Often when people debate what sort of film they have just seen, they’ll try to decide whether it should be classified as a character or plot driven story. To me that distinction seems ridiculous. If the characters aren’t interesting, if they have nothing of substance to say and their actions are generally predictable, the story is probably mediocre at best. Just think about it.
THE PROTAGONIST
The hero of the story provides much of the driving energy for any film or TV series. Whether that character is searching for love or striving for civil rights or digging for treasure in a lost tomb, the audience must, at minimum IDENTIFY with that character and want him/her to succeed. I don’t mean that our protagonist must speak in profound language at every moment, but he or she should be someone who says and does things of consequence. And the people and forces who stand in the way of the hero realizing her goals must matter as well. We need to understand the motivation of both friend and foe.
Scripts that communicate intriguing background biographies as part of their characters’ development motivate the audience to think, to feel passion, to be swept into an alternative reality. In other words, great characters are essential to the plot of the truly memorable film or series.
How those characters interact over a series of surprising events that lead to a conclusion is what defines a successful plot. As the protagonist’s reality unfolds, the audience comes to see where he/she needs help or may be asked to give help, both physically and emotionally. This deepening intimacy with the protagonist is what makes any movie, even an action adventure, something we want to stay with and perhaps even watch again. Does your script have that kind of inspiring protagonist?
Remember these principles:
1) Good movies have well structured, well-paced action and stakes. Great movies have that, PLUS fantastic character-driven plot lines.
2) Good series have at least one strong, tightly structured plot line where a well-developed protagonist does battle against a well- developed antagonist. Great series have multiple plot lines with multiple major characters who do battle against their adversaries.
3) Great movies reveal how the main character has gone through some major transformation by the end, supported and/or challenged by a great supporting cast.
4) Great series are often built on JUST THE OPPOSITE. The energy from them is largely generated by the fact that many of the main characters are largely incapable of change and thus are doomed to commit the same errors again and again. In BREAKING BAD, Walter White continues to spiral down as he develops a greater and greater mania for power, money and revenge. In CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, Larry remains a malcontent, offending others at every turn. In the UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT, the former prisoner of a cult leader remains consistently and naïvely optimistic despite mounting evidence that much of the world is cynical and opportunistic. These days, even in episodic shows like LAW AND ORDER SVU or TRUE DETECTIVE the problem-solving heroes have deep, troubled backstories that add richness to the crimes they solve and how they make meaning of them.
THE ANTAGONIST
Now a few words on your antagonist. Oftentimes, writers will present their hero as “doing battle against injustice” or “facing off against hostile forces in society.” This theoretical description, although terrific in an essay, is not really what an executive is looking for when deciding whether to read your material.
All screenplays need concrete worthy opponents to the protagonist. Yes, that antagonist can be metaphoric, acting as representation of larger societal wrongs (racism, bullying, sexism) but in order for your story to have escalating stakes your hero must have increasing OPPOSITIONAL tension with someone who WILL BE THE AGENT OF CHANGE.
In CINDERELLA MAN, struggling boxer James Braddock faces off against his wife Mae who fears his quest to win the heavyweight boxing championship of the world could be his demise.
In THE IMITATION GAME math genius Alan Turing races to create a German code-breaking machine during WWII before frustrated Commander Denniston shuts down his operation as a worthless sham.
In AVATAR Jake Sully, a paraplegic former marine, is transformed from an angry and indifferent soldier to an environmental and spiritual leader after tackling and then falling in love with the warrior Neytiri of the threatened planet Pandora.
So, who is the antagonist in your story and how will his/her skills, intelligence, physical prowess and knowledge of your hero’s weaknesses provoke your hero to finally rise to the ultimate challenge? Does your script have that worthy antagonist?
THE CRITICAL SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Finally, let’s discuss the role of supporting characters and how they can be critical to the success of the story. Consider the laconic, depressed Indian chief hospitalized in an insane asylum, along with the hero, in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST. Or the plucky gal pal, Ruby Thewes who helps the once delicate Ada Monroe survive the hardship and dangers of the American civil war in rural COLD MOUNTAIN. Or how about the well-meaning parents, the Reverend Doctor Purify and his wife Lucinda in JUNGLE FEVER, caught between their high achieving architect son Flipper and the insane demands of his crack- addled thieving brother Gator.
In every case these phenomenal supporting actor roles round out both the main character and the story as a whole. Without them, these stories would lack nuance and dimension. The interactions between these characters create further conflict, expose the weaknesses of the hero and provide poignant vehicles by which the hero can speak to others. Great supporting characters act as both confidantes and challengers. And these roles, when well developed, are also bait for seasoned actors seeking parts that will establish or re-establish their currency.
