Characters should have a rich background, even if much of the information you devote to their story goes beyond what feels directly pertinent. Remember, in a medium like motion picture you are showing a story and you may be amazed at how much information you can convey to the audience without much devotion of time in your storytelling by incorporating visual elements to fill in the life of the characters.
Alexander Valdez is a filmmaker and author. He has written A Writer’s Guide to the Hero’s Journey and Screenwriter’s Notebook. He is the founder of the Cinema-Libre Film Movement, a National Merit Scholar and first appeared in the Hollywood Creative Directory in 2002 under Academy Award Winning Producer Al Ruddy and Producer Andre Morgan as a Story Editor. He has served as a Writer’s Guild Writer’s Assistant, is inducted into the Director’s Guild of America and has a hiring contract for the Producer’s Guild of America. He is a point-member in Actor’s Equity Association and also a composer listed to the American Society of Composer and Performers, where at the time or invitation he was the youngest member invited to the union. He has also done voice for Radio to membership in the American Film, Television and Radio Actors, now SAG-AFTRA.
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