A Beginner’s Guide to Developing Memorable Film Characters
When you think about the most unforgettable films, what stands out? Sure, the plot is essential, but more often than not, it’s the characters that stay with you. From Indiana Jones to Elsa in Frozen, it’s their character development—the process of crafting and evolving a character—that makes them feel real, relatable, and compelling.
If you’re an aspiring filmmaker or screenwriter, mastering character development is non-negotiable.
Let’s break down everything you need to know about character development, why you need to master it, and how you can create characters that leap off the page (and screen).
What is Character Development?
At its core, character development is the process of building a character’s personality, backstory, motivations, and growth over the course of a story. It’s not just about giving them a name, a job, and a goal—it’s about making them feel like real people with layers, contradictions, and a clear arc.
There are two types of character development to consider:
- Internal Development: How the character changes emotionally or psychologically throughout the story.
- External Development: How their actions, decisions, and relationships shape their journey.
Great character development answers these questions:
- Who is this character at the start of the story?
- What do they want, and why?
- What obstacles will force them to grow or change?
- Who are they by the end of the story?
Why is Character Development Important?
Poorly developed characters can derail even the most intriguing plot. On the flip side, compelling characters can elevate a simple story into something extraordinary. Here’s why character development is a must for any filmmaker:
1. Creates Emotional Investment
Audiences connect with characters they can understand, root for, or even love to hate. Strong character development allows viewers to see the world through the character’s eyes, forging an emotional bond.
Example: In Breaking Bad, Walter White’s transformation from mild-mannered teacher to ruthless drug kingpin keeps audiences hooked because his motivations and struggles feel authentic.
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2. Drives the Plot
Character choices and actions should propel the story forward. Without well-developed characters, the plot feels aimless or contrived. Forcing characters to make decisions that are illogical, or decisions they’re character wouldn’t normally make, removes the immersion of the audience from the story.
If your character is shown to be rational, level headed and smart but suddenly they make a stupid decision, you’ve now betrayed the audience.
Tip: Don’t ask, “What do I need to happen next in my story?” Ask, “What would my character do next, and how does that lead them through the story?”
3. Adds Depth and Relatability
Even fantastical stories need characters with human traits and flaws. It’s their struggles, fears, and desires that make them relatable.
Tip: Don’t be afraid to show your protagonists’ flaws and struggles. Flaws and struggles make characters feel human and make for a more compelling story. If everything is perfect all the time, it’s not interesting to watch!
Steps to Develop a Memorable Character
Ready to create characters that captivate your audience? Follow these actionable steps.
1. Start with the Basics
Before diving into their psychological depths, get the essentials down. This is your blueprint and helps you walk in your characters’ shoes.
- Name: Reflects their personality, culture, or background.
- Age: Influences their worldview and behavior.
- Occupation: Provides context for their skills, priorities, and struggles.
- Appearance: Not just how they look, but how they present themselves.
Even if all of these details don’t feature prominently, or even at all, in your script, knowing these details helps you write with them in mind to make a more believable character, and prevents you writing the same character over and over.
If we were watching your movie and close our eyes, we should be able to tell the characters apart not just by their voices, but by how they speak and the words they use.
A truck driver from Montana would speak differently and use different words and slang than a truck driver from Alabama, and both of them would speak very differently with different words and slang than a banker in New York, or farmer in California.
Exercise: Write a character bio. Include details like their upbringing, education, relationships, and quirks. Think of this as your blueprint.
2. Define Their Goal and Motivation
A compelling character wants something—this is their goal. What makes the audience care is their motivation—why they want it. Goals drive the story, while motivations make it resonate and relatable.
Example:
- Goal: Katniss Everdeen wants to survive the Hunger Games.
- Motivation: Protect her family and honor her sister’s sacrifice.
Ask yourself:
- What does my character want more than anything?
- Why is this goal important to them?
- What are they willing to sacrifice to achieve it?
3. Give Them Flaws and Strengths
Perfect characters are boring (looking at you Superman.) Flaws make them human, while strengths give them the tools to overcome challenges. The interplay between these traits creates complexity.
Example: Tony Stark (Iron Man) is a genius inventor (strength) but is also arrogant and impulsive (flaw). His journey is compelling because he learns to balance his ego with responsibility.
