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Multiple Main Characters in a Screenplay

edited October 2015 in Writing
Hi, I've wrote two screenplays and I'm working on another and they all have multiple main charters that aren't together for a lot of the script. So what I'm wondering is how long can I focus on one character before going back to another- 5 mins or does it matter how many scenes as I don't want people to wonder what's happening to character B when character A is on screen. Any advice?

Comments

  • I've not written a screenplay, but in a novel if one character is off the page for a fairly long while, I try to find a way to mention them - usually by having another character think or talk about them.
  • I don't want people to wonder what's happening to character B when character A is on screen. Any advice?
    Hi David - actually, you DO want people to wonder what's happening to character B while character A is on screen... because that will be one of your devices to keep people reading/watching. They may be currently absorbed with what's going on with character A, but the other character should be niggling at the back of their mind (because you've left them on a 'cliff hanger').
    However, how many characters do you mean by 'multiple'? If you have too many, you risk people getting confused and/or frustrated trying to keep tabs on each character.
  • I mean two or three characters and I get what you mean by having it at the back of your head. I have small parts where character A thinks about Character B or vice versa, so I can build on them.
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