Quintessentialism

Unknown Screenwriter

Unknown Screenwriter

Along with DILEMMA, I've also been noticing an element called quintessentialism...

Here's the definition of quintessential from Dictionary.com:

quintessential

adj : representing the perfect example of a class or quality

What the hell is filmy talking about?

Your characters in your films... They should ideally be the QUINTESSENTIAL example of that type of character... If you have a bum as a character, he should be the quintessential bum.

If you have a rookie cop, he should be the quintessential rookie cop...

In other words, you must reveal this characteristic of being quintessential in this person's actions and dialogue as well as what other people think of them through dialogue...

I have yet to see a screenwriting book mention this but the very best movies I am watching lately seem to SCREAM this element...

For example, let's take A FEW GOOD MEN.

Tom Cruise's character is the quintessential plea bargaining Jag officer. This is revealed when Cruise meets Demi Moore's character for the first time... i.e, "One more and I'll win a set of steak knives..."

Demi Moore's character is the quintessential rules of law attorney. She certainly knows the law but she doesn't know how to use it in court... This is revealed by the two officers that ask her to leave the room... Through dialogue, they reveal that she dragged a case on for weeks when it could have been concluded a hell of a lot faster.

Jack Nicholson's character is the quintessential commanding officer. Totally ego maniacal and expects to be treated with much more respect than is usually offered up in the military. Again, this is revealed through a lot of his own actions and dialogue where he acts as though he is beyond reproach.

I could go on but I hope you get the idea...

This is a big key in making your characters stand out and thus, making your screenplay and film stand out.

filmy
 
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That's a very interesting concept.
Where do we draw the lines for quintessentialism and archetypes? Essentially, they mean the same thing, but I would tend to think treading closer to quintessential characters might, in the end, be interpreted as cliche, even at the point when the actor reads the script. How would you reccomend making characters archetypal but not treading into cliches?
 
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Quintessentialism...

Spatula said:
That's a very interesting concept.
Where do we draw the lines for quintessentialism and archetypes? Essentially, they mean the same thing, but I would tend to think treading closer to quintessential characters might, in the end, be interpreted as cliche, even at the point when the actor reads the script. How would you reccomend making characters archetypal but not treading into cliches?
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Not at all...

Archetypes are totally different from quintessential people. Archetypes are classic iconic characters in story... ie., the TRICKSTER, the WARRIOR, etc...

Quintessential characters are those characters that best represent that TYPE of character. By having your character become THE QUINTESSENTIAL CHARACTER of that type of character makes your story bigger... Bigger in a way that an audience feels rather than see.

Which seems to me a good way for Indie films to better compete with the big boys...

Cliched characters are just that... Cliche.

Like using a cop in a movie who goes against the grain of the police force... ala Dirty Harry.

Quintessentialism allows you to present a character that BEST REPRESENTS that TYPE of character. Of course if you were going to create a cop that goes against the grain of the police force, it's been done already with Dirty Harry... He is in fact, the quintessential cop...

But on the other hand, take John McClane in DIE HARD... slightly cliched, but a totally different kind of cop than Dirty Harry. He's more of a hero and his character in DIE HARD best represents that kind of cop. In other words, you couldn't take the twinkie eating cop and McClane and switch their parts in the film and make it work... Well, you could as a screenwriter because you're playing God but in reality, the pieces wouldn't fit and probably wouldn't be nearly as believable as McClane in that role. No way are we going to believe a fat cop who's been at a desk for the last umpteen years would be able to take on all those terrorists/thieves in the building one by one... Not saying it couldn't be done... It could... But would it be AS BELIEVABLE as using a character like McClane.

Take a look at McClane's wife... Holly Genaro. She too, is the quintessential housewife turned working mother... She's not working at the local department store... She's working for a Japanese conglomerate and she's like 2nd or 3rd down on the totem pole of the actual head honcho...

So... She best represents that TYPE of CHARACTER...

Not cliches... Not archetypes...

filmy
 
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Aha..... I like this game.

This idea can even be applied to flawed characters. Would BAD SANTA have been as funny if Willie had not been the QUINTESSENTIAL bad santa?
 
