I just watched Disney’s Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs for the first time in years.*
I found new appreciation for this legendary film during the scene where the Seven Dwarfs come home from work to find that their woodland cottage has been invaded by a potentially-malicious housecleaner. The suspect is, of course, the obliging 1930′s ideal-housewife-in-a-princess-dress known as Snow White.
The audience knows about Snow, but the Dwarfs don’t. Walt Disney and Company masterfully introduce us to seven characters at once – which is a challenge most storytellers would work around or cheat on.
How did they pull it off? By creating a movie inside of the movie.
As the film continues to age, the temptation to dismiss it on account of the antiquated humor and political incorrectness grows. But despite the misogyny, the film is a fine specimen of visual storytelling.
Today, I’ll share one lesson that we can learn from this Disney Classic – How To Write GREAT Character Introductions.
It’s Hard Out Here For A Dwarf:
Prior to the “intruder” scene, we know:
- The Dwarfs are miners and to them, unearthing jewels by the bucket-load is no big deal. (Note their ambivalence and carelessness in regard to the priceless jewels.)
- Their job sucks so much that they burst into song at quitting time.
- Despite their super-long commute (it’s still daylight when they leave and it’s night when they get home), they walk to work.
- They’re either super-honest or super-dumb. (Has it never occurred to any of them that maybe a handful of jewels could solve their transportation problem?)
- Dopey is a liability.
…and that’s pretty much it. It’s not until they get home that get to know them.
Now keep in mind: There are SEVEN of these dudes. SEH-VUHN! And we meet them all at ONCE!
There isn’t a “gathering the team” sequence or an anachronistic “fake action movie trailer” montage with a freeze-frame of each character where his name gets typed-out on the screen.
PLUS, to make it even harder, the Dwarves all look really similar.
Sure, each one has his own distinct adjective (Happy, Grumpy, Bashful, Dopey etc.) for both name and personality** but that information doesn’t come out until way later.
Walt and Company valued the old “show, don’t tell” rule so highly that they didn’t even exploit their own narrative device to introduce the Dwarfs.
What’s amazing is how these two significant narrative challenges are completely undetectable within the masterful simplicity and elegance of the “intruder” scene.
Six of The Seven Dwarfs sush Sneezy as they sneak up on the sleeping Snow White. This is the climax of the "movie inside the movie" which introduces each Dwarf in a visceral way.
Character Introductions Need Action:
Again, any storyteller would be tempted to do the whole “And YOU must be Grumpy!” role-call scene for the character introductions. But nope. Not Walt.
Walt guides you through two entire scenes. Two entire sequences, actually – the commute home (Heigh Ho!) and the “intruder” scene before we learn who’s who. We understand the Dwarfs on a visceral level through their actions, reactions and decisions…
Walt designed a movie inside of the movie.
Act 1 is (as I recently explained in a lesson on story structure) where we get to know the characters, the world they live in, their paradigm and their passion (I credit Michael Arndt for most of this Act 1 framework).
For The Dwarfs, Act 1 is the commute home and overlaps with the beginning of the “intruder” scene.
They discover “the ocean” that must be crossed. That’s act 2. For The Dwarfs, it’s their invaded cottage that they must search. This is where the depth of character emerges and the emotions of the Act 3 conflict and resolution are set-up. Act 2 is where we earn the ending.***
We see Doc on the front lines, leading, despite visible fear. We learn (multiple times) how Dopey got his name. And so on…
And then in Act 3, we experience the “It’s a ghost!” climax as Snow White stirs from her sleep and moves the sheets around and the resolution when the characters discover it’s just a princess and they finally move on to the “role call” bit.
I’d also like to point out that the subsequent “Meet the Dwarfs” “role call” sequence is it’s own thing. It has it’s own beginning, middle and end. (For bonus points, watch it and come back here to post your own analysis.)
Bashful's big moment happens when he is introduced to Snow White. In the hands of lesser storytellers, this "role call" scene would have been the first scene with The Seven Dwarfs.
Character Introductions Need Conflict and Contrast:
One of the biggest mistakes in all of modern moviemaking is this: Storytellers often think that the rule “Every story needs conflict” means “Your characters should argue a lot.”
Arguments are usually a story buzzkill. And when there’s more than one argument in a movie, it’s often excruciating.
In most “argument” scenes, the story comes to a standstill. At best, the story starts going in circles. It just hovers in this intense space until the argument gets interrupted.
Even worse, these “argument” scenes often exists because something important is supposed to be happening.
Filmmakers throw away or mangle their potentially-compelling story moments by burying them under aimless arguments.****
But this post isn’t about the broader application of conflict in storytelling, so here’s how you can add conflict and contrast to your character introductions…
The Dwarfs are united in the main conflict of this sequence. They all need to investigate their invaded cottage. But the way they each approach the situation is unique. Each Dwarf’s approach conflicts and contrasts with others.
Here’s one simple example: Just as The Dwarfs are about to attack the sleeping intruder, Sneezy sneezes and botches the surprise! The Dwarfs scold sneezy and proceed as the intruder stirs.
It’s a simple conflict framed by contrasting reactions. It’s visual. It’s visceral. It’s organic. And it functions as part of this whole, extended introduction to the Dwarfs.
The sequence seems so simple when you watch it, but as you dig deeper, awe-inspiring complexity emerges.
…and I’ll bet it all just came from relentlessly brainstorming creative answers to this question: “How do we introduce seven unique characters at once?”
Bottom Line:
When you write scenes that introduce characters, look for a way to create a little “movie inside the movie.” Or in our case a “comic inside the comic.”
