THE CHARACTERIZATION PROCESS
Observation
Physical Appearances
Expression of feelings (facially, verbally, bodily)
Mannerisms
Experiences (Emotional Memory)
Personal
2nd Hand
Other
Sensory Memory
What can your character see, hear, taste, smell, and touch in the situation they are in?
When and How should your character react to what they sense (pleasant or unpleasant; familiar or unfamiliar)?
CHARACTER ANALYSIS WORKSHEET QUESTIONS
What does the play say about this character (age, personality type, physical characteristics, etc.)?
What does this character say about him- or herself?
What do other characters say about this character in the play? (If applicable)
What motivates this character's words and/or actions (the reasons we do things)?
What is his or her subtext (information that is implied but not stated by a character; thoughts or actions of a character that do not express the same meaning as the character's spoken words)?
What is the emotional makeup of this character (i.e. stable, unstable, elated, depressed, angry, joyful, etc.)?
How does this character change or develop throughout the course of the scene/play?
How does this character use language?
Where does this character live?
Does this character have a regional dialect?
What is the setting of the story?
Is there any film or television character that reminds you of this character?
Have I ever personally experienced the same emotions that my character is experiencing?
If so, what was my circumstance when I felt that emotion?
How did you react emotionally to that circumstance?
Have I ever witnessed a person acting as if he or she were experiencing the same emotions as my character is experiencing?
If so, What was that person's circumstance (what happened to that person)?
How did this person react emotionally to their circumstance?
How can I incorporate the emotional experiences of myself and others into my character?
How will the acting techniques of observation and emotional memory recall help me to create a believable performance in a scene/play?
PLOT ANALYSIS
For the most part, stories in books, plays, musicals, television shows, and movies follow the same basic plot story flow (what the story is about). Below are each part of a story plot in the order you will read about it in a play or see it in a movie.
Exposition: Background Information. This usually happens at the beginning of a movie where you learn about the hero, villain, supporting characters, and the situation these characters find themselves in.
Conflict (Inciting Incident): The catalyst for the play's action. Stories have conflict, whether it be an argument, a battle between good and evil, etc.. The conflict is what starts the story going forward between the hero and the villain, or a person versus their situation.
In Avengers: Infinity War, the conflict begins when Thanos arrives with the Infinity Gauntlet and takes the second infinity stone before sending his people to Earth to take the other two stones from the Avengers and Doctor Strange.
In the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, the conflict begins when Darth Vader's Star Destroyer takes Princess Leia's ship and we learn about the stolen Death Start plans (as well as the conflict between a heroic Rebel Alliance and the tyrannical Empire).
Rising Action: Complications and discoveries which add to conflict becoming more serious (towards the middle of the story). This is where the conflict becomes more intense and is leading to the final battle between good and evil, or a confrontation between the main character and his/her difficult situation.
Climax: The turning point in the plot when everything comes to an emotional high-point. This is the final battle or final confrontation in a story,
Falling Action: Series of events following the climax, which happens immediately after the final battle or confrontation.
Resolution: How the story ends.