Bad Character Intros vs Good Character Intros (Writing Advice)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 พ.ค. 2024
- Learn what separates a great character introduction from a bad one. Examples from Star Wars, Batman, Guardians of the Galaxy, Die Hard, and more!
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0:00 Intro
0:35 What Makes a Good Character Intro?
3:00 Bad Intro 1 Significant Nobody
3:40 Bad Example 1
5:25 Good Example 1
6:36 Bad Intro 2 All Tell, No Show
7:53 Bad Example 2
8:47 Good Example 2
11:11 Bad Intro 3 Intro Parade
11:36 Bad Example 3
13:03 Good Example 3
14:59 Bad Intro 4 Blown Opportunity
15:23 Bad Example 4
17:48 Good Example 4
19:17 Outro
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Jack Sparrow in Curse of the Black Pearl is one of the best character intros ever.
It opens with Jack on the mast of his ship, the sun behind him, his hair and coat flapping in the wind as he gazes towards the horizon while the Pirate’s Theme plays triumphantly over this shot. It establishes him as a pirate and as a capable and impressive action hero.
Jack then drops down to the deck of his ship and you realize that he isn’t on a grand pirate ship, but a small dinghy that’s slowly sinking. This is the perfect representation of Jack Sparrow: The first, heroic shot of him is how he sees himself and presents himself to others, the other is his quirky, strange, and unconventional nature that leads others to laugh at him.
Then Jack spots the bodies hanging in the bay, and he stops bailing water from his ship and removes his hat in a show of respect to his fellow pirates. It firmly establishes Jack as a pirate while also showing that he has some moral code.
And finally we see him arrive to port, with all eyes turning to him as he rides the mast of his sinking ship up to the dock and steps confidently onto land. It shows that he is confident even when looking ridiculous and follows it up by bribing the Harbor Master and then stealing from him.
You immediately learn:
1) What Jack thinks of himself
2) How other people view him
3) That he is a pirate with a moral compass
and that leaves you wanting to know more about this strange character.
Also this scene creates clear contrast between his attitude and normal people attitude, as other people on the dock doing their regular work with a hassle while Jack is seemingly well into his comfort zone while his boat was literally sinking.
I also like the movie slowly revealing his strong resume to the audience making sure his confidence isn't Hollow.
😊
When I tell you that every second of Jack Sparrows character introduction is perfection, I mean _every single second_
Absolutely, it's my favorite fictional character ever. It was written and executed so well ... that in my writing I'm always influenced by the characters and beats in Pirate of the Caribbean Movies.
I haven't watched the movie, but that is a brilliant analysis. I could see everything in my mind's eye. Well done, Alex.
"Bob woke up to his alarm clock going off. He groaned and stumbled to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was bald, middle aged, with two-day stubble. He wasn't much to look at."
Jack Reacher type narration
“Bob, where are you?” Asked Bob’s glamorous and beautiful girlfriend Heather. Heather was a super model and was madly in love with Bob. That is why she lived with him in his house that is an apartment in New York. She winked at him in a flirtatious way.
“Heather, my girlfriend, I am in the bathroom. My alarm clock woke me up. I am going to shave my face.” Bob delcared.
Heather smiled at her boyfriend. She was in love with him but she also was in love with her ex, Johnny. Johnny and Bob were best friends since they were in college fifteen years ago. “You look like you have not shaved for two days.”
The Stanley Parable
He smiled; whispered to his reflection, "As long as I remain so bloody ordinary, I'm the perfect spy."
He finished his morning absolutions, winked at his incredibly boring visage, and left. Today, in addition to his usual information collecting, he had an assassination to perform five minutes before ten.
Guys, you're killing me 😂
The intro of the Joker in the Nolan trilogy is simply a masterpiece.
I personally don't enjoy it that much. It was fun and cool on the first and second watch for the wow factor. But his plan is really stupid when you think about it.
He almost got himself killed and survived only because his henchman hesitated and because the bus happened to hit the bank with just enough velocity to take out the henchman at the exact time when it was convenient for him (remember the bank manager stalled them so the plan wasn't even on point and on time). None of the henchmen seemed to doubt or hesitate to kill their mates despite each of them knowing that at least they were instructed to kill one of their mates. Why would they just go along and trust everyone on the mission blindly?
If the editing, music or pacing was just a bit off people would not think of it as highly. Most directors wouldn't have succeeded as Nolan did.
7/10.
@@timonikkinen9578 I think you assessed the scene correctly. The key statement is "first and second watch". If it takes you a *third* viewing to start asking the hard questions, then the director has done a pretty good job. Remember, this is a movie, and it has to tell a story in about two hours. Add in that it's about a super-hero and his arch nemesis, and you've immediately got to suspend at least *some* disbelief.
there were some plot holes during those scenes but it’s not supposed to be a realistic movie anyway
@@timonikkinen9578 thats joker personality as psychopathic careless and just winging his plans(explained later in the movie)this presists through out the film and thats what makes joker such a stricking character
Darth Vader, Hans Gruber, Hans Lambda and Joker are among my favourite villian intros!
First thing that comes to mind for me is Death’s intro from Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Fantastic character in general but that whistle combined with the sudden appearance still gives chills.
VERY MEMORABLE entrance. Also super stylish. Wish I had thought to include him in this video
Imo Death is kinda overrated. He’s still a great villain, but I think people give him too much attention compared to all the other perfect aspects of the movie, Goldilocks is criminally underrated.
@@cosmicspacething3474 Says no one but you.
@@cosmicspacething3474 With how rare prominent death characters are, much less quality ones, I can’t not love him lol. And I don’t like contrarians but if you ain’t that, then its fine. Not accusing you of anything.
He’s a fantastic character and makes you forget he only really has a few minutes of actual screen time, not to mention a play on the “character vs self” conflict mixed into a proper villain.
@@jeepersreapers353 I don’t like to be a contrarian all the time, and it’s partly the among us effect happening, but idk Death’s scenes just don’t hit me as hard as they do everyone else.
His lack of screen time is precisely my main gripe about him. For the middle of the movie he barely even exists. There are a few brief appearances, but it’s all like “he’s just standing there… menacingly!” which is the biggest possible downgrade you can have from his perfect introduction scene.
Most Pixar movies do this extremely well, but WALL-E is a masterpiece of character introductions throughout the film.
