4 Types of Characters in a Film - Flat vs. Round & Static vs. Dynamic
Vložit
- čas přidán 10. 06. 2024
- Types of Characters in a Story - In this video, we break down four types of characters in every story (flat, round, static, and dynamic) and how writers use them all.
Character Types Explained ►► bit.ly/vw-ct
StudioBinder Screenwriting Software ►► bit.ly/sb-sw
─────────────────────
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Character Types in Film
00:53 Character Types Defined
02:29 - Chapter 1: Flat vs Round
09:02 - Chapter 2: Static vs Dynamic
16:28 Chapter 3: The Shawshank Redemption Deep Dive
20:31 - Takeaways
─────────────────────
4 TYPES OF CHARACTERS IN A STORY (OR FILM)
All characters are not created equal - and they shouldn’t be. Not every character needs to be multidimensional and have a clear character arc. A good writer knows the four types of characters and how best to use them in any given story. Flat, round, static, and dynamic characters can be found everywhere, and the sooner you understand how they work, the better writer you’ll be. In this video, we’ll break down these character types, what makes them unique, and how they can even share these categories.
FLAT VS ROUND CHARACTERS
The first pair of characters are flat or round. This has nothing to do with their physical shape but thinking of them this way does help keep their differences in mind. Flat characters are uncomplicated and often defined by a single character trait. They are often used for supporting characters, comic relief, as a sort of stereotypical character, or when a character’s personality is deliberately simple. Round characters, on the other hand, have more dimension. They’re complicated, have layers to them, and are most often seen in protagonists.
DYNAMIC VS STATIC CHARACTERS
One of the most commonly heard screenwriting mantras is that characters must change. What they really mean is the “main character” must change - no one is upset when a side character who is only in one scene doesn’t have a complete character arc. Dynamic characters are those that undergo some degree of change throughout the story. Again, most protagonists are dynamic, but there are still exceptions to that “rule.” Static characters, on the opposite side, change very little or not at all.
Antagonists are often static because they need to provide the hero with consistent conflict.
Remember, while there’s no overlap within each pair (e.g., characters are either flat or round), they can be combined between the pairs. A static character can either be flat or round, for example. The types of characters at a writer’s disposal allow them to enrich their storytelling with variety and depth.
#FilmTheory #VideoEssay #Filmmaking
─────────────────────
♬ SONGS USED:
“Indy’s Very First Adventure” - John Williams
“The Flier” - Danny Elfman
“Hang Me, Oh Hang Me” - Dave Van Ronk
“We’ll Meet Again” - Vera Lynn
“Ambush on Coruscant” - John Williams
“All Lit Up” - Craig Armstrong
“Watch Me Shine” - Joanna Pacitti
“Lonely Town, Pas de deux” - Leonard Bernstein
“The Verdict” - Ennio Morricone
“Defeated Clown” - Hildur Guðnadóttir
“From The Fire” - John Carpenter
“The Theorem” - Danny Elfman
“Danke Schoen” - Wayne Newton
“Just Dropped In” - Kenny Rodgers
“Blue Blood” - Heinz Kiessling
“Flashback” - Burkhard Dallwitz
“The Winner is Little Miss Sunshine” - DeVotchka
“New Slang” - The Shins
“Waiting” - E.G. Daily
“On The Bus” - Danny Elfman
“Casablanca Suite” - Max Steiner
“Glory” - Tyler Bates
“Rock Hammer” - Thomas Newman
“Shawshank Prison (Stoic Theme)” - Thomas Newman
“Suds on the Roof” - Thomas Newman
“And That Right Soon” - Thomas Newman
“Workfield” - Thomas Newman
“Brooks Was Here” - Thomas Newman
“Building the Chair” - Carter Burwell
“He’s a Pirate” - Hans Zimmer
Music by Artlist ► utm.io/umJx
Music by Artgrid ► utm.io/umJy
Music by Soundstripe ► bit.ly/2IXwomF
Music by MusicBed ► bit.ly/2Fnz9Zq
─────────────────────
SUBSCRIBE to StudioBinder’s CZcams channel! ►► bit.ly/2hksYO0
Looking for a project management platform for your filmmaking? StudioBinder is an intuitive project management solution for video creatives; create shooting schedules, breakdowns, production calendars, shot lists, storyboards, call sheets and more.
