Select character target
This article focuses on another dramatic choice, namely what the character wants. What is the conscious intention of the character? This element is commonly called an objective or intention. It is also called internal action or subtext. Motivation and goal are other labels sometimes used for objective.
The process of selecting the goal or intention is a fundamental part of the storytelling process. Why? Because the essence and purpose of the whole story is carried out by what each character wants. While a character pursues a given goal, her goal is faced with counterattacks by other characters or forces within the story, and thus creates conflict. Without this conflict, there would be little dramatic structure to the story to engage and entertain the audience.
Selecting the wrong intent or not conveying the intent to the audience can distort an entire scene and possibly the entire play. You can leave the scene with little to no conflict and therefore no purpose. On the other hand, a well-developed and inspired intention can illuminate a scene to fantastic heights making it forever memorable in the audience’s mind.
How do you select the character’s goal? Where do you find the clues as to what could be? Please look at the script first as it might be overtly expressed in the dialogue. It could also be hidden in the stage prompts. It could also be concluded from information revealed later in the story. Another clue may lie in the needs of the opposing characters.
One of the pitfalls in target selection is blindly following the intentions indicated by dialogue or stage directions. They are not always correct. The intent may be a contradiction to the character’s dialogue and action. In life, people don’t always reveal their true intentions and the result can be quite dramatic. Delaying such a disclosure can make the story structurally stronger, especially when fraud or deception is involved.
There are many other factors to consider when selecting your target, such as who you are in the story, your relationship with other characters, and the non-character obstacles you face. Are you the protagonist, the one we support, or the antagonist, the one who creates the obstacles? Or are you a minor character with an incidental role in the story?
The type of actor you are also influences which goal is best. For example, Clint Eastwood would likely select a different target than Brad Pitt would if Brad Pitt were playing the same role. Likewise, the type of game he is playing is also a consideration. A scene played as a comedy versus one played as a drama can result in a different set of goals for the characters.
Once you’ve read the entire script and determined how your scene fits into the overall story, you should have a set of possibilities. Which is the best? Which one will bring the scene to life? Some actors select a target that they are comfortable playing. Instead, the choice should be one that supports the relationships, the scene, and the story.
To make sound dramatic decisions, it is necessary to follow some analytical guidelines. First ask yourself, whose goal is it that you are looking for? From whose point of view? Certainly not from the director. Not yours, the actor. The objective is selected from the point of view of the character you are playing. What the character thinks he wants at that given moment in the play.
Next, the goal should be formulated in active terms such as: Get… have… do… These should be short, simple phrases in the character’s own language, phrased in such a way that the character wants to do something specific. Furthermore, behind each intention, each objective, there is a reason or motivation that moves the character towards action.
Look first at intentions with selfish motives. In believable drama, as in life, you will not find noble motives. When it comes to the defining moment, we all look for number one, ourselves. So make your characters real by seeking selfish desires.
At this point, let’s look at some goals and evaluate them. Before looking ahead, try to identify the most common failures.
MISSED TARGETS:
1. To introduce Howard to Ellen so Howard won’t be around too long and then Amy and I can meet up at the apartment I share with Howard.
2. Take my mother to the hospital for an emergency operation.
3. Make my character reveal his true intentions
4. To make the audience laugh with this character.
5. To indicate the struggle of my character.
Compare your analysis of the target with the failures identified below:
1. Long, non-specific, many goals, not achievable. Best target: get Howard out.
2. Weak, non-specific, non-selfish objective. Best goal: Save my mother.
3. Done from the actor’s point of view, not in the character’s own words. Best goal: Tell the truth.
4. From the point of view of the playwright or director, not in the character’s own words. Plays a result and not the wishes of the character. Best goal: Get some respect.
5. From the actor’s point of view, not in the character’s own words, not selfish and lacking in character motivation. Best goal: Get out alive.
Once you’ve chosen your character’s target, check that the scene or even the play offers enough dramatic strength. This resistance may be the contrary intent of another character. They can also be internal obstacles such as doubts, beliefs, commitments or phobias. Other obstacles, such as the elements of nature, time constraints, or physical barriers, can influence how the target is selected.
Usually, in a two-character scene, the other character provides the opposition. The following example demonstrates how dramatic conflict is elicited through conflicting intentions and emotions. Notice how certain choices support the dramatic equation, risk vs. consequences, and push the story to its greatest potential.
An armed psycho killer escapes, hitchhiking and trying to persuade the driver of her innocence. To get through the barricades, she needs her help. Which pair of intentions would lead to the most dramatic scene?
Intent/Emotion Pairings
1. Him: escape/fear
1. Her: To help him escape/Anticipation
2. Him: To convince her/Determination
2. Her: To Find the Truth/Determination
3. Him: Not to kill her/Rage
3. Her: To Save Me / Terror
In the first pairings, the intentions converge on a common goal, and the main obstacle becomes the roadblocks and the police. The boundaries between protagonist and antagonist become murky and we’re not sure who to root for.
The second pairing has conflicting intentions, but the stakes aren’t high to draw in an audience.
In the third pairings, the stakes are much higher for intentions to initiate a kill or be killed, life or death crisis. The killer must contain his anger at having to depend on the woman to get through the roadblocks. The female driver, however, is not convinced by her story and therefore knows that she will probably kill again. She must act to save her own life.
HOLD/CHANGE TARGET
The next consideration is how long do you stay with a goal? Do you keep the same target throughout the scene, or does a scene contain multiple targets? Again, some general guidelines should be followed.
As a general rule, select a dominant subject for the scene. Stay with that goal until you succeed or fail, or until something comes along to change it. Let’s use the example above to illustrate this process.
Suppose that at the barricade, the police officer asks the woman to open the trunk so that he can look inside. He is about to flip the remote switch that opens the trunk when he instead hands him the ignition keys. Something has changed and calls for a new set of goals. Now your goal has changed from being passive to taking action. It could be to signal the police officer in some way and his excitement could change to determination. Your choices may be different in this scene, but the principles remain the same. Select a dominant subject for the scene. Stay with that goal until your character succeeds or fails, or until something else changes it. He would then select another target, one befitting the situation and his character’s role in the story.
To aid in the selection process, I have compiled a wish list of various scenes from the workshop. This list provides examples and the proper format for stating intent. They are listed according to their value.
The following article addresses how the actor implements these choices.