RESEARCH: CHARACTER
A narrative or dramatic work of art (such as a novel, play, or film).
How important are characters particularly in the opening 2 minutes of a film?
Character introductions are especially important. The moment a character is introduced carries the ability to invoke some of the most powerful emotions: joy, anger, fear, and envy. Not only can this moment inspire an intense audience reaction, but it can also offer a unique opportunity for insight and explanation. We can learn about a character in many different ways. We can learn by what they do and what they say. We can also learn by what other characters say about them and how they react to those characters. The best character introductions in film not only use these means, but they do it in a concise and creative way.
Character profiles of three different existing feature film characters:
The music swells as the great Captain Jack Sparrow sails into Port Royal. It's a dramatic and heroic moment... until the shot reveals his sad, sinking boat. Jack jumps off the mast just before it becomes fully submerged underwater and swaggers past the dockhand. The mere image of his arrival on his sinking boat is enough of an analogy to understand Jack Sparrow. He is a pirate that could be a great Captain, if only he had the means. It could be seen that his entrance could be considered sad - he salutes his dead comrades and then returns to bailing water out of his ratty boat. Instead of coaxing pity out of the audience, this backdrop allows Jack to show the audience style, attitude, charm, and impeccable timing. This introduction relies on the character's personality to turn a depressing situation into a glamorised entrance that leaves the audience wanting to see more of Captain Jack Sparrow.
It's a scene that shows the importance of character reactions, where Sundance shows his importance during a blackjack game. This scene not only establishes Butch and Sundance's relationship, but it shows the audience that Sundance is a man to be feared. The last part in the character introduction scene includes Macon asking Sundance how good he is with a gun. Sundance responds by shooting Macon's gun belt off of him, without inflicting any injury. With this swift move, Sundance's superiority is secured.
When Darth Vader made his film debut, he secured his place as one of the greatest villains of all time. His appearance is enough to secure such an honor, but it is his manner that seals his fate in film infamy. The Rebel ship has just seen a laser-gun battle and dead bodies litter the corridor. From the passageway, Darth Vader appears all in black. He immediately commands respect as the Storm Troopers stand at attention. His helmet, cape, and voice make the moment even more dramatic. He strides past the dead bodies and continues on to interrogate a Rebel Officer. He kills the officer with a chilling ease that could make any audience member shudder. His appearance, presence, and actions make him the ultimate image of evil.
What makes these characters so iconic?
These characters are so iconic because they create a vision for the audience of something from imagination to reality. If done correctly, the character introduction can begin the transformation of a character into an icon. Especially Darth Vader and Jack Sparrow, the viewers are bought into a franchise because they either love or hate the character that has been produced.
What do important characters add to the narrative?
Characters can add and have a great affect on the narrative. This is because everything the character portrays on the screen is with either narrative or no narrative, the former having a greater effect on the audience, mostly due to the viewers wanting to know what the main characters are thinking and this is when narrative can help. When there's no narrative, however, we look and concentrate on the dialogue, body movements and facial expressions of a character, more aware of what the character is going to do an what they say than the narrative of a story.
How much does the audience find out about them in the opening two minutes?
In the opening two minutes, a viewer can find out a lot about a character, such as an action film or perhaps a crime movie where we are thrown into the chaos. Yet, it is more likely that an audience still have no idea what a character is about after the opening two minutes. This is is because it's only two minutes, and we still have the same characters to develop over hours to come, so the directors don't want to give too much away too quickly, otherwise the plot can't go anywhere. Due to this its very common for the introduction to a character in the opening two minutes to have a couple of lines of narrative, some scenic shots, depending on the genre, but other than that don't expect much to unfold about a character in the opening two minutes.
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