Try StudioBinder for FREE today: studiobinder.com/pricing
- Join us on Social Media! -
Instagram ►► / studiobinder
Facebook ►► / studiobinderapp
Twitter ►► / studiobinder
#film-theory, #video-essay, #filmmaker - Krátké a kreslené filmy
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Character Types in Film
00:53 Character Types Defined
02:29 - Chapter 1: Flat vs Round
09:02 - Chapter 2: Static vs Dynamic
16:28 Chapter 3: The Shawshank Redemption Deep Dive
20:31 - Takeaways
Any chance we could get a video on movie runtimes and what intricacies influence them? Thanks. 🎬
Proper theatre literature! Who needs film school when you have studio binder 😂❤
I know, right? 😄
Class in session!
My professor often has us watch a video from Studio Binder in class, I'm sure other film schools around the world use their videos to help with lessons as well.
Fun fact: exactly ZERO of your favourite directors paid any attention to either, ever!
This is the kind of video people need in literature classes.
So many writers struggle bus with the differences.
Struggle bus?
struggle bus @@Dayvit78
@@Dayvit78 we are all riding the struggle bus on this fine day
@@Dayvit78 Just means struggle usually for a long time.
I like the colloquium so I use it.
Hope this video helps!
This channel is getting a shoutout at my OSCARS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
We'll be waiting!
I hope to add translation in Arabic. You have a large Arabic-speaking audience of cinema lovers and filmmakers who learn a lot from your channel’s wonderful content. Thank you for your efforts.
Thanks for watching!
I love how you employ a diversity of ideas on this channel. We learn that story telling, be it visual or not, is an amalgamation of a varied tool set and mind sets. There are multiple roads which lead to any destination. The only question is: which will you take?
I finally understood why 'Breakfast Club' - just works.
Excellent writing, like most of John Hughes work!
It's a complete audiovisual encyclopedia about Movie Characters. Thousand Thanks StudioBinder for this Inspiring video. Always Inspiring to learn from you StudioBinder.💯💯
Glad you liked it!
Day by day Studiobinder's videos are getting better and better.
That's the goal!
Please do a video on how directors and cinematographers conduct a blocking rehearsal. I love your videos so much and I've learned so much from them than any other resources, I even forgot the last time I watched other CZcams channels. Thank you so much, you've been a blessing in disguise.
Thanks for the suggestion!
seconded! there should be more on blocking and preproduction in general!
This one is worth watching over and over again. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
This channel is amazing ❤ Always so enjoyable to watch, full of the things I feel but could never put into words & grabs movies I'm remarkably fond about 💕
Happy to help!
I have been watching some of your previous videos to understand filmmaking better. They have been beneficial, and this video does it again. Can you make a video about the slice-of-life genre and why people mistake it for the coming-of-age genre?
Thanks for the suggestion! We covered the coming of age genre in this video if you want to check it out czcams.com/video/uT1e6GITCs0/video.html
Perfect timing for this video! We're working on character sheets in my screenwriting class :)
Good luck!
Amazing video as always. Thank you so much.
Glad you liked it!
Such informative work!
I think this video complements perfectly the ones about character arcs. I don't know if there is one that goes deeply into character dimensions (physical, psychological and social). Anyway, this is a must see video to understand these to aspects of a character. Thank you StudioBinder 😁
Hope it helps!
this is the best gift for my brithday! Thank U studiobinder!
Happy birthday!
Honestly I want a behind the scenes of the process of making these great videos❤ Get to see the narrator, the writers, editors, animators and the office😊
Appreciate it :)
This was incredibly informative!
Great video! This channel never disappoints. One thing I'd like to mention: Ferris Bueller himself is a rather static character. In the whole movie he doesn't have a big choice to make. But his best friend does.
Great content. Reminds me of people that I've known that fit these descriptions and what type of character I would be within my own story.
Interesting thought experiment 🧐
@@StudioBinder yes I think all of us can be any of them if we observe our own life. For instance my friends that have families could be considered static characters compared to me while I decided to live abroad for yrs and experience life outside of this structure. The stories I have continue as my character arc. So I think writing and creating a character becomes easier with thinking about ourselves and others we know. Love this video btw.
