Comments on: Defining a Character http://tomjech.com/blog/2008/09/30/defining-a-character/ Learning about the world and animation, written by Tomas Jech Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:22:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Jaljeet Ajani http://tomjech.com/blog/2008/09/30/defining-a-character/#comment-2782 Jaljeet Ajani Sun, 19 Oct 2008 08:34:08 +0000 http://tomjech.com/blog/2008/09/30/defining-a-character/#comment-2782 Hi there. Really an interesting point made by you. Gone are the days when characters used to be totally Positive (white) or completely negative (Black). The audience has become matured to the point that this strategy in story-telling just doesnt make the cut. Nowadays its more entertaining to see movies with characters falling in the Gray areas (not so white or not so black) rather than total opposites. Hi there. Really an interesting point made by you. Gone are the days when characters used to be totally Positive (white) or completely negative (Black). The audience has become matured to the point that this strategy in story-telling just doesnt make the cut. Nowadays its more entertaining to see movies with characters falling in the Gray areas (not so white or not so black) rather than total opposites.

]]> By: Brian Nixon http://tomjech.com/blog/2008/09/30/defining-a-character/#comment-2436 Brian Nixon Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:25:05 +0000 http://tomjech.com/blog/2008/09/30/defining-a-character/#comment-2436 Hey Tom, you bring up an excellent point. Any time characters really get developed and explored using each other it always brings a greater importance to what is being portrayed. Your post reminds me of my all time favorite concept in improv. called the Harold. I never got to attempt one, due to it's difficulty to develop really well (much as many movies take the easier or more obvious route of action, actors can very much struggle to develop more complex and interwoven themes on the spot). It basically takes all the members on stage (coincidentally that's normally about 10 people) and has them all develop individual characters who interact and develop themselves through a series of scenes until they all begin to flow and mesh together to reveal a greater meaning by the end of the performance. I really would recommend reading Truth in Comedy by Halpern, Close, and Johnson to anyone interested in this subject (in addition to trying out more improv. acting as a way of exploring characters). I always find it interesting to read about similar themes from all types of angles so I think it's good for that. It's pretty short as well. Hey Tom, you bring up an excellent point. Any time characters really get developed and explored using each other it always brings a greater importance to what is being portrayed.

Your post reminds me of my all time favorite concept in improv. called the Harold. I never got to attempt one, due to it’s difficulty to develop really well (much as many movies take the easier or more obvious route of action, actors can very much struggle to develop more complex and interwoven themes on the spot). It basically takes all the members on stage (coincidentally that’s normally about 10 people) and has them all develop individual characters who interact and develop themselves through a series of scenes until they all begin to flow and mesh together to reveal a greater meaning by the end of the performance.

I really would recommend reading Truth in Comedy by Halpern, Close, and Johnson to anyone interested in this subject (in addition to trying out more improv. acting as a way of exploring characters). I always find it interesting to read about similar themes from all types of angles so I think it’s good for that. It’s pretty short as well.

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