The Benefits of Multi-Layered Film Structure: Effective Techniques and a Practical Guide

Modern Films Are Structurally Complex

Whether it’s novels, manga, or movies, story-driven media today often feature increasingly complex structures. Multiple layers of foreshadowing, intricate character relationships, and a growing number of characters all contribute to narratives that are harder to follow.

I watch a lot of films on Amazon Prime, and while I often find them entertaining, I sometimes realize I’m losing track of the story. Maybe I’m not fully focused, or maybe my comprehension isn’t what it used to be—but I suspect that many films have become so elaborate that it’s hard to distinguish the core narrative from its branches.

This complexity is a natural response to evolving audience expectations. As viewers become more sophisticated, creators feel compelled to offer richer, more layered stories.

Of course, there are exceptions—Clint Eastwood’s films, for example, often succeed with simple structures. But that’s largely because Eastwood is a household name. If the same film were made by unknown creators, it likely wouldn’t make it onto most people’s watchlists.

A Case Study: Kyogoku Natsuhiko’s “The Mōryō’s Box”

As a storyteller, crafting a compelling narrative with a simple structure is surprisingly difficult. For example, it’s easier to write scenes for two characters than for one. If the creator lacks technical skill, a simple structure can feel dull and overly reliant on the charisma of the actors—which only works if they’re exceptionally engaging.

On the other hand, creating a complex structure is a major challenge in itself. That’s why I recommend a middle ground: a simple dual-layered structure.

One excellent example is Kyogoku Natsuhiko’s novel The Mōryō’s Box, part of a series that saw its latest installment, Nue no Ishibumi, released in September 2023.

In The Mōryō’s Box, the main mystery narrative is interspersed with chapters from a surreal fantasy novel. These chapters are captivating on their own, and by the end, you realize they’re deeply connected to the central mystery. It’s essentially a “story within a story,” but unlike most such devices, the embedded narrative stands alone as a complete work.

In fact, the fantasy segments were later published separately as a short story.

This kind of dual-layered structure is well worth emulating.

The Order of Creation Matters

The order in which a story is consumed is not the same as the order in which it’s created. This applies to both written and visual media.

Writers may draft from beginning to end, but the conceptual process rarely follows that linear path. And in any creative or manufacturing process, the order of operations can dramatically affect the workload.

So yes—sequence matters.

Let’s say you want to incorporate a “story within a story” into your film. What’s the best order to produce it? Technically, any order works if the final product is complete. But I strongly believe you should start by creating the embedded story first.

Why You Should Create the Inner Story First

Assuming your embedded narrative is self-contained—like in The Mōryō’s Box—you should prioritize its production.

Even if only part of it will appear in the final film (as in The Tragedy of W), it’s still worth completing it as a standalone piece. You can always present unused scenes in a digest format.

Once you finish shooting the embedded story, you can edit it into a short film—even while the main production is still underway. This gives you a tangible product to share early on, creating buzz and momentum long before the full film is ready.

Boosting Morale and Engagement

Filmmaking takes time. For feature-length projects, the production period can stretch so long that only the director and producer remain invested. Other collaborators may lose interest or even forget the project entirely.

But if you release the embedded story early, it reignites motivation. It also serves as a pitch to attract new collaborators.

Some creators hesitate to show unfinished work, preferring to surprise everyone with a polished final product. But after months of silence, most people will have moved on. Some may be unreachable altogether.

Early release of the embedded story helps maintain relationships and interest.

A Bonus Layer of Enjoyment

In the final film, the embedded story may be scattered throughout, used in more strategic ways. Viewers who saw the short film earlier will enjoy recognizing how it’s repurposed. It adds a meta-layer of engagement.

If you wait until the full film is done before extracting the embedded story, you miss out on these benefits—momentum, engagement, and creative flexibility.

And if the project stalls, at least the embedded story survives as a finished product.

Even commercial films sometimes release embedded content separately. For example, in Shunji Iwai’s April Story, the samurai film Nobunaga Lives On—watched by the protagonist in a theater—was later released in full as a DVD bonus feature.

Make Your Film Enjoyable in Multiple Ways

If you’re going to make a film, why not design it to be enjoyed more than once, in more than one format?

Hope this was helpful.