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Establishing Character Moment: Difference between revisions
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[[File:WhyYouMaryJanePart1A 2496.jpg|link=Spider-Man|frame|The panel that made fanboys say "Who's Gwen Stacy again?".]]
{{quote|''"Sometimes, when you meet a new operative, it's a good idea to open with an aggressive move. You learn about people when you make them play defense: their reflexes, weaknesses, how they handle themselves under pressure. And even if they are able to counter, it never hurts to know how far they're willing to go."''
|'''Michael Westen:''' ''[[Burn Notice]]''}}
First impressions count, and in TV and film, even more so; there's no point in hiring an actor to give us a [[Deadpan Snarker]] if people think he's seriously being a total [[The Ditz|ditz]] until the third act. So when the character comes into the plot you give them an '''Establishing Character Moment'''.
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The first moment does not have to be huge, it doesn't have to be impressive, it doesn't even have to be first. It's about revealing a character's motivations and abilities in a single introductory scene. They could blow the roof and rappel in from a helicopter with an automatic in each hand...but if they're [[The Woobie]] it's not a good idea.
Sometimes the first thing needed is to set up how they fit into the plot but this may not best reveal their character. So the
Other times the
When it happens, it cannot be taken back. A running [[Kick the Dog|punt to a puppy]] will completely colour attempts to [[Pet the Dog]] later, but if you start with a gentle stroke then some people may [[Draco in Leather Pants|get the wrong idea]] about your villain. Then again, a [[Bait the Dog]] moment may subvert this...or it might itself serve to show the complex, multi-faceted [[Hidden Depths]] of that character.
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If it's a musical, it's an [["I Am" Song]].
{{Examples on subpages}}
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