If you think about your favorite characters from literature and film, one thing they most likely have in common is a compelling arc,which is basicallya distilled summary of the journey they went through over the course of the story and the inner change it inspired.
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To learn more about what makes these character arcs work so well, we got in touch withRobin Piree, who has written, directed, edited, and otherwise contributed to productions screened at cinemas and festivals, as well as gaining hundreds of millions of views online.“In stories, the people we see, called characters, often change as the story progresses. This change in character is known as a character arc,” he toldBored Panda, highlighting that the most common types are the positive (or ascending) arc, the negative (or descending) arc, and the flat arc.It doesn’t matter if the characters move from flawed to fabulous or the other way around, the important part is that they should face significant obstacles—both internal and external—that fundamentally change them.
To learn more about what makes these character arcs work so well, we got in touch withRobin Piree, who has written, directed, edited, and otherwise contributed to productions screened at cinemas and festivals, as well as gaining hundreds of millions of views online.
“In stories, the people we see, called characters, often change as the story progresses. This change in character is known as a character arc,” he toldBored Panda, highlighting that the most common types are the positive (or ascending) arc, the negative (or descending) arc, and the flat arc.
It doesn’t matter if the characters move from flawed to fabulous or the other way around, the important part is that they should face significant obstacles—both internal and external—that fundamentally change them.
“The positive/ascending arc occurs when characters change for the better,” Piree explained. “They might start with some troubles but then grow and become better people.““A good example is Pinocchio, who begins as a naive puppet who lies and gets into trouble but learns from his mistakes and becomes a real boy who is honest and kind.”
“The positive/ascending arc occurs when characters change for the better,” Piree explained. “They might start with some troubles but then grow and become better people.”
“A good example is Pinocchio, who begins as a naive puppet who lies and gets into trouble but learns from his mistakes and becomes a real boy who is honest and kind.”
“The negative/descending arc is the opposite of the positive one,” Piree added. “In this type of character arc, the person starts okay but then makes terrible choices or experiences bad events and ends up in a worse place.“The filmmaker said that the Joker belongs to this category. “The main character starts as a troubled man struggling with mental health and societal rejection. As he faces continuous neglect and abuse, he spirals down into becoming the Joker, a notorious criminal.”
“The negative/descending arc is the opposite of the positive one,” Piree added. “In this type of character arc, the person starts okay but then makes terrible choices or experiences bad events and ends up in a worse place.”
The filmmaker said that the Joker belongs to this category. “The main character starts as a troubled man struggling with mental health and societal rejection. As he faces continuous neglect and abuse, he spirals down into becoming the Joker, a notorious criminal.”
Finally, the flat arc. “In this story, characters don’t change much from the beginning to the end. They stay mostly the same but face different problems to reach their goal.““For example, James Bond confronts numerous villains and dangerous situations throughout various films, but his fundamental characteristics as a charming, skilled, and cool spy remain consistent,” Piree pointed out. “He’s always the confident guy who saves the world.”
Finally, the flat arc. “In this story, characters don’t change much from the beginning to the end. They stay mostly the same but face different problems to reach their goal.”
“For example, James Bond confronts numerous villains and dangerous situations throughout various films, but his fundamental characteristics as a charming, skilled, and cool spy remain consistent,” Piree pointed out. “He’s always the confident guy who saves the world.”
Piree, who now focuses on helping aspiring filmmakers sell their creative ideas and has released an ebook titled ‘Win The Pitch,’ thinks every great, compelling character arc needs a few ingredients to make it attractive to follow along, which include:Beginning - Who Is The Character?“This is where a character is in their normal life,” he said. “Think of it like an everyday routine before the character goes on an adventure.“Goal - What Does The Character Want?Piree highlighted that every character needs something they want or need to do. “This could be a dream they have, a problem they must solve, or something they want to find.“Trigger - What Big Event Starts The Character Journey?“This is when something important happens that starts the character’s adventure. It could be something like finding a mysterious map, meeting a new person who changes everything, or a big problem that suddenly comes up,” the filmmaker continued.
Piree, who now focuses on helping aspiring filmmakers sell their creative ideas and has released an ebook titled ‘Win The Pitch,’ thinks every great, compelling character arc needs a few ingredients to make it attractive to follow along, which include:
Beginning - Who Is The Character?“This is where a character is in their normal life,” he said. “Think of it like an everyday routine before the character goes on an adventure.”
