Benedict Samuel Quotes

I always devise a background so that it makes what your character goes through logical and keeps up the continuity.

For me as a storyteller, I want to follow the characters and the story through what they organically demand.

I try to begin with a strong grasp of my characters. Even if it's schematic, I need it clear in my head who these people are.

I'll generally write out every scene that's in the film on a couple of pieces of paper, just with a little one-line. And then I can scan it a bit and go, 'This first third of the film, generally, I'm kind of calm.' Then I might do something on one piece of paper that just relates to the energy of the character.

I used to get stuck trying to find the first sentence of a story, then I realised that it was often because I didn't know what problem a character was facing in the story. As soon as I did, I could have the character trying to do something about it or have the problem whack him between the eyes.

Scene study is isolated. I suppose it's interesting, but I don't think it really teaches you about a throughline. A throughline is something you feel when you do one scene followed by another followed by another.

In creating a new character, it's sometimes difficult to find a touchstone, a North Star that will always point you in the direction that character will travel.

When it comes to a character, I make sure that it adds to the plot.

I'm a stickler for structure. So I tend to make sure I'm hitting certain points in the script and that I'm progressing and moving things along. You know, are the characters keeping the plot moving along? And are they true, and do I know their motivations?

As actors, you don't actually need to know the future of the character. You just need to know the backgrounds.

Plot and character are virtually the same thing.

I like having a plot; I like characters with a reason to get up in the morning.

It's very unusual for scenes to be added for a character.

Because characters are your creations, you are the one who ultimately gets to decide their fate.

I'm all about the story. If I like the character and I think the story's entertaining, I'll do it.

I know all actors are different, but I've never sat down and asked the writers, 'Where are we headed? Am I good or bad?'

If we get to shoot the third one, which I'm really hoping we do, the third one's great. There's a big uprising and rebellion, and my character Gale's a big part of that. If we get to shoot that, I'll be very, very pleased.

Any director, if you really ask them, will tell you that the toughest thing to do is like a dinner table or a dialogue scene, because you need to keep that electricity maintained throughout the course of the film.

I try to research or make up for myself what happened in any character's life. From when he was born until the first page of the script. I fill in the blanks.

In a lot of ways, TV writing taught me how to be a good storyteller. I learned about dialogue, scenes, moving the plot forward.

Well, first of all, you read the script a million times. Because what the script gives you are given circumstances. Given circumstances are all the facts of your character.

Every single film I've done, it's about the character.

In the writers' room, when we talk about each episode, we first talk about the character journey of the episode.

I think it is important that you care about the characters, and you are not just waiting for the next action sequence but have a vested interested in what happens to them.

For me, screenwriting is all about setting characters in motion and as a writer just chasing them. They should tell you what they'll do in any scene you put them in.