4 Types of Characters in a Film — Flat vs. Round & Static vs. Dynamic

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Types of Characters in a Story — In this video, we break down four types of characters in every story (flat, round, static, and dynamic) and how writers use them all.

Character Types Explained ►►
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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Character Types in Film
00:53 Character Types Defined
02:29 - Chapter 1: Flat vs Round
09:02 - Chapter 2: Static vs Dynamic
16:28 Chapter 3: The Shawshank Redemption Deep Dive
20:31 - Takeaways

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4 TYPES OF CHARACTERS IN A STORY (OR FILM)

All characters are not created equal — and they shouldn’t be. Not every character needs to be multidimensional and have a clear character arc. A good writer knows the four types of characters and how best to use them in any given story. Flat, round, static, and dynamic characters can be found everywhere, and the sooner you understand how they work, the better writer you’ll be. In this video, we’ll break down these character types, what makes them unique, and how they can even share these categories.

FLAT VS ROUND CHARACTERS

The first pair of characters are flat or round. This has nothing to do with their physical shape but thinking of them this way does help keep their differences in mind. Flat characters are uncomplicated and often defined by a single character trait. They are often used for supporting characters, comic relief, as a sort of stereotypical character, or when a character’s personality is deliberately simple. Round characters, on the other hand, have more dimension. They’re complicated, have layers to them, and are most often seen in protagonists.

DYNAMIC VS STATIC CHARACTERS

One of the most commonly heard screenwriting mantras is that characters must change. What they really mean is the “main character” must change — no one is upset when a side character who is only in one scene doesn’t have a complete character arc. Dynamic characters are those that undergo some degree of change throughout the story. Again, most protagonists are dynamic, but there are still exceptions to that “rule.” Static characters, on the opposite side, change very little or not at all.
Antagonists are often static because they need to provide the hero with consistent conflict.

Remember, while there’s no overlap within each pair (e.g., characters are either flat or round), they can be combined between the pairs. A static character can either be flat or round, for example. The types of characters at a writer’s disposal allow them to enrich their storytelling with variety and depth.


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♬ SONGS USED:

“Indy’s Very First Adventure” - John Williams
“The Flier” - Danny Elfman
“Hang Me, Oh Hang Me” - Dave Van Ronk
“We’ll Meet Again” - Vera Lynn
“Ambush on Coruscant” - John Williams
“All Lit Up” - Craig Armstrong
“Watch Me Shine” - Joanna Pacitti
“Lonely Town, Pas de deux” - Leonard Bernstein
“The Verdict” - Ennio Morricone
“Defeated Clown” - Hildur Guðnadóttir
“From The Fire” - John Carpenter
“The Theorem” - Danny Elfman
“Danke Schoen” - Wayne Newton
“Just Dropped In” - Kenny Rodgers
“Blue Blood” - Heinz Kiessling
“Flashback” - Burkhard Dallwitz
“The Winner is Little Miss Sunshine” - DeVotchka
“New Slang” - The Shins
“Waiting” - E.G. Daily
“On The Bus” - Danny Elfman
“Casablanca Suite” - Max Steiner
“Glory” - Tyler Bates
“Rock Hammer” - Thomas Newman
“Shawshank Prison (Stoic Theme)” - Thomas Newman
“Suds on the Roof” - Thomas Newman
“And That Right Soon” - Thomas Newman
“Workfield” - Thomas Newman
“Brooks Was Here” - Thomas Newman
“Building the Chair” - Carter Burwell
“He’s a Pirate” - Hans Zimmer

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Music by MusicBed ►

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