Screenplay format guide
How to Write a Flash Forward in a Screenplay
To write a flash forward in a screenplay, mark it in the scene heading, like FLASH FORWARD - INT. EMPTY APARTMENT - DAY, add how far ahead in brackets if it matters, play the scene, then return with BACK TO PRESENT and a new heading. It works like a flashback, only aimed at the future. Example below.
Written and reviewed by ScriptLix Editorial
INT. WEDDING RECEPTION - NIGHT
Amir raises a glass. Everyone cheers. Noor kisses him.
FLASH FORWARD - INT. EMPTY APARTMENT - DAY (TEN YEARS LATER)
The same glass sits on a windowsill, dusty. Amir, grey at the temples, packs a box alone.
BACK TO PRESENT
INT. WEDDING RECEPTION - NIGHT
Amir drinks. He laughs at something Noor says.
Write your own
Type in plain text. A name in caps right above a line becomes dialogue, and lines starting INT. or EXT. become scene headings.
INT. WEDDING RECEPTION - NIGHT
Amir raises a glass. Everyone cheers. Noor kisses him.
FLASH FORWARD - INT. EMPTY APARTMENT - DAY (TEN YEARS LATER)
The same glass sits on a windowsill, dusty. Amir, grey at the temples, packs a box alone.
BACK TO PRESENT
INT. WEDDING RECEPTION - NIGHT
Amir drinks. He laughs at something Noor says.
How to use it
- 1
Start the scene heading with FLASH FORWARD, then the normal location and time of day.
- 2
Add the time jump in brackets, like (TEN YEARS LATER), when the reader needs it.
- 3
Close with BACK TO PRESENT, then a fresh scene heading for the present.
What is a flash forward?
A flash forward cuts ahead in time to show something that has not happened yet, then returns to the present. It plants a question, how do we get from here to there, and lets the audience watch every scene after it with that ending in mind.
A cold open that starts near the end and then jumps back with a title like SIX MONTHS EARLIER is the same idea from the other side. In that case the bulk of the script is the past, and you mark the jump with a title card or super rather than FLASH FORWARD.
How do I make the time jump clear?
Put it in the heading, add the jump in brackets, and show it in the first action line. A dusty glass and grey temples tell the reader years have passed before they finish the sentence. If an actor plays an older version of a character, describe the change the first time we see them.
When does a flash forward hurt a script?
When it gives away the tension the story needed. Showing that a character survives can drain a later scene of danger. A good flash forward raises a better question than it answers, like why the marriage ended, not whether it did.
More from the format guide
- How to Write a Montage in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Flashback in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Phone Call in a Screenplay
- How to Write Text Messages in a Screenplay
- Dual Dialogue in a Screenplay
- Voice Over in a Screenplay: V.O. Narration
- Screenplay Transitions: CUT TO, DISSOLVE TO
- How to Introduce a Character in a Screenplay
- How to Use Parentheticals in a Screenplay
- How to Write an Intercut in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Title Card in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Series of Shots in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Dream Sequence in a Screenplay
- Smash Cut: What It Is and How to Write One
- O.S. in a Screenplay: Meaning and Format
- How to Write a Pre Lap in a Screenplay
- Subtitles in a Screenplay: Foreign Dialogue
- How to Write a Split Screen in a Screenplay
- How to Write Slow Motion in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Freeze Frame in a Screenplay
- How to Write Song Lyrics in a Screenplay
Questions writers ask
How do you write a flash forward in a screenplay?
Put FLASH FORWARD at the start of the scene heading, add the time jump in brackets if needed, write the scene, then return with BACK TO PRESENT and a new scene heading.
How do you end a flash forward?
With BACK TO PRESENT, or END FLASH FORWARD, on its own line, followed by a normal scene heading.
Is a flash forward the same as a cold open?
Not quite. A flash forward is a short jump ahead inside the story. A cold open that starts at the end often uses a title like SIX MONTHS EARLIER to go back.
Can I use more than one flash forward?
Yes, if they build. Format each the same way so the reader always knows when they are in the future.