Purpose of the True/False Stories exercise:
- a true story is not necessarily a good story
- good stories have to be worked and re-worked
- true stories do not offer neat and relevant endings
- life is unpredictable
- in a story, we can and must control the events and sequences so that it gives the appearance of being like life
Characterization:
- every story starts with a character
- the character is the heart (must feel and want something), the soul (his beliefs), and nervous system (what makes him human) of the story
- it is through your characters that the viewers experience emotions
- without a character, there is not action
- without action, you have no conflict
- without conflict, you have no story
- without story, you have no screenplay
Developing characters:
- who is your character?
- what does he want?
- what is his quest? (bigger-scale)
- what drives him to the resolution of the story?
1. establish your main character (most important)
- characters should have a 3D structure
a) physiology (looks)
+ sex
+ age
+ height, weight
+ colour of hair, eyes, skin
+ posture
+ appearance
+ defects, abnormailities, deformities, birth marks, diseases
+ heredity
b) sociology (his status in society)
+ class (lower, middle, upper)
+ occupation (type of work, hours of work, income, condition of work, attitude towards organisation, suitability for work
+ education: amount, kind of schools, marks, favourite subjects, aptitudes
+ home life (parents living, earning power, orphan, parents separated/divorced, parents’ habits, parents’ mental development, parents’ vices, neglect, character’s marital status
c) psychology
+ religion
+ race, nationality
+ place in the community; leader among friends, clubs, sports
+ political affiliations
+ amusements: hobbies, books, newspaper, magazines he/she reads
+ sex life, moral standards
+ personal premise, ambition
+ frustrations, chief disappointments
+ temperament: choleric, easy-going, pessimistic, optimistic
+ attitude towards life: resigned, militant, defeatist
+ complexes: obsession, inhibitions, superstitions, phobias
+ personality: extrovert, introvert
+ abilities: language, talents
+ qualities: imagination, judgment, taste, poise
+ IQ, EQ
+ what is the deep and personal secret this character has which he is desperate to protect/hide?
2. separate the components of his life into 2 basic categories
a) interior
- the interior life takes place from birth until the moment your story begins
- it is a process that forms character (when you start formulating your character from birth, you see your character build in body and form)
- how old is he when the story begins?
- where does he live?
- does he have siblings?
- what kind of childhood did he have?
- what was his relationship to his parents?
- what kind of child was he?
- is he married, single, widowed, separated or divorced?
b) exterior
- the exterior life takes place the moment your story begins to it’s conclusion
- it is a process that reveals character
- who are they and what do they do?
- are they sad or happy with their life?
- do they wish their life was different? another job, another wife?
- you must create your characters in relationship to other people or things
All dramatic characters interact in 3 ways:
1. they experience conflict in achieving their dramatic need (eg. need money – rob a bank, rob a store, rob a person?)
2. they interact with other characters (either in an antagonistic, friendly or indifferent way)
3. they interact with themselves (eg. he overcame his fear of being caught by pulling off the robbery sucessfully)
How do you invent characters?
- try turning them upside down, something you don’t associate with them (eg. a monk is devoted to his religion but is a football fanatic; a seriel killer whose obsession is to kill other serial killer; a common street rat who love to eat and cook only fine food)
