Screenwriting | Cyber Film School

3. Character Development

A valuable exercise in the development of your story is getting to know your characters. The definition and development of character is one of the central concerns of the writer. Their motivations are what drive the story forward. If you don’t know who your characters are, you don’t know why anything in your story is happening, and you are lost.

Contributed By Glen Berry, Edited By Stavros C. Stavrides

Important Concepts

Create “Real” Characters
Find your character’s motivation
Character Arc is the heart of the story

The Back Story

In a feature-length project, we have some time to develop character. In a short film, it is much more challenging. We must be very utilitarian with the words on the page to draw out an interesting character.

Often, the details about your characters may not even be exposed onscreen, but are the most important factor in making them rich and full and believable. Ask yourself:

What do they look like?
Into what social standing were they born?
What is their philosophical position?
Are they religious?
What phase of life are they in?
What events have shaped their lives up to this point?
Have they led an extraordinary life? Have they travelled the world?
Do they take risks?
Can they maintain a long-term relationship?
What are their personal quirks and traits?

Answering these kinds of questions is the background work necessary to create a complete character. You need to know many things about your character outside the framework of the story (the back story) to understand what happens inside the story. A clear idea of the character will translate to the page. It will be easily understood by a competent director or actor. If your idea of the character is unclear, it will also be unclear to the actors when they try to work through the lines and understand who it is that they are portraying.

The Environment

Research is the key to finding the details to wrap around your characters to make them three-dimensional people. Know your setting, the environment in which this person lives, even if it is imaginary.

The environment will shape the person and allow you to dig into the development of their psyche. Think about the actor that will have to portray this character, to be believable in these imaginary circumstances you set up. It must be clear who the characters are and what drives them forward.

The Protagonist

Every story has a protagonist, the main character, and usually a hero.

If a person stands in the way of the protagonist, they are called the antagonist. In the classic sense, the antagonist is the ‘bad guy’. It is the differences between the antagonist and the protagonist that provide telling information about the protagonist’s character.

The antagonist and the protagonist maneuver in a push-and-pull dynamic that results in conflict, which drives our plot forward. We have many types of conflicts that drive our story forward, it could be human vs. human, human vs. society, human vs. nature, human vs. the supernatural or human vs. him/herself.

No matter what the approach, you must still identify the protagonist and what motivates them to discover the heart of your story.

This post is a reformatted section from the chapter “Screenwriting” in
Cyber Film School’s Multi-Touch Filmmaking Textbook.

The Character Arc

The protagonist has an objective to obtain and an internal drive to obtain it. The way we learn about the protagonist is what they are seeking, how they go about the search and how they handle obstacles put in their path.

This is commonly described as a character arc. Like the dramatic curve, characters go through a transformation over the course of our three acts.

The protagonist, in particular, is going to have highs and lows as they move through their struggles to overcome obstacles and resolve the conflict that they face. By the end of the story, the protagonist will be changed in some way by the events that transpire.

We ourselves are shaped by the events of our lives, and so are our characters.

Such changes can be positive or negative but it is the effect that events have on the behavior of our character that demonstrates to the audience what it is that we are trying to say.

If the protagonist meets with failure, why do they meet with failure:

How does it affect them?
Does it destroy them or make them stronger?
Does success yield happiness?
If it does not, why not?

And if the main character does not change at all, what does that say about them and their life? In these questions, we will find the heart of our story.

The Hero’s Not Always Good!

A common mistake in character development is to assign the protagonist all good traits and the antagonist all bad traits. This is a device of comic books and Kung Fu movies and although entertaining, it does not make for a believable character.

We all have weaknesses (as we dare to admit). Our frailty, or dark side, makes us more human, and more believable. If you do not have a believable character, there is little authenticity for the actor to grab onto.

Real life is not so simple – there is no such thing as all-good guys and all-bad guys. Although difficult, introduce some vices to your knight in shining armour and some virtues to your wicked stepmother.

It is the natural tendency of the audience to identify with the protagonist. Giving him or her some flaws will make that character more sympathetic, particularly if the antagonist exploits those weaknesses. Have no fear; your protagonist can absorb a great deal of trashing before he or she is sullied in the eyes of your audience.

The Anti-Hero

This interesting effect gave rise to the anti-hero popularized in several of the Spaghetti Western Clint Eastwood films where the protagonist is nearly indistinguishable from the antagonist in character.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is an excellent example of the anti-hero. In one scene, the protagonist dissolves his partnership by leaving his companion in the middle of the desert without water to die or be captured and executed.

