Diversity Within Characters In Film

Diversity Within Characters In Film By Alex Shumate

My proposed project is to create a short film that embodies various theories in relation to a film’s genre and characters. One of the things that I love the most about film is the ability it has to convey meanings and messages to a viewer without the use of dialogue. This very idea is what fueled my passion for film. I discovered that this idea is what structuralist film theory is all about. In my short film, I will use all the aspects associated with film (lighting, editing, cinematography, etc…) to send messages to the viewer about a characters mood, feelings, thoughts, and ideas for each specific scene.

I believe film to also be an incredible teaching tool. One of the most amazing things about film is that it can spark emotional discussions from the viewer for just about any topic. This idea falls under the social cognitive theory. I believe that viewers can learn a great deal about a characters trials and tribulations by watching a film. The viewer can then apply the problems and solutions from the characters in the film to various conflicts that are going on in the viewer’s life. The short film will have a character that has obtained a great deal of internal conflict, as he must make a decision between the lesser of two evils.

In regards to diversity, the way I see it within my project is diversity in conflicts the characters must meet and overcome / fail. My point being that a character must not have just one specific conflict. He / she can have one overall theme of conflict, but if the character does not contain a diverse amount of conflicts, the character is boring to the audience and is not relatable. I think of films such as “Raging Bull” or “Taxi Driver” that are considered some of the best films ever made because they contain characters with so many complicated and diverse issues.

In an article on Poynter, the film “Bend It Like Beckham” is discussed for the diversity it presents in the film. The film is about cultural diversity, but it is also in relation to what I have been talking about. The film has a diverse amount of conflicts going on in the film. The main character Jess must deal with her issues in soccer as well as the boundaries of Indian culture in relation to romantic and athletic choices. Jess finds a friend, Jules, who must overcome her soccer dreams and nightmares while dealing with the conflict that her mom thinks her daughter is a lesbian.

The film brings a diverse amount of conflicts to the viewer to help the viewer understand these disputes while keeping the viewer entertained. Creating and telling a story about a character who has a diverse amount of internal conflicts and conveying these conflicts and meanings through the use of various aesthetics such as lighting and editing is essential to my project. Diversity does not play a role in the selection or exclusion of my subjects (actors) unless they do not fit the character profile.