Great character descriptions are a crucial part of any screenplay, and a meaningful way to get your leads to stick out. How you introduce a character on the page will have a huge effect on how the reader experiences the script. It could be the difference between a sale or a pass. Today, we’re going to go over what makes some character introductions better than others, and how you can write the best descriptions for your screenplay. What is a Character Description? When you first meet a character in a screenplay, a brief description tells the reader how they should picture that person in their mind. What are they wearing? Where are they going? How do they carry themselves? And what’s happening in the scene? Film and television are visual mediums, but they always start on a blank screenplay page. Writers have to imagine who these characters are, and then actors and directors help those people come to life. There are funny descriptions, sad ones, and even action-packed, amazing descriptions. But the best versions of this get the point across, without being too elaborate. So.... how do you do this well, without wasting a lot of time? What Do You Need to Cover? Screenwriting is all about "economy on the page". So when describing your character you need to give us an accurate mental image of the person, while also not taking us out of the story. Most of the time, you’re meeting your characters in act one, but...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Thursday, 5 September, 2024