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Character: Alice and why she jumped in the hole

© Darrell Banks

By: Darrell J. Banks CR 2003

Last time, we covered story. This is a two-part series on character. The first part will consist of: What makes a good character and how do you select a lead character? Every successful movie is based on character and story. By now, you have picked a genre drama or comedy. If you have ventured off into science fiction, action, or melodrama, that’s okay. We’ll catch up to you in a few articles when we go in-depth into genre.

This article on character will help you. Drama requires 120 pages. Comedy 90 to 110 pages. Genre can determine character, but in today’s market you better write toward the actor’s perspective. That requires character. Take the renewed career of John Travolta. His best role to date was in “Pulp Fiction,” his second-best “Face Off.” You may have a different opinion, but I want you to study their characters and how they evolve.

Same with Samuel Jackson, his second best character was from” Jungle Fever” when he played a crack head. Since then both, have played very similar characters.

What is a character? You have seen many characters on the silver screen, but now you have to form one within your mind. Stereotypical characters are the alcoholic police officer, the macho baseball player, the boring, yet attractive teacher. They generally play a minor role and win for Best Supporting Actor when you write excellent dialogue.

You need a main character. When you select a character for your movie that person will be the protagonist. Along with the antagonist they will fight a battle to the death. Each one wants something. Their object of desire may be an object as in “Indiana Jones” or an emotional attachment as in “When Harry Met Sally.” You have to give each character what they want. But only the protagonist can win or the audience will hate your movie. Unfortunately for me and you until the end of your screenplay, the audience wants both your antagonist and the protagonist to succeed.

In today’s, modern movie a major actor will play the good guy and often the bad guy. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, stop and go to the dictionary link to define the word protagonist. No offense.

In the “Italian Job” the protagonist was Mark Wahlberg, the antagonist Ed Burns. In the “Hulk” Eric Bana had three protagonists to confront. The first was his inner demon, A.K.A. the Hulk, the second his father played to perfection by Nick Nolte. The third his own fears. Every major character has these fears, external, internal, and innate human fears. To develop your character you have to decide what those fears will be. What motivates your character? What scares him her or it?

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