The first step on my production timeline is learning about character building. Please share any suggestions/resources on how to begin character building. I will be building my character this weekend and next. Here are my takeaways.

Notes on Character Building:

  • Look into people 3 dimensionally.
  • It’s not just a “character in this film,” in a superficial story. You should see your character as a real person 
  • What happened to my character along the way that forced him/her to make decisions, venture into different junctures? That is a key question to ask 
  • Take your character through crisis. Events that make them question who they are and their place in the world. 
  • Intentions vs obstacles. There’s always something standing in your way
  • The tactics to achieve what they want defines the character 
  • They may fail at first. But there’s a romance for trying for honorable things and failing. It creates a natural sympathy with audiences
  • Characters try to pursue their desired intention through normal ways then they have to resort to complicated ways
  • Conventional vs unconventional. 
  • A character finds the success they want at the beginning of the story, but success always comes with a cost. 
  • Human relationships are most important
  • Rather than tell the audience who the character is, tell the audience what the character wants 
  • The human heart is in conflict with itself 
  • How does this person define themself?
  • How do others perceive the character? Their decisions?
  • A character should have a distinct name 
  • Unique mannerisms, the way he walks, the way he talks, facial expressions  
  • Physically describe your character
  • Facial details
    • The description needs to be woven through and integrated seamlessly into your prose, to give a sense of flow and immersiveness.
  • Want is external, need is internal 
    • Want drives the characters intentions
    • There’s always obstacles to the wants. A character knows their want at the beginning but doesn’t know their need
    • A character often times find out what they really need to achieve something later
    • Need is the emotional drive, which creates an emotional ending. It’s the emotional pull
    • Wants is specific to a character, need is universal i.e. Everyone needs connection 
    • The journey teaches us about our own wants and needs