The six sorts of parallel narrative
I have isolated, named and worked out the structure of six sorts of parallel narrative. These are the clearly defined types at the moment, but there are hybrids, and we can expect more hybridization. The six drop into two main categories: films that use time jumps and films that don't. This page gives you a brief overview of each form (with the focus on structure). Scroll down to find the sort you need. To find the sort of story material that suits each type of parallel narrative, go to Which parallel narrative structure suits my script?
For general information and reminders about handling parallel narrative go to
Parallel Narrative
Blog
Large cast, multiple storylines but linear (no time jumps)There are three forms
Often these films are known as 'ensemble films' .
1. Tandem Narrative.
Films in this form have equally-weighted stories running simultaneously (e.g. City of Hope,Caramel, Lantana, Traffic – practically everything of Altman’s). This is a form familiar in TV,which inherited from the stage (Shakespeare of course often uses three equally-weighted plots). These films, which usually are didactic, span a whole community . The way to stop them getting out of hand (as happens sometimes in Altman, in, say Short Cuts ) is to hold them together by a variety of devices, including a specific overarching plot that I call ‘the macro plot’,the presence of which arguably marks the difference between material we think of telemovie material and content we think of a feature film material. The form often uses truncation, with the use of one-act, and two act storylines as well as three act storylines. Specific structural components can reduce its inherent pull towards predictability. For common script development problems with tandem narrative, multiple protagonist narrative and double journey narrative, see What can wrong with Ensemble Films
For information on subject matter that works well in tandem narrative, see Which parallel narrative structure suits my script?
2. Multiple Protagonist.
Films in this category include American Beauty, Little Miss Sunshine, Saving Private Ryan, Galaxy Quest, Tea with Mussolini, Ordinary People, The Full Monty, All About my Mother etc). Multiple protagonist films are all either missions, reunions or physical or emotional sieges and they are all about groups, not the ‘one hero on a single journey’. Almost all films about families are multiple protagonist films, because they are emotional sieges. Multiple protagonist form when not properly structured tends to meander in circles, particularly in an inherently static form like a reunion. In successful multiple protagonist films, think of all the protagonists as being versions of the same protagonist and construct the film accordingly. For example ‘the radical student ten years on’, or ‘the soldier at war’. The backstory problems with these films are huge because they are normally about unfinished business, so in practice, you need to interweave many story strands into each scene. I have ways to prevent these problems. For more information on subject matter that works well in multiple protagonist form, see Which parallel narrative structure suits my script?
3. Double Journeys
These are films like The Departed, Brokeback Mountain, Finding Nemo, and The Lives of Others, in which there are two equally important protagonists who are journeying either towards, apart or in parallel with each other physically, emotionally or both. Because they are seen so often apart, interacting with other characters, both travellers need their own plotline and they often have a shared plotline too. Double Journey form is a kind of multiple protagonist form, but with specific plot content about the metaphorical double journey. You will need to create three plotlines. Often but not always one character is shown in more detail than the other, with the second something of a mystery. For more information on subject matter that suits double journeys form see Which parallel narrative structure suits my script?
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Parallel narrative forms that use flashbacks, time jumps, non-linearity, fractured storylines There are three forms, each with subcategories
1. Flashback.
I have isolated and named nine categories of flashback some complex, some simple, each serving a different story purpose and structured differently. Sometimes films will have several kinds. Types seven eight and nine are the most complex, and each is structured differently to suite a different view of an enigmatic outsider. I have given these three sorts the name: 'Double Narrative Flashback' because they all have one complete story in the present and one complete story in the past. Typically the story in the past is much longer. These days, particularly in TV, the past has more than one story. Hybrids are forming all the time.
Note that each flashback type is structurally different. Flashback is not just one thing - like Voice Over - always the same, able to be inserted where you like in a three act chronological structure! If you treat flashback like this you're very likely to forget bits of plot and end up with flashbacks that confuse or bore your audience. The nine types of flashback are all utterly different structurally and each is a useful storytelling method for just one type of story material. Several are actually structured with multiple interwoven storylines. All need to be planned with great care.
Never try to write flashbacks on the run! Plan! All the flashback forms work to precise patterns which I have isolated and you can use as templates. I have explained the templates at length in my book 'The 21st Century Screenplay' and you'll need to read that because there is no room here for the kind of detail that you have to master.
The difference between flashback films that work and flashback films that are confusing or boring is these structural patterns. If you have ever wondered why flashbacks sometimes work and sometimes don't work, it's the presence or absence of these structural patterns Those that don't use the structural patterns don't work.
