CHARACTER

                                                                                          Creating Characters in your film is an easy job,only if your Character have nothing to do with the Story.Useless Characters never attract audience.So it’s very important to do a research work while creating a Character in your Script. The best technique to create a good Character is-Know your Character first. Write a Character biography. It helps a lot. Write about the childhood life,college life etc of your main characters in your Screenplay.Writing the biography in four pages is more than enough.Sometimes you may find an interesting aspect in your Character,while writing this biography. Every Character has an Interior and Exterior life. Interior life refers to emotions,fear,point of view etc…Exterior life refers to the Character’s physical action,dialogues,Professional(work),Personal(like marital),private(alone). Your Character’s Interior life will definitely have something  to do with Exterior life of the Character.

•  How to Create a best Character?

        ->The very first thing to keep in mind while creating your main Character is “perfect dramatic need”.What is your Character’s dramatic need? Does he want to win the race,meet his loved one,to take revenge or to kill his enemy? whatever it is…Your Character should have a dramatic need.

        ->Your Character should have a unique Point of View.How does your character see the world? Does he believe in god? What is his opinion on marriage? Does he/she think whatever he/she do is right? Does your Character have any Philosophical thoughts? whatever it is,make sure your Character have a unique Point of View.

        ->Mannerisms make your Character to be remembered by the audience for lifetime.Don Corleone in The Godfather ,delivers his dialogues in an unique way.Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond ,will be smoking in most of the scenes.He attracts the audience through his unique way of acting.Dressing,hair style,way of speaking etc., are called as mannerisms.Some times Characters will be remembered forever just because of their Mannerisms.Try to create some mannerisms for your Character.

        ->”Change in your Character”-Does your Character change at any point in your Script? Will he realize and go back to his love at the ending?  Does he/she sacrifices his/her goals for any reasons?…Change in your Character is not compulsory.If your Character’s Point of View is in such a way that he believes in himself and he won’t change for anything or for anyone..,then it is not necessary to change your Character at the ending or at any stage of your Script.

Tasks for you:-

• Watch films like BURIED, BLOOD DIAMOND, THE GODFATHER, MEMENTO, etc., to have a clear idea about the four techniques I mentioned above. Don’t try to postpone this task.Remember that visual learning have greater impact.Learn through watching films rather than reading more and more about the topic(Character) in different sites.
• Write a four page biography of each Character that helps to move your story forward.
• Determine your main Character’s dramatic need.
• Know your Character’s Point of View.
• Create Mannerisms for your main Characters.