![]() |
||
Characters: Creating Characters | ||
|
Levels of survivalThere are three levels of survival:
Robin Hood was capable of looking after himself, and had the support of his men. He had no rights within the country as he was an outlaw, but was fighting for the 'rights of the people' that the bad king had taken away. Robinson Crusoe only had his own capabilities to help him survive. Winnie-the-Pooh has lots of friends he can count on but not much else. The Sleeping Beauty had a rich father, and all the virtues given to her by the fairies. James Bond has charm, skill, techno-wizardry, and full authority of the Government to help him out. By establishing the 'survival potential' of a character you can then set the conditions of a storyline to use them to the full.
Another aspect of survival that comes up all the time in storylines is the 'symbiotic relationship'. This is where two people can survive with each other's help. Typically seen in Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, etc. The 'straight man and funny man' is one form. Batman and Robin is another form. It can also be Roy Rogers and Trigger his horse. Whatever the combination, it is two or more (e.g. the Three Musketeers) who always act as one for their mutual benefit and survival. In effect, they are the family/gang group. They help each other by having complementary skills. This is the basis for forming groups.
A special type of pair is the 'mentor and prodigy' The older man/woman who has the experience and knowledge but lost the skill has a friend who is young with talent but not the experience. The relationship depends on the young man admiring the older one while at the same time trying to beat him. The older man tries to retain the superior position as long as possible so as to still be useful. It is partly the situation with Batman and Robin. We admire people who are good survivors, and in general, try to avoid those who are not, unless we have some commitment to them. We particularly like people who survive and help others to survive, while despising those who survive at the expense of others. These define our heroes and villains. Certain fields of work breed heroes. We expect to find them in the Military forces. The fact that a soldier risks his life often would not surprise anyone. We would not be too emotional about it if a soldier got killed in line of duty, as our feelings would be something along the lines of 'anyone who becomes a soldier knows the risks.' The Police, Fire fighters, lifeboatmen, ambulance drivers and various emergency services, though civilian or voluntary operations, are also where we expect people to be heroic. We would feel more emotional if these people got killed or badly hurt, as they are more vulnerable. Heroic doctors and nurses get even more sympathy, as these are people we are more likely to know and identify with. They are not trained to fight but to help. TV series use this source of drama all the time. Civilians who become heroes by chance, doing something that many of us might be expected to do in certain events, get the most sympathy. For example someone foiling a bank raid, or rescuing a child when there is no one else around to help out. These are instance where circumstances present a situation of our having to make a decision based on little knowledge of what is happening and what the outcome might be. The dramatic appeal goes up even further if it is a child that makes a rescue or even an animal. In all, the dramatic potential is related to the probability of the event, and the capability of those involved. David and Goliath is a good example of the unlikely hero. Popeye is also the unlikely hero, being much smaller and docile than Bluto his enemy. The little man who wins comes up in many guises. Charlie Chaplin, Tom and Jerry, Tom Thumb, Jack the Giant Killer, to name a few. The 'hero' can be summed up as 'someone fighting against the odds'. They win by luck, chance, skill, and a little help from their friends. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Email: stan@makemovies.co.uk. Page last updated:
© 2002-2009 Stan Hayward. All rights reserved.