's done. I think it's better than flashbacks, but personally I prefer that the narrative concentrates on the protagonist rather than moving about all the time. But with a game like Fahrenheit you need to have this parallel storytelling, to get the full picture. But some games or films (this is done less in books I think), annoy me when it jumps to the bad guy for 20 seconds before going back.

 

[Spoonius]

Hmm, are you talking about stuff like Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy), where different stuff that seems unrelated that comes together to make sense later?

I'm talking about two or more storylines being told simultaneously.
A bit like in LOTR, how the later books and films flick between the different groups of characters and their seperate paths through Middle Earth.
Or the stories can be temporally distant; for example, you could simultaneously tell the story of a caveman and his tribe, and the story of a modern-day scientific expedition that uncovers their remains.