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Building Character in Screenplays

There are three main details to include in a screenplay to develop a character:

1. The impression they create- their appearance; costume, makeup, actor, age

2. Their attitude- their personality and temperament

3. The world they inhabit- where and how they live; setting, props

The most important element of a character is their personality, which is what you should develop first. To do this you could place them in scenarios and imagine their reaction. These may be unrelated to your narrative but might help you come up with ideas, or you could place them a scenario you already want to include in your screenplay, helping you to build a scene as well as a character.

Some scenarios might be:
- What would the character do if they were cheated on?
- What would the character do if they were mugged?
- Would your character accept a bribe and why?

Other questions you could ask about your character to develop personality are:
- Why are they interesting?
- How does their personality differ from yours?

There is a 'Character Questionnaire' that I have found that has many other questions and might be worth going through to ensure a character is fully developed.

Finally, once the personality is developed, it would be a good idea to write a paragraph of character description, focussing on all three details, especially the character's appearance and the world they inhabit, as these should reflect their personality. For example; if a character is depressed, they might wear dark colours or not care about their appearance/their room etc.

Comments

  1. Caroline Birks18 October 2018 at 19:47

    Some good research here Zoe. Don't forget to acknowledge any sources you have used.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Caroline Birks18 October 2018 at 20:02

    Your blog is looking great Zoe. Your response to each of the short films is detailed and thoughtful and your reflection on how they might influence your work clearly shows how your ideas are developing. Great work so far.

    ReplyDelete

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