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Lecture 5:Lecture 5:Who Does What and Why?Who Does What and Why?

Professor Michael Green

The Big Lebowski (1998) Written by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen

Previous LessonPrevious Lesson

• The Characteristics of a Good Short Film

• Where to Begin?

• Research, Belief and the World of the Story

• Turning an Idea into a Good Film Story

Platoon (1986) Written by Oliver Stone

In this LessonIn this Lesson

• Emotion and the Foundation of Dramatic Characters

• Creating the Character

• Representing the Character

• Important Characters

• Writing Exercise #3 Run Lola, Run (1998) Written by Tom Tykwer

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Emotion and the Foundation Emotion and the Foundation of Dramatic Characterof Dramatic Character

Lesson 5: Part I

The Quiet American (2002) Written by Graham Greene (novel) and Christopher Hampton

and Robert Schenkkan (screenplay)

Character in FilmCharacter in Film• Depicting characters in film differs greatly

from depicting them in prose and theater.• In novels and short stories, the writer can

describe characters in minute detail.• Though theater is closer to film than a

novel, theater relies greatly on dialogue. • In film, the emphasis is on showing. The

screenwriter must rely on action and behavior to show the audience who the character really is.

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Creating CharacterCreating Character

• There are two separate areas for creating workable characters in film:

1. One area deals with the specific concepts that have to do with how characters function in genre.

2. The other area deals with the creative considerations we se to design the characters who inhabit our stories.

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EmotionEmotion• In many ways emotion is the story.

Believable emotion creates connections between characters and makes scenes more compelling because we can relate to the emotions on display.

• Screenwriters must conceive characters whose emotional lives are available to them, and so to us. We find those emotions not only in the basic make-up of characters, but also in how they respond to the conflicts they meet. 7

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RelationshipsRelationships• Stories are best when told in relationships,

which are matrices of emotions that we share with others. If a character pursues a goal and affects no one, then he or she can’t affect the audience.

• Great writers understand that emotional reaction is the source of the character’s true motivation. They find actions that are simultaneously logical and surprising but that clearly represent the emotion.

ExamplesExamples

Lost in Translation (2003) Written by Sofia Coppola

Save the Last Dance (2001) Written by Duane Adler and Cheryl Edwards

Emotional ProgressionEmotional Progression• Incorporating a progression of emotions into

the plot of the screenplay helps us better understand a character and her motivations.

• The progression of emotions underscores the change that fictional characters must go through for a story to be satisfying.

• Varying the emotional content of scenes increases the depth and complexity of the story and helps insure audience involvement.

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FearFear• Audiences relate well to fear and many

writers believe that the most important thing to know about their characters is what they fear.

• If you know what a character is most afraid of, you know what he needs to face and can more easily design goals and obstacles around it.

• Fear is also an easy route to evoking audience empathy.

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Character FoundationCharacter Foundation

• According to the principles of drama, for the protagonist to function effectively, he must take action to achieve something.

• The protagonist must be committed to something and forced to take action because of that commitment.

• The commitment must arise from what the character wants or needs.

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Want and NeedWant and Need• For a protagonist to operate successfully in a

story, the screenwriter must answer three important questions about the main character.

– What does the character want?

– Why does she want it?

– What does she need?

• The want refers to the story goal, what the protagonist is after; it creates the action of the story and gives the plot direction.

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Want and Need (Continued)Want and Need (Continued)

• The why relates to the protagonist’s conscious motivation; these are the reasons he understands and gives for the pursuit of the goal.

• The protagonist’s need refers to an unconscious inner force that compels a character to act without understanding the real reasons why.

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ExampleExample• In Midnight Run (1988), Jack Walsh, a bounty

hunter played by Robert DeNiro, wants to capture a wanted criminal and use the bond money to open a restaurant.

• His reason why is that he wants to get out of the bounty hunting business.

• But his real need, discovered through the progression of the story, is to get closure on the past that he has been unable to let go of.

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Example (Continued)Example (Continued)

16 Midnight Run (1988)Written by George Gallo

The Psychology of NeedThe Psychology of Need• Need is used to create character dimension.

It often compels the character to act in irrational ways.

• The need can also oppose the character’s stated goal so that part of the overall conflict results from the disparity between the stated aim and the subliminal need.

• Think of a character’s need as what he or she unconsciously needs to become whole but will have difficulty achieving.

