Curious Examples of Character Introductions in Scripts – How to Make Them Memorable

MZed Education

by Mascha DeikovaNovember 7^th, 2025

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Do you know the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression?” Well, that applies to characters as well. Their first appearance in a script often sets the tone for how we’ll perceive them. It’s the moment that reveals who they are, what drives them, and why the audience should care, root for them, or remain cautious. There are different approaches to writing character introductions. Here, we’ll take a look at some curious ones and try to distill how they work and what makes them special.

Think about your favorite film characters. You probably remember not just what they did, but also how they entered the story. Sometimes it’s bold and unexpected, other times – quiet and loaded with mystery. Writing a captivating entrance is not always easy, but it’s definitely worth it. Let’s explore why.

Theory bits on character development

Before we jump into the diverse world of character introductions, let’s talk about where to find your characters in the first place. To make someone’s appearance exciting, they should be living, breathing beings, and you, as a writer, should know their traits, powers, and flaws inside out.

The three things that matter most in a story are characters, characters, and characters.

a quote by renowned screenwriter Bob Gale, recited in the MZed course

In the course, “Writing 201” on MZed, director and writer Seth Worley suggests starting with yourself. Give your character your own beliefs, instincts, and emotional baggage. It might sound like a shortcut, but it isn’t – many writers believe that a piece of us exists in every character we create. The key is to be honest and willing to open up, to make yourself vulnerable. Without that, you’ll never reach true emotional depth.

Seth also suggests trying the opposite approach: write someone who’s nothing like you – someone who, if you met them in real life, would challenge everything you believe in. I remember vividly what director Alberto Mielgo once said to his absolutely stunning animated short “Jibaro” from the Love, Death & Robots series. He mentioned that he is more interested in losers than in heroes. He finds a super loser much more interesting for the stories he wants to tell.

These are just a few tips to begin with. We can talk about character development much longer in a future article. Let’s assume you already have a compelling example. What are the ways to introduce them?

Tips on character introductions from fictional writing

In literature, a character’s first appearance in a story is often called their entrée, or simply, their entrance. There are no strict rules about what this should include. Sometimes, the character is introduced gradually, and we only hear about him or her from others before the character actually appears on the page. For instance, a rumor around Mr. Bingley’s arrival, shared by Mrs. Bennet from “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen:

“– Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week. What is his name?”
– Bingley.
– Is he married or single?
– Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune, four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!”

Other times, we see the character directly in a scene full of action. One writing tip is to put them directly into an uncomfortable situation. This will show some interesting personal traits right off the bat. How do they handle a conflict? What are their biggest fears? How do they interact with the world surrounding them? The old but golden principle: “Show, don’t tell” works here at its best.

On the other hand, nothing speaks against introducing the character alone, in a quiet space. Maybe even through a lengthy monologue. It works especially if this character is also the narrator of the story. In this case, it’s crucial to define the art of how a character speaks – the words they choose, the length of their sentences, the grammar patterns they rely on, whether they make mistakes or speak in a polished, overly formal way. All of this shapes the reader’s impression of who they are, even before we see them in action.

Character introductions: in the middle of the action

These tips come from the world of writing, but what do they have to do with filmmaking? A lot, actually. Every one of these narrative strategies can be directly applied to screenwriting. The master, Steven Spielberg, for instance, is known for introducing his characters in the middle of doing something, which defines them better than any other introduction could.

Remember this scene from Saving Private Ryan? (Here is the script if you’d like to read it.) This is the first time we encounter several important characters. They are not in the battle yet, but they are close to it. Spielberg uses this tense moment to introduce the soldiers through a series of small, revealing actions: Captain John Miller’s trembling hand, Mike Horvath’s calm chewing, Mellish’s motion sickness and anxiety, and Jackson kissing his cross necklace. It’s the first time we see them, yet within a minute, before a single bullet flies, we already understand who they are.

The scene is not only intense, but it’s visceral, violent, scary. It grabs our attention and we can’t turn away. It shows the stakes for the characters straightaway, and how can we not feel for them afterward?

Look for something weird or catchy

Of course, there are different ways to pique the viewer’s interest and draw them into a character’s story. It doesn’t always have to be intense or frightening. Sometimes, an unusual or unexpected scene does the trick – one that makes the audience go: “What is happening, and how did this character end up here?” Like the legendary Walter White’s introduction in the Breaking Bad pilot:

Is there any chance that you won’t want to know what happened to him before seeing him speed through the desert in a gas mask and his underwear? I doubt it.

