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WHO ARE WE ROOTING FOR?
Create an Iconic Protagonist with a Core Contradiction
What makes iconic characters so enduring? Their unique perspective of self and the world around them. If you strip away their external (metaphorical) masks and armor, at the center of their being will be a paradox. She's both a tough FBI agent and a fragile girl (Clarice Starling) in Silence of the Lambs. He's a seemingly fearless adrenaline junkie who's totally unable to function with any emotional intimacy (Sergeant First Class William James in The Hurt Locker). He's a seemingly fearless archeologist/ adventurer, but he's afraid of snakes and commitment (Indiana Jones). In The Professional, Leon (Jean Reno) is a cold-blooded assassin, but a nurturing father figure ...
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