If we're going to mention Pixar, I feel that we must mention The Incredibles as well.
Not to mention Up. A few minutes with no dialogue tells us all we need to know about the main character, and breaks our hearts in the process.
@@aaronrevennaugh7218 Remember when
I absolutely love WALL-E but I think UP did it even better
@@bartsullivan4866Up created one of the most beautiful love stories ever in 2 minutes without dialogue. Just a masterpiece.
My favorite element of Peter Quill’s intro is the way it establishes that while he is in fact a stylish and quite capable and resourceful treasure hunter, he _also_ has an inflated opinion of himself that others don’t share:
Quill: “I’m Star Lord.”
Korath: _“Who?”_
Quill: “Star Lord? Legendary outlaw?”
Korath: [Shakes head incredulously]
Clearly, Star Lord is a legend in his own mind. That’s confirmed during the police lineup sequence, where the Nova Corps officer giving the presentation mentions that Quill is also known as Star Lord, and her superior asks, “By whom?” To which she replies, “Himself, mostly.” 😂
It's also worth noting that Quill is the only one to really get development in the intro. We see Gamora and Ronan we see Rocket and Groot but we don't learn much about them outside of Ronan is a bad guy, Gamora works for him and Rocket and Groot are bounty hunters. We're given just enough into to let the plot start driving THEN we start to learn about everyone like Rocket is good with tech or Groot is simple minded.
I just noticed at 14:09 a bunch of information are displayed, and his alias is shown as "SPACE-LORD"
There was a great scene from The Clone Wars that could have been adapted easily for an Anakin intro. Obi-wan is facing an enemy who is holding someone hostage in a situation where he can't do anything. Suddenly a lightsaber blade sprouts out of the guy's chest because Anakin snuck up behind him and stabs him. Obi-wan is shocked that Anakin would do something so ruthless only for Anakin to shrug and point out the guy had a weapon and was threatening to kill the hostage, which Obi-wan reluctantly accepts. So in one scene you've got Anakin doing something good, saving the hostage, but showing he's willing to fight dirty to do it, which a more traditional Jedi finds disturbing. Adapted to film, that sets up Anakin right away as someone who is capable of doing things like that and justifying why he did them. The scene could have ended with them receiving the call from the Council telling them to report to protect Padme.
Excellent!
So good, I may alter it slightly to borrow...
(Similar scenes have been used in westerns to show why the deputy (or other wanna be in the script) isn't hero quality; sometimes ever; sometimes, not yet.)
Which episode was that?
@@motor4X4kombatI think it was the last episode in the Mandalore arc from Season 2
@@motor4X4kombat Forget the one, but the hostage was Obi-wan's sorta-love interest from Mandalore which was part of the reason he was hesitating.
whatever episode deals with Tal Merik taking a hostage. if you search tal merik's death, youll find it
@@motor4X4kombat
I am always a sucker for Colonel Landa from Inglorious Basterds. It shows him being charismatic and kind, but also how dangerous he actually is
A subtle bit of genius that I only picked up on later: his pipe smoking is means to mimic that of Sherlock Holmes as he deduces the farmer is hiding Jews in his house. The twist is he pulls out a huge calabash style pipe, which is not accurate to Sherlock Holmes (it was an invention of the theatre adaptations), showing that while Landa is dangerously perceptive and charismatic, he's also showing his flaw of only learning the pop culture depictions of other cultures and not researching any further. It comes up again during the cafe scene where he subtly bullies Shoshanna by making her eat both dairy and meat in the same meal (which is against Jewish traditions...except Jews also have a contingency in their scripture that states survival trumps tradition so if your life literally depends on going against the teachings of your faith then that's what you should do).
@@draconusfrigidusit's also outlandishly larger than the farmer's pipe, which wins him the subtle dick measuring contest he starts.
Landa was a fantastic character. If you're referring to him letting Susana go as kindness then I didn't see it that way. I thought that it showed him treating her as an ant or fly. As in he would kill her if it's convenient or if he feels like it but if she amuses him with her tenacity or desperation, then he'll let her go. It truly didn't make a difference for him.
@@draconusfrigidusOh damn, that's good. 😮
I think "The Usual Suspects" is not only an example of parade introduction done well but also an example of showing a little and telling a lot with Soze.
I think Addy's presence in John Wick is intended more to inform us about John Wick than Addy. The point is to establish that he used to be a regular at The Continental and that he was well loved by the staff there. Addy seems to genuinely care about and miss him. Her concern for his wellbeing ups our sense of danger.
I’ve seen John Wick a lot and I think it’s one of those moments where a lot of characters burst with personality and you think you’ll see more of them but you don’t. It’s not a flaw of John Wick to me but it happens often. Like in John Wick 2 with the guy who gives John his guns. But I do agree with you, they could have done that moment with Winston but I love Abby.
I was just going to say the same thing. It's a a great naturalistic character moment and informs us about John, his relationship with the Continental, and the man he used to be.
Yes, but it still feels like a waste of a character. I wish they brought her back, but I'm not surprised after hearing the thought process of the director.
They could have accomplished the same thing without giving a false impression of her character's importance by using multiple throw away characters to accomplish the same effect instead of one character.
@xitaris5981 nah. The fact that she has a such a small role is what makes it work so well.
Exactly. The point of these characters is to show that John Wick is a veteran of this world - that there is a long history.
"show dont tell" would be better advice if it was "dont tell if you can show" because sometimes you dont have the space or a good opportunity to show something important.
One of my favorite duo character introductions is the opening scene to Monsters Inc. It firmly establishes what Mike and Sully do at the beginning of an ordinary day, but most importantly, it establishes how well they work together and why they make such a good team. Then, the movie plays a commercial for exposition, but Mike and Sully are only watching it to see themselves in it. The character intro continues into the following scene on their walk to work, as you see more character details, like how they interact with their community, how Mike wants to take his car but Sully forcing him not to because he’s mindful of the energy crisis.
I know it’s a little longer than some of the other examples in this video, but I still love how effortlessly Monsters Inc. brings us into their world.
Best intro is Trinity and the Agents in the original Matrix film. Still hits me hard after all these years.
That intro is a masterpiece if you consider someone watching the movie for the first time with no idea ehat it's about
No Lieutenant your men are already dead
I said the same thing but I added Blade as well which came out a year before The Matrix. Michael Keaton’s introduction in Tim Burton’s Batman is still super-iconic!
