getting into character
Post on 08-Jun-2015
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GETTING INTO CHARACTER
HOW TO USE ACTING AND DIRECTING TECHNIQUESTO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING
In the Adirondack town of Schuyler Mills, playwright Jack Glynn may just be writing
the script to his own murder . . .
ACTING AND
WRITING
The “Method” & Writing
• Physical & Mental Relaxation (relaxation exercises key)
• Character bio’s (each actor writes a short biography of his character)
• Substitution (the actor uses something from his own life to reach the emotions of the character)
• Emotional & Sensory Recall (emotions and physical reactions remembered as part of Substitution)
You as the writer can use these too
The Character3 Dimensions:1. Body (age, height, weight, etc)2. Mindset (personality, attitude, goal)3. Environment (personal history, home,
class, family)
The writer needs to know these; theydon’t all have to be in the story Perhaps write this up for your characters, even if you don’t include it
Characters & Conflict
Protagonist plus Antagonist = Conflict(specific need) + (obstacle)
When writing, consider introducingthe conflict as soon as possible, with the Central Struggle (the point when the protagonist is put in the fight)
Character IndicatorsCharacters should change as individualsduring a play; their actions and dialoguedemonstrate that change
This is a good example of the “show vs. tell” idea; it lets the reader discern the change through indicators such as dialogue, mannerisms, and actions instead of being told how a character feels
Character Indicators
Dialogue: Verbal action, expressing the
conflicts and forces at work• Lets us in the characters’ minds• Stimulates the audience to think & feel
Give each character a clear, distinctive
voice (know who’s talking
without being told)
Character Indicators
Physicality reveals the character
Probably more true of the stage, where the visual is so important, but this is a good tool for
writers as well:– Posture – Athleticism – Grooming– Sense / absence of style
DIRECTING AND
WRITING
Director’s Concept
Director’s vision or understanding of a project, which brings every aspect of a production together to clearly express the inner meaning of the material to be performed
Do you have a vision for the book / story
you’re writing? Perhaps revisit this
question as the story emerges
Good “Director” Books
• John Jury’s Ideas For the Director
• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amateur Theatricals
• How to Stage a Play, Make a Fortune, Win a Tony, and Become a Theatrical Icon by John Marowitz
Tips: Ideas for the Director by John Jury
Stanislavski’s Super Objective: What the character wants above all else
Do your characters have something like this?
If this applies to your story, does it show
through the entire telling of the tale?
Tips: Ideas for the Director by John Jury (2)
Circumstances: Objective (“It’s raining”)
and subjective (“I love you”) lead
to the actors’ behavior and reactions
(which in turn reveal their characters)
The circumstances are a big part of a scene: Without the Montague-Capulet feud, the balcony scene in “Romeo & Juliet” is just another date
Tips: Ideas for the Director by John Jury (3)
• Silence gives impact to sound, and stillness does the same for motion
Let your larger characters stand out from the crowd (Hannibal in “Silence of the Lambs”)
• Don’t let the play become too perfect or mechanical; let the actor find a fly in his drink
Don’t carry that too far; having the hero make a
mistake is one thing, but don’t clutter up the
story with too much realism
Tips: Ideas for the Director by John Jury (4)
• Letting it land: Allowing the audience tosee the impact on one actor of what theother actor says or doesIn writing, let a character demonstrate the effect of the words, or emphasize their importance with a pause
• Pay attention to the rhythm in speech; it shouldn’t all sound like rain on the roofInsert pauses or breaks by including an act (“he looked back down the hall”)
Tips: Ideas for the Director by John Jury (5)
Driving the scene: many actors are bynature reactive and will stand by waitingfor something or someone to move them,so it’s not a bad idea to have a driving,self-starting actor who gets them inmotionPerhaps add / modify a character to do thisfor your other characters; sidekicks and confidantes are good for this
Tips: Ideas for the Director by John Jury (6)
The director must describe the actors’opportunities and responsibilities inways that make them WANT to play thescene
