Notes taken from lecture - wrote in short hand

·      Plot

·      Character

·      Setting

·      Point of view

·      Style, tone, language

·      Theme

·      Symbolism, allegory and image

Give our character a personality – characterization:

Protagonist – the stories man character

Antagonist – character made to conflict with protagonist

Round character – a complex fully developed character, often prone to change

Flat character – one dimensional character, typically not central to the plot.

Fictional character – strangers to us until they become fully developed. Our impression is based on visual clues – genderm age, hair colour etc

Visual – charactes appearance

Aural – the sound of the characters voice.

Interrogate out character

The more we know about our character the more we are able to know how they would react to certain situations, etc.

Start developing a  Biography – give them a name, and build a relationship with the character. Create a short biography.

Personality outline –

·      temperament,

·      Morals

·      Political stance

·      Hobbies

·      Habits

·      Quirks

·      Likes/ dislikes

·      Short / long term goals

·      Long term dreams

·      Star signs.

Inspiration:

It sometimes helps to look through newspapers, maragines, internet to find pictures and photographs.

Keep that image with you are you work, complete a brief bio beneath.

Sketh some ideas for your character work..

Develop your protagonist points of view as much as possible, this builds a sense of empathy for each piece of information uncovred through the journey of your film.

There must be a obstacle.

Secondary characters should only have one fundamental problem to solve.they don’t need to be as in depth as your protagonist. Minor chracters do not have to have any problems to solve at all. However, this is only a one minute film so we don’t need secondary characters or minor characters.

Seven standard character types:

·      Confidante – someone who the central character confides, revealing the main characters personality, thoughts and intentions – marge Simpson perhaps

·      Dynamic – changed dueing the course of the film, the change in outlook or character in permanent. Sometimes referred to as a developing character.

·      Flat Character –

·      Foil – enhance another character trough contrast – Cinderella’s grance and beauty is opposed to her nasty self centred sisters.

·      Round – well developed character who demonstrais varied and sometimes contradictory traits. Usuall dynamic but different as they demonstrate contradictions. Snape from Harry Potter??

·      Stock – a special kind of flat character, instantly recognizable, businessman or shushing librarian. They are not developed or focused in the story. Mr. Burns.

Summary of standard characters:

Some characters are too opposite and therefore cannot be considered. There fore someone cannot have a character who is flat and round, or a static yet dynamic character.

Make them  special. They don’t have to be eccentric to be engaging but should have qualities and quirks that set them apart and make them memorable.

Behavior – the behavior of a fictional character should be based on your knowledge of human psychology and your work experiences. Every character you create will bea a reflection of some aspect of yourself.

Unique – you cannot make your characters act and be like characters from other films. At the same time characters inspired buy you or the people you know should have their own identities because you and the people you know don’t live in the world of your script.

SCREEN PLAY GARY PERVES –relys completely on movement – no facial movement just body movement.

Contradictions -   once you begine to write and set your character in motion your premise and the psychology you’ve invented for your character will determine their behaniour and actions.

Don’t say it – sometimes what is left unsaid in a conversation becomes the most potent part – screen writers use dialogue subtext or what is under the text to hint at a conflict with out actually identifying it..

Summarise – essential skill in creating rounded believable characters comes principally from the depth of research and background that you give them.

Look at pdf on uce

Go to library get a dvd – take a character with sound turned down and study the moment. Ask yourself why do I understand what is happening?