Notes: Lecture Five [171106]

Character
♥ Every story starts with a character (a good/strong/memorable character can make up for a weak plot)
♥ It is the heart, soul and nervous system of your story
♥ It is through the characters that the viewers experience emotions (Heart: provides emotions)
♥ It is through the characters that the viewers are touched (There’s no place like home)

♥ Without Character, there is no Action
♥ Without Action, there is no Conflict
♥ Without Conflict, there is no Story
♥ Without Story, there is no Screenplay
♥ Therefore ultimately, No Character = No Screenplay

Developing Character
♥ Who is my character?
♥ What does he want? (what is his goal?)
♥ What is her quest? (things in her way or obstructing her from acheiving her goal/getting what she wants)
♥ What drives him to the resolution of the story? (why is the goal important to the character?)
 

3 Dimensional Character

1. Physiology (Physical)
♥ Sex
♥ Age
♥ Height/Weight
♥ Hair/Eye/Skin Colour
♥ Posture
♥ Appearance
♥ Defects/Abnormalities/Deformities/Birth Marks/Diseases
♥ Heredity

2. Sociology (how he interacts with the society)
♥ Class
♥ Occupation
♥ Education
♥ Home Life
♥ Religion
♥ Race/Nationality
♥ Place in Community
♥ Political Affiliations
♥ Amusements

3. Psychology (his thinking)
♥ Sex Life/Moral Standards
♥ Personal Premise, Ambitions
♥ Frustrations, Chief Disappointments
♥ Temperament
♥ Attitude towards Life
♥ Complexes
♥ Personalities
♥ Abilities
♥ Qualities
♥ IQ
♥ Skeletons in his closet

Interior Component of Life (we don’t see in the film itself)
♥ Takes place from birth until the moment the film begins
♥ It is the process that forms the character

Exterior Component of Life (we see in the films)
♥ Takes place from the moment the film begins until the film ends
♥ It is the process that reveals the character

*You must create your character in relationship with other things or people so that they can interact in three ways:

1. So that they experience conflict in achieving their dramatic need
2. They interact with other characters
3. They interact with themselves

Storytelling tool 2: Memory
♥ Your memory is a wonderful cabinet of past incidents which you had experienced or been told
♥ These memories are points of references to your own past experiences
♥ “WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW” – its easier to write because you know what it is and the emotions felt makes it more realYour memory is a wonderful cabinet of past incidents which you had experienced or been told
♥ “WRITE WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW” – blending it with what you know will make the story more interesting