Establishing Character

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Establishing character


When trying to establish a character when writing a screenplay you must take into account at least three things:




Physical appearance
Phyllis Norman aged 18, a petite, tired looking college student. She wears golden snake print trousers, a lacy white camisole and a  faux fur black jacket, finished off with chunky white shoes. She clutches her yellow bike in one hand and her phone in the other. Her wavy brown hair falls just below shoulder length and her face is spattered with freckles. Her eyes lined with silver eyeliner conceal the bags beneath her eyes.




Inner self
On the surface she appears to be well dressed and put together, but behind the illusion she is deranged and mischievous. Suffering from an intense drug addiction, she craves the high of cocaine. Phyllis tried it for the first time at a party a few years ago, when she was feeling low and it acted as a pick me up, but it took a turn for the worst when she became hooked on the substance.




Context of situation


She squints at the train departure boards hanging above her and they quickly change as she tries to find the platform for her train home. Swarms of people rush around her, one barging her. She casts a glare their way. An announcement sounds, 'The 4:56 train to Newmarket is cancelled", Mia pulls a grimace and lets out a 'for gods sake'.

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