Why do villains in American films do what they do? What motivates them to shun the mores of society in order to achieve goals that typically are contrary to what most would consider good and just? Ever since the origins of storytelling, audiences have been enthralled with villains. Yet, those same audiences consistently have rooted for heroic counterparts to defeat them.
It is the thoughtful critic and prudent writer who looks to the past to examine characters who have stood the test of time, and in doing so, is able to create memorable villains who often share similar traits, yet have an undeniable sense of uniqueness and individuality.
Here are some questions you want to ask about your villain:
THE VILLAIN'S PERSONA
1. Name:
2. Age:
3. Physical Description/dress:
4. Marital Status:
5. Childhood/Nuclear Family:
6. Current occupation:
7. Job history:
8. Education:
9. How much does he/she earn a year? How much in savings? Debt?
10. Hobbies:
11. Biggest regret in life:
12. How many sexual partners?
13. Favorite Book/Movie/Album:
14. Magazine subscriptions:
15. What is a typical Saturday night for the character?
16. Does the character have a credo? Words to live by?
17. Who or what does the character fear?
18. Who or what does the character hate?
19. Who or what does the character love?
20. What is the character’s goal?
21. What is the character’s internal motivation?
22. What is the character’s external motivation?
23. Is the character active in achieving his / her goal?
24. Who or what prevents the character from achieving his / her goal?
25. What is the character’s fatal flaw?
26. What is the transformation arc of the character?
27. Who or what helps the character change?
28. What is the character’s purpose in the overall story?
29. How does the character speak?
30. What is the first image of the character? What does it tell us about him / her?
31. Does the character have any conflicting personality traits?
32. What happened in the character’s childhood that has affected him / her?
33. What happens if the character does not achieve his / her goal?
34. What is the character’s secret?
35. What is the character missing in his / her life?
36. Who is the character’s mentor?
About Me
- JEFFREY HIRSCHBERG
- Jeffrey Hirschberg is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Television & Film Arts Program at Buffalo State College. He has been a professional screenwriter for seventeen years, has had screenplays optioned by Hollywood production companies, and has written and/or created shows for Showtime Networks, Lifetime Television, and ABC. His new book, "Reflections of the Shadow: Creating Memorable Heroes & Villains for Film and TV," will be published by Michael Wiese Productions in 2009. A member of the Writer's Guild of America and judge for the WGA Awards, Jeffrey has worked at NBC, Warner Bros., and Viacom and has taught at Cornell University, Syracuse University, and R.I.T.
0 comments:
Post a Comment