Screenwriting – Introducing Characters
By Gregory Adams
Screenwriting poses many challenges, how you go about introducing characters specific to your story is often overlooked. As we say in show biz, entrances and exits are everything. A strong entrance literally sets the stage for a character. First impressions are extraordinarily important, not just in life, but in screenwriting as well. Alternately, a memorable exit is just as meaningful and leaves people with a strong last impression.
Screenwriting example for introducing characters: Let us look at one of the most successful sit-coms of all time for examples of powerful entrances and exits – Seinfeld. Most specifically, the character Kramer always has bold starts to a scene and some kind of dramatic exit; this accounts for the vast majority of his laughs. Watch some re-runs and pay special attention to his entrances into a scene and his exits out of the scene; they are memorable and support his characterization. So, now we understand the strong impact good character introductions can have.
For the sake of brevity let us consider that a character will be introduced in one of two ways. The first is an obvious introduction, and the second is a not so obvious one. Let us use a very old cliche as an example; the butler did it.
- If the butler did do it, then having a bold introduction could be counter productive. Having the audience remember this character could undo your mystery because everyone remembers him and thus he remains in their minds when they comb the pool of suspects for whatever crime was committed.
- Traditionally, the butler was introduced in a passive background scene that did not draw attention to him. If this character is first exposed to us in a loud, bold, and memorable way, then his introduction should be misleading (he could be the apparent victim of a crime, or accident). Having the butler exposed to us in this manner makes him appear as a victim and not an assailant.
For screenwriting introducing characters into your screenplay that fit with the style or genre of your story is only one important facet of rendering a good script. Proper story structure, formatting and research are also essential elements. Screenwriting books are a relatively inexpensive and effective way to educate yourself and get your skills up to a marketable level; just stick to the ones written by actual professionals.
Have a look at the best screenwriting books that offer detailed instruction on writing, formatting and selling your screenplay. There is also a must read section on introducing characters. http://www.squidoo.com/best-screenwriting-books
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