Screenwriting Essentials: Character
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- čas přidán 13. 05. 2023
- A big video, for a crucial topic: creating and working with characters.
It’s a collection of the most useful, practical insights and tools I could think of, to try out when writing any kind of narrative. Yep: bold claim, I know. But check it out -- there’s ideas and approaches here you won’t find anywhere else.
Hope they help!
(NOTE: I light my videos mostly using a big frosted-glass door, and on the day I shot this, the sun and clouds caused havoc with my camera’s automatic settings. So: sorry for the leaps in light and color from shot to shot. But, honestly, if you’re watching my videos for the visuals -- are you nuts?)
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Here’s a link to some of my other videos that I refer to:
Building Character Arcs - • Building Character Arcs
Dramatic Action - • Screenwriting Essentia...
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This channel is here to help you learn to write for screens - ANY kind of screens, from Hollywood tentpole to streaming series to DIY indie.
Want to know more about me? Want to work with me, one-on-one? Script reading and consulting, project and process consulting: go to writingforscreens.com
My site: writingforscreens.com
Insta: / writingforscreens
Twitter: / writingforscre1
Credits Motion Graphics: Xander Brennan, xanbrennan.com
Credits Music: musicfornothing.com
This video is so in-depth and packed with exactly the kind of information I was searching for. Great presentation! And the outtakes were very humorous! I am looking forward to going through all of your videos more than once. Thx so much.
'Don't make everything easy. Give them some room to be messy and emotional and human'
OK, that one really resonates, too!
Thank you!
GG ! This video hit me like a lightning bolt. I especially loved the insight that character is a sequence of actions. So cool!
Yay! Thank you!!
Love your videos. I don't write screenplays but I still find all your writing advice really useful and helpful for my writing. Thank you! :)
I've been trying to stick to my niche, but am so gratified to know it's useful beyond just the "script advice" audience, thank you!
Same here! I think one of the reasons I find writing so overwhelming sometimes is because there are so many elements to tie together and these videos do just that, concisely list most things that is sometimes jumbled in my brain. To hear it out loud in a familiar speech pattern is extremely helpful to me as it starts a thinking spiral of how characters develop much faster than going through text; there’s a flow to it. And instead of me picking something to work on, when you mention a specific task, you have already picked a starting point for me and the spiral works it’s way through the task organically.
Anyway how’s your book going?
@@maisey2363 Haven't really had time to work on the book: just been doing production on these 20 "lesson" videos that will finish up the main playlists here. 5 more to go! Then when this collection is done, I can at last start to work on the book!
How long does the average video take to complete? People like me appreciate the content you make 💯💯 but pls don’t let that stop you from starting on your book …having said that, your goal is finishing this project first …4 left now as I’ve just seen your next video drop 👍🏼👍🏼
@@maisey2363 Thank you, that's very sweet! I'm focusing on finishing them for myself: the desire to complete the project, to have the work do/be what it was intended to be. It takes about a week to shoot and edit one (not full time, but filling the four or five hours I try to leave open for intense creative work a day). It took months to write them - often setting them aside for weeks and weeks, though. But I admit the amount of over-thinking I do on any creative project is pretty nuts.
🎉 I always learn so much from your videos!!! 🎉
That is so great to hear, thanks!
I just want to Thank you so much for your videos. This one in particular is amazing. I gratuated filmschool and countless workshops, I learn more from you and get more inspiration from you. ❤
Wow, thank you so much! The one thing I like to feel when I work is: "I'm doing something that hasn't been done quite this way," - that's the thing that makes it feel like I'll be glad I did something, even if it's not conventionally successful. This message says to me: you did it :)
@@writingforscreens 💯% ❤
All great stuff, as always.
We should all take this advice to heart and create our characters based on these principles. I agree completely with all of this.
But then we have to actually do these things! Make them happen. And that is not easy, and it's quite intimidating. So this raises the pointed question, 'How?'
IMHO, the best approach is to inhabit the characters. Walk in their shoes. Put your own persona aside and 'become' the character. Allow yourself the tendency to be of 'multiple personalities'. What this means is the author's job is not really all that different from the actor's job. It then becomes evident why many actors might also be good writers, doesn't it?