There is often the question of whether a script may have too many characters. Writers may be asked to “compress roles” together to simplify the story or the scope of casting. But first be sure to ask the question – what purpose does each supporting character serve? How can his or her importance be increased? Or are they actually unnecessary? How can each contribute to the depth and stakes of the story overall? If it is clear they are essential, then increase their value. Make their scenes meaningful to the audience’s greater understanding and involvement in the story. If readers wonder why the character is there, consider shifting the character’s agenda (their lines) to someone else.
WHAT ABOUT ENSEMBLE CASTS?
In any ensemble cast, from LOVE ACTUALLY to the dense-packed fantasy series GAME OF THRONES, we should be able to see why a character survived the cut to give the audience greater insight into the protagonist, antagonist and the world in which they function.
In ensemble stories the roles of these supporting characters can be so critical and evolved that audiences may find themselves arguing as to just who the protagonist is. Viewers may sometimes say, “Well, I think there are at least 4 protagonists!” in a series such as THE GILDED AGE, MODERN FAMILY or in the aforementioned GAME OF THRONES. Could they possibly be right? I would argue that many great series, in which the writers have developed anywhere from 2 to 10 compelling story lines (and the actors to inhabit them), offer a rich and diverse world, impossible in feature films, which are constrained by length. These binge-worthy continuous narratives have, in effect, evolved into vehicles for multiple protagonists and their antagonists, often threaded together beautifully.
Detailed backstories on each character help with this ambitious effort and will ensure continuity. If you think that your unique series might be ensemble in design, get to work! Every one of the characters will need a strong backstory in order to survive the lifetime of the show (possibly up to or beyond 5 years). Developing initial character backstories will provide a rich pond from which other writers (in the writers room) can also fish for story ideas (sorry if this metaphor offends any vegetarians) and even suggest further twists/additions to the backstory.
BUILDING THE BACKSTORY
With all of this in mind, let’s get back to your protagonist. We’ll start with original ones that you may have created.
Can you tell us about this character’s:
- Age
- Gender
- Physical appearance
- Self perception – believes herself to be an “introverted geek,” “a glamour queen,” “a scientist past his prime,” “a psychic,” etc., etc.
- Where did he/she grow up?
- Religion?
- Ethnicity?
- Educational Background?
- Class?
- Race?
- Income?
- Values System
- What incites your character into awareness that something is amiss?
- Any Special Skills such as musical talent, mastery of an instrument, knowledge of a 2nd language, athleticism in some area
- Any Unique Quirks or Mannerisms
- Wants – conscious goals expressed in dialogue
- Needs – unconscious needs expressed more through actions and reaction
- Fatal flaw or Achilles heel – what is getting in the way of the character having insight into him/herself and realizing what her/his needs truly are
- How he/she will collide with the antagonist or antagonists
- Projected arc over the course of film or series
- Where your protagonist falls in the power structure of his/her world? Is that individual enslaved by poverty, gender or racial discrimination or some other circumstance. Or is this individual already in a position of control with everything to lose, like John Snow in the final season of GAME OF THRONES.
Perhaps half of what you know about your character will never end up on the pages of your script(s). But answering these questions will inform everything from his or her way of talking, to manner of movement, to how he/she reacts in a variety of situations. This kind of information is also fascinating to the professional actor who is looking for characters to inhabit that will garner him attention and praise if he plays the part well.
The same questions need to be answered about your antagonist, plus add on a few more.
- How does the antagonist know about the protagonist?
- What does he/she believe to be true about this person?
- Is it accurate?
- What is the nature of their conflict in terms of theme and stakes – loyalty versus treachery; cowardice versus bravery; optimism versus pessimism; empathy versus lack of this, belief in human equality versus not; etc., etc.
- What will this person say and do to act as an agent of change?
- How will your protagonist react – angry; guilty; attracted; repulsed; determined to kill that individual?
- How will interactions between the protagonist and this individual escalate?
- What will happen in the culminating moment of opposition? Will they kiss? Debate in a courtroom? Fight? Shoot one another or another supporting character? Get married? Get divorced? Reveal a terrible secret? Make sure you know!
Supporting actors may not require such a level of detail, unless they are going to be extensively developed as discussed previously. But here are some questions to answer about why they are needed.
- What is their relationship to the protagonist and antagonist?
- Who are they aligned with?
- Why?
- What do they know about the opposing forces?
- Will their alliance change in the course of the story?
- What added information and insights do they offer?
- How do they contribute to the escalating stakes?
- How do they also act as agents of change in the story?
Backstories, at the end of the day, provide the flesh on the plot bones of your story outline. And you may even find, as you are writing them, that they inspire new twists and story lines you had not initially considered.