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Need and TensionNeed and Tension• Sometimes protagonists don’t have an

apparent goal driving them forward. But if the film holding our interest and building tension, we’ll see that the underlying needs provide the power to push the story forward.

• When the need is something specific, it becomes apparent as the story progresses. If the need is less defined, than the conflict that the character faces must be definite.

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Writing NeedWriting Need• Often a character’s real need isn’t simple

to discover and can be as elusive to the writer as it is to the character. The key to discovering it is to keep digging and thinking about the character.

• If you’re having a hard time, it might help to ask what your character wants out of life, what he or she dreams of, and why he or she isn’t achieving these things.

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Creating the CharacterCreating the Character

Lesson 5: Part II

Much Ado About Nothing (1993) Written by William Shakespeare (play) and Kenneth Branagh (screenplay)

Characters as PeopleCharacters as People

• You now know some of the basic character elements that help in structuring the plot.

• Now you must create these characters in three dimensions – they must have emotions, attitudes, beliefs and actions that represent them.

• They also need a history, personal traits and quirks to come alive.

Personal ExperiencePersonal Experience• When creating the people in your scripts,

begin by drawing on your own background. Good characters often come from actual models.

• However, characters have to serve the themes and stories we create. So while you may use real people as models for behavior, you still must shape them. The writer does not really copy people whole; rather she steals which traits she wants.

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Character Biography Character Biography • Many writers use character biographies, or

descriptions of the relevant information of the character, to define the character and keep actions consistent with who he or she is.

• Your biography might consist of several sections including:– Physical Appearance– Sociology– Psychology

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Physical AppearancePhysical Appearance• Sex• Age• Race/Ethnicity• Physical Attributes• Physical Defects• Clothes• Bodily care• Heredity

The Last King of Scotland (2006) Written by Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock

(screenplay) and Giles Foden (novel)

SociologySociology• Class• Education• Occupation• Home Life• Religion• Nationality• Political Affiliation• Amusements

Volver (2006) Written by Pedro Almodovar

PsychologyPsychology• Sex Life• Moral Standards• Personal Ambitions• Temperament• Complexes• Extrovert/introvert• Abilities/talents/IQ• Qualities• Unique Traits

The Muppet Movie (1979) Written by Jack Burns & Jerry Juhl

Purpose of the BiographyPurpose of the Biography• The character biography is not meant to

be a color-by-numbers template. It should allow you to understand your story better by understanding your character and his motivations.

• In order for your character’s biography to be effective, it needs to address not only what motivates the character to behave as she does, but also why she is in the predicament that she is in.

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Back-storyBack-story• Back-story focuses on specific past events

that directly affect the protagonist’s involvement in the plot as it unfolds. In a sense, all else is irrelevant. This is what defines a character in a story and why he or she is here.

• Sometimes understanding the back-story is made an explicit goal for the audience to attain, as only then will the protagonist’s plight be comprehensible.

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ExampleExample

Casablanca (1942)Written by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison (play) and

Julius J. Epstein and Phillip G. Epstein and Howard Koch

Choosing Crucial Back-storyChoosing Crucial Back-story• All the information in the character’s

biography or back-story won’t necessarily come out in the screenplay.

• But what specifically does come out should provide us with insight into the past that helps us make sense of the character’s present.

• Finally, the back-story should not get in the way of the current story.

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Attitudes, Beliefs and ValuesAttitudes, Beliefs and Values• Everyone has a point of view towards the

world; often a writer conceives of a character through this attitude: the hard-boiled cop, idealistic young attorney, etc.

• However, to avoid stereotypes, you need to show this attitude as an outward face and supply another side to the character.

• Attitudes are based mainly on beliefs. In film, we don’t want to hear a character explain his philosophy.

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Attitudes, Beliefs and Values Attitudes, Beliefs and Values (Continued)(Continued)

• Instead, we rely on his attitude and actions to show us what he believes in and values. No matter what a person says, his actions define his values.

• Values tell us what someone holds dear. Values are important, because along with beliefs, they tell us what a character will and won’t fight for.

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Representing the CharacterRepresenting the Character

Lesson 5: Part III

Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) Written by Quentin Tarantino & Uma Thurman

Decisions, Choices, Decisions, Choices, Commitments and ActionsCommitments and Actions

• In drama, before someone takes an action, he or she must make a choice or decision. That choice forms the basis of a commitment for the protagonist and this decision to commit to something starts the story. As the commitment continues and/or is altered the story develops.