Another example is from the Birdman script. Let’s re-read it:

How is that for a character introduction? Want to read further? I bet.

By the way, introducing a character through a strange or unexpected moment isn’t reserved for protagonists. Think of Harvey, the TV network director from The Substance; he only appears in a handful of scenes, yet that first encounter tells us everything we need to know. Isn’t that the perfect way to establish his character?

This is HARVEY, the TV network director. Mid-50s, large belly and wearing a loose suit, he comes to stand right in front of the camera under which we guess is an out of frame urinal. His phone wedged between his ear and shoulder he continues his logorrhoea while unbuttoning his pants to take a piss:

From the script of The Substance by Coralie Fargeat

Give us some striking details in the character introduction

When writing a script, you usually think about the audience who will eventually experience the story. But first, it has to pass through the hands of directors, producers, cinematographers, and actors, and for them, character introductions are vital. They need to see and understand who these people are in order to bring them to life. That’s why the introduction is one of the few places in a screenplay where you can, and should, include non-visual details. Some seasoned filmmakers might disagree, but I believe that limiting a character’s intro to a name, age, and a couple of adjectives strips away the chance to convey a clear, memorable personality. Sometimes a single, striking detail can make all the difference.

If you were Jesse Eisenberg, who played Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, what would you make of this kind of description? In just four lines, we already sense who the character is—how he looks, speaks, moves, and what’s going on beneath the surface. That’s a solid foundation, isn’t it? Far more insightful than something like, “Mark Zuckerberg, 19, non-athletic, simply dressed.”

An even shorter example is from Whiplash:

A cavernous space. Sound-proofed walls. And in the center, a DRUM SET. Seated at it, in a sweat-marked white T, eyes zeroed on his single-stroke roll, is ANDREW NEIMAN. He’s 19, slight, honors-student-skinny — except for his arms, which have been built from years and years of drumming.

From the script of “Whiplash” by Damien Chazelle

Please note how carefully Damien chooses the words for this description. They don’t take up much space on the page, but each choice means something. Eyes ZEROED on… What does this one verb tell us about Andrew? So much!

Introducing a character through their surroundings

An alternative idea that we should also explore is introducing a character through their environment. Every production designer would tell you that set design is an essential storytelling tool. Why not write some of its bits into the script, so that they work for character-building even before the production starts? Here’s an example from Blade Runner 2049. Watch this scene starting at 04:00:

I love this particular example because it also plays with the audience’s expectations. While K explores the farmhouse, it feels so simple, cozy, human. It belongs to someone who likes classical music and who cares enough to keep the house clean. Then a huge, rough-edged farmer with a broken nose walks in – and he’s nothing like we expected. Yet by that point, we already feel connected to him, as if we know something essential about who he is. The plot of the film shows that our first impression, created through his environment, was right.

How about this short, but on-point character intro from The Matrix?

It is a studio apartment that seems overgrown with technology. Weed-like cables coil everywhere, duct-taped into thickets that wind up and around the legs of several desks. Tabletops are filled with cannibalized equipment that lay open like an autopsied corpse. At the center of this technological rat-nest is NEO, a man who knows more about living inside a computer than outside one.

From the script of “The Matrix” by the Wachowskis

Great, isn’t it? No details about Neo’s age, appearance, or attitude. Yet we immediately understand the character through his world.

Conclusion: Follow your artistic voice

It’s common knowledge that scripts are supposed to contain only what we can see and hear on screen. (However, there are different opinions on this, and you can read one alternative point of view here.) Yet when we talk about character introductions, there is surely room for an artistic voice. I hope that the examples we discussed above will inspire you to find and follow yours, and create compelling characters on page and screen.

Full disclosure: MZed is owned by CineD.
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Feature image source: film stills from “Saving Private Ryan” by Steven Spielberg, 1998; “Birdman” by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, 2014; “Whiplash” by Damien Chazelle, 2014; and “The Matrix” by Lilly and Lana Wachowski, 1999.

What do you think about character introductions? Should they be brief and dry, or curious and captivating? Do you have any more examples from scripts that you enjoyed? Please, leave a comment and share with us!