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Hello readers, and thank you for being patient as I return from my trip down south. By the time this gets published, it’ll be Tuesday, I’m sure. But oh well. Tonight we’re going to study our favorite characters and what makes them stick in our brains.  After all, their story is the one we’re following. Ready? Let’s go.

I’m sure most of you can tell me who the character is in the picture, right? We know what he does, what his friends’ names are as well as his vessel. Han Solo has become such an icon that we know exactly who he is with just a glance. But why do we know him? Why do we care? What is it about Han that just makes him such an awesome character? Or if you hate him, why?

Characters, as we all know, are important to the story. We are taking a journey with them and if they’re boring, the journey is boring too. Since this is about studying the elements of a movie, let’s take a moment to consider a few things.

First, what’s the initial appeal of the character? Is it the way they dress, the way they speak, the way they move? Does something catch your eye about them? When you create characters that resonate with you as a writer, you begin to live with them. Literally. You know their life stories, their pains, what makes them tick. And every time you visualize them or think about them, they bring a smile to your face. Like hanging out with your friends. Because that’s who they are.

Second, to tie in with the previous statement, is how much we really know about the character. Not just Han Solo. Others as well. As the story progresses, we should learn more and more about a character. In Solo’s case, we don’t learn too much more about him. But he does change from the selfish rogue to a fighter for the Rebellion. The point is that we don’t need to know everything about a character. But we have to understand why they are who they are and what choices they made. Which leads to the next point.

Three. Pick a man vs man story type. I’m going with X-MEN. Hopefully you’ve all seen the first movie. So look at the way it’s presented: Super heroes fight to protect everyone from crazy villain who wants his race to dominate the planet. Yes, that’s simplified, but here’s the kicker: What if I told you it was also about a man who’s entire race has been the subject of prejudice and he tries to force everyone to fit in? Is your mind blown?

Ok, maybe not. But think about it: Every character has their own story. The hero and the villain. And each is the protagonist in that story. What that does is make both sides understandable and thus we can relate to it.

So when you watch your favorite movies, think about the characters. What makes them appealing? Not only to you, but to audiences in general. Why do we root for one to win and the other to lose? Do we like what we see or do we dig deeper and try to understand their motivations? Think about that.

Next time, we talk about settings and studying that. So hopefully I’ll see you then!