ATL FILM FEST: Crafting Well-Rounded Characters

with Melanie Schiele and Ya'Ke Smith

• research.
• create bios for absolutely everyone from main cast to minor players
• DO NOT give your bios to the actors, let them come into the character more organically
•  hook and audience through empathy with characters (this is basic up can never be overstated)
• facts about characters can be open-ended but lead the audience through visuals and wardrobe
• write everything, do not be afraid of making a script too long-you will be going back and making cuts anyway, cutting down to only that which serves the story
• research how people speak (YouTube, eavesdropping, etc)
• dialogue is about observation, pay attention to not only what is being said but how it is said and what is not being said