Film Courage: What are the steps to developing and building a character?
Jason Satterlund, Filmmaker: Yeah, developing characters. I think some people have an easier time with that than others. I learned this from actually a guest that you had on your show Corey Mandell, where actually in one of his interviews ironically said that as a general rule there are two kinds of writers, intuitive writers who see characters very clearly in three dimensions and they just bleed on the page and that kind of thing. Then there are more conceptual writers who are very good at the structure part. Personally I gravitate more toward the intuitive side and this comes as a director because when I’m working with actors I can very quickly pivot into deep backstories and things like that. How do I create characters? It’s a little bit of an easier task for me but there is a process that I generally go through that starts with me asking some questions like What is the one thing my character would never do?
That’s an interesting question to ask about a character but it can tell you a lot about who they are so what would my character never do? Well they would never…I don’t know…quit whatever, they would never quit. Okay, well that question can open up a huge rich story about why wouldn’t they ever? What is it about quitting that’s so pivotal to their core? You can also ask What is one thing they would never say? They may never say I hate you or whatever. In the storytelling realm you would now have to make them do those things now and of course what would they never say? They would never say I hate you. Why wouldn’t they ever say that? What is it about that word that means so much to them that they would never actually say I hate you to another person. It’s a way of unlocking certain kinds of things so that’s usually the first step in…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
BIO:
Jason Satterlund is an award winning film director who has been working on films for over 25 years. He has extensive experience in all areas of production including directing, producing, writing, cinematography, and editing. He works all over the world directing, commercials, documentaries, music videos, and feature films.
Early on he developed his skills as a storyteller and uses them to this day on projects as diverse as sci-fi steampunk action films, high end commercials, underwater sea life in the tropics, television shows, top country music artists in Nashville, Tenn, and feature films. He is the only person ever to conduct a night shoot in the ancient city of Petra, and the first person in America to use film lenses on an HD camera.
Satterlund has done extensive work for clients such as Warner Brothers, Bon Jovi, Amazon, Microsoft, Jack White, CNN, Hallmark Entertainment, ABC, and the country of Jordan.
He is creator and director of the award winning feature film, “The Record Keeper,” which premiered at the Raindance Film Festival in London, and won the first annual Geekie Awards.
Satterlund’s latest film THE ABANDON (written by Dwain Worrell) features a wounded soldier awakening in a strange cube that tests his physical and mental limits as he attempts to find a way to escape against a ticking clock.
ABOUT THE ABANDON MOVIE:
U.S. soldier, Miles Willis, is shot and wounded during an intense firefight in Iraq. As he tries to radio for help, a sudden blinding light surrounds him, and he awakens to find himself trapped in a strange, colorless cube with nothing inside but his own combat gear. As time passes, the cube begins to change: fluctuating extreme temperatures, random shifts of gravity, and strange writing appearing on the walls. His only communication is with one person — a mystery woman who calls him on his satellite phone, claiming to be trapped in a similar space. As the clock ticks, the two of them must figure out who has them, why they were taken, and how to escape.
A film by Jason Satterlund
Written by Dwain Worrell
The film stars Jonathan Rosenthal, Tamara Perry, and Regis Terencio
Produced by Victoria Hadeler and Regis Terencio
Executive Produced by Jonathan Rosenthal and Jordan Foley
Edited by Jason Satterlund
Cinematography by Ray Huang
Music by Geoff Koch
From Mill House Motion Pictures
Runtime is 1 hour 36 Minutes
This drama/thriller film is not yet rated
CONNECT WITH JASON SATTERLUND
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