It’s almost criminal that the content creator of this video essay didn’t use The Batman 1989 as a great example of Show & Tell. The criminals are telling us about The Batman and then he actually shows up. And absolutely lives up to his legend and mythos!
@@endershepard7117 I have to concur with loving the intro of Blade in *Blade (1998).* The way they're all backing away with him smiling? And the ass kicking that happens afterwards?
I will go for a slightly odd one here: Corban Dallas from Fifth Element.
Starts out with him waking up, and everything you see at first leads you to think he's just going to be some kind of everyman character... until he opens his front door. The first thing that seems odd is how calm he is with a gun in his face, even telling his would-be robber how to remove the safety. Then, almost as if a switch flips, he turns the tables, pointing a gun at his would-be robber while easily disarming him.
And just when you think Corban might be the typical gruff retired soldier or assassin (you find out which later), he compliments his would-be robber's hat. He goes from being set up as your typical stoic, skilled character to someone who is skilled but also a bit quirky, an intro that makes what he does when Leeloo falls into his cab make a lot more sense.
I think you missed the sarcasm in "Nice hat." This doesn't establish him as 'quirky' but the skilled, rough-around-the-edges type guy you think he is. The whole point was to show how shitty his life is living in that little hole in the wall in his time in New York, and the crap he has to cope with, and how he deals with. There was never any sense of 'quirk' from his character, as far as I ever saw, throughout the rest of the movie/story.
@@tearstoneactual9773 You dind't find anything quircky about shoving his superior and others into shi fried when Leeloo and Cornelious show up at his apartment? Or when he learns what Leeloo was saying when she pulled the gun on him in Cornelious' apartment?
Sure, a lot of the oddities in his character probably come from the fact he is a highly trained soldier who never really adapted to civilian life, but he does not have the typical gruff attitude a character like that has. He seems to have a bit of a unique perspective on life, and in a way, that is probably part of what made him a elite soldier.
I like that we see the words STAY CLEAR in his room, and his first words are "I'm trying."
GIMME THE CASSSH 😂
Oh I have to watch it now 😂
That movie is a masterclass in great character introductions.
I'd definitely go with Jack Sparrow in the first Pirates of the Caribbeans movie. It's funny, unexpected, and it shows everything you need to know about the character without even saying much.
Best intro scene: The tyrannosaurus from Jurassic Park. RAWR!
The very first appearance of Death in "Supernatural" immediately comes to mind. The music, the subtlety, the slow-motion, and the fact that he never says a word the whole time as a guy dies on the sidewalk from bumping into him. It was perfect.
I loooooove the conversation with Death and Dean. Oh my god, that is riveting and sends chills down my spine every time. That was such an iconic, awesome scene.
I loved the music too, and then lyrics came in and I was like "Holy shit he gets his own theme song and it's genuinely good". Unforgettable, and I'm not even that big of a fan of the show.
Came here to say the same!
He’s the best side character in the show.
Can we get a vid on good vs. bad grey morality? I feel like there's a lot of media out there that champion morally grey characters or world-outlooks, but they either obviously fall into "good" or "bad" from an outside perspective, or try too hard to be morally grey through the author mixing in equal parts "good" and "bad" actions to spice up characters, instead of organically portraying the character as grey. I suppose another similar question is this: how do you write a good/believable Dystopia? Another case of lots of examples, but so many of them make you go, "No way that would actually function for any amount of time."
I know that it’s not my question to answer but the best dystopian society is a utopia as a utopia can never happen without a give and take of rights examples being the giver, 1984, Fahrenheit 451. The list goes on and on
Good: Garak (DS9)
Bad: Severus Snape (Harry Potter)
Miranda Priestly's intro in The Devil Wears Prada is one of my tops. This is because we can feel her impact on other characters before we see her fully on screen. We get side glimpses of her hair, stylish haircut, fashion current dress. We already know so much about her character before she even faces the camera.
That scene is masterful character introduction. Every character’s reaction to her imminent arrival hypes up the audience and hooks them to the screen. There’s a reason why that whole scene became the main trailer of the movie.
Gird your loins!
I loved Kyle Reese's character introduction to the first Terminator movie. He was stripped of everything, he barely talks, he is completely vulnerable and deeply mysterious; we don't even know who he is and his mission. We see him struggling with pain and confusion -he doesn't even know what year is- but we get the feeling that he is willing to sacrifice himself for his mission. He grabbed me hard and I could not go anywhere but after him.
I've always been bothered by "show don't tell," because monologues can be extremely effective. For example, in both Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, Mike Ehrmantraut tells several stories about his life (in BB about his half measure, and in BCS about how he admitted to his son he was a dirty cop) that make the world whole. I get that they're not exactly intros, but still.
They definitely have to be done right though! Great, informative, and educational video as always.
Someone else called it “Demonstrate, don’t Describe” and honestly that’s much more fitting
The USS Indianapolis tale from Jaws was great tell without needing to show too.
Show, don't tell isn't about visual demonstration vs narration. Otherwise all written media would fall under the "tell" aspect, which is absurd.
It is about the difference between:
"Bob is a crazy adrenaline junky who likes virgin pina coladas, flying and hunting"
And
"Bob regularly base jumps, sky dives and drinks virgin pina coladas while flying his personal jet at Mach 2 over the wilds of Alaska, where he also goes bow hunting for grizzly bear once or twice a year."
Give the audience something that demonstrates the feeling you are trying to convey about the subject rather than simply telling them. Let them come to the conclusion themselves that Bob is a crazy adrenaline junky by" showing" examples of him being a crazy adrenaline junky instead of just telling them he is one.
I think a lot of modern comics have actually taken this advice too seriously, by mostly getting rid of narration boxes and thought balloons in favor of a more cinematic voiceover approach. Sometimes a little narrative exposition can really help clarify and move a story forward.
I think it works especially well there because at that point we already understand Mike as a character in Better Call Saul
Old gruff and grizzly retired cop, that's enough good characterization from the first 5 episodes, but when Five-O rolls around, it's more in depth character story and it also has to do with the overall plot, as it not only beautifully established Mike's character (Jonathan Banks' acting is incredible there), but that whole storyline also further cements his relationship with Jimmy.
God, I love that show so much lmao, I could go on and on forever
Writing Tip: After finishing your character introduction scene write the scene that follows, then throw the intro scene in the trash and use the following scene instead.