Look for ways to introduce the characters by showing their actions, reactions and decisions within a conflict and whenever possible, contrast those actions against other characters.
Footnotes:
* I watch a lot of animated movies with the sound off because it helps me focus on the animation, the designs, the color palettes and the layouts without getting swept up in the narrative. (I often get swept up in the narrative anyway, but the mute button helps me maintain objectivity.) The silent treatment worked again with this movie. My niece and I were watching it while my wife and mother-in-law were having a conversation. They kept turning the volume down until it was inaudible. But my niece and I were both too exhausted from a day at the beach to move, so we just watched it with no sound.
** “Doc” isn’t literally an adjective but the name’s the function is the same.
*** There’s also a Thematic element stitched into this scene. It’s the poetic foreshadowing of Snow White’s eventual fate – the Witch’s sleep-curse. The Dwarfs “discover” Snow White then, as well.
****I’m not saying that you can never have characters argue. Just make sure it reveals truths about the characters, the story and the audience.
Bonus Link:
I have recommended John August’s Screenwriting Blog (and now PODCAST!) many times before.
But if you’re hungry for more information about character introductions, I’d like to direct you to a helpful article that John wrote on the subject. I referenced his article several times during the writing of my own webcomic.
Comment and Share:
How do you plan to use action, conflict and contrast in your own character introductions?
{ 81 comments… read them below or add one }
When I write the story to my webcomic, I often just write away at the premise and build up towards the outline, script, thumbnails then the finished article, without regards of story structuring guidelines. And then I come to this website, read an article and feel like I’ve missed out something important. It can really put me on edge, but it’s better to have known it sooner rather than later. Thanks for your insights all the same, they really help.
A pet peeve of mine when it comes to establishing characters is the text on screen introduction, which you get in really bad movies like “The Losers”, “RoboWar”, “Battle Los Angeles” or “MegaPiranha” (God only knows why I watched that last one) This is popular when showing off military characters. The camera will focus in on the face and then they’ll be the X-Files style rat-a-tat stats at the bottom of the screen saying something like “Lt. Col Beefface- Sharpshooter” or “Cmdr. William Loner – Demolitions Expert”. Its like trying to meet someone new but being pulled away by someone else to tell you about them before you even have the chance to shake their hand and be properly introduced.
A good example of meeting military characters is the helicopter scene from “Predator” which introduces us to their macho attitudes.
Short time listener, first time caller, but this post is gold.
I never even noticed until recently how many of the scenes I write are just arguments, and you’re absolutely right. It’s just THE WORST.
It’s so hard to even figure out how to work around it, but once you know the problem is there, it’s good to keep it on your “avoid” list.
Anyway, like I said, great post, great site, great everything!
It’s amazing how story problems can be so phantomy. Hard to find and catch and get rid of…
You make a great point – I’d never noticed how well the character introduction is done in those scenes from Snow White. It should indeed not be dismissed just because it is somewhat outdated; good storytelling never goes out of vogue.
“Action, conflict and contrast” is a great, succinct way to describe the introduction of a character! Oftentimes it’s such a difficult part of the writing process in any creative endeavor that it leads to a writing or art block for most people, myself included. Character-establishing moments are so important and lend an opportunity to really attach your viewers to the character in just the way you want them to. It’s such a momentous occasion, it really does put a lot of pressure on you as the creator to ensure that this is a character people are going to latch on to and care about. Especially to ensure that your go about it in a way that presents a character naturally, not just plunking them down in front of the viewer and virtually spelling out for them, “Here’s So-and-so, here are his likes and dislikes and this is why everyone adores him.”
I can’t pick between those three options – action, conflict, and contrast – because all three are so integral, but I guess the point is to utilize all three then, haha. As I go about writing my webcomic, the introduction of Jobe, who is one of the central characters, is definitely something I’ve been puzzling over. In terms of action, I’m sure there will be a lot of opportunity to vary the way he is introduced, since his first scene is at a party where a murder takes place (cliché? Maybe, but it’s too interesting!). The “action” will probably be him interacting with folks at the party whom he’s never met before, and how he makes an impression on each one. The “conflict” will be with another central character with whom he does not see eye to eye, so this will hopefully establish his views pretty quickly, and “contrast” may come from how he reacts to the upcoming tragedy.
It may take a while to sort out, but filing it down to those three important figures really helps!
You know, I think most ‘classic’ Disney movies followed the ‘movie within a movie’ practice in some form or another. The Little Mermaid introduced the two civilizations and societies that Ariel would have to choose to live in before they ever introduced her. Pocahontas did the same.
Sleeping Beauty introduced the metaphysical conflict around Aurora, and the destinies her life would take before we ever heard her speak a word a dialogue. Lady and the Tramp set up Lady’s world before we ever knew her as a core character. It was a wonderful practice!
When I was working at in Retail there was this awful tv we kept on. It played “Megamind” for what felt like years, non-stop on a loop. It was turned waaaaay down so the only thing you could here was the song “Crazy Train” every time the film restarted. Anyways I realized while watching it for the 100th time that despite my disinterest in it, I could understand everything going on in the film. It was pretty amazing. A lot of this is done with cheap montages and obvious archetype references, but that film really holds up on a visual-based story telling level. Just throwing that out there for anyone interested.
Figgs, this is great!
This is something that I strive for In my art; readability by pictures at minimum! Just getting better at this is a great way to take full advantage of a visual storytelling medium and makes us better storytellers!
Great stuff!
