Backstory

Backstory is whatever happened before a movie starts. It defines the situation that we find at the beginning. Depending on how you look at it that might include the Big Bang, but that’s hardly relevant in most cases. (I actually wrote a script once that had the Big Bang as plot point 1, but that’s another story.)

So lets define backstory as the sum of events that are immediately relevant for understanding the situation at the beginning of a movie. And let's take the meaning of ‘immediately’ as relaxed as necessary.

A picture says more than a thousand words. Here a potential opening scene. (It's not properly formatted but this is the best blogger will do):

KITCHEN

A vase hits the wall, shatters inches away from the glass door of a cabinet stacked with tableware. Porcelain fragments rain to the floor.

                MARTINA
     (screams)
How can you be so ...

She seems to look for the greatest possible insult.

                MARTINA
... boring?

MARTINA (30s), a tough, feminine beauty with Hispanic features, stands at a sink which holds further ammunition. Her long, black hair in disarray. Angrily she beats a strand of hair out of her line of vision.

RON (30s), average in height and in every other way, scantily glances at the fragments on the floor. A creased brow the only sign of emotion.

               RON
Someone has to be boring around
here.

              MARTINA
         (puzzled)
What?                        

              RON
If I wouldn’t ensure a steady
inflow of cash into this
household you ...

He makes no effort to avoid a salad bowl which barely misses his head. He has seen this before.

The bowl hits the same spot on the wall.

                RON
... could hardly afford
expensive shows of compassion to
whoever comes to cry on your
shoulder.   

His eyes widen. He ducks, barely escapes the plate which a moment later hits the cabinet full center. Breaking glass, expensive clangor.

Ron resurfaces, looks at the damage. Turns to her, eyes wide, lips tight. A deep breath.

Martina stares at the damage. Expectant.

Ron walks to the door.

A moment of hesitation.

He is out the room. The door closes silently.

She leans on the sink.

Tears.

The two obviously have issues with each other. What's wrong with them? What do we know of them until now?

Ron is well educated, judging from his way of speaking. He exercises self-control. He isn't the most interesting guy in the world, as a matter of fact he appears boring. There is hope, though: when almost hit by the plate he shows a reaction and his moment of hesitation before leaving the room at the end indicates internal events, no matter how subtle. Of course, we can't be sure whether it's about the damaged tableware or because of bigger things.

Martina is emotional, expressive, passionate and compassionate. She has style. In spite of her passion and anger also exercises self-control - or already the vase had been aimed at Ron's head. She has more a focus on relationships than on money. And she cares for the relationship with Ron, she suffers from the fight - she cries in the end.

The two apparently live with each other. They are financially well off. And they need some new tableware. The rest is backstory:

Who is Ron? Who is Martina? Are they married? How long? Do they have children? How many? If not – why not. What is their educational background? Are they both working? (Probably not, judging from a remark of Ron.). Why are they so different? Why are they together? And why have they been fighting?

The answers are in the backstory.

It’s important to know enough about the events that lead up to the moment. People are a result of their past. So are characters, which are fictional people with a fictional past. The way they speak, dress, act and react has been formed by what they have experienced. The history of a an individual is called a character biography – a personal type of backstory. That’s another article.

The same is true for events. Knowing what preceded an event, why an event happens, might have an influence on how it unfolds and what other events may occur as a result of it.

If a character’s car broke down in the countryside and the sky is dark, suggesting that rain is imminent, a scene may show her running towards a house in order to call a tow truck and avoid the rain that would ruin her costume.

On the other hand, if her car was rammed by a homicidal maniac that has terrorized the area for a few weeks the scene will show find her running, rain imminent, to that house in order to call for help. However, she will be running for her life and it is not a tow truck that she plans to call. And her face will show the difference.

Also when creating the story backstory is important. In historical drama’s backstory can fill books – depending how much research you feel is required. I once heard someone saying “If it rained that day in 1828 – it’s in the file.” At the other extreme the backstory could fill half a page, or just exist in your head – but it should be enough to explain the events and it should be consistent.

Some events from backstory are revealed in a script, sometimes in full, sometimes only sketchily, chronologically or else, through dialog, subtext or flashback action. Others are never revealed. But all have an influence on the script.