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SCREENWRITING – WEEK FIVE
CHARACTER
At least ONE Hero
Main Character
Character with whom the audience most identifies
VOM drives plot forward
On screen most of the time
When off screen, other characters are talking about Hero and how to Help or Stop
Usually introduced quickly in set-up
Exception is “Outside Action Opening”
Must actively pursue goal – Protagonist Drives Action
Must determine own fate at end of story – no “Deus Ex Machina”
CREATING HERO INDENTIFICATION
Empathy – Identification with another’s situation, feelings, motives.
Audience becomes the character psychologically
We engage the audience through EMOTION
The Character is the vehicle for experiencing EMOTION. Character is
our seat on the roller-coaster ride.
Audience must identify with Character if we want to ELICIT EMOTION.
MEANS OF ESTABLISHING IDENTIFICATION
SYMPATHY – The victim of undeserved misfortune.
JEOPARDY – We identify with confrontation with danger.
LIKABILITY – Show your character as well-liked by other characters. Doesn’t
mean the Character is necessarily a good person.
HUMOR – We identify with people who make us feel good. Who make us laugh.
POWER – Not “superhero” power. Characters who are good at what they do.
Establish Identification IMMEDIATELY. Make us identify before you reveal flaws.
If we care, we identify with Character and you ELICIT OUR EMOTION.
VISUAL OUTER MOTIVATION
The essential foundation of screenplay.
The source of forward movement to the story. “What’s going to happen?” “How
will Character win?”
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Answers the question “What’s the story about?”
A VISIBLE goal with a clearly defined endpoint. Has a finish line.
Creates satisfaction and emotional release.
Revealed through action. We believe what we see and not what we’re told by a
Character.
Must be within Hero’s power to achieve. A reachable goal.
Determines the PLOT of screenplay. When a script falters, it’s often because
of an unclear, weak VOM.
OUTER CONFLICT
Whatever prevents the hero from achieving the VOM
Source of EMOTION in the script. OBSTACLES the hero faces gives the script
its EMOTION.
Must come from other Characters and not SELF. It’s OUTER conflict, especially
from the ANTAGONIST.
May also come from NATURE.
Must seem insurmountable. The Antagonist is smarter, more powerful, knows the
Hero’s weaknesses, etc.
THE NEED FOR COURAGE (Created by Outer Conflict)
The Hero must face a life of death struggle. Hero puts everything on the line.
Can be physical or emotional, but it must be TERRIFYING.
FOUR CHARACTRE CATEGORIES
HERO – (REVIEW)
ANTAGONIST (Nemesis, Bad Guy, Villain, Rival, Enemy)
Usually only one
VOM is at cross-purposes to Protagonist
Can be evil, opponent, or even a nice person
The MAIN obstacle to hero’s VOM
If removed from story this character would make it easiest for hero to
achieve VOM
LOVE YOUR ANTAGONIST – good antagonists make good movies
REFLECTION CHARACTER
Helps and supports Hero achieve goal
The sidekick – most closely aligned with hero
Gives hero someone to open soul to
Holds up A MIRROR to hero. Challenges hero to look at him/herself
ROMANCE CHARACTER
Love interest character
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The object of at least part of the Hero’s VOM
Pursued by hero romantically
Alternately supports and opposes the hero’s VOM.
Takes on qualities of Antagonist and Reflection
OTHER CHARACTER TYPES CAN INCLUDE: Mentor, Shapeshifter, comedic relief
and others
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
AGE: by decade
ROLE: Job, Occupation
LONGING: Stated desire that hero want at beginning of story. May express desire but do
not yet have the courage to pursue it.
VISIBLE OUTER MOTIVATION: Goal, want, desire. As a result of longing, there
evolves a clear, visible goal. Gradually consumes hero.
INNER MOTIVATION: (Emotional Need) Why the character wants their goal. The
reason they are in your story. An invisible goal the hero thinks will lead to greater
feelings of self-worth. Optional level of exploration. Revealed through dialogue.
WOUND: An unresolved source of continuing pain. Usually occurred prior to beginning
of story. Revealed where you think best. Wound is healed in climax.
Leads to: BELIEF: In how a character thinks the world works. Belief in who they are.
Leads to: EMOTIONAL FEAR: You’re afraid to step outside your comfort zone and
confront the source of the wound.
Leads to: IDENTITY:
“I’ll do whatever it takes to achieve my goal, just don’t ask me to ___________.
Because that’s just not me.”
Identity comes from things we are attached to that we think makes up who we are. It’s
the MASK we show the world to protect ourselves from pain.
There is your FALSE-SELF (Your Identity) and your TRUE-SELF (Your essence).
The struggle over Identity leads to: INNER CONFLICT:
Whatever your hero is doing to avoid revealing their fear
The means of avoiding the emotional fear
If you face your fear, you overcome your inner conflict.
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Inner conflict prevents hero from achieving true-self worth
In pursuit of VOM, hero finds courage to face inner conflict and overcome
rising obstacles
Inner conflict is embodied by the Antagonist. Hero’s weakest point is
Antagonist’s strongest
Revealed to hero by The Reflection Character
CHARACTER ARC (GROWTH) AND THEME
CHARACTER ARC: The inner journey that the hero takes that parallels the outer
journey of the VOM. That change is character arc and is the basis of THEME.
The process of recognizing, confronting, and overcoming the Inner Conflict
Occurs as a result of facing (courage) the outer conflict
Must occur gradually
Often involves reassessing the Inner Motivation
ROMANCE is the reward for overcoming the Inner Conflict
THEME:
The Character Arc made universal. A universal statement of how we should live
out lives that is played out in plot. Made clear in climax.
Character Arc applied to audience
A universal statement of the path to INDIVIDUATION. (Jungian philosophy:
“The gradual integration and unification of the self through the resolution of successive
layers of psychological conflict.”)
This is your STORY.