SAVVY CHARACTERS SELL SCREENPLAYS! Archives - Su-City Pictures East, LLC

Susan’s ‘Indiana Jones and the Powerful Protagonist’ for The Script Lab

August 7, 2014 / sucity / Comments Off

INT. JOCK’S PLANE – DUSK

Indy relaxes and lies across the seat, a big smile on his face. One hand drops to the floor of the cabin and Indy jumps, hitting his head. On the floor of the cabin is a

huge boa constrictor. Indy tries to get his whole body onto the seat. Jock sees what’s happening.

JOCK

Don’t mind him. That’s Reggie. Wouldn’t hurt a soul.

INDY

I can’t stand snakes.

JOCK

The world’s full of them, you know.

INDY

I hate them.

JOCK

Come on now, Sport. Show a little of the old backbone.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (directed by Stephen Spielberg, screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan) was shot by Oscar-winning cameraman Garrett Brown, (inventor of the Steadicam), and who is receiving the Vision Award at the 2014 Locarno International Film Festival.

Seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark again — most recently at the pre-festival outdoor screening at the 8,000-seat Piazza Grande at the Locarno International Film Festival, I was reminded about the strength of this iconic protagonist who has launched sequel after sequel. Indy has weaknesses and vulnerabilities – all of which make him an identifiable protagonist for the audience.

In the chapter entitled ‘Your Unforgettable Characters Come Alive’ in my book Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! I write:

Characters must be complex, fully defined, multifaceted, and distinct. Readers must understand who your characters are, their motivations, behaviors, needs and goals, and feel empathy for them.

Susan’s ScriptLab article: The 14 Vital Points for Outlining Characters

July 26, 2014 / sucity / Comments Off

Readers must have a clear understanding of who your characters are and the reasons why they take the actions they do in your screenplay; otherwise your script will be rejected.

Successful characters are multi-dimensional with distinctive physical attributes, emotional traits, appearances, personalities, intelligence, vulnerabilities, emotions, attitudes, idiosyncrasies, a sense of humor or prevailing despair, secrets, and hopes and dreams. Writing solid and memorable characters also means digging deep into their past and present.

There are several ways in which to delve into characters, such as writing character bios in the character’s voice. (I offer various templates and examples in my book Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays!). Use whichever exercise works best for you. The bottom line is that you must know your characters inside and out.

The 14 Vital Points to Address in Your Character Outline

The following points to address for each of your main characters and for your significant supporting characters:

1. Character Arcs: How do my characters evolve in the beginning, middle, and end of the script, as they attempt to achieve their goals?

2. Journeys: What do my characters learn about themselves and others, and what do my characters gain or lose, as the plot unfolds?

3. Multi-dimensional: What are my characters specific emotional, mental, physical, and/or social behaviors and traits? How do my characters see themselves and how do they relate to others?

4. Empathy: What elements make my characters likeable and unlikable?

5. Goals: What are my characters main goals and why are these goals important? How do my characters plan to achieve these goals?