Once hand-held cameras became all the rage, once in the early 1920s and again in the late 1950s, camera movement became an art form in and of itself. No longer did filmmakers have to bow down to the metallic three-legged beast, known only as "TRIPOD". With the hand-cranked Parvo, 16mm Bolex, or the self-blimped Eclair 16, they were able to maneuver like gymnasts and perform feats of incredible acrobatic prowess without having to worry about fatigue or noisy motors ruining their sound recording.
Since then, camera movement has become the golden boy of cinematography, but there's another type of cinematic movement that is just as effective at telling visual stories and capturing the attention of an audience: the arrangement and movement of on-screen elements, also known as blocking.
So, how can you use blocking to tell better visual stories? In this video essay, the team over at CineFix breaks down three main functions of blocking using one of director Akira Kurosawa's 1963 crime drama High and Low.
Reveal Who Characters Are
We give ourselves away without even knowing it. Our mannerisms, our walk, our speech pattern, and a host of other subconscious movements tell people who we are, what we want, and how we feel, and this is the very thing you can tap into when utilizing blocking. You can tell your audience so much about your characters by having them move from one side of the screen to the other, perform a certain action, or simply remaining still.
Blocking gives characters the chance to communicate their internal emotions and thoughts through their external movements, or as the video says, "act out their feelings."
Of course, good blocking has to be motivated, unless, of course, you're making a musical. Your characters must move in a way that seems natural and inspired by something more than your desire to communicate through it.
Create Tableaus That Speak to Your Audience
Another useful function of blocking is to create evocative images that say something about the story, the scene, or the moment as a whole. On a smaller scale, a character's placement on-screen can say something unique about them individually, but throw in a few other elements—characters, props, and their arrangement in a given space—and pretty soon you have several pieces of the image that coalesce to speak volumes about something bigger than themselves.
In other words, good blocking can allow you to create tableaus, or visual representations, that can be read almost like a piece of literature, informing your audience about a myriad of different aspects of your characters, themes, and even the entire story.
Tell Your Audience Where to Look
One very difficult challenge of creating effective visuals is knowing how to get your audience to look where you want them to when you want them to. Sure, camera movement and close-ups send a pretty clear message to your audience about where their attention should be, but blocking provides plenty of mechanisms to do it, as well. The trick is knowing what those mechanisms are.
Things like character movement, negative space, center-framing, and eye-line help guide your audience's eye to the most important part of the frame. Whatever is in focus, whatever is facing the camera, whatever is talking, whatever is closest, whatever is biggest, whatever is most colorful, whatever is different or contrasted will capture the attention of your viewer.
So, as you begin to block your scenes, keep these concepts in mind. If you give a little time and forethought into your blocking, it'll pay you back tenfold. Soon, you'll realize how much information can be packed inside something so seemingly inconsequential, and you'll be on your way to becoming a more dynamic, complex, and economical storyteller.
Want to learn more about the art of blocking? Check out some of these articles from our archive.
The most central elements of any story, be it a novel, a film, a TV series, or a stage play, are its characters.
They are the drivers of the story. They drive the content, they drive the conflict, and they provide the points of view. There are two requisite types of characters—dynamic characters and static characters.
Dynamic characters are those who undergo notable internal (personal) changes throughout the course of a story. By that definition, static characters are those who refuse to change.
What is a Static Character?
A static character is a type of character in any story or narrative that remains essentially the same at the end as they were in the beginning. Their personality, their beliefs, and their outlook don’t go through any change, and there is no personal development in their journey.
It sounds potentially awful, doesn’t it? If characters are the “drivers” of their story, what good are they if they remain “static”? It sounds too simple—almost boring.
But there is another side to their story—their usefulness.
That’s right! These Immutable creatures can be quite useful with all their static glory. Before we explore how, let’s see what their characteristics are.
'To Kill a Mockingbird'Credit: Universal Pictures
Characteristics/Traits of Static Characters
Behavioral Consistency
Their fundamental behavioral and other personality traits remain consistent throughout the story and never undergo any change.
Lack of Personal Growth
Just like their outer shell, their inner personality—their beliefs, prejudices, virtues and vices, and their core values—never undergo any transformation. They remain consistent in representing particular ideas and values.
Supporting Role
Many times, they play secondary roles to dynamic characters. However, there are several exceptions to this rule.
Represent Stability
Their static character traits are often symbolic of rigid traditions and unchanging forces in the story. In short, they provide a sense of stability in a changing story world.
Predictable Reactions
They typically respond to situations in expected ways.
Purpose-Driven
They often cater to specific narrative functions rather than showing any growth or change. They also often serve to contrast with dynamic characters.
Reliable
They help move the story forward through their predictable but reliable actions.
Familiar Touchpoints
They create familiar points of reference for the readers and viewers.
Reflect Reality
In the real world, we do not change significantly or dramatically in response to events. Static characters represent this real-world truth by staying true to their core nature.
