I began by creating a template, using resources I had found online and anything I thought would be relevant to the narrative and how the characters would interact with one another. The more detail I add, the more useful this will be for the script and for the cast as they will need to know the characters well before they play the role. Knowing characters' backstories and motivations will also enable them to improvise with greater flexibility so that they can divert from the script and improvise based on what else they know about the character.
Here is the template I devised:
Basic Information
I used this to create profiles for the central character, Tim, and the other major characters, Luke and Tess. Sheila, Mollie and Pete were fairly minor roles at this point, so I opted not to over-complicate their profiles too much as their roles only really serve to advance the plot.
Tim's Character Profile:
Here is the template I devised:
Basic Information
- Name:
- Age:
- Nationality:
- Occupation:
- Family:
- Relationships
- Height:
- Weight:
- Glasses:
- Skin colour:
- Dress style:
- Mannerisms:
- Speech patterns:
- Educational background:
- Intelligence level:
- Religious/spiritual beliefs:
- Mental illnesses:
- Short term goals:
- Long term goals:
- How do they see themselves?
- How do they think others see them?
- How self-confident are they?
- Emotional characteristics
- Strengths:
- Weaknesses:
- Introvert / Extrovert:
- How do they deal with anger?
- ...sadness?
- ...conflict?
- ...change?
- ...loss?
- What do they want out of life?
- What motivates them?
- What frightens them?
- What makes them happy?
- Are they judgemental of others?
- Are they generally polite or rude?
I used this to create profiles for the central character, Tim, and the other major characters, Luke and Tess. Sheila, Mollie and Pete were fairly minor roles at this point, so I opted not to over-complicate their profiles too much as their roles only really serve to advance the plot.
Tim's Character Profile:
Luke's Character Profile:
Tess' Character Profile:
I also devised some profiles for some of the minor characters and even some characters that will not appear, but will provide some extra backstory for the narrative and the major characters' motivations:
UPDATE:
As the script has developed, these profiles have also changed to fit in with how the story has changed since writing these initial profiles. I have also refined them in long form, which has a nicer flow to it, in my opinion, and will look a lot nicer in the package.
The most notable change is the lack of Pete - after reworking his scene and from my feedback from Simon, it became apparent that Pete did not serve much of a purpose to the plot so I decided to remove him from the scene. This was after we had auditioned for Pete, so we decided to keep the actors that auditioned for his part on record in case we could find something for them - perhaps for 'Mark' who appears in the penultimate scene.
Mollie's role in the script had also expanded and so we decided to cast one of the actress' that auditioned for Tess as Mollie. We were originally going to use the real Mollie who runs the sanctuary, since she had very few lines and would know how to handle the owls. However, since she now had a more significant role, I expanded on the character and Becky was enthusiastic about taking on this part.
Tim Stewart:
Tim - 30 - has been studying to become a vet in his father’s footsteps, in the hope of winning back his ex-girlfriend Olivia, who has moved to Africa to volunteer at a wildlife reserve. He studied Veterinary Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, but after failing his degree, he is now trying to set up his own illegal mobile vet service with the help of fellow classmate, Luke.
Tim is an intelligent man, but he is very arrogant and believes he is a lot more capable than he actually is. He is an extrovert, and can be quick to anger if people disagree with him. He comes across as arrogant, yet somewhat charming and charismatic, and he will try to make the best of a bad situation - when he is with a patient for example. Tim is very driven and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He makes the most of a bad situation - if he has does something wrong, he will often find a way to cover his tracks. He has a sharp wit and is charismatic.
Tim has narcissistic traits and sometimes delusional with regards to his abilities. Tim thinks that his sister is out to ruin his dreams of becoming a vet because he thinks she was the favourite child. He thinks that he comes across as a competent and almost heroic figure. Tim can come across as confident and as someone who knows what they are doing, but his true self comes to light fairly quickly. He appears cocky and dismissive of other people - Luke is the only person who truly looks up to Tim and believes what he says. Tim is very self-confident, but deep down, Tim knows that he should not be practicing as a vet until he passes his degree certification, but he is too proud to admit to it.
Tim is quick to anger, but will never resort to violence, he will berate whoever is making him angry. Tim struggles to deal with his emotions, he will try his best to hide any sadness, and will only open up if he is pushed to breaking point. He is very defensive and finds it very difficult to accept that he is wrong when he is in any sort of conflict. He will try to hide his feelings of loss, as he does with sadness, but when he is alone, he will become angry and upset with loss. To people that agree with him, Tim is generally quite polite, but once you are on the wrong side of his favour, he will become more rude and impatient.
After living in his father’s shadow and losing Olivia, he is motivated to become a better vet than his father was, and by the thought that if he can achieve this, he may win her back. In the short term, Tim aims to get new patients for his new mobile vet business. His long term goal is to set up his own vet surgery and become a better vet than his father was so that he can win the affection of Olivia.
Luke Lucas:
Luke - 20 - is a third year student and the Royal Veterinary College and is currently working with Tim, helping him to set up his illegal mobile vet service.
He is very naive and impressionable, and he looks up to Tim as his mentor even though Tim is not a very good role model. He does his best to try and impress Tim and will sometimes blindly follow his example.
Luke is a very likeable and caring person, and he comes across as very innocent. He has average intelligence but can often lack common sense, especially when it comes to working with Tim. Luke is very good at his university work, but as a result of his naivety, he has fallen in with Tim’s schemes.
In the short term, he wants to impress Tim and help him to get the mobile vet business up and ready to go, so that in the future he can pass his degree and become a vet. He sees himself as capable and willing to learn, but he can often slip up and embarrass himself.
Luke is an optimist, he will usually see the best in any situation. He is very polite and will avoid conflict as much as possible.
Tess Connolly:
Tess - 34 - is an estate agent and is sister to aspiring vet, Tim. She has been very successful in life and has a fruitful and blossoming career. Whilst she loves her brother, she can come across as very demanding and meddling when it comes to his schemes, and she often gets annoyed with him - especially his antics involve breaking the law.
She is married to Aidan Connolly - 35 - who is a calm and easy-going person, compared to her louder and more commanding persona. Despite this hardened exterior, she is a caring person and genuinely just wants what is best for her family. They have two young children together, James - 4 - and Alicia - 6.
In the short term, she wants to try and convince Tim to give up with his illegal mobile vet practice, so that in the long run, they can have a better relationship.
Sheila Hodges:
Sheila - 73 - is a sweet old lady who lives alone with her cat, Sooty. She is very kind and gentle, would not do harm to anybody. She has a daughter, son-in-law and two young grandchildren, whom visit her every other week. Other than her family, her cat is the most important part of her life and she would be devastated if anything were to happen to him.
She is a little bit senile, and can sometimes say things without realising what they may not come across how she intends to. She wants to spend her retirement spending time with her family and her cat.
Mollie Jackson:
Mollie - 25 - is the self-made and determined owner of The Kent Owl Academy. She’s been working with animals all her life and her passion for owls has driven her to start her own business in caring for them. She is a very confident person and will not bow down to pressure.
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