There's an old American proverb that says first impressions are the most lasting
Though the proverb is meant to refer to social interactions
I think you can also pertain to characters and stories the storyteller has only one opportunity to introduce a character to the audience from unique
effective and lasting way
And it's this first impression that the audience will carry with them throughout the remainder of the story
It will help determine if the audience wants to follow this character on their journey
And if they'll care what happens to them along the way
When considering character introductions in film I don't think anyone does it better than the father of the summer Blockbuster -- Steven Spielberg.
Spielberg has brought some of the most iconic heroes and villains to the big screen
And I believe he's able to effectively introduce characters in such memorable ways
By employing a combination of two methods that I'm going to refer to as action and fraction
First let's start with action if you have ever worked in the entertainment industry you've no doubt heard the adage show don't tell
Basically the technique in which the director gives information to the audience about a particular characters background personality
motivation and emotions through their actions in order to elicit an authentic response
for example
Villains don't Verbally say that they're scary. It's their actions towards others that show us that they are to be feared.
The same rule applies to all characters
Characters shouldn't simply say that they're angry they show that they're angry through their actions.
Characters shouldn't list off their qualifications like a walking resume. They should show their intellect and skills in the way they handle difficult situations
The Old Cliche is true
actions speak Louder than words
it's in a person's actions that we find out who they truly are and
Spielberg employs this method in order to quickly and effectively give the audience information
take the film duel for example when we're first introduced to the antagonist personified by the oil Tanker the
Audience quickly learns everything it needs to know about the villain through his actions towards our protagonist
The rusted oil Tanker towers over David's car blocking the road while blowing back smog in his face
Even the roar of the engine drowns out the sound of the radio
And when David simply tries to innocently pass
The driver responds by racing out ahead nearly cutting him off the road and then obnoxiously hitting the brakes again as if toying with David
Quickly we learned that this is a cat-and-mouse game that is only just beginning
another example of action comes in the introduction of the Shark in Jaws
Captain Hook and hook and the Raptors in Jurassic Park. In their introductions the audience barely sees the character
physically on screen if at all
but spielberg knew that he didn't need to physically show them on screen in order for their presence to be felt and for audiences to
Instantly fear them. the audience is able to experience the shark captain hook and the raptors through other characters on screen. in
Jaws the haunting score by John Williams helps personify the shark as it effortlessly tugs and thrashes Chrissy around the water. in
Hook the children cower in their beds from the glowing light and the ominous turning of the latch hook
before the parents eventually come home and shudder at the destruction left in the Captain's wake. And
finally in Jurassic park dozens of men with tasers and guns are helpless against the strength and intelligence of the raptors
These witnesses are our window into their respective worlds and their emotions quickly mirror our own
You don't need to physically see them on the screen all we need to experience is the carnage
They're capable of inflicting and instantly we've established the villains that our heroes are up against
The second method spielberg effectively uses in character introductions is fraction
This method refers to the bits and pieces that Spielberg deliberately focuses on that point to the larger whole character off-camera?
This could be an item conveying the character like a weapon or a piece of their wardrobe
Or it could be a part of a character himself like his hand or foot
Showing lonely pieces of a character to the audience accomplishes a number of things
One it creates mystery for the audience. There are no accidents in filmmaking
So if the director is highlighting only a piece of the character there must be a reason, but what is it?
What does the director trying to communicate?
This style of filmmaking takes a passive audience member and makes them an active participant
It makes them set up in their chair and pay attention
When Spielberg introduces us to the antagonist at the beginning of et. We don't see his face
We only see a set of jingling keys hanging from his hip
Spielberg focuses on these keys signaling for the audience to pay attention
He's establishing that these keys other characters identifiers we associate the two together
We proceeded to follow the antagonists throughout the remainder of the film, but only by following his jingling set of keys
spielberg keeps the mystery intact leaving us at the audience to wonder who is he and what does he want and
Only at one hour 20 minutes into the film the spielberg finally revealed the antagonist Faith
To introducing characters by use of fraction also helps spielberg build up his characters, so they feel larger than life
It's the same technique used in horror films to build up the killer. anticipation of danger is far worse than danger itself.
The mask in this case the unknown is far scarier than the killer underneath
Our minds are capable of filling in gaps and imagining things far worse than they are in actuality
For example in scream all fear and suspense instantly vanishes once the killer's mask comes off, and we see it's just boys underneath
Hitchcock's also uses his method to great effect in Psycho
The Killer's face is kept secret from the audience all we see are shadows and click limp sees
Those scary moments would not have been anywhere near as impactful if we saw Norman in drag from the beginning
Spielberg uses the audience's mind and emotions to his advantage for example in Schindler's list we only see oskar Schindler bit by bit
We're introduced to him through the fancy clothes he wears
Instantly we know that he's extremely wealthy and a member of the nazi party when he lastly attaches his pen
He moves through a fancy party, but still we only see his back. We see
He's suave by the way he tips the host. And
Important by the way he gets his own table and how others stare at him with adoration
During this time the audience is filling in gaps of information
Building up the character in her mind as the anticipation of the reveal builds as well, and when we finally see schindler's face
We're looking up at him. So he appears larger-Than-life in the frame
Spielberg knows when and how to introduce his characters with the use of action and traction
But some of his most famous character introductions occur when he's able to successfully employ both
Simultaneously in jaws a single hand slowly scratching across chalkboard is how were introduced to Quint.
we catch glimpses of Rufio's body and his wild hair and hook as he zooms around lost boys island while everyone chants his name a
Trembling hand holding a canteen is how we're quietly introduced to Captain Miller and saving private Ryan
But I think's Spielberg's most iconic character introduction comes in Raiders of the lost ark when we first meet
Indiana Jones. we first see indy silhouetted wearing what will become his iconic fedora as he ventures into the remote jungle
We see he's calm. Where others run scared
He moves forward in the face of danger
We see his hands clutching pieces of a worn map suggesting that his adventure has been going on for a long time
And when his life is threatened by Betrayal his quick twitch
Reflexes kick in as he effortlessly uses his unique wits to defend himself and when his attacker flees
Only then does he step into the light and reveal his face
It's three minutes 15 seconds into the film when we first see, Indiana Jones's face
But already at that point Spielberg has been communicating with the audience
Showing us only what he wants us to see playing our emotions like a conductor and making his hero appear larger than life
Introducing characters in a unique engaging way is a vital part of the storytelling process
it's the moment where legends are first born and
The impact of an introduction on an audience can determine whether those characters continue to live on in a cultures collective conscious.
first impressions are the most lasting
so think like Spielberg and make them count
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