Goal - What Does The Character Want?Piree highlighted that every character needs something they want or need to do. “This could be a dream they have, a problem they must solve, or something they want to find.”
Trigger - What Big Event Starts The Character Journey?“This is when something important happens that starts the character’s adventure. It could be something like finding a mysterious map, meeting a new person who changes everything, or a big problem that suddenly comes up,” the filmmaker continued.
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Stakes - Why Does It Matter?“Stakes are about why this goal is super important to the character,” Piree explained. “What will happen if the character doesn’t reach their goal? What consequences will they face? The higher the stakes are, the more exciting the story will be.“Conflict - What Challenges And Problems Prevent The Character From Reaching Their Goal?This is what makes things tough for the character. “They might have to face scary things, make hard choices, or deal with problems that get in their way of achieving their goals,” Piree said. “They have to change their old habits introduced in the beginning and start to change. They learn new things, make mistakes, and slowly become a different person.“Time Pressure - Why Does It Need To Happen Fast?According to the filmmaker, adding a ticking clock to the story makes the character even more interesting to follow. “The character may have to do something before a specific time, or something terrible will happen.“End - How Have Things Changed?“In the end, the character has changed throughout their journey. They have reached their goal and have learned something essential or changed in a big way.”
Stakes - Why Does It Matter?“Stakes are about why this goal is super important to the character,” Piree explained. “What will happen if the character doesn’t reach their goal? What consequences will they face? The higher the stakes are, the more exciting the story will be.”
Conflict - What Challenges And Problems Prevent The Character From Reaching Their Goal?This is what makes things tough for the character. “They might have to face scary things, make hard choices, or deal with problems that get in their way of achieving their goals,” Piree said. “They have to change their old habits introduced in the beginning and start to change. They learn new things, make mistakes, and slowly become a different person.”
Time Pressure - Why Does It Need To Happen Fast?According to the filmmaker, adding a ticking clock to the story makes the character even more interesting to follow. “The character may have to do something before a specific time, or something terrible will happen.”
End - How Have Things Changed?“In the end, the character has changed throughout their journey. They have reached their goal and have learned something essential or changed in a big way.”
According to Piree, not every character has to change within a story, or at least not on the same level. “If you add too many changes for too many characters, you need too much time to explain why the characters have changed and the story will become too complicated for the audience to follow,” he explained.To further explain his point, he divided it into three parts:The Main Characters — The Big Players.“These are the main folks. They need to go through big changes as the story unfolds. Their journey makes the story grab people’s attention and stay interesting.“The Secondary Characters — The Supporting Team.“These are like the main characters' buddies or helpers. They can change a bit, too, but it’s not as big of a deal as with the main characters.““Their small changes could add something extra to the story and help the audience better understand the main characters. For example, one of the main character’s friends starts off being scared but then gets a little braver because of what the main character does.“The Minor Characters — Just Passing By.“These characters show up every now and then. They’re not a big part of the story. They don’t need to change much. But even a slight change in them, like a grumpy neighbor who ends up smiling, can make the story feel more natural.“With that being said, wouldn’t it be interesting to imagine a fictional universe where all of the characters you see in the pictures coexist?
According to Piree, not every character has to change within a story, or at least not on the same level. “If you add too many changes for too many characters, you need too much time to explain why the characters have changed and the story will become too complicated for the audience to follow,” he explained.
To further explain his point, he divided it into three parts:
The Main Characters — The Big Players.“These are the main folks. They need to go through big changes as the story unfolds. Their journey makes the story grab people’s attention and stay interesting.”
The Secondary Characters — The Supporting Team.“These are like the main characters' buddies or helpers. They can change a bit, too, but it’s not as big of a deal as with the main characters.”
“Their small changes could add something extra to the story and help the audience better understand the main characters. For example, one of the main character’s friends starts off being scared but then gets a little braver because of what the main character does.”
The Minor Characters — Just Passing By.“These characters show up every now and then. They’re not a big part of the story. They don’t need to change much. But even a slight change in them, like a grumpy neighbor who ends up smiling, can make the story feel more natural.”
With that being said, wouldn’t it be interesting to imagine a fictional universe where all of the characters you see in the pictures coexist?
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