Imagine that you 'are' the character. Since this is counter to what we do all the time in our own lives, which is 'be who WE are', this is an acquired skill, but the good news is it's not hard to build that muscle. And often, the characters end up telling you, the author, what they will say and do (and why), and even what the plot is.
I have been known to take a call during writing and discover myself speaking to the caller much like the character I was just inhabiting. I have to force myself back into 'me'. But as foreign as this concept is to pretty much everyone, this all gets easy to do, (and it's actually a whole lot of fun to go 'outside' yourself for a moment). Like everything else about writing, deliberate practice is the key.
Yes, I agree!
Your videos open up quite some possibilities to turn heaps of messy notes into stories. Thank you for your lively videos and sharing your confidence!
What a wonderful way to put it, sharing my confidence - thank you!
Thank you so much for making this video. It was very thought-provoking for me, got so many notes after watching this one!
So glad to hear this, thank you!!
It's been some time since I last visited - but I absolutely love your content, delivery, and lessons! This is truly helpful in my career and growth. Thank you!!!!!
Thank YOU - I'm glad to be here, whenever you want to come back and visit!
'Use the flaw to explore insight & empathy'
I don't think I've ever heard flaw used in those terms before. I hope I can register that one permanently in my mind. It always seems to be discussed in terms of the mechanism around conflict or objectives or arcs. Perhaps this 'exploration' is the gap between mediocrity and mastery of character? It might explain why EEAAO and Moonlight had me bawling.
Yes, I agree (about those two movies)! I am so glad to hear you feel I have contributed something new to the world of how-to. Thank you!
Thanks very much for making these great videos! I only found you last week on a Film Courage interview and was inspired by your easy to follow methods about creating stories. And you're funny too! I have come to fiction writing late after retiring recently, and a life of formal academia and writing as an engineer and have joined lots of writing classes and read many books, as you do. 🙄But in the short time I have watched your videos this last week, I have learned SOOOOOOO much more, in simple, easy to understand ways that REALLY resonate with me. From teaching I know we all learn differently but you have a great way of putting information over. I use the auto transcript from YT to save the nuggets and key statements you give us. I know this is instruction for writing screen play, and I can see how that will differ in places, as you elude to, but I can also see where I can use so much of this information just for written story telling in books etc, and you are unwrapping so many myths for me that seemed really difficult to remember, or use, from other instructors and to be honest, sounded quite stuffy!!! So thanks again! P.S. the link to your website says 'its not secure' and so I haven't gone there??? Maybe the link is wrong or something??
Thank you so much for this message! I am really glad to know it's offering you real help - that's the whole reason I'm doing it.
I'm sorry about the link - I will look into it. Is this any better? - writingforscreens.com
@@writingforscreens Thanks for the reply Glenn...no the link still says its not secure and blocks me....yet it is https, so I'm not sure, maybe my internet service here in Spain is more suspicious than normal.:)..I tried Chrome and Edge but both say the same message. I'll try on Safari on my iPad and see.
@@Regulus1999 So sorry! I don't know why it's not available to you! I will ask my web designer to look into it.
Your channel is invaluable! Im suprised by the view count. Great videos and very cohesive and useful
Thank you so much!
Yes: I choose not to do a lot of the things that would probably increase my views, because they would also dilute the content or quality of the stuff I'm trying to communicate and make it all just like everyone else's stuff. I'm just happy that the numbers slowly, steadily increase. Maybe one day I'll add in a layer of "youtube hustle" and become a big player :)
@@writingforscreens I've heard of your channel through a friend who is currently making a comic, and since I am also an illustrator and plan to tell stories he said I should check you out, he's using a lot of your guides for his story structure :) Can only attest this, very useful. Hope you keep having fun with this.
@@the_Googie I will if you will: keep having fun making your work. Thank you!
You are really great teacher, mr Glenn!
Thank you!! (You can just call me Glenn.)
This was great!
Thank you!
Excellent. So much useful information in just a few minutes. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Thank you!
I get the information i need from these videos, but I love the outakes really funny 😁
They help me, too - so I don't feel like I'm being such a lecturer :)
Interesting example with the cigarette in the eye. Have you read Heat 2? That scenario happens in the book. I recommend it if you haven't read it. I thought the book was amazing, and way better than the film, though I'm not a huge fan of the film.
