Having decided to strip all my spec scripts back down to core concepts, I’m currently doing character development on all my projects (five in total!).

I don’t think you can do too much back story development work — and I’m also aware that only 60% of the back-story will become explicit in the script.

I put all my characters onto an excel spreadsheet, so I can see how their neurosis, fears, motives, desire, secrets and back-stories play off each other.

By having it all on the same page, I’m able to create much stronger and less linear plots — in other words the characters start to control the plot, rather than the other way round.

I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to see the dynamics of the film unfold across a couple of sheets of paper.

And my other shameful little secret, is in the row marked “appearance” instead of making up a description, I create a fantasy cast.

Harking back to Unki previous post about creating characters which will attract name talent — I’ve taken the obvious next step — I’ve decided who I’d like to play the role and pasted a photo of the actor into the spreadsheet — and then the I set myself the task of creating a character good enough to attract that name onto the project.

(Not something I’d ever show a producer! More an almost childish games I play with myself — I am blushing as I write this! LOL — but it does work for me, so where’s the harm?)

The other thing about creating good back stories, is if you’re also a director (which I am) I can then keep my character development sheet in my production file and use it as a tool for helping with the task of rehearsing the actors during production.

If an actor wants to know why a particular character reacts a particular way in one scene, I can show them the back-story and how it relates to the text.

If I can ever figure out how to set up a download page on my site, I’m hoping to give away my character development spreadsheet in the New Year to any screenwriter like me who needs a methodical approach to character development.

In the past I relied far to much on my intuitive understanding of my characters — I really can’t explain how much richer a screenplay becomes when all your characters have good back stories.

Exactly… Passive definitely works as a starting point as long as your Protagonist gets off his or her ass and starts to ACT.

Miles in SIDEWAYS was, in my opinion, extremely passive all the way through the movie but the difference was that he was SO PASSIVE that even his small ACTs of being less passive showed him becoming a little stronger and a little stronger and a little stronger… So in this sense/example it worked. Being passive was definitely consistent with that character so it can work if you do it right.

Chesh,

Always wondering…

Unk

Almost Being Christmas….so it’s time to wish happy holidays and the like.

Are you wondering what I’m doing now?

I take that back, I get it in the first act, no problem. Make the protagonist the lazy version of Lebowski . . . makes for a bigger change when he gets off his ass to do something . . . makes the arc thing easier as well.

But at some point . . . become a mushroom-cloud layin’ MOFO.

Every time I come here, you inspire me to go back and look at all my screenplays again. You’re better than my Screenwriter’s Bible.