Do the same thing with your characters.Imagine selling them to an actor: Describemotivation, characteristics that are attractiveand repellant, opportunities for big moments
Tips: Ideas for the Director by John Jury (7)
• Business: Any nonverbal stage act like dialing a phone
• The art of defining character or psychology, or revealing plot, through little things the actor does (the father-in-law snooping around the apartment while the daughter-in-law is in the kitchen)
Another very useful means of showing rather thantelling, and allowing the reader to figure things out
Tips: Ideas for the Director by John Jury (8)
Build: A series of lines (4-6) whereneither party wants the other to have thelast word or end up on top. Eachsuccessive line gets louder, capped bythe last one. It’s a minor explosion, evenwhen played for laughs
This can also reveal a close relationshipbetween characters (they finish each others’ sentences)
Rules of Writing a Play1. Show, don’t tell • Be careful with this one• Consider using dialogue or action instead of
explanation or declaration• Don’t miss chances for drama, character
revelation
2. Write about what you believe
Or at least something that you find interesting; if you’re not involved, the reader won’t be either
Rules of Writing a Play (2)
3. Save preaching for the pulpit
Nobody likes being lectured
4. Maintain tight focus (a few central characters and sets)
This applies more to the stage, but it’s a good point: don’t overwhelm the reader
Creative use of description to avoid providing too many character names (ex. “Tweedledum and Tweedledee” / “The bookends” for heavies)
Rules of Writing a Play (3)
5. Build to a climax (and end it right after that)
Again, this is more for the theater but it’s a good point; wrap things up after the
high point
6. Keep everything clear and logical; there is no re-wind button)
Readers can go back and read something again, but why make them?
Rules of Writing a Play (4)7. Use the mechanics of the stage• Think visually and dramatically: In “Basic”, there
is a scene the writer described as “SGT West walks in” which became a far more dramatic ripping-aside of a blanket blocking the bunker door
• Imagine the actions of your characters so that you don’t miss an opportunity like this one
8. Start in the middle of the story, not the beginning
• Goodfellas• Can also apply to non-fiction writing
Two Good “Director” Documentaries• “Lost in La Mancha” – Terry Gilliam’s efforts to
bring his Don Quixote movie to reality, despite natural disasters, uncooperative foreign militaries, and an ailing leading man
• “Hearts of Darkness” – Francis Ford Coppola’s efforts to bring his Vietnam movie to reality, despite natural disasters, uncooperative foreign militaries, and an ailing leading man
DVD Extras – French ConnectionDirector William Friedkin’s comments regarding the deleted scenes:
He referred to them as scaffolding that he’d used to build the main structure, and when he was done he took it down because it wasn’t needed anymore.
When editing, consider removing passages
that you consider ‘scaffolding’
DVD Extras - Basic
Director John McTiernan’s observationthat each successive telling of the taletakes the viewer deeper and deeper into thejungle
Review your storyline to see if it buildstoward its climax / conclusion; is there animage like the ‘deeper into the jungle’metaphor he uses?
DVD Extras - BasicWriter James Vanderbilt’s comment about ascene that had done a lot to establish acharacter, but occurred so late in themovie that it affected the story’s tempo
Be aware of how people read; the need forexplanation and description sometimesdecreases as the story progresses orreaches its climax / conclusion
How to Write A Book That Will Make a Good Movie
• High concept: Single-word image or one-sentence description (Jaws, The Hangover, “Bruce Almighty-the guy becomes God”)
• Castable: Sympathetic protagonist in right age range (can it attract a bankable star?)
• Clear 3-act structure that keeps us watching / reading (Hook, Twists & Turns, Big Climax / Happy Finale)
• Action (meaningful action moves the story forward)
• A mighty theme – larger than life
9 Elements of the Blockbuster Movie
1. Undeserved misfortune
2. Curiosity (“Don’t open that door!”)
3. Visible Villain
4. Hero or heroine who confronts overwhelming conflict in pursuit of an attainable goal
5. Jeopardy
6. Conflict (best if internal AND external)
7. Credibility
8. Humor
9. Love story
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