Main Character or Ensemble Cast For Your Screenplay?
One of the more common things I see from screenwriters submitting their work is the inclusion of an ensemble cast of characters. The ensemble cast is one of those things that readers repeatedly encounter with under-developed screenplays, so it’s important to be sure your story is best told with an ensemble cast rather than a main character. Otherwise, your reader will spot it as a red flag during the reading … and you only get so many of those before he or she has to pass on your work.
It all comes down to the story.
Ask yourself whether a single main character or an ensemble of characters would be best to bring your story to life.
Some stories are told best when multiple perspectives are included. Others are best when told from a one perspective. It’s up to you as the storyteller to make that decision. The thing you should steer clear from is how much fun it sounds to do something like Friends or Sex and the City … if that interests you, you should be writing for television pilots.
So what does your story require – main character or ensemble cast?
image credit: xavi talleda
