Flashback

Watch as an animation →

In plain words

Insert a past scene to show a cause, a memory or a contrast.

When to use it

Comparisons like "it used to be like this", emotional brand stories.

Example videos

How to Write a Flashback — What the Best Movie Flashbacks Have in Common — Explainer: From the definition of a flashback to what good flashbacks have in common, in film scenes.
HOW DO YOU INITIATE A FLASHBACK IN FILM — Explainer: A short summary of the signals that lead into a past scene: dissolves, sound and texture changes.
Art of the Opening Scene Pt. 2 — 6 More Ways to Begin a Movie, From Scorsese to Tarantino — Explainer: See flashback openings that start a film with a past scene.

In AI video, like this

Fix a different texture in the past cut's STYLE block, like "faded colors, 16mm grain", to set it apart from the present. Mark the entry point with a dissolve, a flash or reduced saturation (eq=saturation=0.6).

One-click prompt

Two-shot sequence: Shot 1, present day, an old woman in a cozy kitchen looks at a faded photograph, natural colors, 3 seconds; cut to Shot 2, flashback, the same kitchen thirty years earlier, a young woman laughing with her mother, faded colors, 16mm film grain, soft vignette, warm haze, 4 seconds.

See it in real films and ads

StudioBinder — What the Best Movie Flashbacks Have in Common

AI-made examples

Not verified

Recommended for scenes like these

Narrative Story Music VideoTitanic — "I'm Flying" Bow Scene at Sunset

Techniques that pair well

Wide Shot (WS)Close-Up (CU)Frame Within a FrameGolden Hour35mm Film
← Time Compression / EllipsisFlash-Forward →