DZ-20: Writing Strong Secondary Characters – Trinity, Bechdel and a Bamboo Killer

How can the Trinity Syndrome help you write better secondary characters?

Chas & Stu are joined by Bamboo Killer (aka Emily Blake) – one of the co-hosts of the Chicks Who Script podcast. They take a critical look at secondary female characters in mainstream movies through the lens of the oft-cited Bechdel test and the new, less-cited, Trinity Syndrome. The Trinity Syndrome berates movies for creating a “Strong Female Character With Nothing To Do” (like Trinity in the Matrix sequels) and raises a list of questions for filmmakers to ask themselves about their (female) characters.

Chas, Stu & Emily take these questions and use them to analyse the use of female characters in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL, EDGE OF TOMORROW, DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES and HOW TO TRAIN YOU DRAGON 2. They also cover the awesomeness of the awesomeness that is Rose Tyler (Doctor Who), Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games), and Kira Nerys (Deep Space Nine).

Funnily enough, turns out writing better female characters is really about writing better characters… who happen to be female.

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2 thoughts on “DZ-20: Writing Strong Secondary Characters – Trinity, Bechdel and a Bamboo Killer”

  1. Pingback: DZ-34: Game of Choices – Decision Making and Character Implications – DRAFT ZERO
  2. Pingback: DZ-39: Backmatter – Hitting LA, Receiving Feedback, and a Roguish One – DRAFT ZERO

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