4 Types of Characters in a Film — Flat vs. Round & Static vs. Dynamic

- He has to swim in with bow-legged women. - What makes a great character? - Nazis. I hate these guys. - Is it their complexity? Their originality? What they do or say? - I'm finished. - A good screenwriter knows how to write a good character. And characters can come in many shapes and sizes. - God, I love you. - These are 'The Types of Characters'. - Before we begin make it your character trait to subscribe to StudioBinder and enable notifications. We will be spoiling the following movies. Let'

s start characterizing. - You want to hear my pitch? - Go away, goddammit. - Knowing different character types doesn't box a writer into creating stereotypes. Instead, knowing the types of characters can allow a writer to better understand their different players and know how they should function within a narrative. Characters can be defined by two different metrics. The first is flat versus round. A flat character is one dimensional and can usually be summed up by one distinct trait. A round ch

aracter is on the other end of the spectrum. Multi-dimensional and complex. Typically filled with very human contradictions. The terms were coined by E. M. Forster in his 1927 book, 'Aspects of the Novel', where he writes, 'Flat characters, in their purest form, are constructed around a single idea or quality. When there is more than one factor to them, we get the beginning of the curve toward the round'. - I understood that reference. - Characters can also be categorized as static or dynamic. A

dynamic character undergoes some form of change throughout a story. Whereas a static character remains mostly the same from beginning to end. A combination of all these character types can be found in most films. And the categorizations aren't binary. Each character sits on a spectrum. This means that the category a character falls into is relatively subjective. - Pick up your mind. - Let's look closer at flat versus round characters to understand when and why they're used. - I want the truth!

- You can't handle the truth! - Because writers are taught that complex and realistic characters are paramount, one might assume that round characters are more desirable than flat ones. - I'm an old broken-down piece of meat. - But this isn't always the case. - And I'm alone. - Flat characters can be great for peripheral roles in a narrative. - Oh my god, I love your skirt. Where did you get it? - Uh, it was my mom's in the 80s. - Vintage! So adorable. - Thanks. - That is the ugliest effing skir

t I've ever seen. - It often doesn't make sense for a minor character to be imbued with complexity, since this may bog down a narrative. Flat characters can be used to contrast with protagonists. - If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I will be. - Samwise Gamgee is a relatively flat character. Loyal and protective throughout the "Lord of the Rings" series. - Get back, you! Don't touch him! - This contrasts with Frodo. A round character who reveals deep inner conflicts du

ring their quest. As such, Sam reminds us of the innocence of the Shire. And how far he and Frodo have come from it. Flat characters are often used for comic relief. - You are the comic relief. Yes. And you know what else? I am the hero. So shut up! - In "Anchorman", Brick is an extremely flat character who provides a quick punchline when needed. - Loud noises! - But flat characters don't always have to be relegated to the margins of a story. Protagonists can also be flat. This is especially tru

e in satires, where a writer wants to poke fun at a specific type of person. - I can feel your recriminations and your judgment and I am fine with it. - In Dr. Strangelove, each of the main characters embodies a one-dimensional stereotype. The flatness of the characters makes the satire more universally applicable. - Gee, I wish we had one of them doomsday machines, don't you? - The characters represent ideas more than they do specific individuals. - War is too important to be left to politician

s. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. - A flat protagonist can also be used for movies focused on spectacle. In most earlier "James Bond" films, for example, Bond is portrayed as a suave and unflappable spy. His simplicity provided a bedrock for the films to focus on colorful villains, exotic locations, and elaborate schemes. Later Bond entries, meanwhile, make him more round. He is a flawed human being. As a result, the stories in recent entries

are more grounded and character-focused. Most of the time, however, writers prefer their protagonists to be round. A round main character can provide a film with more depth and less predictability. In "Great Gatsby", Jay Gatsby is a round protagonist whose motives are often contradictory and ambiguous. This adds unconventional layers to his romance with Daisy and makes him a mysterious figure who is both magnetic and flawed. - You shut up! - Shut up! You shut up! Shut up! Shut up! - A round cha