Thanks for posting!
Something I’ve heard a lot is that you shouldn’t include ANY scene, conversation, exchange, etc, unless it ALSO forwards the plot in some way. It requires some advance planning, of course, to figure out how to kill those birds with the same stone, and determine what parts of the story should be unfolded when/how.
I’m sure I could use some more dynamics, but here’s something I tend to fall back on: While doing some in-character, world-building activity, “Character 1″ explains to “Character 2″ that s/he is having a [plot/character-related] problem, and then “Character 2″ gives him/her advice on it. The activity, the problem, and the nature of the advice all serve to convey to the reader flavors of the world, the plot, the personality of the characters, and the nature of their relationship. It’s also a good way to plant in the reader’s mind any clues (objects, people, etc) that you’ll address more about later, such as mentioning “Character 3″ or a plot point that will be important in the future. It’s always cool to show your readers that you knew what was going to happen in Chapter X way back in Chapter C (especially if they can then go back and find the clues).
As for using action.. I think a great thing to keep in mind when introducing a character through action is to use a situation that will showcase something significant about them. Always the multipurpose scenes: grab the reader, move the plot forward, reveal something [plot-related] about the character, and show the richness of your setting.
I think my bottom line is, you have a much easier time making calculated decisions like these if you *know your characters/setting/story* already before you get there. Planning is key!
On the note of exploring your setting, I like the *idea* of world building (and the effective presentation of it in a finished work), but it always seems like more of a distraction for my own writing. I get so fascinated by creating all the in-universe logistics and sensibilities that make certain elements work within the story, but then am left rather clueless as to how to incorporate the proper amount of that into the narrative…
Too little and the willing suspension of disbelief is thrown into limbo. Too much and the story just gets unnecessarily bogged down and confusing.
I’ve been starting to see lately how writing in accordance with a theme is what will best solidify a story. Figuring out which of those intricate, world details can reflect or call attention to a theme feels much more natural than trying to use them to simply “make more plot happen.”
And, yes! It’s always a treat to realize an author planned an event far in advance, leaving little clues and whatnot throughout, be it characters, plot, or setting! =D
You are a brilliant “story scientist” Michael.
An example of what you’re talking about is The Star Wars Prequels vs. The Original Trilogy. The latter drops you into the world and you discover the “rules” through the experiences of the characters (namely Luke and Han) and the former just explains and explains and explains and explains and explains…
Compliment noted and appreciated, Chris! Thanks!
Now if only I can temper that into becoming a story artisan… =D
I find the balance of world building in novel form to be more difficult than in comic form. In comics, it’s largely about what you can see, and how the rules of the world affect the characters and the story – again, in what you can see (including how they act and what they say). In my multipurpose scene theory, the world building part would end up being much more subtle than I probably made it sound.
In prose, the evidence of your world building tends to go a lot deeper and therefore the balance is harder to judge. I have two thoughts on this. First, don’t kill yourself over it, because you can always adjust that balance in later drafts. If it doesn’t feel right, you can change it. I’m a big proponent in not forcing your novel to be perfect the first time around.
Second, I find it easiest to explain setting details through the eyes of the “new guy,” a character who’s from a different culture or city and doesn’t know how that technology works. Sometimes this is your viewpoint character (I tend to read a lot of books that use this approach), and sometimes it’s your viewpoint character doing the explaining to someone else. I think the hardest approach would be a setting where everybody except your reader is already familiar with it all; in that case… good luck. XD But you might consider *adding* that “new guy” character for the benefit of explaining the setting to your reader. The reader needs someone to relate to, right?
Just things to consider. I really like the idea of focusing on the theme to determine what setting details to reveal – or in shaping your draft later to focus it more clearly. Makes a lot of sense. In any case, you’re never going to use ALL your world building details in your novel/comic, anyway, only what actually matters to telling the story. There’s no reason to bring up the fact that though your character is left-handed, he uses scissors with his right hand because his parents never thought to buy left-handed scissors when he was learning to cut – unless somehow it ends up important to the story’s progression.
I for one am no match for prose. I ramble enough as it is when I’m conversing. haha!
But I’ve had the privilege of reviewing and providing feedback for some of my friend’s stories, and I’d say a good bit of my own advice to her is to inject a little more of the world richness into her narrative. Go ahead and put it in now, trim it down later.
Her protagonists are usually fish-out-of-water characters, so there’s plenty of opportunity for the character herself to “learn” what makes her world go round. And through notes and conversations, I know my friend’s done plenty of world-building; it’s just a matter of making those details relevant to the overall story, and thus relevant to the reader.
All fascinating stuff! =D
Fun discussion. In the story I’m currently working on, I had a completely different version of the world as I was in the exploratory phase, but as soon as I discovered my story & theme, the world completely changed –
And it’s all for the better. Now I’m not busy explaining physical details of the world, because they simply reflect the social details of the world – this gets me right to expressing the theme as soon as possible.
Just what the doctor ordered. I’m rewriting the opening of my comic because I noticed that the three characters introduced via introspection/exposition are more considered as props than characters by the readers, even though they have character arcs later on.
Wow, Sly, this is an interesting concept. What do you mean by “Props?”
I interpret that as meaning that they seem just very “functional” at first and don’t become more human until later on. Is that accurate?
That may be what I’m trying to say. They’ve been referred to as “cardboard cut-outs” and are rarely mentioned by readers and reviewers outside of their introductions, which was done via “voiceover” of one of the other characters and not meant to even be accurate (since he is an unreliable narrator). They have scenes and dialogue after their introductions, and while at this point they’ve gotten a lot less screen time than the other two, I still found it odd that readers seem to completely overlook any and all character development they have.
