[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage: When does a writer have to introduce the main character’s flaw?
Paul Chitlik, Author/Writer: I believe that in the first visual of the movie, if you can do that you’ve really done a good thing and that will set up the movie. If not in the first visual, then certainly within the first five minutes I would do that so we understand:
-What is this person’s issue?
-What is this person’s problem?
-Why is this person not living the perfect life?
Because they’re not and we need to know why not.
Having the flaw introduced in the first visual is a good idea. If we can’t do it then soon will be a good idea. Sooner the better is my view and then we understand what they have to overcome themselves. We understand what their personal journey is so that’s one part of the story. The personal journey that they have to deal with and then we have to learn about what is the other thing that’s going on.
We also need that flaw so that we understand at the midpoint that they understand what their flaw is because at the beginning they don’t understand what their flaw is. It’s only at the midpoint when they understand it.
Talking about In And Out [movie] again, he did not know that he was a gay at the beginning, that’s his flaw. He was not self-aware. It’s only at the midpoint that he becomes aware of his own sexuality. Then he has a new goal and he has to figure out how to deal with that goal.
Understanding the flaw is key to understanding the character and understanding the journey that the character…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
About:
Paul Chitlik has written for all the major networks and studios in English and in Spanish. He was story editor for MGM/UA’S “The New Twilight Zone,” and staff writer for Showtime’s sitcom “Brothers.” He has written features for Rysher Entertainment, NuImage, Promark, Mainline Releasing, and others. He has directed episodes and been coordinating producer for “Real Stories of the Highway Patrol” and “U.S. Customs Classified.” He wrote and produced “Alien Abduction,” the first network movie shot on digital video for UPN. He wrote, produced, and directed “Ringling Brothers Revealed” a special for The Travel Channel. (He had been a roustabout for Circus Vargas years earlier.) Most recently he wrote, produced and directed “The Wedding Dress,” for Amazon Prime. He received a Writers Guild of America award nomination for his work on “The Twilight Zone” and a GLAAD Media Award nomination for “Los Beltrán,” a Telemundo show. He won a Genesis Award for a Showtime Family movie. He has taught in the MFA programs of UCLA, the University of Barcelona’s film school ESCAC, Cuba’s film school EICTV, Chile’s film school UNIACC, The University of Zulia in Venezuela, The Panamerican University in Mexico City, The Story Academy of Sweden and as a clinical associate professor at Loyola Marymount University. Now writing full time again and living near his grandson in Chapel Hill, NC, with wife, Beth McCauley.
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