racter can also work to subvert expectations. - You got into Harvard Law? - What, like it's hard? - In "Legally Blonde", Elle Woods has much more depth to her than meets the eye. - So if you're trying to sell it to me for full price, you picked the wrong girl. - And this subversion propels the story. - I love you. - I've waited so long to hear you say that. But if I'm going to be a partner in a law firm by the time I'm 30, I need a boyfriend who's not such a complete bonehead. - Round protagonis

ts are necessary for character-driven films. - Dewey Cox needs to think about his entire life before he plays. - Since their inner complexities are often the story's core conflict. - Wrong kid died. - In "Maestro", Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montalegre are both round characters. Bernstein's contradictory status as an extroverted conductor and introverted composer drives the story. - And if you carry around both personalities, I suppose that means you become a schizophrenic and that's the end

of it. - The narrative is further complicated by Felicia's own internal contradictions. - Let's not make excuses, he didn't fail me. - Felicia. - No, it's, it's my own arrogance. To think I could survive on what he could give. It's just so ironic. I would look at everyone, even my own children, with such pity because of their longing for his attention. It was, it was sort of a banner I wore so proudly. I don't need, I don't need. And, look at me now. - There is no one way to use flat and round c

haracters. - When writing either type, it is also important to recognize whether they are static or dynamic characters. - Ogres are like onions. - Writers are often taught that characters should undergo change throughout a narrative. However, this isn't always the case. Static characters can help provide a consistent point of comparison throughout a narrative. In "Good Will Hunting", Chucky Sullivan's static nature highlights the change Will goes through. It is his character who inspires Will to

evolve and emphasize a core aspect of the narrative, whether to change or remain where you are. - Look, you're my best friend, so don't take this the wrong way. In 20 years, if you're still living here, coming over to my house to watch the Patriots game. You're still working on construction. I'll f*cking kill you. Cause tomorrow I'm gonna wake up and I'll be 50. And I'll still be doing this shit. It'd be an insult to watch if you're still here in 28. Hanging around here is a f*cking waste of yo

ur time. - Chucky will continue being the same person. While Will is on his way to discovering new aspects of himself. A static character can also be a consistent source of conflict in a narrative. Antagonists are typically static. Since if they have a change of heart, the conflict may deflate. In "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", Principal Rooney is committed to vindictive punishment from beginning to end. - If Ferris thinks that he can just coast through this month and still graduate, he is sorely m

istaken. - Providing a constant threat to Ferris and his friends good time. - I got you, Ferris. I have dreamed about this. - Protagonists can be static too. In "The Big Lebowski", the Dude doesn't change much at all through the film which only heightens the absurdity of the bizarre creeper he's gotten himself mixed up in. - I am not Mr. Lebowski, you're Mr. Lebowski, I'm the Dude. - When a plot is as dense as the one in "Big Lebowski", there may not be narrative room or necessity for character

development. - Sometimes there's a man, uh. He's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. - Static protagonists can be particularly useful in television series. Most sitcoms rely on characters maintaining the same dynamic from episode to episode. - If you're saying I play favorites, you're wrong. I love all my children equally. I don't care for Joe. - In "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia", the gang never learns its lesson. They continue to be terrible people from season to season

. - Oh, Gunther, the Morality King. Hi, I'm Gunther. I've never lit anybody on fire before. You know, you light one b*tch on fire and everybody freaks out. Oh, you son of a bitch. It was one time and one thing. - Relax, relax. - Dynamic characters, however, can provide a satisfying arc, particularly if the arc shows a character overcoming a flaw within themselves. - You want to fight me? For her? - No, I want to fight you for me. - Scott earned the power of self-respect. - In "Little Miss Sunshi

ne", Olive learns that a fixation with winning isn't healthy. - A real loser is somebody that's so afraid of not winning, they don't even try. - Now you're trying, right? - Yeah. - Well then you're not a loser. - We're gonna have fun tomorrow, right? - Yeah. - A dynamic character can also feel true to life. In "Boyhood", Mason undergoes a series of changes that parallel the changes many experience as they grow up. - Make a wish, make a wish. - In character-driven stories, a dynamic character's a

rc doubles as the story arc. "About Schmidt" follows Warren Schmidt at an existential crossroads after his retirement and the death of his wife. - What really means and something, Warren, is the knowledge that you devoted your life to something meaningful. - He takes stock of his life on a road trip to his daughter's wedding. - And I suppose the most you can hope for is to make some kind of difference. But what kind of difference have I made? - He ends the trip with a rather pessimistic assessme

