Narrative Techniques (Part 2/3)

Flashback
The purpose of flashback is to either move the story forward or reveal information about the character. Flashbacks can be used for any number of reasons but its primary purpose is to bridge time, place and action to reveal a past emotional event or physical conflict that affects the character. Sometimes, it gives insight and understanding into a character's behavior or solves a past mystery. A flashback can also be used to reveal why an event happened, or how it happened, or possibly flashforward to an event that may or may not happen in the near future.

will by Eusong Lee is a powerful animated short film about the struggle of a girl dealing the with loss of her father due to the 9/11 incident. The yo-yo giver by her dad acts a bridge to the present day and the flashback to the father but most importantly, later on we see that it mirrors her father falling out the window of the tower. A yo-yo however can be pulled back up, unlike her dad's circumstances. The short also effectively used colours to differentiate between the two timelines: orange tones for the dad (to represent the fiery destruction of the tower) and greens and browns for the girl.

Binary opposites
Binary means a combination of two things, a pair or duality. Opposition, on the other hand means the act of strongly disagreeing with somebody or something; especially with the aim of presenting something from happening. So, binary opposition refers to two opposite things but interrelated or interconnected with each other. In fact the one depends on the other. These exact opposites will often create conflict between characters that will help move the plot forward. The usual example of binary opposite in a film will be a hero and a villain.



The Terms by Jason Lamotte is an award-winning dark comedy short film. A man  father declares that he's going to shoot his son dead after he learns that he set their house on fire but offers him an arrangement: a fifty yard head start and a single bullet in the chamber. This short film displays a good example of binary oppositions: father and son, dreams and reality. The son thinks "it's time they up roots and move on", away from their house whereas the father is "too old for optimism". There is this conflict between youthful dreams and cynical resignation which catalyses sad consequences.