Build characters and the character bible

You can give every character in your story a page with a description, the names they go by, a detailed character bible, and the casting details for the role. Each character page also lists the character's appearances and dialogue across your screenplays.

Create a character

FilmKit creates a character when you type a new character cue in the screenplay and choose to create it. You can also create one from the catalog:

1. In a project, click Characters in the sidebar.
2. Click Create.
3. In the New Character dialog, enter a name, then click Create.
   The character's page opens so you can keep editing.

Edit a character's details

1. In a project, click Characters in the sidebar, then click the character's name.
   The character's page opens on the Edit tab.
2. Change any of the following:
   • Name: The character's name as it appears in the catalog.
   • Description: A short summary of who the character is.
   • Aliases: Other names the character goes by in cues. Enter a name, then press Return. A cue that matches an alias counts as this character.
3. To add an icon, click Upload icon, then choose a square image.
4. Click Save.

Fill in the character bible

The character bible holds everything you know about a character, in five groups: Identity, Physical, Social, Psychology, and Story.

1. On the character's Edit tab, go to Character bible.
2. Click a group to open it, then fill in the fields you need — for example, Age, Eye color, Fears, or Development arc.
   Fields marked Comma-separated take several values; separate them with commas. When you enter a Birth date, FilmKit fills in the Age, and when you enter a height and weight, it shows the BMI.
3. Click Save.

Record casting and casting requirements

Casting links the character to the people in your address book who play the role, and the requirements describe the actor you're looking for.

1. On the character's Edit tab, go to Casting, click Add contact, then choose a contact.
   The contact is linked right away. A character can have several cast contacts — for example, for a child and an adult version of the role.
2. To describe the role, go to Casting requirements, click Required look, then choose or enter the values that matter — for example, Gender presentation, Playing age (min), Playing age (max), Hair color, or Build. Leave a field at Any if it doesn't matter.
3. Click Save.
4. To find actors who match, click Find matching talent.
   The talent directory opens, filtered by the requirements. See Search the directory.

To remove a cast contact, click next to the contact, then click Remove. The contact stays in the address book.

Add attributes and tags

Under Attributes & tags, you can add Tags, Wardrobe keywords, and Distinguishing features. These values are shared across the project, so you can reuse the same wardrobe keyword for several characters.

1. On the character's Edit tab, go to Attributes & tags.
2. In a field, enter a value or choose an existing one, then click Add.
   If other characters share the value, FilmKit says so and lists them; click a name to open that character.

Review a character's scenes and dialogue

Do any of the following:

• See every passage linked to the character: Below the character's name, click References. Passages are grouped by screenplay and scene.
• Read everything the character says: Click Dialog. Each cue shows its dialogue and parentheticals, with Dual marking dual dialogue.

To open a passage or a line in the screenplay editor, click it.

Duplicate, delete, or restore a character

Do any of the following:

• Duplicate a character: On the character's page, click Duplicate.
• Delete a character: On the character's page, click Delete, then click Delete to confirm.
• Restore a deleted character: In the sidebar, click Trash, then click Restore next to the character. See Restore deleted items from the Trash.

See also

• Collect look references
• Link script text to the catalog
• Create and publish a casting call
• Check the day out of days