Character Building: From Script to Screen – How Actors Create Real Characters for Film & TV
Excellent acting starts well before shooting even begins.
A script to an actor means much more than lines on paper. It provides all the information needed to fully comprehend a character, including their relationships, intentions, feelings, context, and decisions that turn them into a real person.
Regardless of whether you’re preparing to work on film, television, an audition, or making a self-tape, building a real character is one of the crucial acting skills to master.
By choosing acting coaching at Lynette McNeill Studio, you have an opportunity to learn about all those aspects with customized training in character preparation, scene study, emotional range, audition techniques, and on-camera performance.
What Is Character Building?
Character building implies more than just memorizing lines.
You need to know the following information about your character:
- Who is this person?
- What does he/she want?
- What fears does he/she have?
- What happened before the scene?
- What does he/she expect from the other character?
- What changes happen within the scene?
- Why are he/she saying these particular things?
- What is he/she hiding?
All that will help you to turn characters described in the script into believable people.
Sometimes, the most successful performances happen because of very specific choices made by actors.
Step 1: Start With the Script
Before actors make physical and emotional choices, they have to know their material.
They should read the script several times.
While doing the first reading, they have to feel the story.
At the second stage, they have to begin analyzing the character.
Here’s what they have to pay attention to:
Relationships — Who does the character interact with?
Circumstances — What is going on around the character?
Objectives — What does the character want?
Obstacles — What stops him/her from achieving his/her goals?
Changes — How does the character feel at the beginning compared to the end of the scene?
There are many hidden clues in the script. And the task of the actor is to find them.
Step 2: Discover Who the Character Is
After the actor analyzes the scene, he/she has to develop the character.
He/she has to think about the character’s past, experiences, relationships, fears, goals, and world view.
It may happen that two actors analyze the exact same script but come up with totally different characters.
But this doesn’t have to be considered as an issue.
On the contrary, this uniqueness can be what makes an actor stand out.
Step 3: Discovering the Character’s Point of View
Each character sees the world through a unique perspective.
Questions to ask include:
- What does this character believe?
- What would they like others to know about them?
- What is this character hiding?
- What is most important to them in the situation at hand?
Discovering the point of view of a character can drastically change how an actor interprets the simplest of lines.
A line which appears simple written on a page is infused with a whole new meaning based on what the character desires.
Step 4: Making Choices
Excellent acting is made up of choices.
- A character could choose not to look their counterpart in the eye.
- A character could take a moment before speaking.
- A character could laugh in spite of themselves.
- A character could go perfectly still while everyone else is feeling emotionally charged.
- These small touches can speak volumes without saying a single word.
Step 5: Connect Emotion to the Scene
Sometimes, actors get concerned about showing their emotions.
However, film and television tend to succeed if emotion is organic, not shown.
Instead of thinking about:
“How can I seem sad?”
Think about:
“What happened to me to make it an important moment?”
Do not try to demonstrate anger; understand why the character is angry.
Do not try to appear vulnerable; understand why the character feels exposed.
If the actor is really connected to the situation, often, the camera will capture even the slightest reaction.
Step 6: Distinguish Stage Acting from On-Camera Acting
Cameras in films and television can catch really tiny behaviors.
It could be just a small reaction, a pause, focusing, or simply listening.
This is why sometimes on-camera acting demands actors to become aware of subtlety.
It does not mean that the actor always needs to do more.
In fact, sometimes, it means that the actor learns how to do less.
Because the camera is already doing the job of observing.
Your task is to stay connected to the character and the scene.
Step 7: Practice Without Losing Spontaneity
Although preparation is essential, acting should not feel like memorized, mechanical activity.
In order to act successfully, the actors must be prepared enough to know the scene by heart yet be able to stay open to what will happen in the moment.
Practicing can help the actors to:
- Understand the scene
- Explore various options
- Build relationships between characters
- Connect emotionally
- Improve listening
- Get used to the dialogue
- Figure out what seems authentic
Rehearsal should not create a performance that never changes.
Rather, its point is to create enough understanding for the actor to be present when it comes time to film.
Step 8: Bring the Character to the Audition
Auditions make preparation particularly important because the actors have limited material to work with but still need to create a complete character.
Before going to the audition, think about:
- Who am I?
- Where am I?
- What happened right before the scene?
- What do I want?
- What do I want to change?
- What is my relation to the other person?
Such questions allow actors to make more concrete and specific decisions rather than simply say the lines.
Individualized acting coaching can help the actors working on auditions in Los Angeles to explore such options before filming.
Character Work Is the Process of Discovery
Sometimes, acting does not have any clearly defined answers because you discover.
- You experiment.
- You make a choice.
- You try something new.
- You listen.
- You modify your choice.
And once in a while, some small discovery will completely transform the scene.
That is why preparation of the character is not just another task for an actor to accomplish.
It is the process.
How Private Acting Coaching Can Help
Private acting coaching sessions can provide actors with time to dig into the difficult aspects that can’t be practiced by oneself.
The session itself can be devoted to particular scene, audition, character, self-tape, or even to overall development of the actor.
At Lynette McNeill Studio, private acting coaching can cover topics like character preparation, scene study, emotional range, audition technique, camera work, and confidence-building.
Find out more about Private Acting Coaching at Lynette McNeill Studio.
There are also acting classes at Lynette McNeill Studio for actors who are interested in acting programs and training.
Common Questions
How do actors develop a character based on a script?
In order to fully grasp the character’s situation, relationships, objectives, motivation, obstacles and emotional arc, actors analyze the script. Afterward, they make specific choices about those things.
What is character development in acting?
Character development is the process of understanding and building a believable character using the means of script analysis, personal choices, emotional connection, physical behavior, relationships, and circumstances.
How do actors prepare for a film or TV role?
In order to be ready for the film or TV role, actors usually start with script analysis, understanding of the character, research of the circumstances, building relationships and objectives, practicing scenes, and making choices.
How does character preparation help in the audition?
Character preparation helps actors to make specific choices about the character rather than just memorizing the lines. It might bring some added realism and emotional connection to the audition.
Can a private acting coach help in character development?
Certainly. The private acting coach can analyze scenes one-to-one with the actor, explore character choices, develop emotional connection and prepare for auditions or on-camera performance.
Why is the character development crucial in on-camera acting?
The camera captures very subtle reactions and emotions of the actor. Character development will allow him/her to create more natural, believable performance in front of the camera.
Script to Camera Process
The process of transition from script to screen starts with curiosity.
- Read the words.
- Ask questions.
- Understand the character.
- Make choices.
- Take risks.
- Stay present.
And, most importantly, discover the truth behind the scene.
Because once the actor stops thinking only about saying the words and starts living the circumstances of the character, the script transforms into something else.
It turns into a person.
And this is where the real story starts.
Private Acting Coaching in Los Angeles
Are you interested in personalized assistance in character development, scene study, auditions, self-tapes, on-camera performance? Explore private acting coaching at Lynette McNeill Studio.
Lynette McNeill Studio works with actors at different levels and helps them continue developing their acting skills through personalized acting coaching.
Your character has a story. Find out how to bring it to life.