Thanks to John Truby & Bob Mckee I started understanding how to choose and build my character atmosphere according to the story shape
Happy writing!
This video is quite informative 🙂. Thank you
Can you please also do a video on What is Climax? And What is anticlimax ?
We broke down the structure of a climax with Joker in this video! czcams.com/video/Xg2TUsTUvaM/video.html
Thank you SB
Really enjoyed this 😊
Great to hear!
Flat vs. round can be thought of as a constant. Wherever they are on that spectrum, they remain there relatively constantly. Static vs.dynamic can be thought of as relating to the amount of moment to moment change, meaning not constant, but having peaks and valleys of different aspects over the course of the timeline. The more dynamic, the more quick peaks and valleys.
IOW, dynamic characters are mercurial and less predictable than static characters, while flat or round characters are much more predictable.
Of course if there is change in the character arc, it can be relatively quick change, or relatively slow change, and a character can change from any point on either spectrum to any other point, all of which can be independent of character type.
What seems to work best for me (and is the way countless stories are told) is based on contrast between characters. I prefer creating a main character who is more of an everyman, bc readers or viewers can bond to that character and identify with them easier, a character who is slightly flat and slightly static (yet may have a significant change in the character arc) contrasted with a secondary character who is more mercurial and unpredictable, a little rounder and dynamic, bc they will be more interesting to follow, and the reader or viewer, bonded to and identifying with the everyman character, spends much of the story observing and/or helping the more mercurial character.
One example is in The Office, where Jim Halpert is the everyman character the audience identifies with, while Michael Scott is the mercurial, unpredictable one he (and the audience) observes. That implies both solidity (Jim) and a 3-ring circus of entertainment (Michael). It gives the audience comfort in the predictability of Jim, and uniqueness and variety in the unpredictable (yet over time, paradoxically predictable) Michael.
That dynamic balance of tension is one of the reasons that show ran for 8 seasons.
This way there is a constant tension (usually positive) between those characters and each of them can really benefit from the other. The more mercurial character benefits from the more stable character pulling them back onto the rails and the more mercurial character shows the more stable character how life can be more interesting. They need each other.
And a story often needs this. If The Office were mostly about Jim, with no Michael character, it would have been pretty boring. If it were mostly about Michael, with no Jim to contrast him with, it just would have been too chaotic for the viewer to latch on to for 8 seasons.
And this dynamic can be seen in a high percentage of great stories, bc it works. All you have to do is look for it.
Some nice character foreshadowing using framing in the GoodWill Hunting scene at 10:06. Chuckie is boxed in by the trailer filling the frame, his future. On the reverse, Will has blue skies overhead (and ahead). (More evident in the wide shots throughout the full scene!)
Thank you studio binder
Thanks for watching!
2:36 I uncontrollably belted out “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” right at the perfect moment!
I couldn’t stop myself… what just happened !?🙃❔
Movie magic haha
Today i had short nap 😴
I dreamt STUDIO BINDER opened new branch in my local area 😅
They were shooting an advertisement video 📹 as I'm going inside during the shooting i told one of the crews: " oh wow guys great work I'm ur fans one of ur subscribers on youtube "
Wish it was true ❤
haha time to expand
- [00:53] 📝 Different character types help writers understand their characters' roles and functions within a narrative.
- [02:28] 📚 Character categories like flat vs. round aren't binary; characters sit on a spectrum, allowing subjective categorization.
- [02:29] 🔄 Understanding flat vs. round characters helps writers decide when and why to use each type effectively.
- [09:02] 🔒 Static characters provide consistency and contrast, while dynamic characters offer satisfying arcs of change.
- [16:29] 🎬 "The Shawshank Redemption" exemplifies various character types, showing how they can enrich storytelling.
- [20:34] 🌟 No character type is inherently superior; each serves a purpose in informing and enhancing the narrative.
Love your videos 👍
Thanks for watching!
Hard to think of Samwise Gamgee as a "flat" one, as the richness of his character, his involvement and encouragement of Frodo, and ultimately his happy ending, was so foundational to the narrative.
