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5 Famous Character Introductions (and why they work)

2/19/2013

5 Comments

 
After having read hundreds of scripts, I can confidently tell you that good character introductions are one of the main differences between amateur and professional screenplays.
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Good introductions create film legends. Bad introductions hurt good writing. So before you start your next script, take the time to learn from the masters.

1. John McClane, Die Hard

INT. 747 – PASSENGERS

The usual moment just after landing when you let out that sigh of relief that you’ve made it in one piece. As the plane TAXIS to its gate, they stir, gather personal belongings. 

ON JOHN MCCLANE 

mid-thirties, good looking, athletic and tired from his trip. He sits by the window. His relief on landing is subtle, but we NOTICE.

Note: The writer juxtaposes all of the other passengers on board with John McClane. First we meet them. Normal people. Like us.

Then we meet McClane. By virtue of the fact that he is not one of them, he is not normal. He is special. He is the hero of this story.

Now that McClane’s uniqueness has been identified, the audience innately trusts in his expertise for the rest of the movie, and the writer’s job is done.  

THE BOTTOM LINE


This is a perfect example of what we call “Separation Elevation.” By separating McClane from the masses, he’s been elevated to a very important level in the minds of the audience.

2. Sam Baldwin, Sleepless in Seattle

FADE IN:  

CLOSE ON SAM BALDWIN

A card: Chicago

His neck is pinched into a crisp dress shirt and tie.  His expression is vacant, faraway. A breeze blows but he doesn't react to it.  In the distance the architecture of the Chicago skyline.
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The very first thing you see in Sleepless is Sam’s face, so this character introduction is especially important: It introduces both the character and the story on the whole.

Notice the exact language Nora Eprhon uses in describing Sam. His neck is pinched into a dress shirt and tie. So we get the impression this isn’t his usual attire.

Then Ephron begins to use Sam's character introduction to also address one of the major themes of the movie: distance.



Sam's expression is described as "vacant, faraway." That's the first indication of distance in a film wherein distance serves as one of the main antagonists. Throughout the screepnlay, distance is used as a very literal representation of what truly stands between the two main characters. 

Along the same lines, Ephron closes this introduction by bringing in an image of the Chicago skyline. Here she juxtaposes Sam with his city. In a movie where cities play such a prominent role, this can’t be by accident.

THE BOTTOM LINE


Ephron uses Sam’s character introduction to underscore the thematic purpose of Sleepless In Seattle. She clearly took her time with this introduction, involving both character and theme from the very beginning. 

3. Will Hunting, Good Will Hunting

Will Hunting, 20, handsome and confident, a soft-spoken leader.
Most screenwriting books and gurus say that you shouldn’t ever tell us something about the hero that we could not know from what has happened on screen. But this introduction occurs before Hunting even says one word.

And it works.

Here’s why the books and gurus are wrong: Your only job in a character introduction is to engage the audience without confusing them.

By identifying Will Hunting as ‘a soft-spoken leader’ the writer immediately endears me to the character. Everyone likes a soft-spoken leader, and that’s the kind of person I absolutely want to watch a movie about.

THE BOTTOM LINE

You should never get hung up on arbitrary screenwriting rules and regulations. Write the words your story dictates. Keep people entertained. Those are the only rules that really matter, even when it comes to character introductions.

4. Casey Becker, Scream

ON A RINGING TELEPHONE

A hand reaches for it, bringing the receiver up to the face of CASEY BECKER, a young girl, no more than sixteen. A friendly face with innocent eyes.

This character introduction is great because it so clearly communicates the tone of the movie. The writing is terse, tense and dripping with suspense.

The biggest contributing factor to that is the use of foreshadowing. How perfect is it that Casey Becker is described as having ‘innocent’ eyes?

The guy on the end of the phone is about to completely change that, and that’s kind of a beautiful thing.

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Generally, this character introduction leaves little room for misinterpretation. The writer draws Casey exactly as he wants us to see her. Young. Friendly. Innocent. Those words are awesomely purposeful and effective. 

One of the themes in this movie is innocence (or the loss of innocence), and we’ve got all that referenced in these two simple lines.


THE BOTTOM LINE
Character introductions are some of the best places for you to set up the journey your characters are about to (or need to) go on. 



If your character is naïve, let the audience know. The adjectives you choose will be inherently rich with foreshadowing, and that’s the kind of depth that resonates well with readers. 


It's a great way to establish your most important character arcs, and to let the reader know where each character stands before the story takes off running.

5. Ben Stone, Knocked Up

BEN STONE, 23, cute in a chunky Jewish guy sort of way, boxes one of his roommates, MARTIN.
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Apatow likes to keep his character introductions short and sweet, and this excerpt from Knocked Up is no exception.

There are two really cool things about this introduction.

First, it communicates tone. This is a light, fun introduction, and it’s part of a light, fun movie. Apatow stays true to this with everything he writes: There are jokes everywhere, not just in the dialogue, and everything is written in his unique, comedic voice.