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But you don't feel like it's a fine line to walk? Let's say you want to have the quintessential wise cracking next door neighbor as one of your characters - could this not, if handled poorly, turn out very cliched? Or is it the type of character that is cliche and not the character himself?

Poke
 
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Right again...

Poke said:
But you don't feel like it's a fine line to walk? Let's say you want to have the quintessential wise cracking next door neighbor as one of your characters - could this not, if handled poorly, turn out very cliched? Or is it the type of character that is cliche and not the character himself?

Poke
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Right again... It IS a very fine line to walk and to be honest, one could easily create a cliched character but isn't that exactly what our job is? To keep from writing cliches? To keep from creating cliches?

The trick is to create a quintessential character WITHOUT the cliche... So, knowing what the cliche is ahead of time should make this much less difficult...

filmy
 
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Tips...

Poke said:
You worked out any tips to help seperate "cliche" from "quintessential" characters?

Poke
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My biggest tip would be to create the BEST. For instance, take Tom Cruise in A FEW GOOD MEN. He's the quintessential plea bargain jag lawyer. He's not cliched at all.

So what I would do with a character would be to figure out how he can be the very BEST at what he is. Is he a student? Make him the best student. Now when I say best, that doesn't necessarily mean he's the smartest... Best student could be any number of things... i.e., popularity, intelligence, helpful, etc. The trick would be to figure out HOW your character can be the very best at what he is. Doesn't have to be his or her job either... Could be the best brother, uncle, neighbor...

Make a list at how you see a character like this being the best...

This also works for your Antagonist... i.e., the best thief, the best hitman, the best whatever...

Then from the list, stay away from anything that you might consider cliche...

This should work... And, if you have a problem knowing what is cliche, it's best to show your list to someone maybe a little more knowledgeable... Two heads are often better than one.

Remember, what you consider the best might not be what I consider the best... That's why you make a complete list of characteristics someone who's the best of something might possess. For some characters, this could take research to come up with a good list.

Exhaust every possibility with the list and then start crossing off the cliches...

This should enable you to come up with the quintessential character.

Once you have those qualities and characteristics, you just have to figure out a way to reveal them throughout the story and most likely before Act 2.

filmy
 
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I "think" I get it... boil the character archetype down to the principal traits, and that's quintessential?

So if I'm writing the classic "snake" character, I think, well, this guy has to be REALLY slimy, REALLY sneaky, etc. In the end though, would this affect a complex character, or anti-heros?

What if I'm making a film about filmmakers- what is the quintessential filmmaker?
 
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Flaws...

Poke said:
But if you make your character BEST at what he does, will that lead to problems when it comes time to show flaws?

Poke
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Not at all...

Well, of course it could do that IF you allow it but again, that's the trick eh? You are GOD and ultimately, your characters are exactly the way you make them and ultimately do what you want them to do...

Remember, I am not promoting that you create characters that are perfect... I am however, suggesting that your characters be the epitome of the type of characters they are... I know it's a little difficult to grasp but you just have to keep thinking about it... Watch some films and you'll see what I mean...

You can certainly build flaws into those kinds of characters... Again, take a look at Tom Cruise in A FEW GOOD MEN. What's his flaw? Well, he's certainly way too cocky... At one point, he wants to give up the case so I guess you could even say he lacks self confidence when it comes to arguing in an actual courtroom.

Now that I think about it... I would imagine that it might be best to give your character those characteristics and elements that make him or her the best representation of that TYPE of CHARACTER while, at the same time, trying to find those elements that, at the same time, provide built-in flaws.

Again, Cruise's character in A FEW GOOD MEN...

If he's the ultimate plea-bargainer, that, in and of itself, means one of his flaws "might" be or at least suggest that he's "weak" in the courtroom.

Yeah, I like that...

filmy
 
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I think you are getting it... LOL.

Spatula said:
I "think" I get it... boil the character archetype down to the principal traits, and that's quintessential?

So if I'm writing the classic "snake" character, I think, well, this guy has to be REALLY slimy, REALLY sneaky, etc. In the end though, would this affect a complex character, or anti-heros?

