How important are character names in your opinion?

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Carnage7p
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How important are character names in your opinion?

Post by Carnage7p »

Should i spend a long time making sure that names fit or do you think that i am paying to much attention to small details?
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Post by BrownCowStudios »

It really depends. If the character will be called by name several times throughout the movie, then yes, think of creative names that fit. Otherwise, just use basic names (Ex. "John"), or even reference names (Ex. "Mean Dude #5"). However, whenever possible, use real names. Robert Rodriguez has fallen victim to the "generic name syndrome." Look at any of his movies, many of the names are generic or just reference names. He says he can't seem to shake the habbit. Don't fall victim... although it doesn't really matter...
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Post by El Brenty »

Open a phone book at a ramdom page, close your eyes, and point to a name. There you have a name you can use that shouldn't seem to obvious (Unless you hit John Smith!)!
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Post by Epsilon »

I personally have a hard time with creating names. Ususally, I will concieve a character by using a variation of a name of someone I know. Then established their personality upon that person, with variation of course. It really bothers me to choose a name at random because I know I will have to work with that character a lot while writing. So all of my screenplay characters are based off people I have met or know! It is easier that way too.
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Post by Raptor »

Build the characters personality first, then pick a name that fits, based to some extent on what you want the character to portray. Sometimes limited by the characters background.... whether ethnic or cultural.
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Post by I3lade203 »

I have a hard time with names a lot to, but i for certian types of films it just comes to me, others i have random name generators on my computer for fantesy, and space(star wars) names lol
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Post by foxwood »

Some times the name comes just like that, other times I have to think about it, and I will just start writing, with a name like Joe or Bill and eventualy a better name comes to me. I also use web sites that have thousands of names and their meanings, you know the ones parants use to name their kids.
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Post by I3lade203 »

lol yeah those sites work to
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Post by Gyro »

I sat around the other day wondering what i was going to name my entire cast (of about like 10 characters) I had written my rough rough draft so my characters where called BOB 1- BOB 10 So i looked up and on my desk is a book shelf from wall to wall so i just picked last names from the authors of the books. HAHA except i left out ones like tolkein and rowling.
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Post by Epsilon »

I created names for my Vietnam script by making variations on people I know. I created around 35 characters that way. And I feel like each and every character means something special to me. I can relate to them. I think most writers should establish that bond between their characters in a story. That way scripting flows naturally and is very convincing to the audience. Choosing arbitrary names at random may not establish any feelings between you and your characters, and I do not know how anyone can compose a truely "great" story that way.
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Post by Gyro »

Good plan.
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Post by tatorhead »

random name generator works great!

http://www.kleimo.com/random/name.cfm
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Post by Epsilon »

But then your characters mean absolutly nothing. :( But good for tons of extras, I guess. I would just use their real names in that case though! I mean, why generate a completely random name just for the sake of giving your character a name?
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Post by Bugalicious »

I think that what makes many good movies stand out from the others is the smaller details that the makers put into them. So yeah, character names are important. Have you ever watched a movie were u've been turned off by some guys dumb name
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Post by tatorhead »

"But then your characters mean absolutly nothing. But good for tons of extras, I guess. I would just use their real names in that case though! I mean, why generate a completely random name just for the sake of giving your character a name?"

To give you ideas. Sometimes it is hard to come up with completely random names. You can choose up to like 100 names and look for names you like. Sometimes I'll see a name and say "thats perfect for my villian"
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Post by El Brenty »

Look how many jungle combat movies there's been - Do you remember all the soldier's names?

Here's a few:

Predator - What was Arnie's name in this???
Terminator - What was the name of the cop who was on the case of Arnie?
Rambo - We know Sly's name, because they called the film after it!
Matrix - Nero, Nero, Nero, all we hear is Nero! They could have called it Nero Burns the Computers!
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Post by traaxx »

ok i know this is a real real old post, and forgive me for pulling it out of the archives but i really couldnt help myself being the matrix fan i am...his name was NEO..not NERO..and Nero does do some burning on my computer actually, quite a handy burning software :P LOL

anyway i am just starting to write my first script and i think the characters names are important to a degree...i was looking at IMDB trying too look at characters names from movies i have loved.and in particular one The Usual Suspects..some of those names were so important..like Dean Keaton, how many times did you here the word 'Keaton' mentioned..it really sticks in your mind..hmm how did Bryan Singer come up with his name? Was it something random taken from things he was looking at? Michael McManus and Fred Fenster, that sounds like he has used the Stan Lee theory there lol..oh and Kobayashi..is that really a ceramic mug? And Keyser Soze that is just brillant..

My idea/script consists of two guys who were best mates in the SAS..so they are highly trained operatives..what sort of name does someone have who is in the SAS? A mean name? Within in the realms of movie making of course because lets face it a normal SAS operative probably has a normal name like you or me. Jason Bourne, Jack Bauer...hmm maybe Jason Bauer or Jack Bourne? lol

In conclusion of my thinking i reckon it should be a name that is appealing..that people will remember...so i will start my thinking..
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Post by crossfire »

Also i find that it turns out better if you give more appropriate names, for example to a bad guy give a villanous name, etc. But be aware not to go over the top with this, because then it will be HORRIBLE, and their names will be very distracting
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Post by hmbtnguy »

Name your main character Ben Dover.
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Post by Scott_Talbot »

check out these articles http://www.hatrack.com/writingclass/index.shtml ("Naming Characters" and "More on Naming Characters") they are very informative. They are written by Orson Scott Card who wrote the popular sci-fi series "Ender's Game"
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Post by asapfilms »

I personally think giving names is pretty important, I probably went a little over the top in my last film by making up a fake language... I dont know, I just like making up names, for places, for people, for items, for everything. That's one of the reasons I like to make films that aren't really based in modern times. I used to watch the credits of films, and grab a first name from somewhere, and then let it scroll for a second and grab a last name. But now I just look around the room and am able to from the letters on a calendar, mix them with some letters on a post-it note, add some ethnic extra to the combination to make the charactor individual and bingo! I think names are very important. To connect a charactor to the viewer, names are not the most important part but I think are pretty esential for the full connection to be made... just my thoughts :D

Edit: I just thought of this, for those of you that do struggle to get good charactor names. Try going to a baby naming site. A lot of them have tons of names with what they mean next to them. So you can actually search for a name that means "Lier", "Bad", "Hero", "Silent" etc... Very helpful and the names actually do seem to work!!!
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