Character

The first impulse the writers of short films express is to spend more time on the plot than the characters. The thinking is that because you have less time, you therefore need less characterization. This is totally wrong. In fact, your short film relies principally on character. Russian theatre actor and director Constantin Stanislavsky was passionate about the need for writers to add dimension to the characters, that “the inner life of the character is concealed by the outer circumstances of his or her life”. - Stanislavsky* He also suggested that the energy a character gives off the page is often a by-product of the tension between what the character wants to do and what he feels he should do in a given situation. The internal and the external character. * (1981) Creating a Role, p.29

Syd Field* states that all characters interact in three ways : They experience conflict in achieving their dramatic need. They need money, for example, to buy equipment to rob a bank. How do they get it? Steal it? Rob a person or a store? They interact with other characters, either antagonisticly, friendly or indifferently. The heart of good drama is conflict, if there is no conflict your story is all beginning. They interact with themselves. He overcame his fear of being caught by pulling off the robbery successfully. * (1979) The Definitive Guide to Screenwriting, p.47

“ Character is the essential foundation of your screenplay. It is the heart and soul and nervous system of your story. Before you put a word on paper, you must know your character. KNOW YOUR CHARACTER”. Syd Field* * (1979) p, 45

Michelangelo believed he was liberating his sculptures from the marble in which they were imprisoned; the true creator, in his mind, was God. Playwright Martin McDongah said he often felt his characters were like emanations hovering in the room, jabbing at him so incessantly that he had to tell them to shut up long enough so he could jot their words down. “..in order to write well, you have to be willing to feel everything your character feels” –Julie Gray* (2013) Just Effing Entertain Me: A Screenwriter’s Atlas, p.55

How do you create a character? There is a distinction between knowing your character and revealing him or her on paper. To successfully establish your character you need to separate the components of his/her life into interior and exterior The interior takes place from birth until your screenplay begins. These things FORM character. The exterior starts from the beginning of your screenplay, this process REVEALS the character.

The essence of your character is action. Your character is what he or she does. Ask your character questions about their interior life. Where were they born? have they ever been in love? where was their first kiss? what are they scared of? What's in their fridge right now? What is their most treasured possession? The exterior aspects of your character are held within the pages of your script. What do they want? Are they happy? How do they feel? What does your character need? What do they want to achieve in the screenplay? Warren Beatty's need in shampoo is to open up his own shop. Chief Brody's need in Jaws is to kill the shark. It is once you identify that need that the writer can create obstacles. Drama is conflict.

David Corbertt * suggests that characters arise from five main sources: The Story The unconscious Inspiration from art, music, or nature Real people Composite characters *(2013) The Art of Character, p.11

Each of these sources for characters has its own advantages and disadvantages but it is important to remember that these are just the begging stages of your character. One of the most common mistakes in creating characters is for the writer to become too attached to the moral, emotional or psychological impact the source of the character first creates.

Writers should also be students of human behaviour, they should be curious, they should observe and they should always be asking why? Why does the woman in the shop only ever wear red shoes? Why does your boss only ever sign documents with a fountain pen? Why is Gordon Ramsey so very angry? “Motivation drives your character, creates your character’s point-of-view, and is the basis for your character’s emotional growth and transformation” – Rachel Ballon* *(2005) Blueprint for Screenwriting: A Complete Writer’s Guide to Story Structure and Character Development, p.43