Creating Strong Protagonists: From Deep Characterization to Contrast (Screenwriting Blue Books)
William Martell
Language: English
Pages: 122
ISBN: 2:00215128
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
No More Passive Protagonists!
A step-by-step guide to creating "take charge" protagonists. Screenplays are about characters in conflict... characters in emotional turmoil... Strong three dimensional protagonists who can find solutions to their problems in 110 pages. But how do you create characters like this? How do you turn words into flesh and blood?
Character issues, Knowing Who Is The Boss, Tapping into YOUR fears, The Naked Character, Pulp Friction, Man With A Plan, Character Arcs, Avoiding Cliche People, Deep Characterization, Problem Protagonists, 12 Ways To Create Likable Protagonists (even if they are criminals), Active vs. Reactive, The Third Dimension In Character, Relationships, Ensemble Scripts, and much, much more! Over 63,000 words of techniques!
Professional Screenwriter William C. Martell (19 produced films) takes you into the world of strong protagonists, showing you step-by-step how to find the best lead character for your screenplay.
About the Author:
William C. Martell has written seventeen produced films for cable and video including three HBO World Premieres, two Made For Showtimes, three CineMax Premieres, two films for USA Network, and many others. Reviewer David Nuttycombe of The Washington Post calls him "The Robert Towne of made for cable movies" and he was the only non-nominated screenwriter mentioned on Siskel & Ebert's 1997 Oscar Special "If We Picked The Winners". He doesn't teach screenwriting, he writes for a living.
The naval warfare action film "Steel Sharks" (HBO) stars Gary Busey and Billy Dee Williams, and was made with the cooperation of the US Navy and Department Of Defense onboard an actual aircraft carrier. "Hard Evidence" (USA) was released to video the same day as Julia Roberts' film "Something To Talk About" and out-rented it, landing at the #7 position nationally while the Roberts' film ended up #8 ("Hard Evidence" was the better reviewed film). Submarine thriller "Crash Dive" (HBO) starred Frederic Forest, and introduced "JAG"s Catherine Bell and Christopher Titus from Fox's sit-com "Titus". "Treacherous" (Cinemax) Starred Tia Carrere, Adam Baldwin and C. Thomas Howell. His family film "Invisible Mom" starring "ET"s Dee Wallace Stone won Best Children's Film at the Santa Clarita Film Festival. Mr. Martell is currently working on several projects for major studios.
collar, hauling him up roughly, ready to pulp him with her other fist. VASQUEZ Wake up pendejo! I'm gonna kill you, you useless fuck! Hicks pushes her back. Right in her face. HICKS Hold it. Hold it. Back off right now. Vasquez releases Gorman. His head smacks the deck. Vasquez is aggressive, Gorman is ineffective (mostly because he's unconscious in that scene). But the script keeps throwing the two together, and each brings out the character in the other. This pays
explained or established if you want to maintain audience identification with your hero. Weird characters are okay - but weird behavior needs motivation. REALISTIC REACTIONS A while back someone asked a question on a message board and my flip answer was "What Would Paul Schrader Do?" Even though Paul Schrader was one of the writers of “The Last Temptation Of Christ” and was raised in a strict Calvinist family, I suspect he would have a different reaction than Jesus to a problem. His
the "babies" anymore. The character has to completely get over his ex-girlfriend... reach the point where is she begged him to get back together with him, he would turn her down. Only then is he able to get on with his life, and his love life... and meet beautiful Heather Graham. The character must solve his emotional conflict (still hung up on his ex) before he has the ability to solve his physical conflict (finding love in the big city). "Swingers" is a great example of a story with a
off the job for a while, they are just ramblin’ down the road (drinking and driving) when they get caught in a massive traffic jama situation designed to bring Bobby’s character to the surface. Bobby gets out from behind the wheel and walks away from the car, leaving Elton wondering what to do. Bobby climbs in the back of an open-bed moving truck with an old upright piano in it, where he plays a piece of classical music with amazing skill. Who is this guy? As traffic breaks up, the truck goes off
WRITE A BLOCKBUSTER -- Write a big summer blockbuster! Using "Gladiator", "Planet Of The Apes" and other examples! #15 TITLES, NAMES, GENRES (under construction - coming soon!) *** #16 GRAND FINALES -- Creating great endings for your scripts. The different types on endings. Resolving conflicts. #17 REWRITES -- How to cut your script, rewrite to strengthen character and theme, and get your script ready for market. How to trim that long script down to size! #18 RESEARCH GUIDE