A Character is an important part of any film. If the audience is not interested in a film’s most human element, there is little chance that we will be interested in the film as a whole. To be interesting, characters must seem connecting, real and understandable. For the most part, the characters in a
story are believable in the same way that the story is believable. They are made to seem real by the actor and director’s vision. There are various ways characterization takes place.
Characterization through Appearance
Characterization begins the moment the actor appears on the screen. A major aspect of film
characterization is revealed visually and instantaneously. Although some actors may be versatile
enough to project completely different qualities in different roles, most actors are not. The minute
we see most actors on the screen, we make certain assumptions about them because of their facial
features, dress, physical build and mannerisms and the way they move.
Characterization through Dialogue
What a particular character says makes up for a big deal for its character. But a great deal is also
revealed by how they say it. Their true emotions can be revealed through their pitch and speech
pattern. Actors’ use of grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, and particular dialects reveals a
great deal about their characters social and economic level, educational background and mental
processes. Therefore, we must develop a keen ear, attuned to the faintest and most subtle nuances
of meaning revealed through the human voice.
Characterization through External Action
Although appearance is an important measure of a character’s personality, appearances are often
misleading. The actor’s action is a major reflection of the character. It must be assumed, of course,
that real characters are more than mere instruments of the plot, that they do what they do for a
purpose, out of motives that are consistent with their overall personality. Thus, there should be a
dear relationship between a character and his or her actions; the actions should grow naturally out
of the character’s personality. If the motivation for a character’s action is clearly established, the
character and the plot become so closely interwoven that they are impossible to separate, and every
action that the character takes in some way reflects the quality of his or her particular personality.

Characterization through Internal Action
There is an inner world of action that normally remains unseen and unheard by even the most
careful observer/listener. Yet the dimension of human nature that this world embraces is often
essential to a real understanding of a character. Character’s dreams, fears, ambitions and
insecurities can be as important for understanding of character as any other real achievement or
failure. Thus, although the Benicio Del Toro character in Traffic is a drab, insignificant creature,
scarcely worth caring about when judged purely by his initial external behavior, he becomes an
exciting and interesting personality as we grow more into his character. Filmmakers take us visually
or aurally into the character’s mind so that we see or hear the things that the character imagines,
remembers, or thinks about. This may be achieved through a sustained interior view or through
fleeting glimpses revealed by means of metaphors. In addition to providing glimpses into the inner
action by revealing the sounds and sights the character imagines he sees and hears, the filmmaker
may employ tight close-ups on an unusually sensitive and expressive face (reaction shots) or may
utilize the musical score for essentially the same purpose, as Brian De Palma does repeatedly in
Dressed to Kill (1980).

Characterization through reactions of other Characters
The way other characters view a particular character often serves as an excellent means of
characterization. Sometimes, a great deal of information about a character is already provided
through such means before the character first appears on the screen.
Characterization through Contrast: Dramatic Foils
One of the most effective techniques of characterization is the use of foils contrasting characters
whose behavior, attitudes, opinions, lifestyle, physical appearance, and so on are the opposite of
those of the main characters. The effect is similar to that achieved by putting black and white
together-the black appears blacker and the white appears whiter. The tallest giant and the tiniest
midget might be placed side by side at the carnival sideshow, and the filmmaker sometimes uses
characters in much or less the same way.