I think a good way of viewing it is like this, we aren't 'meeting' this character for the first time, because we aren't meeting them at all; we are only watching a character who is at the beginning of one their many stories they have lived through, and they have lived many years filling them with stories too. You can't just capture that in a few minute scene, it would be difficult to show the complexity of a human life even in a novel. When you meet a person in real life it's usually the same, "What's your name?", "What are your hobbies?", etc., but what exactly is interesting about that? It takes a long time to truly get to know someone, and even longer to truly care about them.
I think the worst thing you can do is to make an intro scene 'feel' like an intro scene. The key difference between a good introduction and a bad introduction is the fact that good ones tend to hide the fact that you're watching one, and they make it feel like the beginning of the movie instead. Think about how many times you've met someone in real life and it was actually interesting, and the odds are likely that it was due to it being an unusual first encounter. Aim for that, give a first encounter that stands out, and create a situation that feels unique; it'll hook your audience in, and then you can teach them about who your character is with time.
No matter what type of story you are writing you are still only showing a day in your character's life at the start; so instead of making it an introduction scene, make it an interesting day that they had, and try to throw in context only when it's needed. We don't need to know everything about a character at the start of a story, because we won't truly know who your character is until we've had time with them anyways. I'd say it works so much better to introduce your character bit by bit, making the audience crave exposition, and giving it to them in little bite sized portions. The more your audience cares about a character, the more willing they will be to learn about them.
well said .....
underrated comment. I'll try that right now
The Joker's introduction in The Dark Knight is amazing. You were introduced to him through the thoughts and actions of his henchmen. One of the best character intros ever created. Christopher Nolan is a genius!
Ocean’s 11 nailed an ensemble introduction
Belle's introduction in Beauty and the Beast (1991) is a masterful one.
Guy Ritchie's _Snatch_ is a masterclass in introducing character after character with memorable on-screen character moments and succinct quotable narration that gets hammers the point in.
My favourite character intro has to be Daniel Plainview from ‘There Will Be Blood’. There is absolutely no dialogue for the first 15 minutes of the film, but we see he clearly is an intensely determined man, perhaps even obsessed, his character traits - the ‘show’ part is nailed. And when he finally does speak, it’s all ‘tell’, in a monologue that makes complete sense in situation, as he’s addressing a small township about their oil potential, his character’s story. It has everything. Paul Thomas Anderson is a genius
The Good, The Bad, and The ugly is a prime example; in particular, Angel Eyes, in particular. Angel Eyes stands like death when he confronts Baker. He then calmly walks down, and sits and eats with a man he's been contracted to kill. Then, he kills him in the fastest draw, and then kills his son also, then walks out as if nothing happened. Its a perfect example of how and why he is ruthless, and terrifying.
Three of my favorite character intros are from the following movies: Blade 1, Casino Royale, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
I have to go into detail for each.
Casino Royale: James Bond, after swiping the bullets from a traitor's gun, ruthlessly executes him. This is juxtaposed with a brutal fight with the man's contact. This makes clear this version of Bond is deadly and ruthless, despite just starting his career as a 00.
Pirates of the Caribbean:The Curse of the Black Pearl: we see Jack sailing into the harbor on a sinking dinghy, despite the laws of physics saying he shouldn't be doing this. But he does so with style and grace and then steals from the corrupt harbor master. To sum up, he's a sly pirate who does crazy things to get through his problems.
Blade: When Blade appears, a crowd of vampires stop hassling a helpless human and begin backing away in fear. He moves forward, grinning like a wolf surrounded by sheep. What follows is a three minute slaughter of bloodsuckers, during which Blade never speaks until the end, where he burns alive a vampire he's apparently familiar with. Then, he checks on the hapless victim for vampire bites, before taking his leave. From this four minute sequence, we learn Blade is a deadly warrior with a hatred for vampires, with hints of a more compassionate side for innocent people.
I should also like to add that Casino Royale and Blade also do a great job of establishing what the tone for the whole movie is going to be like, based on the main character.
Blade has such a badass entry. Possibly the best of any Marvel movie ever (doesn't sound difficult since most Marvel films are bland and formulaic and most of their main character superhero introductions are over the top). Blade and Wolverine from the first X-Men movie are probably my favourites from Marvel.
@@vinnylewis9245can't fucking stand how Wolverine was the center of almost all the Fox X-Men and he wasn't even intimidating or scary to me, just a rugged Aussie asshole.
@murk4552 Well, that’s you’re problem there, Wolverine is Canadian not Aussie 💀
@@ihavespoken9871 "your" not "you're".
I LOVE the way the Firefly crew is introduced in the Serenity move. One tracking shot of continued action that very neatly establishes each character on their own, but also sums up the relevant relationships
I can't think of my favorite character introduction, but I can quickly think of my least favorite: Aquaman. The first standalone Aquaman movie has one of the most "got it wrong" character introduction scenes I think I have ever seen. Aquaman foils an attempted hijacking and robbery of a military submarine, and in it, we see the villain and his father have a heartfelt moment of the father having pride in his son and the son basking in the love of his father as they (checks notes) hold crewmembers hostage and steal weapons. Then Aquaman comes crashing in, knocking bad guys out left and right, then we have a moment where in an act of self defense, Aquaman accidentally traps the father beneath a torpedo, which ultimately leads to his death. I came out of that scene KNOWING that Aquaman was the good guy and the other guy was the villain, but emotionally if felt completely swapped. It felt like Aquaman was the jerk and the villain was the victim. I get making an antagonist relatable, but this went way too far.
.
Jokers intro in The Dark Knight is one of the best put to film, The Emperors intro in Return of the Jedi was perfection as well
Jokers intro in Dark Knight is full of convenience and plot armor. It's mostly remembered because of 10/10 cinematography, editing and music creating a wow factor that people forget how dumb and stupid the actual plan is.
He almost died by the banker and by his henchman. He only survived because the bank manager had stalled them the exact perfect time for the bus to appear at the perfect spot at the right time and for the henchman to hesitate just a second too long and every henchman just blindly followed and trusted their mates despite having secret kill orders on the mission and the school bus to leave at the exact right time when a group of school busses were passing by.
Blade's introduction comes to mind! A guy is slowly realizing there's something strange in the party he's been invited to. By the time he realizes in terror that he's surrounded by vampires, Blade makes his entrance and starts killing them effortlessly
That's a great example! Possibly the best comic movie intro so far.
