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Creating unforgettable characters

Linda Seger (1990)

1. Researching the character


2. Consistencies and paradoxes
3. Creating the back-story
4. Psychology
5. Relationship
6. Supporting and Minor characters
7. Dialogue
8. Non-realistic characters
9. Stereotyping
10. Solving character problems

1. Researching the character

General research: think about what you already know about it


The context: it shapes your character (historical period, location, culture,
occupation)

Specific research: the news things you have to imagine about it


Who, What, Where, When, Why

It paves the way for the imagination


to give the character life

2. Consistencies and paradoxes


Getting the first idea from observation or experience (authors identification)
Creating the first broad stroke physical description (must be evocative and actable)
Finding the core of the character consistency (predictability)
Finding the paradoxes within the character to create complexity (conflict)
Adding emotion, attitudes and values to further round out
Adding details to make the character specific and unique (imperfections)

Breaking up the characters souls unity

2. Consistencies and paradoxes

Adding emotion, attitudes and values to further round out


emotion

Deepen a characters humanity

attitudes

Opinions, point of view, how it looks at life


Something the character brings into situations
Strong in comedy

values

Believes, values at stake. The character must


Communicate its values, it doesnt discuss them

3. Creating the back-story


Characters biography
The information may never be conveyed to the audience
What the actor needs to know to play the scene
The sense memories. It is not important what happened to the character but how he felt about it

You want to get more of the character as you would do whit a new friend
Dont get stuck with the past: its no dramatic (drama happens at the present time)
It helps to keep up the character in unusual or incredible situations

4. Psychology
Inner back-story
You have to track down the past inner
experiences of the character

The unconscious
Your characters behaviour, gesture and speech
come from the unconscious

The character types

The abnormal

Knowing types will help you to orchestrate


Conflicts. People usually have greatest conflict
with their opposite

4. Psychology

INTROVERTED

depressive

maniac

schizophrenic

paranoid

Anxiety neurotic

psychopath or sociopath

Normal behaviour line

The abnormal

EXTRAVERTED

5. Relationship
The couples: you have to set the qualities for the most sizzle
(love affair, friendship, partnership, etc.)

Drama is essentially relational

Character have something in common


that brings them together

attraction

conflict

There is a conflict between the characters and


this provides most of the drama

contrast

Characters have contrasting qualities (opposite)

transformation

CONFLICT

The television series may run for five


to ten year, delaying the resolution of
the relationship

The characters have the potential to transform


each other for better or for worse

In television series changes are


minimal. In films and novels
transformation may be massive

5. Relationship
Midnight Run

Jack

Jonathan

(bounty hunter)

(bookkeeper)

Their contrasting qualities include choice of jobs,


relationship to their spouses, moral choices
and even eating

Dan

Fatal attraction

The most workable triangles


occur when each character
exercises wilfulness and
intentionally

Beth

Alex

6. Supporting and Minor characters

Give further depth, colour and texture to the story

You must know:

The function Helps define the role and importance of the protagonist
(children for te Mother, Secretary for the CEO, etc.)

Can be a catalyst figure, giving out information that moves the story forward
(children for te Mother, Secretary for the CEO, etc.)

How to fulfil the function

Contrasting the character with the protagonist


Physical (heavy and slim), Attitudes (passionate and cold)

They can be similar (occasionally)


They can have their own paradoxes and personalities
They can be character types (instantly recognizable to audiences)

Details

Give them part of your attention. Invent some little details

7. Dialogue
It has a beat, a rhythm, a melody
Tends to be short, and spare (character do not speak for more than two o three lines)
It is like a tennis match (constant exchange of power sexual, physical, political, social, etc.)
Conveys conflict, attitudes and intentions (do not tell it: reveal it)
It is easily spoken (it makes good actors)

7. Dialogue
Text

plot

The lines spoken by the character into the script

drama

Sub text

What the character is really saying beneath and between the lines

energy

7. Dialogue
Bad dialogue
PRODUCER
Well, come in. It is a real
pleasure to meet you. You know, I
liked your script very much it
is really very good.
YOUNG WRITER
Well, thank you. It is my first
script, and Im really very
scared about what youll think
about it. Im from Kansas, and I
have never been to a big city
before, and I feel really lucky
to meet someone like you. I have
admired your work for so many
years.
PRODUCER
Oh, that is very nice of you to
say that. Lets talk about making
a deal.

wooden
boring
The lines says what theyre thinking
No difference between the characters

7. Dialogue
There are tens of things to do before you write the dialogue
You have to translate real talk into fictional dialogue (stylized, compressed)
For a good dialogue you must sense the character as an actor does

8. Non-realistic characters
Symbolic character

One-dimensional, they personify one quality.


Villains and superheroes are often symbolic characters

One dimensional
symbolic character
Mars

Stepford Wives
Everyman

Multi dimensional
character
Superman
Batman
Joker

Clark Kent
Bruce Wayne

Scarlet
Rick
Taxi driver

8. Non-realistic characters
Non human character

Choosing one or two attributes that will begin to define


the identity of the character
Emphasizing the associations that the audience brings to
the character in order to expand on this identity
Creating a strong context to deepen the character

Lassie
Rub Tin Tin
King Kong

Most animal characters are likely to not change at all in the story
The process of associating a quality to a non human character is the same
of the one used in ads for associating a quality to a brand
Most of the strength for the non human character comes from the context

8. Non-realistic characters
Fantasy character

Character in magical context

Merlin
Wicked Witch of the West (Oz)
Mermaid (Splash)

8. Non-realistic characters
Mythic character

Must add an understanding of the audience


A mythic story represent the meaning in our own lives
You are talking about real heroes
The hero is transformed in the course of his journey
They need enough dimensionality to seem like real
human beings
There must be a sense of mystery (past, dark side, etc.)
The hero is not just a person: hes an idea.

9. Stereotyping

Get rid of the stereotypes!


Usually you tend to stereotype who is different from you
(ethnic minorities, different sexual orientation, religious groups)

You do not need a stereotype in comedy: you want character type


(The character type doesnt suggest that everyone in a certain group has the same characteristic)

10. Solving character problems


You can solve problem if you realize where they come from
Un-likable characters You must come to a term with your own psychology
Vague character improve the research and add some details
General problem it is a story problem, not a character problem
Some advices for breaking through
free writing
hidden agenda
other person reading
what if?
gender switch

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