Pre-production: Character Design

Getting the right personality for a character in a movie or tv production is vital for the screenplay to work. The main three traits to a character are their appearance, actions and interaction. If a character doesn't look the part, or interacts with other characters in the right way, it could fail the complete production.

I will use The Joker, out of the 2008 production of The Dark Knight, a film about heroes and villains, the Joker being the main antagonist. (See left for images.)

APPEARANCE: The Joker's appearance is very unsettling, 

a theme that is typical of a film's villain. The face paint and the hair are dirty and messy, showing that they are trying to look rough and haggered, threatening compared to someone that is well put together. His stance is crouched over and hunched, in a defensive yet strong pose. He appears threatening and nerving, seperating him instantly to the other characters and the mixture of heros and villains.

INTERACTIONS: The Joker is very threatening and demanding throughout the whole film, proving that he is the main villain fighting against Batman. He is a killer, and this is clear in the way he reacts with people and plans against them. Throughout the whole production, he doesn't have many long conversations with other characters, unless they are threatening or plotting, proving that he doesn't give away too much information, but only the information that is needed to spur characters on. It is obvious that he is more of the 'doing' character than a talking character, which only emphasises his evil and wicked character.

ACTIONS : With the Joker being the main villain in The Dark Knight, he is the main source for wrong doing and wicked games. His actions of murder and immoral plans are completely stereotypical for a villain in a superhero movie, however, unlike most stereotypical villains he doesn't hide away the fact that he does it. He is open about his plans, makes characters in the production act upon his ideas.

The Joker is a very strong character in The Dark Knight, and is brilliantly presented to the audience as to what the film is about and what his character is about. He is the perfect representation of the character The Joker, and is brilliantly executed in all areas of character design.

  Bibliography

http://messageinthemedium.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/dark_knight_joker_heath_ledger_poster.jpg

http://thequarterbin.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/heath-ledger-the-joker-in-the-dark-knight5.jpg