Iron Man had a pretty cool one too but Blade tops it by pulling us right into plot whereas Iron Man goes back in time to explain the lead up to the intro. Blade keeps the energy going whereas Iron Man drops off the energy.
Wow this is really interesting that so many people in this comment section along with myself mention Wesley Snipes - Blade from 1998. That intro of the titular main character of the film still holds up more than 25 years later!
One of the best is The Professional. Leon's introduction is badass. Matilda is also introduced well showing their relationship and her life. Great character introductions into a great movie.
That scene where she pretends to ignore her dead family and quietly begs him to open the door 🚪 😮
I don’t think you understand how excited I am that someone has finally mentioned the limo driver from die hard. I for real thought he was just one of my favorite characters when I first saw the movie. I’m so glad you’re showing some love to the boy. 💪
hard disagree on the point for Addy. While maybe its a bad character introduction, its still an important character moment, as it informs us where John is within his secret world of assassins. John has just reentered the assassin world, and the bar tender indicates that she and him have a good rapport, enough to immediately identify that something is wrong with John. This tells the audience that John is jumping into the deep end and everyone is noticing, which may expose him to more danger.
Makes sense. Kinda like the door guard that he let go (I think in the sequel)...there are many of these side characters who shed light on John's character simply by their one onscreen interaction with him.
True, but that has little to nothing to do with her
yeah, i think addy sets up both the world and john wick well if maybe she does pull more focus to herself than what should be there.
There's really no reason to make your side characters forgettable. I don't think it's a bad introduction if the side character is intriguing in some way.
That's actually an insightful thought
One important rule is that you don't have to introduce every important character right from the start. Actually, some of the best movies give us one new important character appr. every thirty minutes, like in Chinatown (first JJ Gittes, then Evelyn Mulwray, then Noah Cross, then Evelyn's sister). It is a great trick to move the plot forward and to make sure every important character gets the attention that he deserves.
Never knew I needed an Addy / John prequel until now 🔥🔥🔥
I always liked the introduction of Sloth from The Goonies. When I was younger, he scared me at first, then I sympathized with him, then I laughed at him, then I cheered for him… that man played with my emotions, very fun character and movie
Macready's intro in The Thing is one of my favorites. You see him lose to a computer in chess and he responds by pouring his whiskey on the computer. Shows he is not the typical protagonist that you feel you can rely on to solve the problem and also foreshadows the chess-like conflict he will have with the alien that has infiltrated them that he has to try to outsmart
Just got my copies of Bad Parts and Entry Wounds, and I can't wait to read them. I love your channel, thank you for helping us grow as writers and storytellers!
Thanks for checking out my books! Hope you love them
Also, please leave reviews when you finish--those help a ton
You got it!
"LA Confidential" has my favorite character introduction. Bud White, Jack Vincennes and Ed Exley are shown one after another (and before that, Sid Hudgeons with a voice-over). This sets the tone for each character (couragious but violent, elegant but corrupt, intelligent but inexperienced), but also for the whole movie which is essentially a movie about three policemen and how they influence and interact with each other. It gives us personal information without boring us to death with facts and stalling the plot, but instead each character introduction moves the plot a bit forward, leading directly to the Bloody Christmas scene. Great stuff.
Good one, this movie is awsome
I think the perfect parallel to Suicide Squad (2016) is The Suicide Squad (2021), when Waller introduces the team she does kind of the same exposition about each one, but the characters actually interact with each other and show their own character traits while still leaving room for curiosity, things happen that get you interested and the plot moves forward and we get to know more about these people without it just being a flashcard
i think Edmond's reintroduction as the Count in The Count of Monte Cristo is great. in the book we know the Count is Edmond but how Dumas keeps it hidden from characters who knew Edmond (Danglers, Fernand, Mercedes, Villefort) is masterful
Best intros i can recall now: Azula in Avatar last airbender.
Miranda in The Devil Wears Prada. Both scenes show their influence and power.
And intro not only of the character but also the tone and style of the movie: Elle Woods in Legally Blonde
One of the best intro scenes doesn't even feature a main character. It was the library scare from Ghostbusters (1984), the librarian's screams fading into the Ghostbuster's emblem with the theme song jacking in got me so hyped up as a kid.
One of the best character intros for me is John Coffey from the green mile. He just shows up, this gigantic fella. He is very cooperative but also very intimidating. The introduction doesn't give us reason to sympathize with him (that comes later) but the amount of mystery surrounding this giant dude who just walked into deathrow is amazing.
I think ironically enough Anakin's intro in Episode 3 is WAY better. You get to see his starfighter skills, you get some banter with Obi-Wan (which is 90% of what people quote from the movie), and you get to see that he cares immensely for even a single soldier. It does still lack some of that dark side potential I feel like, but at the end of the day you get to see Anakin in his element.
I mean, he does execute the Christopher-Lee-character at Palpatine's behest, so I think the dark side potential gets introduced as well.
Hey Brandon, can you make a Writing Advice Video on Strong Female Characters please?
I'd all this to my list--thanks!
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty Thank you very much, and have a good day! 😊
Jill Bearup has some good videos on strong female characters.
I would love to give a few personal pointers, if you're interested. :)
I think the best tip of all is this, if we can tell they're supposed to be a 'Strong Female Character' then they're poorly written. People don't fear strong women, they fear forced admiration, and when something is shoehorned that is when the audience will cringe. It's best to let the audience be the judge if a character is strong, and to give them reasons to assume why, instead of forcing them to acknowledge their strength. That really is the biggest problem with poorly written characters, so often it feels like you're forced to admire them while their strength is constantly shoved in your face. The only thing that should be shoved in your audience's face is popcorn.
I think the second biggest problem people make when writing a strong female character is that they make them sickeningly overpowered to the point they don't have any weakness to overcome, and if they don't struggle then they aren't "strong", they're just a god... Physically strong? Yes. Mentally strong? Of course. Relatable? Not at all. It is just as important to give your characters weaknesses as it is to give them strengths, because then the audience learns to understand and appreciate them.
