Master the Economy of Characters: How Fewer Roles Create Stronger Films.

Discover why cutting unnecessary characters sharpens your story and keeps your audience engaged. Learn the art of character economy in filmmaking to make every role count.

Mike Rekola

Oct 20, 2024

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From the living room waiting for Patriot’s Kickoff

Sunday, October 20th

Hey Filmmaker,

I want to talk to you about something you might not think about enough when writing your script: characters.

Not just how many you have, but how important each one is.

The truth is, in a movie, if someone speaks, they need to matter.

This isn't a novel where you can afford to fill out the world with side stories and background figures.

In a film, every second counts, and every character has to earn their place.

This is what we call the "economy of characters."

Let’s break down what that means, why it’s critical to your story, and how getting it right will take your film to the next level.

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Why Fewer Characters Equals Stronger Stories

You’ve got two hours, maybe less, to make your film hit.

Every character you add dilutes that focus.

Each extra person pulls attention away from the protagonist, from the plot, and from the emotional journey you’re trying to take the audience on.

You’re asking viewers to invest, but you can only ask so much.

When you keep the cast tight, you’re giving your audience permission to care deeply about the few who matter.

This isn’t to say ensemble casts don’t work—The Godfather and Pulp Fiction are packed with characters, yet every one of them serves a purpose.

The difference between a film with effective characters and one that’s overstuffed is precision.

Each character needs to push the story forward, reveal more about the main themes, or deepen the emotional stakes.

If they’re just there to fill space, they’re dead weight.

Take a look at Inception.

Christopher Nolan juggles a complex plot, but he keeps the characters laser-focused.

Cobb is the center of everything, and the team around him—Ariadne, Arthur, Eames, and the rest—are clearly defined with roles that serve the plot.

No one is standing around delivering pointless lines.

They’re all driving the story forward, helping the audience stay on course through a maze of ideas.

If You Speak, You Matter

Here’s a hard rule: if you give a character dialogue, they must matter.

Words are powerful in film, more so than in any other medium because they’re so sparse.

We don’t have the luxury of pages and pages of inner monologue or description like in a novel.

When a character speaks, it should be intentional.

They need to be moving the plot, raising the stakes, or exposing some deeper truth.

If a line can be cut and nothing changes, that’s a sign the character might not need to be there at all.

Look at Joker—Todd Phillips gives us a tight circle of characters orbiting Arthur Fleck, each one pulling him closer to the edge of madness.

His mother, his therapist, Murray Franklin—they all have a direct impact on his descent.

Everyone who interacts with Arthur matters.

The film is lean, emotionally focused, and unrelenting because it doesn’t waste time on characters who aren’t pushing the story forward.

The Risk of Too Many Characters

Have you ever watched a movie and found yourself wondering, “Wait, who’s that again?” or worse, “Why are they even here?”

That’s what happens when there’s no economy of characters.

Filmmakers who add in too many faces lose their audience’s focus.

It’s overwhelming, confusing, and ultimately weakens the emotional throughline.

You can’t care deeply about anyone if you’re constantly being asked to keep track of everyone.

Sometimes you’ll see this in ensemble films that get sloppy.

They try to balance too many arcs without making sure each character has a real function.

This can work in long-form storytelling, like in a TV series where you have hours to explore different people and subplots, but in film, it’s a recipe for confusion.

The solution?

Trim the fat.

You need to be ruthless in cutting characters that don’t carry their weight.

In Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, we see how whole characters from Tolkien’s books were streamlined or removed for the films.

The books had room for endless lore and side quests, but the movies had to stay focused on Frodo and his journey.

Anyone who didn’t directly contribute to that arc had to go.

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Supporting Characters Aren’t Extras

Now, this doesn’t mean your movie should only have two characters.

Supporting characters are critical to giving your protagonist depth and contrast.

But again, they need to be there for a reason.

They have to reflect something about the main character or the themes of your story, helping to shape the audience’s understanding of what’s at stake.

Think about The Godfather.

Every member of the Corleone family has a purpose in telling Michael’s story.

Vito represents the old guard, Sonny shows us the dangers of hotheadedness, and Fredo is the embodiment of weakness in a world where power is everything.

They aren’t just there for decoration—they’re integral to Michael’s transformation.

The Art of Cutting Characters

Here’s the hard truth: sometimes the characters you love most don’t belong in the story.

You might have a side character with amazing dialogue or a subplot you’ve fallen in love with, but if they aren’t essential to the protagonist’s journey or the film’s themes, they have to go.

It can be tough.

You’ll feel like you’re losing something important, but in reality, you’re sharpening the blade.

A streamlined cast makes every remaining character stronger.

It focuses the audience’s attention where it should be—on the people and the conflicts that matter most.

Make Every Character Count

So here’s your takeaway:

If you speak, you matter.
- This is the economy of characters.
- Every person on screen should have a reason to be there, a purpose that drives the story forward or deepens the emotional impact.
- Cut anyone who doesn’t. The audience will thank you for it.

Keep your cast lean, keep your focus tight, and remember—you’re making a film, not a novel.

Precision is your friend.

When you master the economy of characters, your stories will hit harder, resonate longer, and stay with your audience far after the credits roll.

I hope you enjoyed this letter, my friends.

Cheers,