Let’s watch a video explaining the key differences between dynamic and static characters.
So, if you had any doubt in your mind that static characters are the product of faulty writing—well, they can be, if they unintentionally turned out this way and are serving none of the above-mentioned purposes—then just know that well-crafted static characters aren’t underdeveloped but are deliberately created to fulfill important storytelling purposes.
More often than not, their consistency can be not only as meaningful as the transformation of dynamic characters but also can be quite complementary to their transformation.
Examples of Static Characters
As I mentioned earlier, static characters are mostly found to be in supporting roles, but they just as frequently serve as protagonists as well as antagonists. There have been quite a few.
'No Time to Die'Credit: Universal Pictures/United Artists
Static Protagonists
Sherlock Holmes
One of the most iconic characters, Sherlock Holmes, despite being highly complex and deep, is still a static character. His core traits, such as exceptional observation and deductive skills, intellectual arrogance, detachment from emotional entanglements, eccentric habits, and disregard for social conventions, never change.
His skeptical and cynical worldview is constant throughout all his stories. He never alters his views and never forms any meaningful relationships—except, to some extent, with Dr. Watson.
James Bond
Another iconic—and may I say, quite similar—static character. James Bond’s unwavering confidence, arrogance, and charm never fade. His exceptional skills as a spy and combatant never fluctuate. His stony outer shell is so consistent that it’s one of his signature personality traits.
Just like Sherlock, James Bond never forms any meaningful relationships. He is always sophisticated and dresses suavely. So much so that even his taste in women and drinks never change, women are always hot sirens, and the drink is always a Vesper Martini, “shaken, not stirred.”
Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Atticus Finch, widely considered to be one of the greatest heroes of American cinema, is surprisingly a static character—and obviously for the good. His unwavering moral compass, his sense of justice and equality, his courage to stand up to society (and the legal system) to defend what’s right, his idealistic parenting philosophy, and his respect for all people never fade.
Seriously, why change if you are already pretty perfect, right?
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2'Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Static Antagonists
Lord Voldemort (Harry Potter franchise)
One of the greatest villains, Lord Voldemort, literally from his Tom Riddle days to the day when Harry Potter disintegrates him into dust, He Who Must Not Be Named remains doggedly consistent with his vile traits.
He is never any less cruel and sadistic than he was before. His narcissistic belief in his superiority never leaves him, and neither does his hatred for Muggles and “impure” wizards and his pursuit of immortality. He always remains unable to fathom what love is, and to his last breath, he remains fearful of death.
The Joker (Batman franchise)
Batman’s archnemesis, the Joker, is one of the easiest examples to distinguish as a static character. Throughout all his media appearances, he remains steadfast with his nihilistic worldview and his belief that chaos and madness are the only constants, and thus the natural states of humanity. His obsession and symbiotic relationship with Batman never change, and neither do his signature sadistic tendencies.
Captain Hook (Peter Pan)
Just as Voldemort is obsessed with Harry Potter and the Joker is obsessed with Batman, Captain Hook is obsessed with Peter Pan. His singular focus on revenge against Peter Pan never goes down. He is always theatrically vain and is always concerned about “good form.”
His continuous fluctuation between gentlemanly refinement and brutal piracy is as constant as it is funny. He always presents a mixture of courage and cowardice, and his leadership style with his pirate crew never evolves.
'Shrek'Credit: DreamWorks Pictures
Static Supportive Characters
Gandalf (The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit franchise)
You might ask how someone who changes from “Grey” to “White” can be termed a static character. Valid question.
He is static because his fundamental character traits, values, and purpose never change. He always remains wise and intuitive regarding the larger struggle against evil, Sauron. His optimism, believing small and seemingly insignificant people like Hobbits can and will change the world, never fades. He always remains patient and strategic in confronting evil.
Donkey (Shrek franchise)
The first (and only) animated character in the list, Donkey, is a colorful, funny, and lovable character—and a static one. Why? Because he never ceases to be who he is—a chatty, utterly enthusiastic, optimistic, loyal, dedicated, and sometimes annoying friend. He always remains “that guy” who speaks without thinking and creates awkward situations.
Red (The Shawshank Redemption)
Red is one of the best characters in one of the best movies, and he is a static character. Why does he fit the classification? Let’s see.
His consistent core traits are his cynical worldview, his prison-hardened perspective, his straightforward and honest nature, and his resignation from life in prison. And, inside the prison, he consistently remains “that guy who can get things.” (Of course, he does gain a new worldview by the end, when he has hope for a fresh start.)
Conclusion
In conclusion, static characters are those who never undergo any change, and their core traits and values always remain the same. There is no character development. And yet, they are vital elements in storytelling because they provide consistency, contrast, and depth to the narrative.
While they never change, their static nature is complementary to the transformation of dynamic characters. They may come across as sidekicks, villains, or heroes, but they always highlight one fact—staying true to oneself can be just as powerful as a dynamic transformation.