What are people's take on ensemble casts? I speak mainly from a television standpoint. I have four main characters and the expectation seems to be that one of them has to be the main character, but I'm finding that very difficult. I have a lot in store for all the characters. I mean I'm kinda trying to make one more prominent, but honestly, I'm just not feeling it and I'm being badgered by a more experienced friend to make only one character the main protagonist. Before writing this project I might have more easily agreed with him. Now I just want to argue with him, lol. So coming here and asking you guys will either put me in my place or further muddy the waters. What will it be?
Screenwriting : Ensemble Casts. by Cherie Grant
Ensemble Casts.
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My inexperienced take on this is that overall there might not be a main character, but, per episode there should be a main character.
If you're working with A, B, C storylines then whoever the A plot is focused on is your main character for that particular episode. With sitcoms (Friends is the example that sprang to mind), and soap operas this seems to be how they approach it.
I believe this should work the same for a 30/60min drama too.
That might give you a dilemma when writing a pilot episode. Who do you choose?
Whose perspective(s) are you telling the story from? Maybe that will help decide too.
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In an ensemble cast, the main arc of the episode decides who the main character of your castlist is. It generally focusses one or a few episodes a time on a specific character being affected by usually the decisions of another characters arc in previous episodes etc etc.
A near perfect example of usage of an ensemble cast would be Battlestar Galactica, for reference, in our opinion.
What you all have suggested I was thinking of too. (yes I was thinking of those masterclasses too lol) But it becomes difficult in writing a Logline and Synopsis, which I am currently agonising over because I am trying to make one character more important in the logline and synopsis than the script. What makes the matter worse is that I am writing a serialised Tv pilot so unlike a movie or a procedural the first episode isn't as a contained story as they would be. Pinpointing aspects to go in the synopsis is difficult. I have one version posted on my profile, but unlikely that will be the final product before I send out.