human...

W

Wrathborne

Active member
As a screenwriter for 5 years now, one of my goals has been to create characters that are very much real people, primarily for horror/action related scripts.

I'm not a man who likes arch- types, sterotypes, or recyced characters from other films. They really dont make much of an impact and just annoy the hell out of me.

I like it when I see characters that are very much like real people. They're not perfect, they have their own problems, and they have some unique personalities and quirks that allows the audience to relate to them, instead of watching cliches running around with guns, throwing about bad lines, and perfoming martial arts.

They arent invincible, they're just as vilnerable as we are.These are the characters who get the **** kicked out of them and get back up.

I think the best example that comes to mind is John McClane from 'die hard', the first film, not the other threee.

He's a very vulnerable character, he's got a lot of problems and an interesting personality and quirks. Through out the film McClane also takes a lot of damage, he gets shot in the arm, gets his feet filled with glass and goes though some psychological torture.

Even though he does some pretty unbelivable **** in the film, he's still a very human character and pretty real character.

I think we need more human characters out there in horror and action films. They dont need to have the most tragic, or god awful problems/past, but they need to have real ones.

When I write up a character, I naturally create a crude history of their lives and make sure that they arent perfect. Now personally, I like my characters angry and determined, even if they are misguided. Mainly due to the fact thats how my personality is(minus the misguided part).

I always make it a point to show a few sides of their personalioty as well as their vilnerablity.

But I'm not quite sure if I'm doing it right. Anyone else try to pull off this task and have more certanty that they got it right?

I'm sure a sample of my writing would help out if you guys want one I'll post it. If we want to just discuss theory thats cool too.
 
Yeah, I totally understand. When I write (all the time) I try to make characters believable and relatable. I try to make it seem that they do have a history, even if it isn't discussed in depth. You want the audince to be able to relate. The way I do it is by writing the part as though they are a real person, aviding cliches and over dramatic character.

If you want me to tell you how you are doing in your attempts at accomplishing this feat, then give me some of your work to look at, and I'll let you know what feeling I get from the characters.
 
Ah, well heres a sample. I havent really touched this script in a long time. I re-did some dialogue but yeah, here it is. be gentle.

-----

Fade in:

Int. Dark hallway-Night

Inside a dark dusty hallway a door bursts open and a man in S.W.A.T uniform bursts through the door, he’s covered in bloody wounds and limps heavily as he stumbles down the hallway.
A giant smashes though the wall in front of the man, it slams a fist into him and sends him across the room crashing into the wall.
A crumpled heap on the ground the man slowly attempts to rise, one of his arms is broken. He looks up and sees the giant towering above him.
The giant has an arm reeled back to strike, long slender claws glint in the darkness ready to strike.
The man screams as the Giant strikes.

CUT:

Int. Apartment-Night

Asleep in the darkness of a small living room a figure jumps into a sitting position on the couch.
Lightning strikes and illuminates the small living room through the window.
A dream.
The figure slowly rises from the couch, draped in a hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants its impossible to make out whether is a man or a woman.
The figure flicks on light switch, nothing happens.
A second try, the powers dead.
After fumbling in the darkness a soft ‘click’ is followed by a warm orange light, it’s a zippo lighter.
The small light is lowered onto an oil lamp, a faint outline of the living room is visible, in the corner is a desk with an old type writer as well as several crumpled pages surrounding it.
The figure clears the crumpled papers and places the lamp next to the type writer.
After taking a seat the figure is still for a moment, then places in a sheet of paper in the antique typewriter and slowly begins to type.

In white text on the screen the words ‘July 7, 1998’ appear.

Dissolve:

Int. Living room-night

On the opposite side of the living room, a picture of a man and woman in each others arms smiling is centered on the counter, in the background on the couch the two are lying with each other.
The woman’s is lying on the man, her eyes are shut and she smiles. The man on the other hand looks depressed as he stares outside the window watching the rain fall.
He sighs.

WOMAN

What’s the matter?

She wraps her arms around his waist and squeezes gently.

WOMAN
Talk to me.

MAN
The rain, I hate it.

WOMAN
(teasing)
…All you fly boys scared of the rain?

MAN
I don’t fly anymore Jill.

She opens her eyes and frowns at him.

WOMAN(JILL)
You know, twenty seven is a little young to have a life crisis right?

He shakes his head

MAN
I’m miserable at work, at home, doesn’t matter what I do, nothing changes. I ****ing hate my life, only things I got are you, and sleep.

BEAT.

JILL
life doesn’t work out the way you want it too, you know that right?

MAN
Yeah.

JILL
And you do know that there are things that happen to us in life that are out of our control?

MAN
Yeah.

JILL
So why you keep fighting?

BEAT.

He shrugs.

JILL
You need to quit being so stubborn, Chris. Cant stay in the past forever, its time to move on.
He closes his eyes and turns away.

MAN(CHRIS)
I lost something that meant everything to me, don’t know if I can get over that.

JILL
Getting through life isn’t something you have to do alone, I’m here.

Chris sighs.
She places a finger under his chin and turns his head so he’s facing her again.
He opens his eyes, Jill’s smiling at him warmly.

JILL
As long as you got me, you got something right?

He smiles a little.

JILL
You know, if it wasn’t my birthday I’d smack you right?

He lefts out a soft snicker.

CHRIS
That means you like my present?

Her grin widens.

JILL
Not bad.

CHRIS
You and antiques…You gonna actually use that old typewriter?

Jill’s smile turns devilish.

JILL
You know writings is like sex, you gotta be in the mood.

Jill kisses Chris passionately.

CHRIS
(playfully)
So what are you gonna write about then?

JILL

Dunno, gonna need some inspiration.