Second, this introduction uses a technique we like to call “Action Definition.” Seth Rogen’s character (and his character flaw) are immediately defined by what he’s doing in this introduction.

It’s a chunky jewish guy BOXING his roommate. Clearly, he needs to grow up. That’s what the movie will be about, so that’s what the character introduction is about.

This is another example of how deeply great scripts interweave theme with character from the very beginning. If you’re not doing this, you should be.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Actions speak louder than words. Try to use the “Action Definition” technique to introduce one of your main characters, and get their entire essence across with Apatowian ease.

6. Bertie, The King's Speech

This first excerpt is from the official Oscar nominated draft...
CLOSE ON - BERTIE - the Duke of York, second son of the King; his handsome, sensitive, features look terrified. (from the official Oscar nominated draft)
The introduction below is from a draft dated two years earlier, Sept. 2008. What a huge difference between the two...
White ostrich feathers, topping a tri-corner hat, are fluffed and placed upon brilliantined hair.

PAN DOWN to the handsome features of Albert, Duke of York, known to his family as BERTIE. He’s in his late thirties, the second son of King George V, the reigning King of England. He conveys a sensitivity which appears in conflict with the manner in which he’s been bedecked. (from a draft dated two years earlier, Sept. 2008)

What works about either of these character introductions from The King’s Speech? 

What techniques did we discuss in this article are being used here? 


What makes the official introduction better than the one used in an earlier draft? Or do you think it's worse?

Comment below. 


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5 Comments
Helen Bang
2/20/2013 02:56:59 am

Re the King's Speech - the first time we meet Bertie is just before the disastrous speech at the Empire Exhibition. He's waiting nervously with his wife in the corridor. I don't recall any feathers. I remember him squeezing her hand.

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Script Quack link
2/20/2013 03:04:36 am

You're right, thanks for pointing that out. The excerpt we used was from an earlier draft. I've updated the post with the introduction used in the Oscar official screenplay. Some very interesting differences between the two.

Reply
OptionedWriter
12/18/2013 10:55:28 pm

IMHO and since I love a good argument, but for the last, Kings Speech, none of these are good examples of great character introductions - and none, but the last SET THE TONE at all - but that is not expected in the first line. No 1: DIE HARD If this was a spec script and no one could possibly know Bruce was going to play the lead - which is all that intro does focus on - and was probably insisted on by BW. I suggest Readers today would say: "Yeah and when are you gonna start interesting me?" Which can comfortably come on the next couple of three lines, of course. In itself, does that one word NOTICE, make a bit of difference? It's a SHOT [camera direction] if anything. No. 2: Sleepless in Seattle: Frankly, that line does nothing, YET - but focus on the star [who woulda insisted it did] All this reading in distance and emotion, how the skyline wraps us up in the movie is sheer lunacy, in my view. [Is it a question of: I know this is a good movie - I'm gonna agree with every word of the script?] The reader cannot have been captured anything YET, and that was a great great movie. No. 3: Good Will Hunting. Since the STAR [notice that again! Good move by the writers!] has not said a word, how would the veiwer know he was soft-spoken and/or anything like a leader and as he turned out, had behavioral problems anyway. Once again, a consultant claiming he saw a great movie coming from opening line - that was IMPOSSIBLE to see. No. 4: SCREAM How can a calm Drew Barrimore set the Tone - in itself? How does it tell you to hunker down this is going to be a great movie of any kind, let alone a very successful horror one, and what you came to see [or are about to read]. The TONE came after the VOICE on the phone spoke - not before - that was a mislead. Great opening [5 lines] anyway but consultant didn't spot that, by calling it a GREAT character intro, when it was nothing of the kind. We have ALL answered the phone, I would venture to suggest. No.5: KNOCKED UP - Firstly, he says, it communicates "Tone". Really? It tells us nothing about the movie or what to expect. Most of the best teachers out there, and Hal is right up there imho, say TONE should be set in the short term. Not necessarily in the first line - although that would be great if you did that - meaningfully. THIS example does nothing - except say a grown man can play games. Since most male adults below the age of 35 have difficulty growing up, seem to have gotten used to playing playstation with every waking moment - what's new? This intro of that actor does nothing to get your movie noticed. It is nothing special. No 6: great opening. Thank you for showing us, Mr Quack, one example - although that was an EXTRA as your article title says, clearly: FIVE examples. So, 1 out of 6 for trying; 0 out of 6 for the first word in theTitle of a published article being incorrect. Comments anybody?

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Comedy Nut link
2/24/2014 09:02:26 am

Thanks for sharing this. I love these kind of character-related analyses.

I guess I'm not understanding how the shot of Bruce Willis in Die Hard is a foreshadowing of the character he is in the movie... It doesn't tell us much... We have to wait until later on to find out. Just my two cents.

Keep up the great work.

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Michael Faunce-Brown link
11/4/2019 12:43:18 pm

Do you have any contacts with agents? I have four recommended full feature scripts and feel it's time to strike.

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