Character creation in films is a complex process that involves the artistic vision of a director, the scriptwriting and writing of the character, and the actor who will bring the character to life on the screen. It is a very involved process that takes a lot of effort and resources to create a believable character that comes to life on screen. The director will typically start the process by discussing with the writer the story they are trying to tell and the theme they are trying to portray. They will then work on brainstorming ideas for characters to be featured. The character's traits and qualities must be explored, as well as the character's age, personality, and motivations.
Published in Chapter:
The Effects of New Characters on the Narrative Structure in Film Sequels: The Case of the Blade Runner Movies
Alper Gedik (Izmir University of Economics, Turkey) and Ümit Aydoğan (Izmir Katip Celebi University, Turkey)
Copyright: © 2023
|Pages: 17
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-7864-6.ch018
Abstract
In the movie industry, the complex cinematic universes constructed for sequels are crucial elements that strengthen the narrative continuity and bond between the audience and the story. In successful cases, this will result in a strong attachment and easy identification by the viewer, since they would emotionally relate to what and how things are represented in the film. On another aspect, sequels frequently answer ontological questions that arose in the first film. This clarification accounts to a satisfying completion in terms of overall story and feel. In order to achieve this, sequels often introduce new characters, side stories and flashbacks. This slight contribution adds to the expansion of overall cinematic experience, enriching and deepening the film texture. For this study, the 1982 film Blade Runner and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017) are analyzed on how the inclusion of new characters and spaces in the cinematic universe effects the narrative structure of the films.