Characters are at the heart of every film Pixar makes; they’re the individuals we follow on the journey of every story. But how does Pixar come up with those characters, make them more than just generic ideas, and really bring them to life? In this lesson you’ll explore how character development drives the storytelling process at Pixar, and you’ll start thinking about creating characters for your own stories.
Aphton and Louise demonstrate a quick and easy trick for developing a character for a story: how do they react when you trap them in an elevator all day?
This is an activity you can return to many times during the creation of a character.
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Step 1: Pick a character from one of your favorite films. How would they respond to being trapped in an elevator? Draw or write a single page about what happens.
Step 2: Return to a character you are in the process of creating and do the same thing.
Disclaimer: One does not literally have to get locked in an elevator to do this exercise!
Whats on the inside vs. outside of a character? Pixar artists discuss character development through the lenses of external features like design or appearance and internal features like emotions or beliefs. Artists create authentic, relatable characters by drawing from personal experiences and real-life people. Fully developed characters have clear desires and face obstacles, which drive their journey and create engaging stories.
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Part A: Return to your three favorite films and identify a main character in each.
Part B: Identify three of their external features.
Part C: Identify three of their internal features.
Part D: Identify three internal and external features of someone that you know.
Part E: Return to one of your character ideas from the last lesson. Brainstorm some possible answers to the following questions (feel free to work alone or in a group)
External features:
Internal features:
Wants drive us to act. Needs drive us to succeed in life. Wants drive a character to pursue their goals, while needs represent the lessons or growth required for their success. In storytelling, balancing these aspects creates a well-rounded, engaging character.
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Part A: Return to the main characters from your three favorite films. Identify a want and a need for each character.
For example: In Monsters Inc. Sulley wants to be the best scarer but he needs to be a father figure.
Part B: Try to identify one of your own wants and needs.
Part C: Return to your character idea from the previous exercise. Brainstorm answers to the following questions:
Obstacles stand in the way of our wants and needs. They can be internal or external, but they challenge characters to face their fears or limitations, to make choices, and to grow. Ultimately, obstacles help characters realize their wants and needs, and in storytelling, they create conflict and drive the story forward.
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**Part A:** Return to your three favorite films. Identify one obstacle the main character you selected faces in each.
**Part B:** Identify an obstacle that you've faced in your life. What was it preventing you from getting?
**Part C:** Return to the character that you are developing. Brainstorm a few possible obstacles they might face.
Characters face obstacles, which help shape their character arc. We are compelled by watching character transformation, and obstacles kickstart that growth and change. Authentic stories require characters to overcome challenges, leading to a more satisfying resolution.
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Part A: Identify the arc of the main character in your 3 favorite films.
Part B: How have you changed as a result of overcoming an obstacle?
Part C: Brainstorm ideas for how your character might change as a result of the obstacles you’ve identified in the previous exercise?
What are the consequences of any choice? Why do we care? Stakes in storytelling are the risks, impacts, and rewards of a character's choices, which make audiences care about the story. They are divided into three categories: external (physical consequences), internal (emotional/mental consequences), and philosophical (underlying ideas/values). High stakes create tension and engagement.
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Part A: Return to the main characters from your three favorite films.
What was one important choice they had to make where the stakes were high?
What were the stakes?
Can you identify them as internal, external or philosophical?
Part B: Think about a difficult choice you had to make in your own life. What was at stake?
Part C: Return to one of the obstacles your character might face from the previous exercise. Now think of the choice this obstacle forces them to make. Answer the following:
What are the possible stakes of this choice?
Can you come up with an internal, external or philosophical stake which applies to this choice?
Pixar animators and storytellers share insights on finding inspiration, learning from peers, staying true to oneself, and embracing failure to improve storytelling skills. They emphasize the importance of personal experiences, collaboration, and persistence in crafting engaging stories and characters, offering valuable advice for aspiring storytellers and animators.
Here's a list of definitions introduced during this lesson.
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