I need to know more about charachter motivation, I know that in each scene a charachter needs to have a motivation as well as a goal for the entire movie. I know the roles of each charachter, the protagonist, antagonist, best friend etc. But how do I smooth these into scenes. I want my scenes to flow and make my actors lines to seem natural and for each scene to contribute to the story, but also not to be redundent in these scenes. Are there any links that could help or any advice anyone can give me?
Charchter Motivation
- Thread starter zepheadjc
- Start date
bato
Member
Hi.
Go back to Aristotel! Motivation is conflict. Every story needs conflict. But forget about rules, go from yourself, from your passion. Transfer that passion to your protagonist and folow your idea. Than answer this question for yourself / your hero needs to care about something more than his life / what is that? And be brave!
Than you go to sceenes...
Good luck and sorry for my bad english.
ciao
Go back to Aristotel! Motivation is conflict. Every story needs conflict. But forget about rules, go from yourself, from your passion. Transfer that passion to your protagonist and folow your idea. Than answer this question for yourself / your hero needs to care about something more than his life / what is that? And be brave!
Than you go to sceenes...
Good luck and sorry for my bad english.
ciao
EJ Pennypacker
Well-known member
Each scene should move the story forward.
Your HERO (using Joseph Campbells theory) should have an INNER and OUTTER conflict. So using that example:
INNER, being his fear or falling in love and being hurt.
OUTTER, being he needs to find a date before prom.
Just keep the story on track (outlines are helpful) and you should be good.
Good luck.
EJ
Your HERO (using Joseph Campbells theory) should have an INNER and OUTTER conflict. So using that example:
INNER, being his fear or falling in love and being hurt.
OUTTER, being he needs to find a date before prom.
Just keep the story on track (outlines are helpful) and you should be good.
Good luck.
EJ
EJ Pennypacker said:
I just want to note to the original poster that you don't have to make these things blatant in the film, just as long as they are there.
If you're done writing it and you didn't have exposition where it explains that our hero's inner conflict is his fear of falling in love and being hurt, that's fine. IMO, it's more of a guide for when you're writing, to influence that character's decisions.
alex whitmer
Veteran
Links
Links
Character motivation can change in any given plot. The old boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back is a tried and true formula, but limited if you want to tell a deeper and more layered story.
An important thing to keep in mind is subtext, that which keeps the dialogue and scenes from becoming static. Read the following link for a better explanation of this all important screenplay tool.
http://walloworld.com/?p=660
This following site is always entertaining …
http://jerslater.blogspot.com/2006/07/on-dramatic-necessity.html
Also, if you really want to read this stuff, check out …
http://www.dramatica.com/theory/theory_book/dtb.html
Skip around the dictionary and theory book.
Good luck.
Alex
Links
Character motivation can change in any given plot. The old boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back is a tried and true formula, but limited if you want to tell a deeper and more layered story.
An important thing to keep in mind is subtext, that which keeps the dialogue and scenes from becoming static. Read the following link for a better explanation of this all important screenplay tool.
http://walloworld.com/?p=660
This following site is always entertaining …
http://jerslater.blogspot.com/2006/07/on-dramatic-necessity.html
Also, if you really want to read this stuff, check out …
http://www.dramatica.com/theory/theory_book/dtb.html
Skip around the dictionary and theory book.
Good luck.
Alex
B. O'Malley
Member
How do you smooth your character motivation into your script?
Easy: Make your story HAPPEN because of the characters' wants.
Don't try to mold a pre-fabricated story around a place-holder character. The story has to COME from the character's progression of wants.
Example: Indy goes after the ark because we've already set it up that he believes strongly that artifacts belong in a museum, and that he's a bit thirsty for fortune and glory. When the g-men ask him to go get the ark before Hitler gets it, it's Indy's choice to do so that propels the movie forward.
B.
Easy: Make your story HAPPEN because of the characters' wants.
Don't try to mold a pre-fabricated story around a place-holder character. The story has to COME from the character's progression of wants.
Example: Indy goes after the ark because we've already set it up that he believes strongly that artifacts belong in a museum, and that he's a bit thirsty for fortune and glory. When the g-men ask him to go get the ark before Hitler gets it, it's Indy's choice to do so that propels the movie forward.
B.