I think I just flew wide of the mark. I was, and am with a lot of the elements in the comic, trying to lead the reader to assume one thing by using common elements and then surprise them by revealing that the assumption was wildly inaccurate, that is, the elements don’t _have_ to mean that. At this point though, I think the introduction for the three characters may have crossed that line to the point where readers simply don’t expect any character development at all from the roles and won’t see it happening because, in their mind, it’s not going to be there.
And I love these characters too much to visit that injustice on them, so I’m working to improve their introductions. My thought was to trim down the voice-over and introduce the concept that the narrator character is, in fact, _biased_, but I wasn’t quite sure how to do that until this article gave me this idea: The narrator isn’t the only character experiencing the inciting action; the cast as a team is. If I rewrite that scene to more clearly show that the narration character isn’t the only one reacting, while he in the meantime has a very self-centered voice-over, that might do the trick.
Voice over can be a very dangerous thing in comics. What makes it so dangerous is that voice over or other narration is a short cut to a character’s thoughts and feelings. This bypasses the possibility to showcase character acting, or relationship development through dialogue. It violates the “show, don’t tell” rule by explicitly telling. Granted, it can be an effective way to set up a scene very quickly, it’s something that can break a scene if overused.
Doing a quick trawl of your archives, I kind of see your introduction’s problem: You’re writing your script like a prose novel, with a main character describing things as they would on a text page. Remember, “show, don’t tell” especially in comics. I would consider scaling back the voice over you have. Let your readers discover this world through your artwork and dialogue. At the very least, try putting the voice over captions in boxes. They’re hard to read against background art.
I wish you luck in your beginning rewrite. Let any of us know if you need any further direction. We’re here to help!
“You’re writing your script like a prose novel, with a main character describing things as they would on a text page.”
Since I come to comics from a novelist background, this seems a logical mistake for me to make. ^^; I was trying to set up the scene quickly, and a summary paragraph always struck me as a better than the “as you know” exchange. I see a lot of info I can pare out either to be brought up in the dialogue or left to the reader’s imagination, though.
Thanks for the tips. I’ll certainly be begging for some beta reads once I’ve finished a draft.
Howdy…no, thats not right, AVAST ME MATEY’S!!! (yep, thats it!)
Ok, before I come in too late this week I will go over how I introduced my characters and then how I realize I can make it better later.
In the debut of Kodi the Starfish’s story, page one (both pages can be seen here – http://dutzart.blogspot.com/2012/02/captains-rant-8-kodi-starfish-art-story.html) shows Kodi in a floating fish tank showing his venerability/discomfort in Earth’s atmosphere. Then we see that situation flip when Kadi, a human and his best friend, releases him in space while she is in a space suit.
As time goes on in the storyline we will learn how strong and powerful Kodi can become and how other, very sturdy space creatures will find it hard to see why he cares so much for such a “weak life form”.
we later learn that it is hers and all of humanity’s strength against their relative weakness that Kodi admires so much and how far he is willing to go to protect them and others like them. Persistence against stronger odds is a strong theme I want to encounter in the storyline.
Awesome post Wing Leaders! This is a reminder to me of how to continue keep creating balance struggles in my story to help cross situations.
Now, on to other Wingerz responses!
Captain, I love the introduction pages of Kodi. No long explanations, just a take off and they`re in space. The story starts with a bang.
I perceive Kodi as a bright character who`s up for an adventure and who is all excited for it. I love the moment he is let out of his bowl in space, with his big: hooraaay!
Aww. Great start!
Thank you Henrike! I really appreciate it!
Yeah, the goal with these anthology entries is to proper tell a story in 8 pages so I didn’t want to waste time. It was a blast and now I am the project lead on the second space-themed anthology of this kind out of illopond.com!
They have been a blast to work with!! and we are looking forward to huge launches with the current projects in the works! The anthology that Kodi’s debut is in will be publishing at the beginning to middle of June and then the second space- themed and a second steampunk book are looking at early October dates!
Yippieeeeeeee!
I love the Lion Kings introduction to Simba, talk about story build up! One of the best openings to a movie ever, we meet his kingdom, glimpses of his family with their love and support and his innocence, before Rafiki holds him up to the prideland, we then discover his future responsibilities.
On a fun note I also love in the Emperors New Groove when we meet Kuzco. The complete opposite introduction to a royal character, highlighting the contrasting characteristics between the 2 princes.
Also, thanks for the great article!
Definitely a good example in The Lion King! It’s quite a powerful and effective introduction to Simba, even if it’s more about what will become important to him than his personality. When we do properly meet Simba a few moments later, viewers are either for him or against him (“what a bratty kid!”). haha!
haha too true, you either think:
a) look what poor Scar has to put up with, a monkeys uncle
or
b) you think silly silly simba, he knows no better!
Ghostbusters.
My favorite movie.
I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before… haha!
We’re first introduced to Peter Venkman, with a visual statement of what others (his students? or even peers at the university?) think of him: “Venkman burn in hell,” graffiti’d onto his office door. Within seconds we see his smarmy personality making its way into one of his academic “experiments” which for all we know (and are happy to believe) is solely a ruse to grab a date with one of his female students.
Ray Stantz interrupts things by excitedly rushing in to gather equipment and convince Peter to come along on a field study of some recent paranormal activity (which we the audience catch a glimpse of in a sort of prologue). It’s easy to see that Ray is the more eager and idealistic of the two, having to plead with Peter to actually come along for the ride.
