Depicting Character in Film

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Depicting Characterin Film
...You can only involve an audience with people.
You can't involve them with gimmicks, with
sunsets, with hand-held cameras, zoom shots, or
anything else. They couldn't care less about
those things. But you give them something to
worry about, some person they can worry about,
and care about, and you've got them, you've got
them involved."  Frank Capra
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• Direct Characterization
• The author/director comes right out and describes
  a characters personality.
• The mother was judgmental.
• The employee was lazy.

Curly was quick and mean. Of Mice and Men by
John Steinbeck-
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Indirect Characterization

• The writer reveals information about a character
  and his personality through that character's
  thoughts, words, and actions, along with how
  other characters respond to that character,
  including what they think and say about him.

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We learn about character from

• personality traits
• physical appearance and name
• actions
• choices
• speech
• thoughts and feelings
• past
• comments about others
• comments made by others

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A characters personality traits

• Traits refer to ones attitudes or behaviors that
  reflect personality qualities.
• a character may be curious, brave, cold, loving,
  aggressive, open-minded, naïve, etc.
• Personality traits are
• also qualities that
• make us find people
• likeable, lovable, etc.

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A characters appearance name

• Physical appearance is important if it brings out
  a persons unique personality qualities, culture,
  traditions, or influences.
• A name is often significant as it may reveal
  information about ones family background,
  tradition, influences, or personality traits.

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A characters actions-external

• A characters behavior (actions) is usually
  motivated by his or her attitudes and values.
• By examining potential reasons behind the
  actions, you can reveal a great deal about the
  inner world of a character.

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• External Action Actions vs Appearance
• Need to grow naturally out of the characters
  personality
• Plot and character become interwoven
• Often small action rather than big ones, i.e.
  firefighter example, duty vs values

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A characters actions-internal

• Usually unseen and unheard
• Secrets, fantasies, daydreams, memories, fears,
  insecurities
• Taking us visually or aurally into the
  characters mind
• Sensitive, expressive face shots-
• reaction shots
• Sometimes a musical score

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A characters choices

• The choices people make regarding how they deal
  with obstacles, resolve conflicts, or overcome
  difficulties reveal character strengths or
  weaknesses.
• We make judgments about people based on the
  choices they make every day.

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A characters speech

• Based on what he/she says and how he/she says it,
  you can determine important qualities.
• He/she is unhappy, selfish, sarcastic, or
  domineering, uneducated.
• The choice of words spoken can also reveal
  important information about the characters age,
  education, culture, and values.
• http//www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/erin-brokovic
  h/bonus-check?play1

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A characters past

• Setting of ones upbringing is important we are
  the products of our early environment.
• Significant past experiences influence who we are
  and shape our personalities.
• Family background may also be important as it
  reveals values and traditions that are passed on
  from generation to generation.

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A characters comments about others

• What people say about others often reveals
  important information about them as well.
• How judgmental are they? How supportive?

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• Foil- characters who highlight the character
  traits of major characters.
• The foil may be an opposite of the major
  character, so the major characters strengths and
  virtues are more pronounced.
• The foil may also be like the major character,
  but with lighter versions of the major
  characters strengths and virtues. The major
  character is shown as even stronger.

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• Characters can also be static or dynamic.
• Static Character- does not change throughout the
  course of the story Cinderellas stepmother, for
  instance, remains selfish and spiteful to the
  end.
• Dynamic Character- undergoes a significant change
  in opinion or growth in character over the course
  of events in the story An example would be
• Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles
• Dickenss classic tale, A Christmas
• Carol. After being visited by the
• three ghosts ( Marley), he realizes
• the error of his ways and becomes kind and
• generous.
• Stock Characters- characters based on a
• cultural stereotype

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• Protagonist
• Main character of the story that changes
• (death is not a change)
• the most important character
• changes and grows because of experiences in the
  story
• Antagonist
• A major character who opposes the protagonist
• the antagonist does not change
• Types of antagonists
• people
• nature
• society

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• The Importance of Casting
• Helps us to
• observe truths about human nature
• conform to some inner truth (man as we want him
  to be)
• Makes the character understandable and worth
  caring about.
• respond in some way positive, negative, or if
  really well done, often mixed as it speaks to the
  complexity of the character.
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v-Z1E75hTtCA 220
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vnZLUZ1eONhk