What makes a protagonist that would behave in such a way the ‘good guy’? That’s the kind of question that draws in the viewer instead of boring them with clichés.

The distinction between good and evil can be so subtle as to be nearly indistinguishable. It is in those small differences we find the difference between a good person drawn into the evils of the world and a person who has given themselves over to evil acts.

It is a fine line to ride. Strive to create an imperfect and real character that challenges the viewer’s notions of right and wrong, yet allows them sufficient justification to believe in their good traits and intentions.

The audience will identify with the main character if you give them half a chance and they will excuse his or her flaws and sympathize with their struggle.

The Foil

A story-telling device that often proves useful is that of the foil. The foil is the friend or companion of the protagonist that is great, but not that great.

The purpose of the foil is to make the protagonist look good. The foil is often a likeable and charismatic sidekick.

The foil is never far from the protagonist’s side but lives constantly in his shadow. The death of the foil at the hands of the antagonist is commonly used as the spark that sets the protagonist in motion to the final confrontation, which we will discuss in more detail later.

Less is More

When establishing your cast of characters, remember that less is more. You only have enough time to develop so many characters who have a meaningful role in your story.

The audience will only care about a few, so make your choices well. Combine characters where possible to focus your attention and the attention of the audience on as few people as possible. It’s no mistake that films with large casts tend to be sweeping epics. Character development takes time.

When you are creating a short film, you have very limited time to introduce characters and develop them. Focus on your protagonist. They will be the star of your film and the agent of your concept. Be very mindful of any character development that does not revolve around your protagonist.

Summary

The concept of your screenplay should be reducible to a few sentences. Without this clarity, you cannot build a story.
Invest time in determining how your concept is different from others and how it might be the same. This will save you from unwittingly remaking another film.
Many independent films suffer from a lack of clarity, which can almost always be traced to poor structure. Breaking from convention is encouraged but if the result is confusion, look at your story structure.

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The importance of a properly formatted screenplay

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1. Story Premise and Originality

Originality is the most powerful weapon of the independent filmmaker, and your best shot at beating Hollywood is with a creative original script. To underestimate the importance of a good script when making an independent film is a fatal mistake.
By Glen Berry, Edited By Stavros C. Stavrides

Important Concepts

“Story” is the Indie Advantage
Face down that empty page
Brevity is the soul of wit

Facing Down The Page

The problem with creativity and originality is that this combo is rare, hence its value. However, it takes more than a creative brain to come up with a great script.

Unfocused and undisciplined talent leads to unfocused and undisciplined work. By recognizing the importance of a few simple guidelines, the creative writer who wishes to develop a screenplay can create a story that easily moves from paper to screen.

A scriptwriter should always be on the lookout for unique concepts, whether it be from real-life experiences, news stories or simply daydreaming. Just because a concept can be interesting, it doesn’t necessarily mean it merits a screenplay.

Sometimes, the most difficult thing to do is to face down the empty page.

In the course of translating the language of our mind into words, we discover that the concept will not work in script form. That is a natural part of the process. But when you feel your concept is ready, the most important thing to do is put words on the page in whatever form they come out.

The Premise

The development of a project begins with a completed script. Although everyone will agree this is the way to go, few actually adhere to this rule.

So many filmmakers are eager to get a camera in their hands and spend little time thinking about why they’re making those images. You really should come out of that process with three things:

A premise (or logline)
Treatment and,
A completed script.

This post is a support article for the chapter “Screenwriting” in
Cyber Film School’s Multi-Touch Filmmaking Textbook.

When you are ready to write, crystallize your concept into a two to three-sentence description, commonly called a premise or brief. Although it may be painful to see your masterpiece condensed into a handful of words, this is no time to be self-indulgent. There should be a certain beauty in straightforward simplicity.

A premise is a 2-3 sentence description of your plot. It’s the opening of your pitch and the most important part of your entire project. Many neophyte writers balk at the idea of reducing their masterpiece to a blurb on a TV listing. but it ought to be viewed as a creative challenge, not an affront to your art.

Your finely honed premise is your one shot to capture the interest of your investor and spark their imagination with a few well-chosen words. If that puts you under some pressure, don’t worry. Crafting pitches takes time and experience.