It was shocking at first but they are right, Sam doesn't have a ton of complexity or change, despite being so central to the narrative
@@LuisSierra42 I guess so, but even still, after watching the films and all of the larger than life heroic characters, it was always ol' lowly Sam that I felt I could most personally identify with. Maybe I'm just a flat-sort of guy, haha.
@@OldMovieRob Being "flat" in this sense is not bad, it serves a purpose in the story. Like they say in this video, not every character needs to be explored in depth
Flat character doesn't mean a poorly written one!
@@StudioBinder You're right! Most movie sports stars are flat and yet dynamic and complex as they react to challenges. How about a video on what makes a great sports movie?
That was wonderfully done. I’m a better storyteller for having watched it. Thank you.
Happy writing!
Thank you
Thanks for watching!
In the END a good character is a good character ❤
👌💯
This might be the best narrator in history
Charlie from mean streets is one of the best written characters. Round and dynamic
Great example!
thanks a lot
Thanks for watching!
Sending this to my whole film studies group chat
Watching your videos from Nepal 🇳🇵. Lots of love and respect ❤
these videos are so good and well made
Appreciate it 💖
The best characters that still surprise me every time I see there will be blood. Now I see why the movie Plot isn't that dynamic. And why characters in movies like night in a museum are so flat. But I guess it takes a jurassic park to see both dynamic visuals and complex characters.
That's when you get the perfect blockbuster!
Have you also done a video on narrative pacing in films?
You are the reason I love CZcams 😍
We love our viewers!
Nice 💯
Thanks for watching!
“The world is full of actors pretending to be human”
-J.D. Salinger
🔥
Please make a video diff bw character driven plot and plot driven characters
Plese make a video and explain the "shot division" and "camera angle" choice of film "schindler's list"
Thanks for the suggestion!
I was thinking about double role by Dustin Hoffman in "Tootsie" a flat actor vs. a round actress😜😂
😅
This channel is round and it makes me dynamic.
Please make some videos on the concept : Classical Hollywood Cinema 🙏😊
I think one reason why Shawshank Redemption works is that Andy still goes on a journey, even if his overall personality stays the same.
Omgg the theme song is in swahili!! 🥹🥹I loved the characterization of the characters too ♥️
IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY MENTIONED!!!!!!!!
👍💯
What's that creepy song at 0:32? I can't find it in the list.
2 day ago I decided to write characters and now look who come helping
Happy writing!
We learnt about this in English class
Nice!
Subtitles plz
Subtitles are up!
English only 😢😢😢@@StudioBinder
10:10 When your true friend REALLLY really cares about you and doesn't try to hold you back out of jealousy.
Will this Video help in understanding the character in movie
It should!
Recently I rewatch a movie and realized why the movie feel so long even tho it just 2 hours. Then, i realized that the movie took place like a week in the story. The audience can literally feel the transition of day and night. So the question is, how to make a movie that takes place over the course of a few days/ weeks/ months or years? What the transition is? If you know what i mean...
20:24 💜
Can you guys do "how to do subversive writing"?? It's very popular nowadays but rarely any of them do it right.
Any examples you'd want covered?
@StudioBinder basically, any movie/show that deviates from traditional norms in cinema or society as a whole. A lot of Kubrick's was considered subversive for the time. And I would say midsomar because it's subverting traditional horror tropes.
My Monday breackfaste
Goes great with coffee :D
Cool
Cheers!
I think Sam is static (never changing by always reminding us of the shire), not flat. There's enough character and personality to him that I wouldn't call him one-dimensional. If he was flat, audiences wouldn't have that emotional moment with him carrying Frodo at the end of the third film.
👌👌
Thanks for watching!
Sometimes I've noticed that Flat characters are rendered more Round by their backstory or past (if it's honestly told ).
That can make them flawed or broken, without many flaws to show for. Some other times, the reverse is also true.
The lack of a past can make a character very Flat and downright boring.
All character types have to be put into their proper place in the story!
cool
Thanks for watching!
@@StudioBinder I’ve still got long way to go
Are sar long episodes layena kab khatam ho gaya pata nahi chala
One of the best flat characters is The man with no name played by Clint Eastwood
💯 Can always rely on the great westerns
Please sir make a video How They Shot La La Land...
