Linda-seger Building Of Characters

Creating unforgettable characters Linda Seger (1990)

1. Researching the character 2. Consistencies and paradoxes 3. Creating the back-story 4. Psychology 5. Relationship 6. Supporting and Minor characters 7. Dialogue 8. Non-realistic characters 9. Stereotyping 10. Solving character problems

1. Researching the character

General research: think about what you already know about it The context: it shapes your character (historical period, location, culture, occupation)

Specific research: the news things you have to imagine about it Who, What, Where, When, Why

It paves the way for the imagination to give the character life

2. Consistencies and paradoxes Getting the first idea from observation or experience (author’s identification) Creating the first broad stroke – physical description (must be evocative and actable) Finding the core of the character – consistency (predictability) Finding the paradoxes within the character to create complexity (conflict) Adding emotion, attitudes and values to further round out Adding details to make the character specific and unique (imperfections)

Breaking up the character’s soul’s unity

2. Consistencies and paradoxes

Adding emotion, attitudes and values to further round out emotion

Deepen a character’s humanity

attitudes

Opinions, point of view, how it looks at life Something the character brings into situations Strong in comedy

values

Believes, values at stake. The character must Communicate its values, it doesn’t discuss them

3. Creating the back-story Character’s biography The information may never be conveyed to the audience What the actor needs to know to play the scene The sense memories. It is not important what happened to the character but how he felt about it

You want to get more of the character as you would do whit a new friend Don’t get stuck with the past: it’s no dramatic (drama happens at the present time) It helps to keep up the character in unusual or incredible situations

4. Psychology Inner back-story You have to track down the past inner experiences of the character

The unconscious Your character’s behaviour, gesture and speech come from the unconscious

The character types

The abnormal

Knowing types will help you to orchestrate Conflicts. People usually have greatest conflict with their opposite

4. Psychology

INTROVERTED

depressive

maniac

schizophrenic

paranoid

Anxiety neurotic

psychopath or sociopath

Normal behaviour line

The abnormal

EXTRAVERTED

5. Relationship The couples: you have to set the qualities for the most sizzle (love affair, friendship, partnership, etc.)

Drama is essentially relational

Character have something in common that brings them together

1

attraction

2

conflict

There is a conflict between the characters and this provides most of the drama

3

contrast

Characters have contrasting qualities (opposite)

4

transformation

CONFLICT

The television series may run for five to ten year, delaying the resolution of the relationship

The characters have the potential to transform each other – for better or for worse

In television series changes are minimal. In films and novels transformation may be massive

5. Relationship Midnight Run

Jack

Jonathan

(bounty hunter)

(bookkeeper)

Their contrasting qualities include choice of jobs, relationship to their spouses, moral choices and even eating

Dan

Fatal attraction

The most workable triangles occur when each character exercises wilfulness and intentionally

Beth

Alex

6. Supporting and Minor characters

Give further depth, colour and texture to the story

You must know:

The function Helps define the role and importance of the protagonist (children for te Mother, Secretary for the CEO, etc.)

Can be a catalyst figure, giving out information that moves the story forward (children for te Mother, Secretary for the CEO, etc.)

How to fulfil the function

Contrasting the character with the protagonist Physical (heavy and slim), Attitudes (passionate and cold)

They can be similar (occasionally) They can have their own paradoxes and personalities They can be character types (instantly recognizable to audiences)

Details

Give them part of your attention. Invent some little details

7. Dialogue It has a beat, a rhythm, a melody Tends to be short, and spare (character do not speak for more than two o three lines) It is like a tennis match (constant exchange of power – sexual, physical, political, social, etc.) Conveys conflict, attitudes and intentions (do not tell it: reveal it) It is easily spoken (it makes good actors)

7. Dialogue Text

plot

The lines spoken by the character into the script

drama

Sub text

What the character is really saying beneath and between the lines

energy

7. Dialogue Bad dialogue PRODUCER Well, come in. It is a real pleasure to meet you. You know, I liked your script very much – it is really very good. YOUNG WRITER Well, thank you. It is my first script, and I’m really very scared about what you’ll think about it. I’m from Kansas, and I have never been to a big city before, and I feel really lucky to meet someone like you. I have admired your work for so many years. PRODUCER Oh, that is very nice of you to say that. Let’s talk about making a deal.

wooden boring The lines says what they’re thinking No difference between the characters

7. Dialogue There are tens of things to do before you write the dialogue You have to translate real talk into fictional dialogue (stylized, compressed) For a good dialogue you must sense the character as an actor does

8. Non-realistic characters Symbolic character

One-dimensional, they personify one quality. Villains and superheroes are often symbolic characters

One dimensional symbolic character Mars

Stepford Wives Everyman

Multi dimensional character Superman Batman Joker

Clark Kent Bruce Wayne

Scarlet Rick Taxi driver

8. Non-realistic characters Non human character

Choosing one or two attributes that will begin to define the identity of the character Emphasizing the associations that the audience brings to the character in order to expand on this identity Creating a strong context to deepen the character

Lassie Rub Tin Tin King Kong

Most animal characters are likely to not change at all in the story The process of associating a quality to a non human character is the same of the one used in ads for associating a quality to a brand Most of the strength for the non human character comes from the context

8. Non-realistic characters Fantasy character

Character in magical context

Merlin Wicked Witch of the West (Oz) Mermaid (Splash)

8. Non-realistic characters Mythic character

Must add an understanding of the audience A mythic story represent the meaning in our own lives You are talking about real heroes The hero is transformed in the course of his journey They need enough dimensionality to seem like real human beings There must be a sense of mystery (past, dark side, etc.) The hero is not just a person: he’s an idea.

9. Stereotyping

Get rid of the stereotypes! Usually you tend to stereotype who is different from you (ethnic minorities, different sexual orientation, religious groups)

You do not need a stereotype in comedy: you want character type (The character type doesn’t suggest that everyone in a certain group has the same characteristic)

10. Solving character problems You can solve problem if you realize where they come from Un-likable characters – You must come to a term with your own psychology Vague character – improve the research and add some details General problem – it is a story problem, not a character problem Some advices for breaking through – free writing – hidden agenda – other person reading – what if? – gender switch