Develop a half-dozen pitches and try them out on cynical friends and colleagues. You don’t want to walk into a meeting with a pitch that’s less than perfect. You need one that rolls off the tongue like golden honey. You may have to swallow a lot of bile to produce that pitch but that’s what the game is all about.

Do not compare your film to other films, or describe what you intend to do with your film. Your goals are not important at this point.

If a producer or investor finds your concept interesting, they’ll ask you about that and many other things later. The premise is simply a means to draw potential partners further into your project.

The objective is to entice them to read your treatment, and the objective of the treatment is to get them to read your script. It’s a process to draw them further and further in until the time is ripe to sell them a piece of your project.

Summary

A risky or unique concept is one of the few advantages an independent film has over a studio picture. You must embrace risk-taking and shun convention to be successful.
Many times, the most difficult thing is getting the first words on the page.
If you have difficulty getting started, put words and ideas down without worrying about structure or rules.
You must be able to crystallize the concept of your movie into a single, simple expression.

NEXT: STORY STRUCTURE >>
Getting started with the screenwriting
process and three-act structure.

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Writing Is Rewriting: Being Bad is Legit

Writing is a process and what beginning writers often forget, blinded by their insecure craft and fragile egos, is that “being bad” is a legitimate part of that process.

What beginning writers often forget, blinded by their insecure craft, is that “being bad” is a legitimate part of that process. Even first drafts from famous authors like Faulkner, Steinbeck, and Hemingway were ‘bad’. It’s liberating to know that the best writers in the land wrote drafts that needed tons of rewriting.

by Charles Deemer
Edited bt Stavros C. Stavrides

Read with a fixed eye on flow & character
The chainsaw is your friend
Crank it up

Reading with a Fixed Eye

The rewriting process begins with careful re-readings of your draft. I suggest a quick read first, just to see how the story flows, and then a series of more careful readings, each focusing on a particular aspect of the draft.

Begin the careful readings with a focus on the main character. Is, in fact, the protagonist ALWAYS the focus of the story?

Often in beginning scripts the main character “disappears” in Act Two. The character simply may be absent for pages at a time – I get nervous when my protagonist is not in a scene for five consecutive pages.

Other times the protagonist is around but too passive, others are doing everything. At still other times some other character proves to be far more interesting than the main character (evil characters often steal the stage this way).

Make sure your script follows the main character on “a journey” through the story: that the protagonist is always front and central, that the journey moves into situations of increasing jeopardy, that the pace quickens into a rush through Act Three, and that the protagonist grows from the journey.

This is a free support article for Cyber Film School’s Multi-Touch Filmmaking Textbook

The Chainsaw is Your Friend

The next thing to look at is script economy.

First, look at your scene design: when do scenes begin? when do scenes end? Typically, in a first draft, there will be scenes that begin too early, using a setup that is not necessary and only slows down the story.

Also, there will be scenes that end too late, dragging on with meaningless chat after the point of the scene has been made.

Look at the dialogue. Most six-line speeches can be trimmed to two or three lines without losing anything. Look for idle chat — nothing slows down a story narrative more than chatter. Look for expository dialogue (talk that is primarily informational) and find visual ways to present the same information.

Sometimes a beginner will improve the economy so much that the pagination of a script slips below minimum standards (about 90 pages today). If this happens to you, then you need to find ways to beef up your story and make it more complex, requiring new scenes to bring the pagination up.

This is a conceptual change, not an exercise in padding! If you don’t add story elements, you will be padding, which is the opposite of your rewriting charge to make the script tighter.

I tell my students that “the chainsaw is your friend.” Therefore, use it! This becomes a mantra in my screenwriting classes.

Make sure to read our related article for a deeper look into streamlining your draft:
Minimalist Screenplay Tips for Maximum Punch

Crank It Up

Look for ways to crank up your story, making everything matter more.

For example, a student of mine wrote a scene in which a husband moves out after believing (wrongly, it turns out) that his wife is having an affair. The wife, who is the protagonist, has been flirting with her old high school boyfriend, who has appeared out of nowhere. The story is about how the wife comes to appreciate, after a marital crisis, how good her marriage really is.

On rewrite, the student “cranked up” the scene above by having the husband take the children with him when he left. Suddenly the stakes are much higher! This is one way to crank up a scene to make it matter more.

Take your time during the rewriting process. Now is the time to let things spin around in your head; there’s no hurry. If you strengthen the focus on the protagonist, make the script tighter and more efficient, and raise the stakes in the story, you’ll be on your way toward a much improved second draft.

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