Anyone know the movie at 13:28?
Garden State
@@brandonscullion thanks bud
Arnold from ey Arnold is a very good flat character ❤
18:00 it is NOT unclear! Hadley Kills Tommy on the Warden's Okay.
Why? Because the real killer confessed to Tommy, and Tommy wanted to tell the Parole Board.
Andy Dufresne was Worth and Knew too much to be set free.
👌
I have to take issue with your description of Sam Gamgee as a "flat" character and Frodo as a "round" one. Frodo is presented from the outset as a decent and brave hobbit. Consider when Gandalf says to him in the Fellowship that the Ring can't stay in the Shire, he says straight away "what do I need to do?". He really doesn't waver from the quest at any time except right at the end when he's standing inside Mount Doom. His deterioration into a moody and dark character is caused by the Ring, not by events, and Frodo remains much the same person. For instance, he is kind to Gollum almost right until the end. It is, in fact, his simple decency (which he never loses) that leads to his success. On the other hand Sam's development is one of the key themes of the books and movie series, namely that "heroes" are found in the unlikeliest forms. Sam, who sees himself as a simple gardener, finds in himself as the series progresses incredible courage, resilience, determination, fighting skills and initiative. If you watch the extended versions of the movies, the first main character we see at the start of the Fellowship is Sam and the last character we see at the end of the Return of the King is Sam. That is no coincidence.
Fair points! Only pushback I would say is that the deterioration by the Ring is part of the plot (he's carrying something that corrupts - a plot point)
Yes, but it is Frodo's simply decency and lack of desire for power that protects him and explains why he alone is the one character that can complete the quest (except for Sam). "Greater" people, such as Galadriel, Gandalf, Boromir and Aragorn would not have been able to do it.
Hey studiobinder can you translate your all videos in hindi ❤️
Dammit whats fhe last movie I swear I just watched it and forgot it "What do you think youre doing james"
Found it damn that movie was meh it's Infinity Pool I forgot the title and character names and everything 😂😂🤣
12:48 Gotta give it to SCOTT PILGRIM for redefining Canadian Superheroes. Sorry, ALPHA FLIGHT. "Scott Pilgrim vs the World" wore it better. #CanadianSuperhero
With great characters comes great….
writing!
Early gang
Welcome!
Add more languages please
eating pasta rn
Our videos go well with lunch :)
is this like character development? if not why not do a segment on the subject
you could say character development is the process of a dynamic character
💖🔥🌍🌟
Thanks for watching!
Samwise isn’t really flat.
Next time please add subtitles
They already do. Turn on closed captioning bud
the captions are enabled now
@@sandymakesplans okay, thanks
They're up!
It's okay. They already did.
This is exactly what I‘ve never liked about „Braveheart“. William Wallace seems to have been constructed more to serve Mel Gibson‘s ego than the story, so as a result he is flat, static, and boring.
He is flat because we get to see only stereotypical facets of his character. Wallace is couragious, ambitious and charismatic all right, but that‘s it. He never doubts himself, and when he fails, it is because others are weak or betray him, not because of his personal shortcomings. And just watch how, say, Peter O‘Toole‘ Lawrence of Arabia is haunted by his ghosts of past events, his flawed character exposed, and compare it to the one-dimensional impact that losing parents and wife has had on William Wallace.
And he is static because his character stays the same from start to finish. He doesn‘t have to evolve because he is already the complete package as a young man who knows everything from Latin to romance and battlefield tactics.
Now flat and static protagonists may work very well with the early James Bond, which is supposed to be over-the-top and cartoonish. But unlike 007, in a historical biography beautiful landscapes and action sequences alone can‘t make up for such a lack in complexity and character development.
Please add subtitles for Indians
Appreciate the feedback!
Only the Protagonist needs to change.
For which film?
What makes a great character
Nazis 🤣🤣🤣
unestablished writers will absolutely get a pass for flat/passive character
Was going to share with 5 other potential clients for studio binder, until you had an irrelevant clip of Nicholas cage saying "g-d d". Disappointing..it wasn't necessary
You're not that important