Jill starts to unzip Chris’s pants.
The phone rings loudly startling them both.

JILL
Dammit! Be back in a second, Don’t move!

Jill answers the phone, Chris sighs heavily.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box, he pops the top open, inside is a small gold ring.
Chris stares at the ring, he looks uncertain and a little scared. He glances over and stares at Jill.
She hangs up, He hides the box.
Jill turns, she doesn’t look happy.

JILL
(Dissapointment)
Time for work, get dressed.

CUT:
Int. hallway-Night

Chris and Jill exit their apartment, they walk down the narrow hallway towards the elevator.

CHRIS
What else he say?

JILL
Get to the station and suit up ASAP.

CHRIS
So much for a day off.

The elevator opens up, a woman and a little girl enter the hallway. The little girl has long blond hair and the woman is carrying two large grocery bags.

CHRIS
Hey kiddo.

LITTLE GIRL
Chris!

The little girl grabs Chris’s waist and gives him a big hug.

JILL
I see your have your hands full miss Romero.

WOMAN(MISS ROMERO)
Well, someone decided she’s old enough to watch scary movies and not have nightmares.

LITTLE GIRL(BARBARA)
Yeah, we’re watching ‘Frankenstein’! You and Jill wanna see it?

JILL
Sorry Barbara, we have to go to work.

MISS ROMERO
This late at night?

JILL
Yeah, it’s an emergency.

MISS ROMERO
Ah, well you two take care of yourselves ok?

CHRIS
Always do.

MISS ROMERO
Time to cook dinner Barbara.

Miss Romero walks down the hall.

BARBARA
You’ll check my bed for monsters right?

Chris smiles.

CHRIS
Wont let the monsters get you.

Barbara smiles back.
Miss Romero unlocks her apartment and sees Barbara still with Chris and Jill.

MISS ROMERO
Come on Barbara!

BARBARA
Coming!

Barbara runs down the hall.
Chris turns and sees Jill in the elevator smiling at him
He enters the Elevator, she hits the button.

CHRIS
What?

JILL
All you got is me and sleep eh? You do fine papa bear.

She playfully smacks him in the arm, the elevator door shuts.

CUT TO:
 
Well done. I think you accomplished your goal. I felt like I could relate to the characters, and not like they were too "out there" like a lot of things seem these days.
 
Well, thats nice to hear, but I dont know. Still doesnt feel right to me, but then again maybe my own standards are too high right now.

Its rough when you dont know if what you have is how you want it to be. Been working on this script on and off for about 5 years now, really just want to get one last draft before I can say 'its done'.

But as I'm working on some major changes to it, I know it'll just end up being another draft following this one. It can be frustrating when you're trying to make an 'absolute'.
 
Being a perfectionist is like dragging yourself through hell just, well, for the hell of it. (I should know, I am one) But it is not necessarily a bad thing. Sure, you have to work harder and more, but oftentimes the result truely is better than it would have been if you just went through it quickly.

You really have to write to your own standards (unless you are writing for someone else, as I am right now) because in the end it is you who will either be happy or sad with the result.

Also, the time it takes to do a script does not necessarily correlate with the quality. For example, you have been working on this for five years, and it's good; but I once did a 16 page script over the course of 2 days. It still turned out good (per the client I am writing it for). It all depends on your own personal standards, yes, but also on how many ideas you have for it and how interested you are in it. The list goes on, but I think I got my point acrossed.
 
I'm still trying to make this script something special, not sure if I'll ever please myself with what I have.

Always difficult when you try to adapt something with so little, and give it so much.
 
seven.

both brad pitt and morgan freeman's characters were incredible. i think a part of making them human is giving them personal motives. i think to give personal motives you have to really understand the characters as a person too.
 
I actually didnt like Seven myself. I found Brad Pitts character really flat and that he didnt have much of a vocabuary. Every other word he said was 'fu<k' and he was a pretty whiney character...But then again this is what I remember from watching the film a good...5 years back. Not sure if I want to give it another chance as I didnt like it then, and I dont really care for it now.

I should have listen 'Silence of the lambs' as well. To me Clairice Starling really is one of the most realistic creations on screen ever.
 
Last edited:
For the most part, I would say, if viewers wanted realism they would just go live it. Now add realistic characters to a situation such as horror and I feel you would really add to the experience. I always love when horror movies make it so real that you feel mortified watching it. A great example of this would be a little japanese horror flick called "Audition"

Every character is extremely real, and it all builds up to the action at the end that really makes it a great film. On top of that, lack thereof music always seems to draw me in to the whole "real life" theory. Because if it was real, you wouldn't have suspenseful music. George Romero's recent Diary of the Dead failed to do this, even though it should have.
 
George IS re-inventing himself though, So I'll cut him some slack :P

I think you hit what I'm talking about Doc, though you phrased it much more eloquently than I could.
 
Glad to help. I always allude to other movies when describing what makes things good. Ha, it makes me feel like Quentin Tarantino. Ha, all his skill in crafting fine cinema comes from watching way to many movies than could've been healthy for him. People know whats good and whats not. You need to be able to acknowledge that when writing or doing anything else. You have to stand back and say "people will like this because..." ; )
 
Doc141 said:
Ha, it makes me feel like Quentin Tarantino. Ha, all his skill in crafting fine cinema comes from watching way to many movies than could've been healthy for him.
Click to expand...

Actually...I'm one of the few filmakers out ther who doesn't like Tarantino. I just dont care for his jive talking gansters, his katana weilding Uma Thurmans, or the about 99% of the music in his films.

I prefer the films that he's inspired by over his stuff for the most part. Not saying he sucks, but he's not my choice really.
 
My favorite of his is Kill Bill. but that's as far as it goes really. I wasn't to in to his other films.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top