Character introduction screenplay examples

Character breakdown for casting
Character breakdown template
Character descriptions examples

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In film and games, a well-designed character compels their audience to feel invested in the unfolding story. These are often memorable characters who are instantly recognizable by their clothing, how they enter a room, and their subtle quirks and idiosyncrasies. Character design can include everything from how a character looks and dresses to how they move and the emotions they exhibit.

Here’s what you need to know about the creative world of character design.

The principles of character design

Character design in film and games is a form of concept art and involves visually defining a character’s physical appearance, personality, behavior, and aesthetic. It's more than just a drawing. Characters play an essential role in telling a story or conveying a message, and as a character designer, you will bring characters to life with attributes that align with the story and creative direction of the film or game.

Character design is used as a reference point throughout many stages of a project’s development.

Witch character design by CG Spectrum graduate Polina

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Film Character Breakdowns • How to Write a Character Breakdown for a Script by Backstage

Organization is key in film production. Why? Because there’s a lot of ways things can get lost. Character breakdowns allow casting directors to stay on top of their assignment in pre-production. They also allow writers/directors to communicate exactly what they’re looking for in actors.

Script Character Breakdown Examples

Write a character glossary

Character glossaries, which are referred to as dramatis personae in classic stageplays, are lists of characters in stories, accompanied by brief descriptions. Although less common in screenwriting practice today, character glossaries still serve a purpose in writing character breakdowns. Essentially, they’re a place for you to put all of your character breakdowns in one place.

Take the 12 Angry Men script for example, which we imported into StudioBinder’s screenwriting software to see how character glossaries should look. Pay attention to how each character is given a brief physical/emotional description. Click the image to re

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How To Introduce A Character

How to introduce a character in a screenplay

Character introductions in screenplays require a bit of screenplay formatting, a bit of craft, a bit of art, and a bit of love. Introducing a character in a screenplay is one of the best opportunities for a screenwriter to set a tone with robust and clever character description… but there is something else you want.

An intelligent screenwriter will lace critical story elements into their character introductions to bolster the reader’s engagement.

Here’s the standard operating procedure for introducing characters:

Simple Character Introduction • StudioBinder Screenwriting Software

NAME IN ALL CAPS (age range), some descriptions and traits.

You're not required to use parentheses or even add the age range if you think your character description and story will suffice, but the vast majority of character introductions will include an age range and traits.

You want your descriptions to be visual, but remember to take advantage of character introductions to add a bit of style