Screenwriting character is like screenwriting structure and plot or any other elements of movie writing. The more you build a solid foundation for your characters the more compelling the story.
For me, it's all about asking questions. Starting with the basic questions, and then going beyond these.
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The 'externals' - hair colour, build etc - can be helpful in visualizing the character of course. But the most important elements of screenwriting character are internal.
Most of the things on the following lists should not elicit Yes or No answers. Questions like 'Is your character extrovert?' may prompt you to say Yes at first, but don't stop there.
Think about times when he or she may not be behaving like an extrovert. So much about our characters change according to circumstancs. Maybe your 'extrovert' character is introvert at times. Explore when those times are, when does this happen? Who is your character with at these moments? Does he or she behave differently with different characters?
A good many of the things listed here will not end up in your written screenplay.
But they will help you to start exploring the possibilities of your characters to build on. The more you can inhabit your character's inner life the deeper will be their effect on the audience.Going deeper and deeper into your character like this will almost automatically help to create complexities.
Screenwriting character is as much about asking questions of your character as answering them.
And you shouldn't be able to answer all of them anyway!
What are your Character's Emotional Needs?
If they don't have any, shouldn't they have some? Where will the all-important emotional plot be otherwise?
Following on from emotional needs:
What does your character want? Do we care?
And do they want it enough for the audience to want to find out how or whether they'll get it?
What is your Character's Passion?
If they haven't got one, should they have one?
How does your character express emotions? Anger, pleasure, cynicism, joy, fear etc
How does your character register tension and stress? By a physical gesture/expression? Silence? Talking too much?
Temperament?
Attitude to life?
An optimist or pessimist? Both - it depends?
Extrovert? Introvert? Ambivert? - it depends who character is with? What does your character fear? Real or imagined?
What is the worst thing can happen to him/her?
What makes your character happy/sad?
Does your character get depressed? When? Why?
What makes your character laugh? Does he or she giggle? Show their teeth in a beam?Think of a joke that would have your character rolling around on the floor clutching their stomach.
What comedians does your character like?And not like?
What does your character worry about?
Ambitions? - Professional? Personal?
Complexes? - must be meaningful, not tacked on.
Is your character in denial about something?
Has your character got low or high self-esteem, or medium? - Does it depend on how he or she gets out of bed that morning? Is the self-belief fragile?
What elements in his/her character that he/she doesn’t accept?
Frustrations – big and small?
What does your character like about him/herself? External and Pyschological.
What does your character dislike/hate about him/herself? External and Psychological.
Screenwriting Character The Externals
Age
Sex
Build
Hair, eyes, skin colour
Movement - How does your character walk? (Some actors say that when they first approach a character they work out how they walk before considering anything else, because this can say a great deal about the character’s take on life, their sense of identity etc)
Mannerisms - NO 'pegged on' character tics. They must be a natural expression of character.
Facial expressions
Voice
Speech patterns
How do they dress?conservative? Fashionable? Quirky?Do they care about their appearance or not?What does that say about their confidence? Sense of identity?
The late Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight.Screenwriters: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan. Director: Christopher Nolan. Warner Bros. Pictures Legendary Pictures.
I'm starting a series on this site called Learn From The Actors, and Heath Ledger will be the first actor I'll be looking at. You might want to look out for when it starts by checking out the Screenwriter Blog.
Here's a sequence of images of the late, much lamented, Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, an actor who was a master at portraying what lies beneath.
Sibings? What is the character's relationship with them like?
What's your character's birth order? Oldest, youngest? Middle?
What was their childhood like?
Parents divorced? Step-siblings?
Friends? - Why does he choose them? Do they make him feel good, unconfident or what?
Lovers?
Sexually innocent/experienced/promiscuous? If promiscuous - why? Where is this coming from?
What is his or her attitude to sex? Worth thinking about deeply.
How intelligent?
Cultural interests?
Abilities and skills?
Hobbies?
Birthplace/Education/Job?
Rich/poor or other? Attitude to material things - very important,
Environment? Where does your character feel most comfortable -city, country, what kind of city, what kind of country?
Does the character have ‘shadows’ – ie things in his/her past that influence their actions now? They should have.
Religious? Atheist? Other?
Life goals?
Major events in life? Anything traumatic?Where does your character feel uncomfortable? What situations?How much has your character travelled? Has he or she fallen in love with a foreign place?
These are just the basics of screenwriting character, as I say. You're sure to come up with your own questions to ask of your characters. As well as discovering who your character is, you will hopefully come to realise what should remain a mystery about them. And as I've mentioned, most of these elements and characteristics will not be written into the screenplay. They are only useful as a means of exploring the possibilities of your character.
I hope the basics for screenwriting character I've put together here will act as a springboard for your imagination to take flight and begin to shape your character into a unique and complex individual who will seduce, intrigue - and perplex the audience.
Part Three of Screenwriting Character
you'll find some ideas for digging deeper and discover why the most important element of a character is what lies beneath.
