INTRODUCING YOUR PROTAGONIST – WHO IS THAT PERSON??
Many emerging writers do not realize that introducing their protagonist, first and foremost, involves piquing the interest and empathy of the audience.
If a script opens and it’s not very clear, within short order, who the protagonist is, there is probably an issue.
Within the 1st 15 pages of any pilot or film, the audience should not only “get” a sense of that character, they should already be hoping the character will succeed on some soon to be revealed journey.
Whether that journey involves getting a job or navigating a new, scary environment or winning the heart of someone else, the goal of the writer is to bring the audience on board and keep them there. Those early pages act as an introduction to a new best friend who will, through the cinematic means of dialogue, action, and visuals, share their reality with the audience.
So, what do you – the writer – want and need to reveal about your character in those introductory pages?
- What makes him or her vulnerable? Generally, there’s some trait and/or situation that audience members can observe almost immediately that puts them at unease. Is the character the kind of person who would rather put a spider outside than kill it? Is he too empathetic? Is she struggling to survive bullying in a high school setting? Is this faithfully married person confronting the reality of their spouse’s infidelity? Has he just failed to advance to a tennis final – yet again? What makes your character sympathetic? What is his/her fatal flaw? Situations of weakness or vulnerability should allude to something your character will need to overcome.
- What special gift does the character have? Is she incredibly charismatic, a people magnet? Or maybe a math genius? Or a fantastic athlete? Or an exceedingly talented artist? Or how about a very strategic thinker who’s great at developing plans or solving mysteries? Or, maybe your character is just so principled or determined that he or she can change the course of history. That element of emotional, physical or intellectual genius telegraphs to your audience that if the character can just learn to harness this gift, the world will be their oyster. Think GOOD WILL HUNTING; THE IMITATION GAME; SCHINDLER’S LIST; TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD; HARRIET; LA CONFIDENTIAL; A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. The list goes on and on.
- What unique voice or physical characteristics does your Protagonist have? Consider the confident swagger and voice of Travis Bickle in TAXI DRIVER. Or the honey sweet but increasingly clever observations of Elle Woods in LEGALLY BLONDE. If your Protagonist has unique properties, make sure those are captured on the page, making that person both indelible and actor bait.
- The character needs a world in which your audience can see the norm. Your character functions inside an initial world that needs to be introduced. And that world is the baseline from which your character operates until the apple cart is upset. That world might be seemingly fabulous like that of PLEASANTVILLE or it might be as hostile as the one in THE SHAPE OF WATER or BRAZIL or DO THE RIGHT THING. What is life typically like for this person? In ERIN BROCKOVICH, Erin is a loud-mouthed ditz in miniskirts and low cut tops, just getting by in a working class town. In ET, the Taylor family (of divorced mom and 3 kids) lives a regular life in an ordinary Northern CA suburb with little Elliot wishing his older brother took him more seriously. In PARASITE, a Korean family lives in subterranean abject poverty while their son Ki-woo is instructed to pretend to be a college student in order to qualify for a new job.
- That world must suddenly change, making things uncomfortable for your character. This is known as the INCITING INCIDENT. But, in order to have an inciting incident you first need to establish that norm. The norm may ultimately be abandoned. Or it may be the place that the character tries to return to, as we see in THE WZARD OF OZ or SWEET HOME ALABAMA or many films involving WWII. Sometimes the norm may provide moments of sanity in a situation in which everything else is spinning out of control. But creating an INCITING INCIDENT within that norm is key because it turns the action of the film on its head. And it forces the protagonist to begin to think and act differently – whether they want to or not. In fact, one way to identify a PROTAGONIST is the audience’s growing sense that he or she is going to be changed significantly by story’s end. The audience is just waiting for this to happen – a call to action that’s demanding to be answered.
- This brings us to the important question of ARC. In an ensemble cast, many of the characters may have arcs (personal transformations) over the course of the film, but the Protagonist’s transformation is essential. Whether it’s a change in knowledge, beliefs, or behaviors that character must be challenged and something altered.
- Once your protagonist is identified, think about his or her BACKSTORY. What was their childhood like? How were they educated? What are their racial and ethnic origins? Their religion, if any? Breadcrumbs about who they are and how they present to the world are essential to building an interesting character. Your protagonist might be seen as a shining beacon to one and an immoral crook to another. Consider how differently THE WOLF OF WALL STREET is perceived by different characters in that film. Also, consider how your character might behave VERY DIFFERENTLY with different people. Tender with a child, while also a ruthless killer. Write scenes that show this depth. Even action movies benefit from moments in which the audience gets insights into why characters do what they do.
- A lot has been written about a character being “likeable” but relatable is really the challenge when crafting a Protagonist. The audience needs to understand enough about that character to get his or her motivation, not necessarily justify it. A huge number of anti-hero films and series reveal that audiences become “hooked” as a result of a desire to see if the Protagonist can succeed, even if that individual is deeply flawed and morally compromised.
- Who are the Protagonist’s foes and allies? First, of course there is the ANTAGONIST who will cause the Protagonist to change the most by being a powerful adversary who impacts both the physical and psychological well-being of the hero. In rom-coms the Antagonist is often the love interest who demands radical change as part of a love contract that has somehow failed. The Antagonist, to be worthy, must be present and recurrent and a true force to contend with. Often the Antagonist can represent a larger issue – sexism or racism or abuse of power. Equally important, there should be supporting friends and foes who fill out the cast and add complexity to the story. Often the storylines related to these allies and foes are interwoven with the A storyline and contribute to the overall story engine. So, if the Protagonist succeeds, the allies will as well. And if the Antagonist is somehow vanquished or conquered, the audience sees how that person’s supporting characters are impacted as well.
- Not all movies have happy endings but there can still be victories. In tragedies and some dramas, the Protagonists or some of their closest allies perish or fail to realize their dreams at story’s end. The question is – how can any of this be constructed as a victory for the Protagonist? Often this can occur through generational victory or allies accomplishing what the Protagonist set out to do. But, first, as a writer, consider what is the Protagonist’s mission? Will it be ultimately accomplished?
- So this brings us to the last item – the wants and needs of the Protagonist. In those early pages the audience should get a sense of what the Protagonist wants – to rescue a captured soldier; to become a famous painter; to date a person they spied across a room; to have a mansion instead of living in squalor. But what do they need? Courage; the ability to work collaboratively; a family who values them; a person who loves and accepts them for who they are, etc.? As the journey of your story unfolds, your audience should come to understand the character’s fundamental human needs as part of the story’s ultimate resolution.