Strong people stand out by their actions, their attitude, and the difficulties they overcome, and if they aren't overcoming some sort weakness, or fighting a force that is stronger than they are, then they aren't "strong" as they have no room for growth, and they're just simply immune to everything. Look at any strong woman, (or man), lifting record breaking weights, and notice how they always look like they're about to pass out or break their back while doing it, and it's because if they aren't careful they absolutely can; and that is what makes them so strong, they are going through immense pain to do what they are doing, while taking huge risks, but when they overcome it with victory it makes it that much sweeter.
At the end of the day you want your audience to cheer for her, so don't make them cheer when she leaves the screen. The more your characters struggle then the more satisfying their victories will be. If a woman walked into a room and started lifting more weight than any man could without struggling nor even breaking a sweat, we won't learn to love her, nor can we find any common ground with her; she's a god amongst mortals and honestly would work better as an enemy. It's easy to hate someone who constantly shows off and puts zero effort into what they do...and yet so many strong women are written to be that way. It's important to ask yourself, "Am I writing this character to be a strong person, or am I writing this character to show off girl power?", as both are fine, but one can definitely stick out like a sore thumb, while the other can be so satisfying. If a woman trained her whole life to lift record breaking weights then the audience will be so much more interested in her. Show them her story, her struggles, her failures, her humble beginnings, and leave her strongest moment for the end, as it will make it so much more satisfying for the audience, and they will learn to love her for it.
@@julietardos5044 cheese!
Frodo has a really well adapted introduction in the movies.
In both media there is the hobbit intro which sets up Bilbo and Frodo to be the odd ones out. In the books Frodo is a guy, who really likes stories, learns Sindarin from Bilbo and loves their walks through the shire. This is told through many pages. And there is no real relationship to Gandalf. It takes them more than a decade to warm up.
The movie just finds him with a book outside sitting under a tree. It is very compressed, but gets all the main character points across. The movie shows less time, which is why Frodo has to be friends with Gandalf from the beginning.
Though both defining moments are quite different in the two media, the movie intro serves the story in such a brilliant way, that I cant be mad at change in the adaptation. Its been done very dliberately.
Good points. Strider has a good introduction too
The batman intro had me on the edge of the seat
Tropic Thunder has a really good intro parade, because it introduces us to all the actors through the fake movie trailers. XD
I absolutely loved the intro to Corbin Dallas in the 5th Element. The contrast from the dark sequence to his clumsy apartment, letting his cat in which he forgot to get food for. His intro keeps going even throughout the entire chase with Leeloo, showing his driving skills despite being a simple cab driver. This scene is smart, as it intros Leeloo, Priest Cornelius, and even hints at Ruby Rod
The opening sequence to Raising Arizona is a great story and character introduction
I think the character in Jon Wick is important because it gives him more background. She obviously cares about him, maybe they were a thing at some point, but they didn't want to end up giving him a girlfriend or anything. I think this is a situation where it serves the story really well because Jon is back after a long time. this scene is impactful for Jons 'lore'
One of my favourites is from my favourite movie: RoboCop (1987). Although we're actually introduced to him as two characters, Murphy first, then RoboCop. It covers all of these points. I noticed in one of your other videos too about what makes a good story that it has all of the elements you suggest. Such a great and clever story.
Oh yeah, well said and I would also add Christopher Reeves in Richard Donner’s Superman The Movie. We get to see him as a man and in costume. We get to hear John Williams Iconic Superman Theme Song in the movie for the first time ever. And we believe that a man can fly.
And Superman’s First Night fighting crime and saving lives for all to see. Most likely inspired that similar scene in Robocop and many other films.
Idk. Listening to the beats of Anakin's intro sounds like it sets everything up pretty well. We have to remember, at the beginning of Attack of the Clones, there's no war yet. So a Jedi's life is going to be pretty boring. Protecting a senator is the most exciting thing going on right then for these two Jedi. Also, it shows Anakin and Obi-Wan's flaws immediately. We see that Obi-Wan is not good at teaching, and Anakin doesn't respect him. We see through their argument in front of Padme how rebellious Anakin is. As for his interaction with Padme, we see Anakin's so desperate her love, he will openly flirt with her in front of everyone. You got to remember, she's the reason he turns to the dark side. So, this scene sets everything up perfectly, imo. But, that's just me. I'm someone who doesn't hate the line about hating sand. He was comparing his rough life to Padme's perfect one. He used the juxtaposition of Tatooine and Naboo as a way to compliment Padme's beauty. Of course it's going to be clunky. He's a teenager who never got to read literature. Obviously it worked. Besides, Anakin was never good in any of the movies or TV shows with words.
Somehow Saul Goodman in both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul lands this 3 times. First as Saul in Breaking Bad, then as Jimmy and Gene in Better Call Saul. There's really no question about who these character's are, their current status in life and what to expect from them after their first scene.
Silence of the lambs is a masterpiece in terms of characters intro. Clarice Starling and right after Hannibal Lecter are immediately interesting.
For the Anakin intro, shortly after him and obi Wan go on a dangerous mission that somewhat foreshadows his turn to the dark side as well as showing his personality by being cocky confident and impatient
Exactly. And Anakin's reliance on his own instincts and abilities is in contrast to Padme's reliance on diplomacy and cooperation. The 'daily life' of the Jedi is exactly this kind of meeting with dignitaries. The first time we see Anakin in action it is being dynamic and instinctive in saving Padme's life, which is not only developing the character and advancing the plot, but *relevant* unlike this video suggesting a redundant scene be thrown in to show action and telegraph Anakin's turn. We've already established in the saga what Jedi do, and what kind of action to expect. But the channel doesn't care, it just wants a prequel image for the thumbnail. He doesn't care that the scene established the master/apprentice dynamic which is central to their character arcs, the movie and the trilogy. Just like he doesn't care that his own criteria mean Luke's intro is wasted in A New Hope, also.
I didn't see Addy in John Wick as a badly introduced character at all. At the time, it seemed the purpose of her character was to show how well known to, and popular with, the hotel staff Wick was, underscore the importance of the message he receives, and give a justification for why this particular girl would do this for him. I think it's sometimes important to add a more 3 dimensional aspect to minor characters for verisimilitude, to avoid the feeling of a world peopled with cardboard cut-outs moving around a few key players. I just didn't get the feeling Addy was introduced with the intention of making her a significant character. No disappointment, no confusion here anyway.
