- Audiences want to see character growth.
Weakness in characters
- Psychological
- Moral
Weakness which harm other characters
- Prejudice
- Impatience
- Greed
- Pride
- Dishonesty
Internal or external
decisions to consciences
Flushout
The weakness’s of a character shouldn’t be obvious. If you try to spell out the weaknesses then the audience could feel like the story becomes a lecture. This is not enjoyable for the audience.
Andrew Staton – Ted talk on storytelling
- Story telling gives affirmation / meaning to our lives.
- Make me care!
- 2+2 not 4. Don’t give the answer, but give the solution for the audience to work out themselves.
- Can you invoke wonder?
- Use what you know.
Task: Break down character & story development.
Analyse how the main characters evolve.
Analyse who the characters drive the story.
Point similarities between you chosen films & why they are following a similar structure.
Film 1: Forest Gump
Story break down:
- Forest Gump has leg problems – He is bullied, Jenny is his only friend.
- Graduates and joins army, becomes ping pong champion, shrimp boat – Lives an amazing life.
- Admits he loves Jenny – She struggles with drug abuse and bad boyfriends, cant reciprocate.
- He feels rejected and going running.
- Receives letter and goes running to Jenny.
- Finds out the she has a kid called Forest (his kid) and Jenny is dying.
- Summary: He loves Jenny and never gave up on her no matter what happened in his life. He waited for her till she was ready to love herself because of her abusive upbringing she didn’t know how.
Break down of Forest’s character:
- He was born with a disability or not being able to walk properly and simple minded. People would treat him differently.
- His mum said to not let anyone treat him differently. He listened and didn’t let anyone stop him.
- He loves Jenny but she continued to tell Forest that he didn’t.
- Forest experiences all areas of life in spite of his disabilities.
- Forest’s character didn’t actually change too much. He is how he is. He loved Jenny at the beginning till the end. The had a wonderful journey through life which prepared him for fatherhood.
Who drives the story?
- Everyone except Forest. He was taught to do what people say (literally) and it always led him to his next adventure. It was as though everything was by chance but he went through it anyways. However Jenny was like the centre gravitational pull. He always went back to her, even unintentionally.
Film 2: White Chicks
Story break down:
- Two NYPD agents keep messing up. They want the ultimate glory of being the good guys busting the bad guys. Feeding a child like fantasy of theirs which will end up making them happy.
- They take their own fate within their hands and impersonate to white girls who have a ‘bimbo/entitled’ attitude in order to solve a crime.
- They meet the Wilson sister’s friends and enemies.
- End up making friends with them and learning what its like to be a woman and in turn the agents learn what its like.
- Also solving the case.
Break down of Marcus’s character:
- Marcus has issues with his girlfriend. He seems to not pay her attention and she is always annoyed. He doesn’t handle the situation he just avoids it. Thinking being a good cop means it will resolve.
- He makes friends with the Wilson sister’s friends and learns that woman just want to be acknowledged and notice the efforts gone into the small things.
- He makes up with his girlfriend and knows how to resolve the issue.
Who drives the story?
- The NYPD cops ego and their ideas of how to solve the crime.
- The friends forcing them into situations.
- The enemy sisters who challenge them.
Film 3: The Lion King
Story break down:
- Mufasa rules the kingdom which will be taken over by his son Simba.
- Scar is Mufasa’s uncle and wants the power and land for himself.
- Scar makes a plan which kills Mufasa and Simba blames himself.
- Simba runs away to escape the guilt.
- He is found by his childhood friend to return and save pride rock from scar killing it.
- Simba returns, fights and wins
- Scar is then killed and peace is restored.
Break down of Simba character:
- He is young and arrogant of how he will be as a king.
- Makes mistakes and gets in trouble of what he thinks makes a good king.
- He blames himself for Mufasa’s death because he was manipulated as a cub.
- He learns to forget when he meets Pumba and Timone but he can’t run away from who he is.
- He returns and fights to follow in his fathers footsteps.
Who drives the story?
- Scar is the villain who is manipulating the situations to get what he wants till Simba is older and stronger.