What if I'm making a film about filmmakers- what is the quintessential filmmaker?
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I actually like how you're putting it... Boiling the archetype of that KIND of character... I like that a lot.

Now of course the principal traits... That's where it gets a little tricky. To me, the "principal" traits are definitely part of the equation but I would think these would be simply a baseline for that type of character...

In addition to the principal traits, you might want to figure out what other traits would elevate the character to quintessentialism. The epitome of the character archetype as you so deftly put it.

For instance...

Lawyers are lawyers... At least let us assume that all lawyers have a baseline of traits...

1) They graduated law school
2) They passed the bar exam
3) They have a job practicing law


Now I would call these "principal" traits... But what would the epitome of this profession be like?

3) They win every case they argue
4) They constantly seek out the hardest cases
5) They research the law more than anyone else

--and on and on... I wouldn't call these principal traits but I would call them quintessential traits...

Hope that helps...

filmy
 
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I can't seem to get a link posted correctly here, but if you go to right-write.com and find the article "Great Characters- Their best kept secret" (By James Bonnet) it may help illustrate your point through use of more widely known characters such as Dracula and Sherlock Holmes. Simply put, not just a vampire or a detective, but the quintessential vampire and detective.

-Billy-
 
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Under construction...

Billy said:
I can't seem to get a link posted correctly here, but if you go to right-write.com and find the article "Great Characters- Their best kept secret" (By James Bonnet) it may help illustrate your point through use of more widely known characters such as Dracula and Sherlock Holmes. Simply put, not just a vampire or a detective, but the quintessential vampire and detective.

-Billy-
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Hmmm... The url shows a site just registered (but maybe that's just me)... However, I'm pretty sure that I've read the article before... Probably where I got quintessentialism. I'll see if I can find the article someplace else...

filmy
 
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Quntessentialism...

FilmJumper said:
Hmmm... The url shows a site just registered (but maybe that's just me)... However, I'm pretty sure that I've read the article before... Probably where I got quintessentialism. I'll see if I can find the article someplace else...

filmy
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Found it! Here's the article:

http://www.right-writing.com/published-novelcharacters.html

Bonnet probably explains it better than I could... LOL.

filmy
 
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Wow...

FilmJumper said:
Found it! Here's the article:

http://www.right-writing.com/published-novelcharacters.html

Bonnet probably explains it better than I could... LOL.

filmy
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Just finished reading the article and I actually DON'T recall having read it before but Bonnet certainly drives the concept of quintessentialism home... He talks about not only using it with your characters but in all aspects of your screenplay which, I hadn't even thought of till after reading it...

James Bonnet said:
The quintessential can be applied to any element of your story but is especially effective when applied to the professions and dominant traits of your characters. If you take these dimensions to the quintessential, you will make your characters more intriguing. They will make an important psychological connection and that will add significantly to the power of your work.
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I definitely recommend copying and pasting this article into a word document (I just did) and keeping it for reference...

Thanks Billy!

filmy
 
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Ok- with those last few posts and the article I think I understand at last!

Archetypes are essentially the outline for quintessential characters- the character of Hamlet, the brooder, is based upon the idealized brooder. If Hamlet were a cop, he'd be the best damn cop on the force, but when the police chief is killed by the FBI, Hamlet must face his dilemma- to follow his orders as top cop and sacrifice his thoughts and morals, or pursue the mystery and loose his badge. But his quintessentialism is his drive- he wants to be the best at what he does and he is the best. And the quintessential story there is the archetype of the hero who rebels against the gods.

Perhaps I'm using archetype out of context, but I think I understand where the two merge- quintessential just seems like a better way to look at how archetypes are archetypes- the "quintessential" character is the "classic" character. He/she could be the best or the worst, or anywhere inbetween, as long as they clearly define exactly what type of person they should be representing.

So if my Hamlet was an arthouse filmmaker, he'd be the starving artist, frustrated he can't get distribution, always going on rants about "the next film", but he'd also have to be the BEST arthouse filmmaker, and CONSTANT thinker/brooder. Ok- am I getting this? LOL!
 
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