Nine Types of Flashback
2. Consecutive Stories (I used to call this family 'Sequential Narrative')This is equally-weighted, self-contained stories following one after the other joined together at the end (e.g. Pulp Fiction, The Circle, The Butterfly Effect, Run Lola Run, Amores Perros, City of God). These films split into a number of categories with different structural rules. The most interesting are those which, like Pulp Fiction, use what I call a ‘portmanteau’ or ‘bag’ structure. That is, they use one story to contain the others, like a bag or suitcase.
Sub-categories are:
For more information on subject matter that suits consecutive stories form, see Which Parallel Narrative Structure suits my Script?
3. Fractured Tandem. This is the form of films like 21 Grams, Babel, Three Burials of Melchiades Estrada, The Hours and Crash. It consists of equally-weighted stories, often in different time frames, fractured and truncated and put together again in such a way as to steal jeopardy and suspense from the ending and create it at the beginning and throughout. This form uses special structural means to transmit the following story content
For more information about the subject matter that suits fractured tandem, see
Which type of parallel narrative structure suits my story?
For general information and reminders about handling parallel narrative go to
Parallel Narrative
Blog
Large cast, multiple storylines but linear (no time jumps)There are three forms
- Tandem narrative
- Multiple protagonist narrative
- Double journey narrative
Often these films are known as 'ensemble films' .
1. Tandem Narrative.
Films in this form have equally-weighted stories running simultaneously (e.g. City of Hope,Caramel, Lantana, Traffic – practically everything of Altman’s). This is a form familiar in TV,which inherited from the stage (Shakespeare of course often uses three equally-weighted plots). These films, which usually are didactic, span a whole community . The way to stop them getting out of hand (as happens sometimes in Altman, in, say Short Cuts ) is to hold them together by a variety of devices, including a specific overarching plot that I call ‘the macro plot’,the presence of which arguably marks the difference between material we think of telemovie material and content we think of a feature film material. The form often uses truncation, with the use of one-act, and two act storylines as well as three act storylines. Specific structural components can reduce its inherent pull towards predictability. For common script development problems with tandem narrative, multiple protagonist narrative and double journey narrative, see What can wrong with Ensemble Films
For information on subject matter that works well in tandem narrative, see Which parallel narrative structure suits my script?
2. Multiple Protagonist.
Films in this category include American Beauty, Little Miss Sunshine, Saving Private Ryan, Galaxy Quest, Tea with Mussolini, Ordinary People, The Full Monty, All About my Mother etc). Multiple protagonist films are all either missions, reunions or physical or emotional sieges and they are all about groups, not the ‘one hero on a single journey’. Almost all films about families are multiple protagonist films, because they are emotional sieges. Multiple protagonist form when not properly structured tends to meander in circles, particularly in an inherently static form like a reunion. In successful multiple protagonist films, think of all the protagonists as being versions of the same protagonist and construct the film accordingly. For example ‘the radical student ten years on’, or ‘the soldier at war’. The backstory problems with these films are huge because they are normally about unfinished business, so in practice, you need to interweave many story strands into each scene. I have ways to prevent these problems. For more information on subject matter that works well in multiple protagonist form, see Which parallel narrative structure suits my script?
3. Double Journeys
These are films like The Departed, Brokeback Mountain, Finding Nemo, and The Lives of Others, in which there are two equally important protagonists who are journeying either towards, apart or in parallel with each other physically, emotionally or both. Because they are seen so often apart, interacting with other characters, both travellers need their own plotline and they often have a shared plotline too. Double Journey form is a kind of multiple protagonist form, but with specific plot content about the metaphorical double journey. You will need to create three plotlines. Often but not always one character is shown in more detail than the other, with the second something of a mystery. For more information on subject matter that suits double journeys form see Which parallel narrative structure suits my script?
* * *
Parallel narrative forms that use flashbacks, time jumps, non-linearity, fractured storylines There are three forms, each with subcategories
- Flashback
- Consecutive stories
- Fractured tandem
1. Flashback.
I have isolated and named nine categories of flashback some complex, some simple, each serving a different story purpose and structured differently. Sometimes films will have several kinds. Types seven eight and nine are the most complex, and each is structured differently to suite a different view of an enigmatic outsider. I have given these three sorts the name: 'Double Narrative Flashback' because they all have one complete story in the present and one complete story in the past. Typically the story in the past is much longer. These days, particularly in TV, the past has more than one story. Hybrids are forming all the time.
