For my character in my film opening entitled
*********, we decided to
interview our protagonist in order to develop his character further.
We were inspired by an article written by Charlie Sierra about building
the back story to film characters in which he quoted from
Riding the Alligator, a book written by Pen Densham, an Academy Award nominated
filmmaker.
In one of the chapters in
the book, he provides a check list of questions every writer and director
should ask of themselves when they are developing their characters. The purpose
of this is to outline a deep understanding of your characters for both the
actors and director, and for motivating your character’s choices or actions.
My Character Interview
(Example) As my film opening features only one character in a world without anyone
else, we decided that rather than a questionnaire interview, we would use
a
video diary of our character asking himself and answering the questions as if
he is communicating through the camera to anyone who might find it, which is a
creative way to handle the questionnaire whilst still keeping with the solitary
theme of the opening...(video interview + script follows)
(Example) One of my central characters is a young girl, we have decided to compose a series of
exchanges that she made using What's App
with her friend in which she confides her worries about her sister. Her
friend asks her a series of questions about her state of mind...
(screenshots of What's App exchanges follow)
(Example) Our
protagonist is a senior police officer who is struggling with his job
(meeting targets; pleasing a critical boss) and his family (his daughter
challenges him and he questions his ability to relate to her). He is
interviewed by a police psychiatrist after the incident when he knocks
down a teenager on his bike.
