*Magnify*
SPONSORED LINKS
Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books/entry_id/839279-Character-Introductions
by Jeff
Rated: 18+ · Book · Writing · #1979735
A collection of screenwriting articles from The Screenwriting Group.
<<< Previous · Entry List · Next >>>
#839279 added January 22, 2015 at 9:49pm
Restrictions: None
Character Introductions
Last week, I wrote about "Action Elements and four key guidelines to keep in mind while you're writing them. This week, I want to focus on one particular form of action element: the character introduction.

When you introduce a character, it's one of the few places in the script where you have some license to write what can't be seen or heard. The idea behind a character intro is to give the reader enough information to understand who this character is. It's also incredibly important because the script will eventually be sent to actors, and this is the first time an actor will get a sense of who the character is. You want it to be as interesting and compelling as possible so that there's a bit of excitement about who the character is and what they're trying to do.

Before we get too far into this discussion, I've pulled 20 character intro paragraphs from successful scripts (many have been produced, some haven't). Take a look at the different ways writers will introduce their characters:


ADAPTATION by Charlie Kaufman

AMERICAN HISTORY X by David McKenna

ARGO by Chris Terrio

DESPICABLE ME 2 by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio

DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY by Christopher Kyle

GAME OF THRONES by David Benioff

GET SHORTY by Scott Frank

GHOSTBUSTERS by Harold Ramis & Dan Aykroyd

INCEPTION by Christopher Nolan

INTOLERABLE CRUELTY by Joel & Ethan Coen

KILLING ON CARNIVAL ROW by Travis Beacham

PASSENGERS by Jon Spaihts

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK by Lawrence Kasdan

ST. VINCENT by Ted Melfi

SWORDFISH by Skip Woods

THE KING'S SPEECH by David Seidler

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES by Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio & Darius Marder

THE SIXTH SENSE by M. Night Shyamalan

THE SOCIAL NETWORK by Aaron Sorkin


There is no right or wrong way to write a character intro. Some writers are very sparse in their description while others cram as much information into the intro as they possibly can. You'll notice that scripts like PASSENGERS, INCEPTION, GET SHORTY, and INTOLERABLE CRUELTY are very simple in their presentation; just some basic information about how the character looks or what they're in the middle of doing. Other scripts like RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, SWORDFISH, and SIXTH SENSE give us a sense of the character's style and/or general disposition. And still others like KILLING ON CARNIVAL ROW, AMERICAN HISTORY X, and PLACE BEYOND THE PINES paint a vivid picture of a scene unfolding as the character is introduced. Then there are scripts like THE SOCIAL NETWORK and GAME OF THRONES and ARGO which convey information you can't see in order to get across something about their characters' attitudes, experiences, or outlooks on life that inform how they'll act in future scenes. And within these various different styles are a myriad of other personal choices you can make, like whether to call out a very specific age like in PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER (15), or an age range like in ST. VINCENT (30s), or not at all like in DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY.

Obviously, there will be other opportunities to reveal character through the actions they take and the things they say in both opening scenes and subsequent scenes. Like in prose fiction writing, the point of a character intro isn't necessarily to tell the audience everything they need to know about a character, but rather to give them enough contextual information so that they understand where the character is coming from at the beginning of the story before they know much about the narrative or the characters. You just don't want a reader or an actor to go, "Why is this character doing that? I don't understand the choices s/he is making."

The character intro is still an action element, though, albeit one where there's a little bit of latitude available to stylistically present information. As such, it's a good idea to try and observe the general guidelines presented in the "Action Elements article from last week (with the exception of #2 about writing only what you can see and hear). Everything else (sparse writing, incomplete sentences are okay, don't change focus, four or five lines max, etc.) should be something you apply to your character intro as well.

One thing I specifically wanted to point out that you may have noticed in these examples is that the character name is written in ALL CAPS. It's a standard screenwriting formatting convention to write a character's name in all caps the first time they appear in a script. You don't have to do it every time the name appears, just the first time. The reason why this was adopted is for production personnel, so they can skim a script quickly to understand when a character is introduced and what scenes require which actors. You generally capitalize all actors (even bit players (minor characters) and extras (background characters), but again, only the first time you see them. Here are some examples with other types of characters added in:


JOHN enters the ballroom, scanning the CROWD as WAITERS bustle trays around the room.

Jane answers the door and signs the package handed to her by the MAILMAN.

Mr. X nods to his THUG, who grabs Tom by his jacket lapels.


In the first example, John, the Crowd, and the Waiters are all new characters (or groups of characters), which is indicated by the fact that all the names are presented in ALL CAPS. In the second example, however, it implies that Jane appeared in previous scenes, but that this is the first scene for the Mailman. Similarly, in the third example, Mr. X and Tom have appeared in the script before, but Mr. X's Thug is a new addition so his name appears in ALL CAPS.

That all might seem a little weird, but it's really easy to remember. When a character or unique group of characters appears for the first time, put 'em in ALL CAPS. Every time they appear in the script after that, regular capitalization is the way to go.

And the final thing I want to say about character intros is to have fun. This is one of the few places in a script where not even the sticklers will complain about writing something that can't be seen or heard, and where you have the opportunity to really leave a good impression. While you should definitely give thought to the context in which your character intro is presented (for example, you might not want a cumbersome, detailed description if the scene surrounding it is fast-paced or in the midst of a comedic beat), you should also embrace the creativity that you're allowed to use at this point in the script. Take the time to carefully craft a character intro that will leave an impression with your reader. Remember you're not just trying to get a reader to pass the script up the ladder to her boss; you're also writing the first moments when an actor will decide what they think of the character they're considering playing. You want that reaction to be, "Oh, how interesting! I want to know more about this character!"



*Film**Film**Film**Film**Film**Film*


Screenwriting Challenge


NOTE: Since I didn't actually put a deadline on the last challenge for "Action Elements, we'll make the deadline for that assignment the same as this one. Both are due on the date below.

Using the things you've learned from this article and the ones before it, complete the assignment and post it using the following submission form:

 
SURVEY
Screenwriting Challenge Submissions  (13+)
Use this handy form to submit your entries for The Screenwriting Group article challenges!
#1545250 by Jeff


ASSIGNMENT: Write a character introduction for a protagonist, antagonist, or other major character in a script. Challenge yourself to try and give us an informative and/or entertaining snapshot of this character in five lines (approx. 50 words) or less.

DEADLINE: Friday 1/30 @ 11:59pm WdC time.


As always, you can post in the "The Screenwriting Group Forum if you have any questions or concerns and I'll do my best to answer. Make sure you tag me so I don't miss it!
© Copyright 2015 Jeff (UN: jeff at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
Jeff has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
<<< Previous · Entry List · Next >>>
Log in to Leave Feedback
Username:
Password: <Show>
Not a Member?
Signup right now, for free!
All accounts include:
*Bullet* FREE Email @Writing.Com!
*Bullet* FREE Portfolio Services!
Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books/entry_id/839279-Character-Introductions