Wow - no, I haven't read it. The script of the film is full of "extra" writing and details so I bet the book is really a good read.
Excellent points!
Thanks!
One of your best videos yet! But what happened with A? Did they burn out the virus in the end?!?! 😰
A did indeed save the world, but unfortunately, they also had to serve some jail time.
Just discovered your channel earlier today from your discussion on the '6 questions.' I am here as a writer who will try try her hand at any creative form, and wishes to develop a cohesive plan for a TV series. Your content captures structure, plot, character etc, with precision, making it simple to map out my own ideas and concept in conjunction to the advice shared.
You have a wonderful attitude, keep trying things out, exploring different approaches. I'm glad my work is helping.
@@writingforscreens Absolutely will do! :)
God, you are so amazing
Thank you so much, you teach us so much
That is so wonderful to hear, thank you!!
I hope those annoying noises stopped! Great video thanks! Perfectly timed as well for my own work!
LOL yes - they only show up when I'm trying to record a video :) Thanks!
🔥🔥 new videos. I was busy these days so i couldn’t watch them. Great stuff thanks sir
Living your life is more important than watching my videos!
I think my favorite example of a main character who doesn't change is marty mcfly from back to the future. BUT he changes his whole family's lives, and saves doc brown. Changing the world around him.
Also glen I would love to ask, I've been researching a lot of character tropes and how to utilize my characters better. And I recently discovered the trope "Fridging" so my question is, how do I kill a character that is meaningful to the story without, "Fridging" said character?
It seems to me like the objection to "fridging" is that the purpose of the character is purely to motivate another character - so that's exactly the opposite of what I'm trying to teach. If a character must die, they have to do so because of their actions, nature, and arc. The fact that it will motivate another character is fine - but if you can't make the vicitm a full character on their own, with goals and actions, then that's gonna be a "fridge."
Hi Glenn, please can I ask for some advice. I have a script which has been through several rounds of evaluation on The Black List. Its scores 7s and 8s for premise and setting repeatedly. Using your excellent advice “how do we know that” I’ve eradicated any confusion about plot. The theme is now landing with people. I’ve watched this excellent video on character lots of times. My characters all have agendas. They change. The reveal new depths. They are designed to be foils for the protagonist and to draw out the theme. I worked with a well known screen writing coach but it didn’t improve the character scores. I just don’t seem to be able get a score over 6 for character. Now I may have reached the limit of my skill. Or maybe I’m missing something obvious. Without rewriting a script that is working on other levels is there anything you would suggest from experience. They don’t only have one dimension but are reading flat on the page. What can I give the script to give an actor or reader something to chew on? Any examples of scripts where “character is all on the page”. Please help :-) Thanks. Meanwhile I’m working on the next script…
This is a fascinating question. It highlights a bizarre element of this business but also of the culture in general at the moment - numerical ranking of creative work. WTF is the different between a 6 character and a 9 character?! All these people reading and ranking: what does it MEAN? What are the values according to which things are being assigned numbers?
Different artists, and different readers, like different things. My 9 is your 3. It's not without use - if you were getting all 2s and 3s it would be something to think about. But other than that:
Do YOU think there's something wrong with the characters? If so - work on that. Has anyone told you something specific about the characters? You say they are "reading flat on the page." Is that something someone has actually said, or are you extrapolating it from numbers? And what does it mean, "flat"? It's shorthand for something - but what?! (I have my own definitions, which are in the video...but in the end it's a FEELING, a matter of taste and opinion.)
If you feel that the character have subtleties and dimensions which are not being conveyed: maybe just describe them, weave them into the "action lines." Look at the scripts for BREAKING BAD and BETTER CALL SAUL to see a ton of opinion and "internal" things just stated. Or look at how their dramatic action conveys these things.
