Character and Story

At the center of most films is a character who wants something and a story that tests them. The tools of character and story are the means by which a screenplay engages an audience emotionally and gives its images purpose. Understanding these tools deepens both writing and analysis.

Character: desire, obstacle, and change

Compelling characters are defined less by description than by desire and action. A character with a clear want, facing meaningful obstacles, generates drama, because the audience becomes invested in whether and how the want is fulfilled. Characters are revealed through choices, especially difficult ones, and through how they act under pressure. Many satisfying stories involve a character who changes, an arc in which the person is different at the end than at the beginning