Then there’s Egon Spengler. Already on the paranormal scene, he’s very attentively using some odd gadgetry to get a reading on who knows what. After the other two catch up with him, their conversation further reveals that Egon is that logic-wielding pragmatist of the group.
And of course there’s Winston Zeddemore, the skeptic everyman. He shows up a good ways into the movie to essentially play the straight man to the other three zany ‘Busters. While the first three are PhD-holding entrepreneurs, Winston’s just a dude looking for a day-job. Dressed to impress, he goes through his job interview like it were any other job. Janine rounds out the interview by asking him if believes in an exhausting laundry list of unexplainable phenomena and theories, to which he replies: “If there’s a steady paycheck involved, I’ll believe anything you say.” Boom. Winston.
And the great thing about Ghostbusters is that most of the humor relies on the interplay of all these characters (and then some) and their personalities rather than just setting up potentially comedic situations. The characters themselves MAKE the funny, and with each introduction we get a good glimpse at what each of them is going to bring to the movie!
I agree. The introduction of each Ghostbuster is just masterful. Excellent example!
Yeah! Great example! And look at the staying power “Ghostbusters” still has, and its effects on pop culture, compared with the flash-in-the-pan films we have these days that nobody remembers a week later, let alone 25+ years.
Great article, I love this! I haven’t seen Snow White in ages, and I definitely never noticed the way the dwarves were introduced. The story-within-a-story idea is particularly interesting to me because I kind of do this (or try to) with my comic.
I have three secondary main characters in my comic, and I’ve planned for each of them to get their own chapter introducing them. This is a big risk that might not always work, because it breaks abruptly from the overall story to a completely new location with a completely new character (plus several minor characters). Going at a once-a-week update like I do, it’s probably an easy way to lose readers. However I enjoy doing them because it establishes these secondary characters as more than just sidekicks or token figures. The reader is hopefully drawn into this character, the choices this character has to make, their personality, their situation, etc., so that when they join up with the main storyline, it’s already exciting. If I’ve done my job right, the reader enjoys all the characters on their own and is eager to see how they interact with the other ones.
So far in my comic I’ve done this once, and it worked all right. No one came after me with virtual pitchforks, anyway. The page where the secondary character met up with the primary one might have the most entertaining comments of any page so far. However, doing this at all is tricky, and might alienate/annoy readers. It’s a risk I’m willing to take though, and it’s fun because it expands the world too.
Thanks for this post! You guys both write such interesting, insightful articles.
Thanks, Sarah! You write interesting, insightful posts!
It seems writing for a webcomic would necessitate character introductions to be even more concise, and actionable. It’s one reason I haven’t yet convinced myself to write a webcomic, as I’m prone to think in 6-page chunks and let scenes breathe. I strive to have a hook at the end of each page even when thinking of print form, but I’m still trying to hone that a little better before I commit any of my other ideas to the webcomic format.
Glad it’s worked for you!! And kudos!
And also how important is a character to the story? Frodo’s introduction is the longest of all the hobbits. Then Sam’s and then Pippin and Merry roll into the scene and everything just keeps going! Your introcution doesn’t need to say EVERYTHING about a character. It should say something though.
As the films progress, Merry and Pippin become much deeper characters, but we learn a lot about them right off the bat.
Be careful against diverting from your main story and theme too much and try to find clever ways to say more with less.
I read this blog entry twice because I’m not really sure how to wrangle this idea of the character introduction being a story within a story. I know my story’s current intro is not that strong and I’m trying to rework it. However, this is why I love the Paperwings community! The comments are just as insightful than the article, the examples everyone has posted are really helpful.
Going to have to ponder this one more (I know I’ve said that before haha). Thanks for the post!
Well, Emily, if we’ve learned anything here in the past few weeks, it’s that all you have to do is post your problem and it’s likely to get solved as the community processes it together…
Oh! And for great character establishing moments:
The first scene with the ship’s crew in “Serenity”. 10 minutes and we have a solid take on every character.
………….
WASH
Yeah well if she doesn’t give us
some extra flow from the engine room
to offset the burnthrough this landing
is gonna get pretty interesting.
MAL
Define “interesting”.
WASH
(calm suggestion:)
“Oh god, oh god, we’re all gonna die?”
MAL
(hits the com)
This is the Captain. There’s a little
problem with our entry sequence;
we may experience slight turbulence
and then explode.
………….
The hulking mercenary JAYNE is
coming up out of his bunk as Mal
passes. He carries a number of rifles
and grenades.
JAYNE
We’re gonna explode? I don’t wanna
explode.
………………..
ZOE
Are we crashing again?
MAL
Talk to your husband. Is the Mule
prepped?
ZOE
Good to go, sir. Just loading her
up.
(to Jayne)
Are those grenades?
JAYNE
Cap’n doesn’t want ‘em.
ZOE
We’re robbing the place. We’re
not occupying it.
……………..
And so on. I definitely took a lot of cues on the power of dialog from that intro!
Excellent example Robin! I am a browncoat through & through. Joss Wedon is an incredible writer!
Yeah, this is strong. It also communicates to the audience HOW this “sci-fi thriller” is different than all the others we’ve seen.
Yep, love this show. I really enjoy how each character solidly fills a certain role that is needed. They perfectly do it all the way down to their thought processes; cool headed captain, thick-skulled gunner, methodical/arrogant doctor.
the ship needs each station to oporate properly and then Joss just takes each role and either ‘grates or pastes’ them together depending on each character’s needs. you watch them grow against or with the situations
great stuff!!
