Character Design Influences

Character Driven Stories:

The protagonist is an interesting and highly developed personality that is in the driver’s seat. Atypical person in a typical situation (good for a series).

Situational Driven Stories:

Situational/story driven films usually put ordinary characters in extraordinary predicaments where situations drive the narrative.

Cliche Characters:

There is a phenomenon where the same design and story is repeated again and again.

These characters look similar but also have the same story:

Awkward clumsy kid who’s dad was the best at what is important where they live
Discover a magical creature that is the antithesis of what they believe
In secret creature teaches/gives them the ability to appear the best ever
By the end of the film the two change everyone’s minds about their prejudices.

Game Non-Character Stories:

Games have characters with no character.
A pretty interesting (and humorous) article on the Devolution of Character Designs

Personality Stereotypes:

You can use cliched characters when you don’t have time to develop novel ones.

Cameron spent all his time developing the world of Avatar and none on character development. Makes for an interesting ride but not story.

Visual Cues (symbols):

Instead of words or explanation certain symbols are recognized by everyone and can have an instant impact.

Visual Cues (proportions):

Where you place your proportions can obviously say a lot about your character.
This can be pretty stereotypical but useful if there is not a lot of screen time, like secondary characters.

Sex (angles):

You can tell Perdita and Pongo because they use subtle differences in shape and angles. Pongo has larger, bulkier features. He has a more square clumsy approach. Perdita has more delicate fine features and thinner mass.
Prince Eric has more squarish features. The jaw and clothing have a lot of 90 degree angles. Ursula has more fine features. Notice her wavy angles and fine features.

Age:

People’s posture change as well. A lot has to do with their confidence and gravity.
A baby will walk and move like a clumsy quadruped. They are very ambitious but not coordinated. Their limbs are bowed and short.
A toddler is has a huge head still (1/4) and is constantly wobbling to keep themselves erect. They have a high center of gravity and together with diapers create a waddling walk.
Children are very agile and create violent actions. They are very light and very confident.
Teens are awkward and less confident. They will have a sunken posture. Parts of their bodies are growing at different rates and this creates a clumsiness and varying proportions. Typically you will see large hands and feet but anything goes.
Adults are again confident. They push against gravity (most boring).
The elderly have a hard time fighting gravity. Their features literally look like they are melting. Nose, ears, and jowls will all sag.

Time and Location (art):

You can use art that people recognize to place your film into a time and place. This also creates an interesting look.
Don’t tell me. Show me. Don’t have subtitles that say when and where your film is taking place, that is lazy.

Mulan

Chinese Ink Painting

Egyptian Art

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