Note that each flashback type is structurally different. Flashback is not just one thing - like Voice Over - always the same, able to be inserted where you like in a three act chronological structure! If you treat flashback like this you're very likely to forget bits of plot and end up with flashbacks that confuse or bore your audience. The nine types of flashback are all utterly different structurally and each is a useful storytelling method for just one type of story material. Several are actually structured with multiple interwoven storylines. All need to be planned with great care.
Never try to write flashbacks on the run! Plan! All the flashback forms work to precise patterns which I have isolated and you can use as templates. I have explained the templates at length in my book 'The 21st Century Screenplay' and you'll need to read that because there is no room here for the kind of detail that you have to master.
The difference between flashback films that work and flashback films that are confusing or boring is these structural patterns. If you have ever wondered why flashbacks sometimes work and sometimes don't work, it's the presence or absence of these structural patterns Those that don't use the structural patterns don't work.
Nine Types of Flashback
- Flashback as illustration: a simple backstory device, as when, for example, a detective asks: ‘Where were you on the night of April 5?’ and we flash back to what happened.
- Regret flashback: non-chronological fragments from an unsuccessful love relationship (as in Annie Hall, Manchester by the Sea and And When Did You Last See Your Father?).
- Bookend flashback: a scene or sequence in the present that appears at the start and the end of the film, ‘bookending’ the story (for example, Saving Private Ryan and Fight Club).
- Catch-Up Flashback" when the end of a scene is shown first and the start of this scene is shown either immediately afterwards (seen most clearly in Memento) or later in the film, as in Broken.
- Preview flashback: the film starts on a scene or sequence midway or two-thirds through, then flashes back to the start, running through chronologically to the end (as in Michael Clayton and Goodfellas).
- Life-Changing Incident Flashback : one life-changing moment is revealed in one flashback shown bit by bit incrementally (for example, Catch-22).
- 'Thwarted Dream flashback' (this is Double Narrative Flashback type number 1 ). This is seen in films like Shine, Remains of the Day, and Slumdog Millionaire. It shows an enigmatic outsider pursuing a thwarted or lost dream and has one or more 'normal' investigator characters, often journalists or detectives, who share our puzzlement at the enigmatic outsider and are trying to find out more about this person
- 'Case History Flashback' (this is Double Narrative Flashback type number two). It's seen in films like Citizen Kane, The Usual Suspects, The Life of David Gale etc. It depicts an enigmatic outsider who is either dead,close to death or in some way unable to communicate. Their past is explored by one or more investigator characters. This form typically has an ironic twist at the end (I call this 'the Rosebud Twist' referencing Citizen Kane, where we the audience find out what Kane's last word ('Rosebud') refers to, but knowing this tells us nothing.
- 'Autobiographical Flashback' (this Double Narrative flashback number 3) This type of flashback is when you show the central character in the present talking about himself or herself as they were in the past in voice over. This means no investigator character is needed. In terms of story content, this form can be either be thwarted dream or case history.
2. Consecutive Stories (I used to call this family 'Sequential Narrative')This is equally-weighted, self-contained stories following one after the other joined together at the end (e.g. Pulp Fiction, The Circle, The Butterfly Effect, Run Lola Run, Amores Perros, City of God). These films split into a number of categories with different structural rules. The most interesting are those which, like Pulp Fiction, use what I call a ‘portmanteau’ or ‘bag’ structure. That is, they use one story to contain the others, like a bag or suitcase.
Sub-categories are:
- Stories walking into the picture: that is, stories simply happening one after the other, linking at the end (as in The Circle and Paris, je t’aime)
- Different perspectives: that is, different versions or points of view of the same events (as in Run Lola Run, Groundhog Day and Rashomon)
- Different consequences: that is, different outcomes from the same events (as in Go and Atonement)
- Fractured frame/portmanteau: that is, fractured versions of one of the three above, using one split-up story to act like a bookend or a portmanteau (as in, for example Pulp Fiction, City of God and The Joy Luck Club - but there are many more ).
For more information on subject matter that suits consecutive stories form, see Which Parallel Narrative Structure suits my Script?
3. Fractured Tandem. This is the form of films like 21 Grams, Babel, Three Burials of Melchiades Estrada, The Hours and Crash. It consists of equally-weighted stories, often in different time frames, fractured and truncated and put together again in such a way as to steal jeopardy and suspense from the ending and create it at the beginning and throughout. This form uses special structural means to transmit the following story content
- unexpected, often tragic, connections between apparently or initially very disparate people, triggered by an accident or random event
- several equally important stories, some or all fractured, running simultaneously sometimes in the same time frame, but often in several
- consequences, chain reactions linked to one usually horrific event (but it probably needn't be horrific)
For more information about the subject matter that suits fractured tandem, see
Which type of parallel narrative structure suits my story?