Well said!! I particularly like the comment on arguing — I once almost made that mistake myself!!
When I first introduced Tama, my spoiled-brat prince with a heart of gold, I used a scene where he befriends a small child on a train (http://leylinescomic.com/archive/c1p22-observations/). However, I thought that it was too mundane and boring. Would my readers stick with me?? Oh no!!
I considered cutting this sweet scene and skipping to where Tama and his father are embroiled in an argument, culminating in a terrible accusation. I thought that the increased “conflict” would make a stronger introduction. (http://leylinescomic.com/archive/c1p30-no-time/)
Fortunately, Cory talked me out of it. Very glad he did!! I’ve had many people tell me that they bonded with Tama in train scene, and if they hadn’t, would have been very turned-off by the argument. In fact, going through Google Analytics, the climax of the argument is where I LOSE the most people! Turns out “conflict” (ie, argument) isn’t all it’s cracked up to be!
I think I might’ve actually borked up where I should’ve put the character intros for Valkyrie Squadron. In the prologue, I introduce three out of the four Valkyries, the reporter and the uber-jock Leon. In hindsight, I should’ve given more spotlight to my tech genius Adia and spunky pilot Jocelyn within those first eight pages.
Now I’m a moron and I feel like editing that prologue…but then I’ll be pulling a Lucas! AAAAGHHH! What do I do?
Robin: This is amazing insight you’re sharing. Thank you for the real-world examples.
Jules: Remember, you can always “re-introduce” your characters in an infinite number of ways. Just get creative. Not that your characters have to die and come back to life, but think about Gandalf’s two separate intros (The Gray and later on, The White).
You can even just have the characters go off on a treacherous mission and come back alive after we THINK they are dead. Or you can just break some of the characters apart from each other for a while, then when they meet again, you can really earn that moment and pay it off with great introductions…
You can also Lucas it. And I’m not opposed to it because webcomics are a far less permanent medium than films (when millions of people start shelling out $16 a person to read our comics, maybe the Lucas treatment will be harder to justify, but until then…)
But the Lucas take isn’t necessary. There are also lots of ways to just build on what you already have.
I sort of wonder if I already did build on what I have then. Past the prologue, in the beginning of Chaper 1, the Valkyries get their re-introduction in the story and over time we do get to know the left out characters. Maybe I’ve addressed this issue and I’m freaking out over nothing.
Jules, maybe it’s more of a missed opportunity than a fatal mistake. Perhaps you could have made their introductions stronger but by now you’re so far into your story I’m sure your readers are amply familiar with your characters!
We’re all studying this and growing in it as we learn and practice. I think we’ll always be looking back and seeing where and how we could improve. But that’ll just shape how we write moving forward. All writers mature with experience. Just think how you’ll nail this the next time you introduce a new face into your comic!
Thanks, guys. I hate to think that I goofed up in what is to be my pet project, but everyone makes mistakes.
At least I’ll know for next time.
First, I must say that the tenacity Chris and Lora must have to be able to turn out these wonderful posts week after week is awe-inspiring! Props to you two!
On topic, character intros are a big point of focus for me, whether I’m creating or digesting. In Bonnie Lass #1, I opted for a simple, tried but true intro of Bonnie. Assuming readers would be correct to peg the petite, cloaked figure on page one as our heroine. I wasn’t trying to be sneaky about that. Even her reveal makes for a familiar scene—a brazen tossing away of the “disguise” that turns into a comical bar fight.
And heck, we even get an audacious, full-name drop from Bonnie herself as the fight starts! But it all serves to (or at least was intended to… =) ) establish Bonnie as something of a facetious adventurer—a gal who at the time simply attempts to make a name for herself by making a big scene rather than actually doing anything of merit (while also showing her selfish impatience and own brawny aptitude).
Her cohorts arrive late (by Bonnie’s standards) to the scene just in time to knock the last, fleeing goon on his butt, then engage in some comfortable, slapstick banter while setting up their next move. As the story worked out, I had an opportunity to simply namedrop the other two characters by flashing a wanted poster, though the scene still has room to allow for glimpses at their own personalities. We’re also clued in on their follow-up escape plan, the execution of which on the next few pages further introducing the reader to the group’s working-though-dysfunctional nature.
It was a fun way to intro these characters, just from the writing perspective. It’s fairly quick (all within the first third of the first issue) and leaves plenty of room for them to be fleshed out as the story progresses. It’s supplementary and even has it’s own arc within the overall plot progression. And it’s only after reading this blog post that I am able to verbalize some of the finer structural points of the scene! Thanks, Chris, for the indirect, retroactive shot of encouragement! =D
Something else, somewhat on the same topic… Name-dropping. I’m cool with name dropping as part of a character intro—but it’s only an ingredient (and really, more like a small seasoning to the overall serving) and not always necessary.
Dialog that constantly has characters addressing each other by name at the slightest switching of the topic is lazy and boring. Even if it’s nicknames or pet names, switching up how characters casually refer to each other in a more intimate conversation really seems to help liven things up and make the dialog feel more natural.
I like what Jim Zubkavich does with Skullkickers. Haven’t started reading volume 3 yet, but throughout the first two volumes, the two “heroes”—the titular Skullkickers—are never once mentioned by actual names. We just meet them in the midst of some over-the-top, supernatural fight, establishing both the mood of the overall comic and the duality that goes into making these guys work as an entertaining team.