Exactly. Addy and John’s short interaction makes the world of John wick feel much more alive.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Rey's intro in Force Awakens is actually pretty decent (not the best ever, of course, but decent). The whole sequence of her scavenging and surviving, with no dialogue, intrigued me and made me want to know more about her. Little did I know that the intro would be the highlight of the character for a whole trilogy of movies.
It was pretty good.
I completely agree. She gets a lot of hate, some of which is justified, but her introduction implied that there was a lot of mystery about her, which did become her theme for episode 7(not knowing who her parents were and not understanding why she has force powers and whatnot)
Also, her body-language and Daisy Ridley’s acting matched the soundtrack and setting really well. It gave this overall vibe of curiosity
The Batman is a masterpiece.
Another reason the opening scene from The Batman works is that it sets up his mixed relationship with the GCPD.
I think one good example I can think of is Kyuzo from Seven Samurai. His first scene is him in a duel with sticks and he corrects his opponents by saying he had won. He then proves it in an actual sword duel where he kills his opponent swiftly. It shows he is serious and knows what he's talking about, proven more with scenes like him practicing sword swings in the rain.
Compare this to Kambei's introduction earlier in the film, where he shaves his head and poses as a monk to stop a criminal from killing a captive (a child IIRC)--all without using a sword. It's another good example which shows how he thinks, how wise and skilled he is, etc.--with some notable differences to Kyuzo yet equally efficient and well-executed.
Also, another thing to note about Anakin Skywalker's intro being bad is that AotC is where he properly gets a chance to be a main character. However, nothing is established of his wants or needs as a character. TPM set one up (i.e. his mom) but only had him mention her once and did nothing about her (focusing on him trying to get into Padme's pants) until the plot tells him to go to Tatooine. And Qui-Gon is practically nonexistent to Anakin post-TPM. Establishing stuff like that and conflict surrounding them would've helped the audience to sympathize with him better, e.g. have Padme ask Anakin about his mom when the pair reunite, Anakin comparing Obi-Wan to Qui-Gon, etc.
19:20: SPOILERS:
A good character introduction for me is Homelander. We first see him in he first episode, saving some boys from some criminals. It paints him as a brave, heroic, charismatic, and kind man as he takes selfies with them.
It also slightly hints at something dark as how he dealt with one criminal as he threw him up in the air and he landed on a car, killing him and destroying the vehicle in the process.
All throughout the episode, We get further hints that Homelander was a good person. One of the characters say that he doesn't drink or smoke, not a necessarily an evil action, but not a good action that you should strive for.
When The Seven were having a meeting, Translucent was moaning about people privateing his movies, costing him a lot of money. Homelander called out him for his greed, saying something among the lines that money doesn't matter, then turning the conversation around by asking how many lives they saved. This point further droves in with how his fellow seven act.
The Deep blackmails, lies, and s**ually ***ults Starlight for her to get in to the Seven. A Train smashes through Hughie's girlfriend, treating it as some little accident and not properly apologizing, he even laughs about it in private.
We lead to believe that Honelander is this honest, pure, innocent soul who always does the right thing. But that little dark moment in the opening greatly pays off near the end of the episode.
The mayor of Baltimore knew something he shouldn't and tries to blackmail Honelander's boss with the "rumor." For that, Homelander lazes his plane, killing all passengers, including the mayor's son who had nothing to do with this, he even looks up to the "Superhero". When the plane was falling down, he can see a ever so subtle smile on his face.
This is the effective opening because it's an Oxymoron, we are lead to believe that Homelander is a great Hero, but he's actually a vile monster at heart.
For the worst character intro, is the boring generic villain from the Postman Pat film. He just shows up, is clearly a villain from the get go, and nothing interesting happens. I can't even remember his name for crying out loud! Postman Pat isn't movie material at all.
Totally agree about the Homelander example! However, you've blown my mind with the other one... Postman Pat? I'm from the UK, so... do you actually mean OUR Postman Pat, with his black and white cat? They made a MOVIE about HIM? With a VILLAIN in it?? (Or am I being a dumbass who's completely missing an irony gene?)
EDIT: OH MY GOD... I just Googled it, and... they DID! Thay actually did that! But the plot summary... what the hecking heck?? I'd be scared to watch it from the synopsis alone.
@@Maerahn Watch if you like but don't expect too much from it.
I love the bad examples vs good examples stuff man. Great vid, and you’re spot on when it comes to the ways Anakin’s older self could have been introduced, they all sounded so cool.
Those were awful ideas.
I like Addy's scene in John Wick, because those couple of minutes serve a purpose: to humanize John. We see him being decent toward other people in the film, but they're fellow killers who have his respect (like Marcus and Francis) or people he wants information, cooperation, or services from (like Aurelio, Winston, Charon, and JImmy). Addy is neither -- IIRC, he didn't even touch his drink -- and he's friendly and open with her anyway, because that's just the kind of guy he is. This helps keep the audience on his side.
(The obvious counterpoint is that being rude or dismissive toward Addy while asking a favor from her boss might have been foolish, but there's no hint of calculation in John's behavior.)
The intro scene of Don Corleone in The Godfather was great and iconic. So is the very first introduction of James Bond in Dr No. Mozart's introduction as an adult in Amadeus is amazing too: you have this musical genius revealed to be a vulgar manchild. Let me get back to you for the worst ones.
ive been binging all your videos because ive been wanting to write a novel! thank you for making these videos because it is giving me the confidence i need to start writing
I don't remember Addy in the John Wick movie, but watching the scene in the video, I got the impression that the scene served a little more to show about Wick himself being a known or "welcomed" figure?
Think of it this way: Every other minor character in the hotel is used in the plot with setup and payoff: Winston and Charon are full supporting characters. But the minor character, the middle aged Black man, who also recognizes, comes back into the story to restrain the assassin. And then there's the assassin herself.
Addy is the only one with setup but no payoff. So we are pointing out that a half-used writing technique confuses the audience. Imagine if all the same emotion and attention was paid to Addy and she was a suicide girl, one of the secretaries manning the switchboards. Imagine if the camera lingered on her as she had forlorn emotions about putting Wick's name and bounty on the board. The camera lingered on her hesitating to do it. If she questioned it and her supervisor told her to follow orders and gave her name so that we as the audience now had a name attached to her. ....