Tip: Avoid one-dimensional flaws like “clumsy” or “bad at love.” Dig deeper into psychological weaknesses, like insecurity or stubbornness, and add even more depth by exploring why the character is insecure or stubborn, that result in your character being bad at love.
4. Establish Their Arc
A character arc is the emotional or psychological transformation a character undergoes. The best arcs show growth, regression, or self-realization.
Types of Character Arcs:
- Positive Arc: The character overcomes flaws or challenges to become better.
Example: Simba in The Lion King goes from guilt-ridden exile to confident king.
- Negative Arc: The character succumbs to flaws or spirals into darkness.
Example: Michael Corleone in The Godfather transforms into a ruthless crime lord.
- Flat Arc: The character remains consistent but changes those around them.
Example: James Bond often maintains his persona while influencing others.
5. Show, Don’t Tell
Actions speak louder than exposition. Instead of telling the audience that your character is brave, show them leaping into danger without hesitation in order to save someone.
Instead of your character verbalizing out loud that they’re insecure, depict them hesitating in a high-stakes moment, or have a subtle nervous tick.
Exercise: For every trait you’ve written, brainstorm a scene or moment that reveals it organically, without specifically stating the trait. If someone is shy, write a scene where the character interacts in a shy manner, but doesn’t actually say the words “I’m shy” (or anything similar) outloud.
6. Add Relationships and Conflicts
No character exists in a vacuum. Their relationships with other characters can reveal hidden layers and drive the story. Conflicts—whether external (with others) or internal (within themselves)—are essential for growth.
A loner character forced to team up creates conflict and tension and forces the character to adapt–compelling stuff!
Likewise, a character always surrounded by friends who becomes isolated and has to sovle conflict on their own is also very compelling.
Example: In Toy Story, Woody’s jealousy of Buzz creates conflict but ultimately leads to his growth as a leader and friend.
Tip: Use supporting characters to challenge or complement your protagonist’s journey.
7. Make Them Unique
What makes your character stand out?
It could be a unique perspective, a memorable voice, or an unusual habit but avoid cliches.
A tired cliche in horror movies is to make a character asthmatic in order to create contrived tension. We already know at some point the character will need their inhaler, tense music will play, they’ll get the inhaler and they’ll be fine and the inhaler will never come up again.
Will you remember that character later because of that moment? Probably not.
Show us something we haven’t seen before, or show it to us in a new way.
Perhaps the inhaler plays a completely different role later that we wouldn’t expect, like Eddie in Stephan King’s IT using his inhaler to spray battery acid into Pennywise’s face. Now that’s memorable!
Example: Sherlock Holmes is brilliant and eccentric, but it’s his cold detachment from emotion that makes him truly fascinating.
Common Mistakes in Character Development (And How to Avoid Them)
1. Stereotypes
Avoid relying on lazy tropes or generic archetypes. Instead, add depth and subvert expectations.
Instead of: The brooding anti-hero with a tragic backstory.
Try: A cheerful optimist grappling with hidden guilt.
2. Lack of Growth
Characters that remain static throughout the story can feel lifeless. Even a small internal shift can make a difference.
3. Overloading Backstory
It’s tempting to dump every detail of your character’s history into the script all in the very beginning to try and get the audience on the character’s side. Resist! Only include what’s relevant to the story at that moment and leave us clamoring for more.
Intrigue gives us a reason to keep watching. Exposition dumps make us bored.
Take Hannibal Lecter for example. He’s on screen in Silence of the Lambs for a total of 16 MINUTES in a 2-hour movie, and not even a main character, and yet he’s the most memorable part of the whole thing.
Why?
Aside from a phenomenal performance, it’s because despite how little we know about him, the small, horrifying tidbits we get from him are so well thought out, that we feel his prescence even when he’s not onscreen and know how dangerous he is, even when he’s calm and smiling at us.
Tip: Use subtle hints or visual cues to imply backstory without exposition.
Final Thoughts: Character Development is Storytelling
Characters are the heart of any story. As a filmmaker or screenwriter, your job is to create people that audiences can root for, laugh with, cry over, or fear. It’s their journey—not just the events around them—that will resonate long after the credits roll.
Start with small, relatable details, build their arcs thoughtfully, and always ask yourself: “How will the audience connect with this character?” By following these steps, you’ll craft characters that stand the test of time.
Now grab your notebook, sketch out your next character, and let their story unfold!