The rest of the series unfolds with supporting characters apparently (and believably/realistically) uninterested in learning the duo’s names, and the duo mutually not caring to formally introduce themselves to the townsfolk and other characters. In instances where they do refer to each other, “baldy” usually refers to his partner as “shorty,” and vice versa. The consistency of this habit lets the readers know these characters have long since become accustomed to each other’s company, and doesn’t make their conversations seem stilted.
It’s such a little thing, but it makes for dialog with a much more natural cadence. No need to keep reminding us what a character’s name is (if it’s been revealed at all)—it’s comics! If we forgot, we can just flip back and skim through their introduction again.
Wonderful example, Michael.
And yes, name-dropping isn’t a bad thing. Laziness and treating the audience like children (even if the audience ARE children) is.
I wholeheartedly agree with this. Great, great stuff.
Further with the Skullkickers example… the unrevealed names are kind of a running gag. You flip the page, figuring you’re bound to find names to attach to these characters any second now…
And by the end of the issue you’re still just thinking of them as “baldy” and “shorty.” And the issue after that. And the issue after that… So, essentially, they have names—names that work, names that stick. Learning their actual names is so trivial by now, but when it finally does happen, you can be sure it will be done humorously, just as the rest of the comic!
Thanks fo the kind words, Michael.
I haven’t read Skullkickers but that sounds like a lot of fun. Where can I read it?
They just started uploading it as a webcomic a month or so ago, I believe. So you can catch up with it here! http://skullkickers.keenspot.com/
The art is beautiful! I bookmarked it, thanks!
Han Solo. He shot first.
MacReady from “The Thing”, destroys the computer rather than admit that he lost.
Harvey Dent punches out his would be assassin before insisting that the trail continue.
The Dude goes shopping.
All great character moments… ones that really (and simply) let us know who these characters are!
The Dude writes a check for the .67 half-n-half.
“like”!
Oh, my stars, I recently discovered a FANTASTIC introduction sequence when I started watching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. This show, oh, man this show…must…not…gush…stay objective! Aaghh!
Anyway, in the first ten minutes of the very first episode the show introduces a total of seven main characters in the show. Instead of doing a role call, the show geniusly introduces each pony (and a baby dragon) through his/her job. The main pony and her assistant have the job of inspecting the progress of an upcoming gala, and we meet each different pony through her respective job in preparing for the event (e.g. baking, dress-making, party organizing). Each job reveal does more than just give us a pony’s name and job. Each sequence tells us a little bit about each pony’s personality quirks as well. It works because it’s so organic and charming. I highly encourage anyone to see this sequence just to get a good idea of how to introduce characters to a story.
And then watch the rest of the show because OMG IT’S AMAZING.
An addendum to the MLP: FiM intros: there were actually NINE characters introduced in the first episode of this show. In the very beginning of the episode, the show’s matriarch and main antagonist are introduced in a “fairytale”. This is where a narrator tells the audience a story through a series of still images, as if they are reading the audience a book. Essentially, it’s a movie within the show and it introduces the characters and sets the tone for the story very well.
Other stories that do this: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Revolutionary Girl Utena.
Jules, everyone I know out here in LA who has seen the show talks about how good it is. Man, I never thought I would be so anxiously anticipating an episode of “My Little Pony.”
Count me as one more MLP fan in LA when I move there next month.
I agree, this is a really good example not only in the way they are introduced (holy epic pilot), but how the show manages to deliver completely archetypal characters without brow-beating the audience about it. It took me a few episodes of skepticism, because I figured they were going to totally screw up in this regard and use the characters’ individual quirky personalities extremely heavily as a crutch for story mechanics. We’re now at the end of Season 2 (almost?) and this show has consistently delivered. Totally legit.
I’ve said this before and I’ll repeat myself. I don’t know what got into the water at all of the television studios, because the last several years have seen some solid programming, great stories for adults, and kids shows that really respect the developing, but already powerful minds of kids and give them quality material that makes them think and follow along. I personally believe that if you put that sort of entertainment material out there, the audience, kids or adults, will rise to the occasion to consume it.
“What are some other examples of great character introductions?”
I think the introduction for Starbuck and Tighe was pretty sweet in Battlestar Gallactica. We get to know their storied history between their back and forth verbal sniping (and their ranks) but also the bad blood and tension between them.
The first of MANY incredible Starbuck/ Tighe scenes. Good Lord. Those characters…
So awesome … I’m going to be thinking about it throughout the day, I’m sure. I kinda’ think of almost every scene as a movie within a movie, so it was great to read this spot-on analysis. I’m currently working on a story with a bunch of characters to introduce, so your timing can’t be better…and I have a question.
So I have an important story moment (as part of character introductions) where two characters don’t want to rise to a challenge and their leader must somehow convince them to go. Due to the wise nature of this leader, her solution to convincing them is very simple and compelling. I’ve been wondering if I need more of a struggle (argument?) at that moment. But as I write this, I feel I should definitely stick with my new simple and compelling story solution. So I guess this wasn’t a question at all, maybe I just needed to voice the concern to properly address it. Haha, Thanks for reading anyway.
Hey Scott, always feel free to shoot an email. I’d be glad to give you a second pair of eyes on it. Always helps to bounce it off of someone, even of its just for initial reaction.
Great stuff, guys.
Scott: Yeah, the movie-within-a-movie approach can apply to individual pages, individual scenes, sequences, acts and the over-all story.
…and should, in my opinion.
I share this opinion!
Absolutely Sam, this is that same project we discussed and I will definitely keep you in the loop. I am planning on sending over some character sketches for you to look at really soon!