• The choices your character makes tells us who he or she is.

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Character is ActionCharacter is Action• In order for your protagonist to demonstrate

who she is to the audience, you must incorporate action that shows us the qualities central to understanding her.

• Any important quality or trait must be worked into the action of the plot for it to have any meaning for the audience.

• If a character is kind, hot-tempered or weak, then we need to see this in action, not learn it from other characters or through narration.

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Revealing True CharacterRevealing True Character• Character is revealed in action under

stress. Conflict strips us of our masks and defenses. The only way a character shows us who he really is, what his character is made of, is how he deals with conflict.

• How we react to trouble tells us about our essential selves, and this is what the audience is really interested in, stripping away the artifice to the essential person.

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Choices under StressChoices under Stress

• Character is revealed through choices made under stress. Great stories capture characters in situations where they are called upon to make difficult choices.

• We know what’s in their hearts from exposition or ancillary action. But we learn the truth of their hearts by the choices they make under extreme stress, even if it breaks their hearts.

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Making the Choice DifficultMaking the Choice Difficult

• The choice that your character makes that defines him or her should not be an easy one. It should be one which calls upon him or her to make a great sacrifice.

• A dramatically effective choice offers characters radically different outcomes made from autonomous decisions.

• The best way to frame these choices is in moral terms.

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TransformationTransformation• Characters only change under the force of

conflict. In successful feature films, the change is dramatic, but in a short film the transformation isn’t usually as pronounced.

• Often in short films, the protagonist doesn’t change, but causes profound changes in those around him.

• Even if your protagonist comes to no new awareness, she should be so compelling that her behavior gives us insight.

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The Important CharactersThe Important Characters

Lesson 5: Part IV

Hustle and Flow (2006) Written by Craig Brewer

The ProtagonistThe Protagonist• The most important character in the

screenplay is the protagonist. He or she is the focus of attention. Especially in a short film, one protagonist carries the storyline and forces the action.

• Effective protagonists drive the story by having something they must do. In feature films, protagonists generally appeal to the audience, but in shorts protagonists often generate interest by being unappealing.

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The Duality of the ProtagonistThe Duality of the Protagonist

• The protagonist needs to encompass certain universal archetypes to stand out from other characters and drive the story.

• However, the protagonist must also be as unique and specific as you can make him.

• The contrast between archetype and originality will bring the character to life.

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The AntagonistThe Antagonist

• The antagonist is the principle adversary of the hero. The antagonist can be the one person or a group of people who oppose the protagonist’s pursuit of his goal.

• The antagonist doesn’t have to be a “villain” to be effective. Often the antagonist is simply standing in the way of the protagonist and is just as committed to her goal as he is to his.

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Creating the AntagonistCreating the Antagonist

• The antagonist need not be as complexly drawn as the protagonist, but neither should he be a cardboard character. The more believably drawn the antagonist’s wants and needs, the more effectively he will play off the protagonist.

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Supporting CharactersSupporting Characters• A catalyst is the character who causes

something to happen and involves the protagonist in a conflict that becomes the plot.

• The confidant is a close friend to the protagonist that allows her to reveal herself.

• Don’t use supporting characters merely as mouthpieces for exposition. Make sure they have clearly drawn relationships to the main characters.

AssignmentsAssignments

Lesson 5: Part V

Mystic River (2003) Written by Dennis Lehane (novel) and Brian Helgeland

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E-Board Post #1E-Board Post #1• Pick any film, feature or short (that we

have not discussed in this lesson), and do a brief analysis on what the character wants, why the character says that she wants this, and what the character actually needs, even if it is at odds with what he or she says she wants. You may need to review the section in the lecture about character want and need.

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E-Board Post #2E-Board Post #2

• Watch the short film from the lesson, IMAGO, and discuss how the film uses character to generate emotion, even though it uses no dialogue.

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Writing ExerciseWriting Exercise• Choose one of the three basic concepts for

a short film that you outlined for the last lesson. This will be the story that you begin to develop for your short script. Create a character biography for the protagonist, focusing on such areas as physical traits, sociology and psychology. Also, sketch a brief back-story for the character and give the character a goal for the current story. In other words, what does he or she want to achieve.

End of Lecture 5End of Lecture 5

Next Lecture: How do I put my Script Together?