Find Your Film's Story: Delve into Character

This is the third of four blogs to give you a few strategies that have helped me find the seed of a new project. Try them out! They might help you too.

START WITH CHARACTER

Character journey is the heart of filmic storytelling. We’re all engaged by characters who face challenges and are transformed by them.

Characters in fiction are frequently based on real people. That’s a great place to start. But anyone (or anything) can potentially be a subject for a story. The trick is to find a character you, specifically, can inhabit and understand. Think like an actor: What does your character want, and why? 

This is why writers often take acting and improv comedy classes—these classes can help you feel what it’s like to inhabit a compelling character, which can help your writing become more character-driven.

In developing characters, it’s often best to start with a written sketch, not a script. What would your character’s yearbook have written in it? How would their parents describe your character’s personality? What does their social media feed look like? If two characters met at a coffee shop, what would they say? Try writing down the answers to questions like these in a loose, note-ish form.

Sidenote: You will want to understand your story’s characters to work effectively with your film’s actors.

Your artistic process is a deeply personal thing that you alone can develop. Mix and match the techniques suggested in these four blogs. Keep what works for you, but trust your feelings and intuition. Creating a personal process is part of your own personal overall film journey.

If you are interested in working with Jesse Damazo on your film portfolio or need help with any part of your application process, contact Best Fit Education or email us at info@bestfitedu.com.