Shaula Evans at 2013-01-09 13:27:44:

I try to do a pass through the script for each character (just like the actor playing that character would). I start with what I know about that character and what I've learned in earlier drafts of the script. Then I go through the scenes that that particular character is in, and look at the scenes from that character's point of view. What does s/he want in this scene? What obstructs her or him? What are her/his relationships with the protagonist and the other characters like? How do those relationships change? Is the character's voice consistent? Does the character have a characteristic kind of physicality? What attitude and POV does the character bring to each scene? Etc. One of my favourite examples of a balanced film where minor characters still have strong attitudes, unique POVs, and individual voices is the 1974 version of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three with Walter Matthau.

Scott at 2013-01-10 00:10:36:

You can sort through characters even more: • Primary Characters: The major players in a story, appearing in numerous scenes throughout the script, the focal point of the Plotline and/or key subplots. • Secondary Characters: Important but supporting roles, generally appearing in fewer scenes and with a narrower narrative function. • Tertiary Characters: Bit players who appear in one scene to perform a single function in relation to the plot. Thus the next thing you can do is take your master list of characters and divide them into Primary Characters, Secondary Characters, and Tertiary Characters. Then for each character, regardless of importance, answer these questions: What is their narrative function? What is the point of their existence in the story? If you do not have a clear answer, you will want to think more thoroughly about that character. Do they contribute something necessary to the narrative? Does the story really need them? Next turn your attention to the story’s Primary Characters and ask these questions of each: • What is the character’s core essence [individual persona]? • What is the character’s narrative function [story purpose]? • How does the character influence the Protagonist on their journey? All of these can help bring clarity to your understanding of your story's characters.

Shaula Evans at 2013-01-10 00:50:09:

Scott, all of this is too useful to leave buried in the comments--I hope you'll put it up in its own post. Because I was working with a Shakespeare play as source material for my GOYOQ, I faced condensing a large theatrical cast into a manageable cinematic cast size--and I wound up looking at a lot of those kinds of questions in Prep, as I looked for ways to cut characters or conflate multiple characters into a single role. These questions will be a good check list when I go into editing, too, to vet those cast choices again.