If you said as a writer that you just wanted to show that there were other people in the world who cared that John Wick was being excommunicated, that would be mixed messages to the audience. You didn't show that everybody cared. You showed that Addy cared.
im sorry but i think this is stupid. World building is important jsut as much as characters. you dont need to tell every world building in a show also she was NEVER hyped up liek this youtube video tells. @@Cityweaver
@@21penguins37 Thanks for sharing. I'm not sure how saying "you don't need everything to be worldbuilding" justifies her existence at all as opposed to what I said, though
An example from literature, not film. Some of the best character intros and characters per se, I found in the First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. Sand dan Glokta and Logen Ninefingers are both very odd characters to sympathize with, but you do. Sand is a very efficient torturer, that is damn good at his job, but a very intriguing character with all his doubts. And his intro is perfection. 🙂
Thank you! This is well done and amazingly helpful. Really appreciate the format. Especially the way you define terms and list elements before the examples roll out.
Your first example of a bad character intro isn't about the bartender, it's about John. It's about contrasting who he was with where he is now and about giving us hints about what The Continental is. She isn't having a spotlight shone on her, she is the spotlight.
exactly...i typically take thse type fo writing videos with a huge grain of salt because they try to make writing objective when that simply isnt the case almost ever
@@21penguins37agreed. It’s also a lot of opinion. Is he justified in saying she’s a significant nobody and breaks that “rule” but in the hands of a skilled writer, that nobody can be used very effectively. The fact that you cared so much about a “nobody” is a testament to the writer. You don’t really feel cheated that it goes nowhere between the two of them.
Yes, she's a classic NPC, the scene is all about John and setting up Winston's introduction at the end with the drink. Since Winston is immediately recognizable as a way more important character, you immediately forget about Addy, or I at least did.
Incredible video! I'm working on a fantasy story series and I use your videos for advice; thanks a lot!
Thanks! Best of luck with your series
James Bond's intro in Dr. No is a superb character intro. The audience learns he's an important, intelligent, mysterious, and sophisticated man. He's confident, sharply dressed, and lucky. He has several vices, such as smoking, drinking, gambling, and women. We know a lot about 007 in less than three minutes.
Brandon, please make longer videos, they're all brilliant 😂
I knew Suicide Squad was coming the moment you mentioned the intro parade
about Anakin it might not have been a good opening seen for him but the reason why no foreshadowing was before he went back and found his mom that part of him wasn't awakened WHEN I WENT TO WATCH THE FIRST MOVIE WITH MY YOUNG TEENAGE SISTER WHEN WE WALKED OUT SHE TOLD ME THE REASON WHY HE WOULD TURNED TO THE DARK SIDE WAS THE JEDI WOULDN'T LET HIM GO BACK AND FREE HIS MOM AND WHEN HE WENT BACK SHE HAD BEEN KILLED MY SISTER HAD IT FIGURED OUT BEFORE THE MOVIE WAS EVEN MAKE THAT'S WHY SHE IS SO GOOD AT WRITHING STORIES
I like this style of video. Showing examples from films is just so much fun to watch.
As always: Well written, well presented, well mounted, perfect 👏
Your videos are fantastic! I learn a lot from them.
Thanks!
This is perhaps your best video. Well done.
Wow, thanks!
Thank you. I really appreciate this type of content. There are so many ideas swimming around in my head that I want to put to pen, and this sort of material helps facilitate that. Finally, your take on "show don't tell" was thought provoking.
Loved the comparison and the examples.
I think a great recent intro to a character is the grim reaper in Fall House of Usher, we almost immediately know who she is but the clues still make her fun, mysterious and scary. There have been many great versions of the grim reaper but she still stands out
I enjoy your videos very much, but will you ever make one -like this one- but referencing actual works of literature so we can learn from real authors (like yourself, for instance) how they tackle their craft? Movies and novels are two different beasts.
Phenomenal. You always impress me with your insight and breakdown. “Intro parade” is soooo good… will be using indefinitely in the future. Great vid!
That was incredibly informative, insightful, and well-delivered! Kudos!
What are some of the best and worst character intros that you've seen? Let us know!
The best intro I saw was of Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men. I cannot possibly recommend it enough.
Po from Kung Fu Panda. He fantasizes himself as this great warrior fighting alongside these kung fu masters only to show us that he's a daydreamer who works at his father's noodle shop. It establishes a connection with him as someone we can relate to and focuses on his journey to become the actual warrior he daydreams about.
Good and bad intros: Jack Sparrow.
Pirates 1: Fantastic intro.
Pirates 2: Mostly a good intro.
Pirates 3: What the crap is this? intro.
Pirates 4: Did he even intro? He just kind of existed in this movie.
Just about any character written by Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett.
Edit: I mean those are good intros. Bad intro… Bella and her entire travel outfit.
Recently rewatched Two Days in the Valley. The Intro of every character is great, but especially James Spader's and Danny Aiello's characters.
John wick's example is so much on point. I was really disappointed when Addy just disappeared for the entire movie. Then they kinda did the same with Akira (Koji's daughter) in Chapter 4. I was once again sure that she would play some role later on.
after credits
Thank you for making this very important video essay. I’ve never thought before about how difficult executing a great introductory scene is for characters in a story. But you’ve helped me really appreciate how talented screenwriters are who get character introductions right!
Thanks for your work !
I’m glad you covered Thank you for Smoking. Underrated movie.
Watched it earlier this year as part of a "best satire movies" list and absolutely loved it.
I actually saw that movie in the same arthouse theater where I saw Pi, A Scanner Darkly, and a bunch of other weird, obscure films.
I'd like to see a video about how to make your main character unlikeable, but your audience still roots for them.
Would like to see this too. It’s difficult to find a good balance.
Addy also serves a secondary purpose, by commenting on his vulnerability she is showing that he isn’t just the Baba Yaga his former boss describes him to be he has changed in some manner which means we as viewers can’t be sure he is the literal killing machine he is reported to be.
6:43 Someone else said in another video that “Demonstrate, Don’t Describe” is more accurate. Honestly I like that version better
I think it's important that the character's defining characteristic be evidenced right off the bat
Hans Landa is probably my favorite character introduction, along with Vito Corleone and Jules in Pulp Fiction. The entire opening scene tells you everything you need to know about Landa and why he will be a formidable antagonist for the rest of the movie.
Incredible contrasting examples 💪✨️👌
Very smart and super cool book ideas Brandon! I may have to pick one up, the ghost gun sounds fun, but really they both are interesting premises.
📚🤓