Boost Your Character Descriptions with These Pro Tips

Character descriptions in your screenplay are short but can be highly impactful tools in your storytelling toolbox. Make sure the next ones you craft are awesome.

🙌 T R A N S F O R M Y O U R S E L F
Become a better screenwriter in the Screenwriting Fast Track writing course:

Let me help you write your next screenplay… Join The Screenplay Navigator:

🔥 * * F R E E * *

💥💥 ARC STUDIO PRO – $30 OFF for your FIRST YEAR 💥💥

🎁 S U P P O R T & S H O P

💬 Q U E S T I O N S & C O M M E N T S
If you have any questions about screenwriting, drop them in the comments section. If it’s a short answer, I’ll reply here. If not, I’ll try to tackle it in a future video.

👀 D I S C L A I M E R
The links here are either for Big Red Stripe products or entities, or they are affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with any of the links that I provide, I may receive a small commission, but there is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free content about screenwriting.

📦 T O O L S & S E R V I C E S I U S E

🖋 N O T E S
0:00 Making character descriptions awesome
0:24 How character descriptions function in a screenplay
2:46 Give clues to the reader
5:42 Don't forget about this...

***

// I G N O R E
#bigredstripe #screenplaynavigator #screenwritingfasttrack

screenwriting tips how to write a screenplay screenplay course screenplay crash course

[jdee]

I didn't know Jeremy Renner was teaching people how to write scripts now. What a well rounded guy he is.

[matthewlavagna]

Great video. The ability to effectively describe a character's personality in just one or two sentences is one of the most difficult aspects of screenwriting, in my opinion. In a sense, writing a character description is a little bit like writing a logline. You want to deliver the maximum punch using the minimum number of words, which often requires a lot of honing.

[SaraX]

As a script supervisor, I get so many revisions before we go to set. All these details about looks or colors of their wardrobe, etc. are so irrelevant, unless they are truly an important part of the story and unchangeable, maybe due to continuity or real life events. Looks of characters are most likely casting related and set dec, props, and wardrobe, it depends on what they can find or what's available, what fits the actors, what the other actors will eventually wear etc. As writers we also need to respect the other creative departments involved who all have a say in the creation of the show. When I work as a script supervisor and I see a very detailed screenplay (especially when it includes micromanaging of actors), I instantly sense that the writer has some severe control issues and, often, it becomes difficult to communicate when changes need to be addressed. They could even change all of that directly on the day on set if they see on camera they don't like the outfit, setup and whatnot. A script is a blueprint, not an ultimate direction.

[riffbaama]

This one is my favorite video! things are like they are.

[eduardofreitas]

I was so wrong about character description.
Thank you. ✌️

[QualityVideoService]

Less is more. Name (introduction in caps), race, age, Big Red Stripe is the best!

[irmaosmatos]

Thanks a lot. I'm not writing screenplay, but a 'screenplay' for my comic. It really helps seeing how it should be done, and it is better to see film writers talk about it than the book writers that have other concerns rather than the ones that are in the mind of a visual storyteller.

[WriteOnBroham]

Great video. Excellent points about race during character descriptions. You navigated the race section extremely well. Helpful content 🙏🏾💯

[midnightjay]

I have a question, is this kind of description for characters good for novels as well? I like this a lot, a feel for the character than just what they look like but unsure if it's okay for novels too. Either way, thank you for awesome insight!

[bubzt]

Great vid. Hey, I want to know, do you need a pilot episode in order to pitch a sitcom, or even just to get an agent?

[thornmollenhoff]

Thanks for the video. I learned something new. Where in the character description would you write the character's gender? In the brackets with the age? Most times not needed but in some cases names are unisex. For example, Alex could be male or female.

[ahmedhasni]

my two m.characters are described as children; however, when they appear 20 years later they have completely changed . it seems to me that a new description is necessary or do I just mention some traits.second question please, if a character is wearing a mask or
a helmet do I state his name or just let him undefined and wait until his face appears to the audience.
I would tell you that I feel a new impetus prompting me to go for it when procrastinating by just listening to one of your unequaled videos

[routeterror]

Would you say it’s a good or bad thing to throw your reader off guard? Like for example:

You said that a longer character description will make the reader think they will be important to the story, but what if you purposely give a longer description to make them think that, only for that character to suddenly die a few pages after, making them think like “Oh crap I wasn’t expecting that!”

Good or Bad?

[raihanmusa]

Instead of mentioning a character's race, can't I just mention their skin color ?