Cool beans buddy! I’ll look forward to it!
I too have used public forums (this one) as a way to pose myself the proper story question (and thus just kind of work out a solution in the process). Sometimes you just need to break down your problem so it can be posed to somebody who doesn’t have the same subjective familiarity with the story that you already do, so that you can better objectively start working toward a solution yourself! =D
Cool Phenomenon, huh! I read through your post above, and you have presented some great material and analysis – wonderful to be here learning together!
Same to ya (and everyone here)! It’s great reading everybody’s personal takes on these inviting topics!
Haha, I love the ‘talk it out’ revelations.
Good stuff Chris. Snow White is such an important film too. With out it’s success we most likely would never have known the wonderful World of Disney. (I honestly cant imagine such a world. or… wouldn’t want to imagine it.)
The first scene that popped into my mind for an example of Character intro was that of Jack Sparrow in Cures of the Black Pearl. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFG6KAd2ITI it is a mini movie with in a movie like you said, that tells volumes about this guy in its simplicity. This example also shows how a well crafted intro traverses language barriers. Watch the clip & see what I mean. Man wouldn’t it be great to one day have a room full of wingers discussing this stuff!
Frankly, Jack Sparrow’s intro is one of the best cinematic, quirkily comedic character intros there is—up there with Han Solo the Dude.
He exudes this air that he is “positively the most fearsome pirate in the entire ocean,” which is rather instantly flip-flopped when we see that he’s simply trying to work with whatever he’s got to weasel his way out of every situation. Being a movie with the aide of a soundtrack, the music only reinforces this: it swells upon our first visage of Capt. Jack, then switches to a goofier, unembellished tooting after he docks.
Yes. Though I’m not a huge fan of the Pirates franchise, the first film is the strongest of the four. And it has a few great moments – greatest of all is this one. So funny.
It’s also awesome how Jack is re-introduced in creative new ways in each subsequent film. I love that.
Wow, great post, Chris! This is actually a topic I’ve wanted to cover on the blog for a long time. This is what I get for being on the road- you snooze, you lose!
In all seriousness, this is something I’m really passionate about. When you write, just like in real life, first impressions count. You only get one shot to introduce a character, what do you want to say about them? Sure, you can be intentionally misleading, but that should be on purpose. For instance, an example I think I brought up on the show once: the introduction of Aragorn at the Prancing Pony in LOTR. Tolkien/Jackson make us mistrust him: is this stranger friend or foe? At first glance it seems that it is a simple bait and switch- “he’s a bad guy, no wait, he’s a good guy”- but it isn’t.
In fact, we learn much about “Strider” in that first scene that is true. He’s interested in the hobbits and yet reluctant to get involved. He’s an outsider to his race. He’s dangerous. He’s clever, he’s quick witted, he’s able. He’s a loner. He’s an outdoorsman. And he is a man of few words.
As the film/ books progress, we learn to trust him as the hobbits do, but it is earned. Strider’s character is a contrast to Borimir, the prince who seeks power. Aragorn is the king who refuses to put on his crown. The hobbits have no choice but to follow Strider though they don’t trust him. The fellowship chooses to trust and accept Borimir as an ambassador though they shouldn’t.
I digress.
I try to use every introduction of a new character in my cast to it’s maximum potential. You only get one first impression, what do you want the audience to not just know but FEEL when they meet this person for the first time? I think this is really important for introducing iconic characters. How do they enter into the story? That will stick with us.
Avoid the X-Men Issue #1 role call scenario. Instead, go Uncanny X-Men #266. Who is this mysterious and handsome stranger who just rescued Storm, and can we trust him? Fans would spend years trying to figure that out.
Wait, did I just get too comic booky for the Wingerz? Can we talk mainstream comics here or just Indy? Lol!
C2E2 was a blast. So wonderful to meet so many of you. You’re all so wonderful and talented!! I saw some beautiful Winger work this weekend. I’ll be posting interviews soon. Today is the final leg of my journey after 12 days on the road…
Yea! Geekery, I love it! Great example Lora. I can’t wait to hear more about C2E2!
In the storytelling competitions I run, I’ve seen this issue come up a LOT. Next time, I’ll just link them here!! As you said, first impressions are important! Yet I’ve often seen them buried under exposition, or dealt with “off screen.” This is usually so the author can jump to the “action” scene, not realizing they just took all the teeth out of their story.
Yeah, I always get annoyed when I read a story that begins in media res with some big, epic battle between characters I don’t know or care about. I get why some writers do this: start on an exciting moment so as not to bore the reader with goo-gobs of exposition, but the “epic battle” beginning takes things to the other extreme. All action, no real substance; it’s just as boring and damaging as an all exposition beginning.
Superhero comics are a top offender in this respect. I can’t tell you how many recent cape books I’ve read that starts off with SUPER DUPER COOL BIG BATTLE with a bunch of characters the uninitiated reader doesn’t know. I don’t care if these comics have long-standing fan-bases familiar with the characters. Every comic is somebody’s first and not taking the time to introduce characters properly and organically is just lazy.
Ahaha I think you guys just described the current intro I have written for my comic (too much exposition, an actiony scene with not enough grounding in the story). Thankfully, haven’t put pen to panel (or panel to publish) so to speak, so I still have the opportunity to rework it! Yay
I toyed with that trope in my comic, having a bunch of unintroduced characters leap head first into a action sequence and promptly get mown down. Good thing you didn’t care about them!
(But then the real characters were introduced buried in exposition, so I still failed.)