nt of his life. - I am weak, and I am a failure. There's just no getting around it. - But a letter from his Tanzanian sponsor child helps him realize he did make a difference after all. - One of the children I care for is little Ndugu Umbo. Ndugu and I want you to know that he receives all of your letters. He hopes that you are happy in your life. He thinks of you every day. And he wants very much your happiness. - "The Breakfast Club" has almost zero plot. It's just five teenagers stuck in dete

ntion. Instead of a traditional plot, their emotional journeys provide narrative peaks and valleys. - Did you work for the money for those earrings? - Shut your mouth! - Or did your daddy buy those? - Shut up! - Dynamic characters can change at different rates. Some start to change near the beginning. - Peter? - Yeah? - Are you alright? - Uh, I'm fine. - Some don't change until the very end. - I will not die a monster. - For much of "Casablanca", Rick Blaine is stubborn and resolute. - My friend

, you could make it a million francs or three. My answer would still be the same. - But at the very end, he changes and acts selflessly. - And the names are Mr. and Mrs. Victor Laszlo. - But why my name, Richard? - Because you're getting on that plane. - This sudden dynamism makes the final scene all the more dramatic. - Here's looking at you, kid. - Static and dynamic characters are equally useful when constructing a compelling narrative. The key is to arrive at either character type deliberate

ly. A character can be either static or dynamic, while also being round or flat. We can see all of these qualities of work in "The Shawshank Redemption". - Get busy living, or get busy dying. - "The Shawshank Redemption" is filled with memorable characters. - Lord, it's a miracle! Man up and vanish like a fart in the wind. - Based on the Stephen King novella, writer-director Frank Darabont uses a variety of character types to further the plot and color the world. - How can you be so obtuse? - Wh

at? - Captain Hadley is an example of a flat and static character. He is a one-dimensional prison guard, cruel and vindictive. - I ain't gonna count to three. I'm not even gonna count to one. You will shut the f*ck up or I'll sing you a lullaby. - And he maintains these qualities throughout most of the film. - Why should I believe a smart banker like you? So I can end up in here with you? - The protagonist, Andy Dufresne, is a round and static character. Andy is deeply complex. - As for Andy, he

spent that break hunkered in the shade. A strange little smile on his face. You could argue he'd done it to curry favor with the guards. Or maybe make a few friends among us cons. - He is intelligent and resilient. Yet, he is also occasionally jealous and passionate. It is unclear whether he is wrongfully convicted for killing his wife and her lover. Darabont's lengthy opening description indicates this complexity. But Andy doesn't undergo immense change throughout the film. From beginning to e

nd, he is dead set on obtaining freedom. It is this unwavering want that drives the plot. Red, meanwhile, is both a round and dynamic character. Red is fully realized with many layers to his personality. And he also changes as the film progresses. - They send you here for life. That's exactly what they take. - His friendship with Andy slowly changes him from a cynical inmate. - Hope is a dangerous thing. - To a man who is able to see hope for redemption. - I find I'm so excited I can barely sit

still a whole of thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel. A free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. - Brooks, on the other hand, is an example of a dynamic and relatively flat character. - Are you going to eat that? - Brooks is initially depicted as an archetypal kindly old man. His character is not very complex due to his limited screen time. - Every evening I load up the cart and make my round. - But when he obtains freedom, we se

e him change, becoming more moody. - The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry. - And in the end, becoming his own demise. Brooks is a minor character in the film, but his arc provides a warning to Andy. He can't let Brook's life become his. - I better get used to that idea. - Like Brooks did. - As such, Brooks serves the story but is not meant to be a fully realized character himself. - I don't like it here. I'm tired of being afraid all the time. I've decided not to stay. - As "The Sha

wshank Redemption" shows us, different character types add variety and richness to storytelling. No one character type is better than another. Used with purpose, they can be used to inform and elevate a narrative while still feeling believable and memorable. - I've abandoned my child! I've abandoned my child! I've abandoned my boy! - In the end, a good character is a good character. Whether they are flat, round, dynamic. Have an idea for your own character? Get started on your next film with Stu

dioBinder screenwriting software. That's all for now. Remember, great characters are everywhere.