Assignment: Meet the Character

This is part of a series suggesting different ways to use Moviestorm in schools or other educational environments. They also make useful exercises for film-makers wanting to develop and practice different film-making techniques. Many more lesson plans and ideas, with free downloadable resources, can be found on the Moviestorm Web site.

Assignment: Meet the Character
Do a chat show style interview with a character from a book or play. Get the character to talk about their background, their motivations, and explain their actions.

In this example, a reporter interviews Lady Macbeth’s maid about her unusual behaviour.

Suggested techniques

Don’t necessarily do a main character - it can be more effective to take a minor character.

Remember to make sure the character speaks in the same way as in the original material.

You could do a “This Is Your Life” approach and bring in other characters to talk about their relationship with the subject.

For teachers: benefits to students

• The student is required to demonstrate a good understanding of the character and their role in the story.
• The chat show approach allows them to take a less formal approach than writing an essay.
• The student has a chance to visualise the character.
• This can lead on to discussions of works like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead or other works based on minor characters in literature.

Suitability

• Ages 14+
• Suitable for groups
• Literature