Last night I watched REMAINS OF THE DAY again. I haven't read the script, but I do know that the whole point of it is there are things the people are NOT saying and NOT doing which are central to their souls. It's conveyed often just by their face. And sometimes not by that, simply by their resistance to these things, their evasion of them. You could, of course, explain it, in the script. Or maybe just the way you describe the moment hints at it. No matter how you do it: many readers might not get it - and maybe even some viewers. ESPECIALLY those who are hungrily gobbling up every bit of Screenwriting Theory, which alas most of your "in business" readers will have done...and which makes everyone try to steer all scripts to the same boring mediocre and useless "hit formulae." But I wouldn't change REMAINS OF THE DAY. (I might change the score, tone it down a bit...)
And finally, if you really feel like you've tried everything and you think it works and others don't: maybe this script has better themes than characters. Not everything has to be optimized. There a great scripts with pretty clunky dialogue. Tons of hit and even great movies have shallow, stereotypical or obvious characters.
I just don't think rankings and numbers are useful for anything except marketing a finished work. They are not a realistic way to discuss creative work.
If you don't mind, I may get into this on the next livestream.
@@writingforscreens I guess the other thing I take from black list reader reviews is you can see a pattern if the feedback from different readers is consistent about the same issues. I can see what is generally working and what isn’t. What you don’t get is the specifics of HOW to fix something. They do all agree on the strengths of the script including the ending.
@@artofadamlumb952 Yes, absolutely: there is solid value in getting a wide variety of responses from strangers. (I just don't like numerical scores for art.)
@@writingforscreens This is such a great reply. I love that you are focused on making individual artists become the best version of the artist they want to be rather than offer a prescribed approach. Shame you aren’t doing consultations 121 anymore. Love your approach.
@@writingforscreens Yes absolutely please do discuss on the live stream. Is that Wednesday? Will try to join (I’m in you U.K. so I’m guessing around 8pm?
LOL never fails. I film in Italy and there is alway an ape or garbage truck or barking dog.
👍
How do you establish a character with a story?
Not entirely sure what you mean: how do you use a story (like a story-within-your-main-story) to establish a character? Or how do you establish any character in any story?
The short answer is, for the second version: any way you want, there are SO many. Generally they ought to take an action, but sometimes you establish them by people talking about them (as in CITIZEN KANE) or by seeing their effect on others...
The only suggestion I have is: study things you like and see the many ways THEY do it, and put them into your toolbox of possible ways.
The one other bit of advice I have is: you don't want to establish everything at once. As I said: you want to give us some specific, dramatically-important part of them at the beginning, and then learn more about them as they move through the events.
(Me, again-sorry)
When 'a lot of people say' a character has to change (whether we accept this or not-none of Agatha Christie's MC's change very much at all, and that seemed to work for her), I think that concept is only half-baked. Oh, it's baked, but only half.
I do think it's a great idea to have characters change and to have authors reveal new layers as we go. But when 'they' say 'a character has to change', they're leaving out something important, which is the MC is not a blank slate on page one.
I think a well-rounded character has a core essence that exists mostly from birth and only partly from background. Once a person is 'fully formed' which likely happens as early as them being a toddler (not always), who they are at their core does NOT EVER change, and I consider it important to accept that about them and use that as a tool when revealing those layers you are speaking about.
IOW, not everything about a character is required to come from change over the course of the character arc (though much typically does and likely should), and it is very easy to misinterpret the 'advice' that they have to change as being 'change wholesale'. But who they are does not have to start from zero on page one. For instance, you can reveal that a character has a heroic nature in chapter one. They are not required to 'acquire' that core essence over the character arc.
I don't think we have to wait for the 'look in the mirror' moment halfway into Act II for them to say, 'I've not ever been heroic, but now I've decided to become heroic' (regardless what Orson Scott Card might tell us). That's totally not realistic. But knowing who they already are and then deciding to act based on who they already are, even in a 'mirror' moment, would be. That is a difference with a distinction.
We want readers/viewers to root for our characters. When they know who they already are and we see them then deciding to act like who they have been at their core all along, that's what gets us pumping our fists in the air. Yesss! You go, girl! Who they are has not changed. What they do, has.
And then you layer the actual change in the arc over the top of that, and you're golden.
So I find it helpful to distinguish what a MC is at their core from what change they will experience over their arc, and use that as one more tool. Show the layers of who they already are bit by bit, and show the change as well, but those are separate tasks executed separately, and realizing this helps.
Interesting way to look at it!