（1）Story Circle
The key to the animation is the design of the story. Even if the animation’s character or ability is well designed, if there is no good story to show the characteristics of the character, the audience will still think that this is an immature work. Animation often produces a story around the interaction of one or more characters. We call these characters ‘main character’. The main character (except for the development of multiple protagonists’ stories) will lead the audience to understand the world and problems faced by these main characters. These kinds of characters are called ‘protagonist’. In the following picture, it’s using ‘you’ to refer to the protagonist.
1.You — A character is in a zone of comfort.
At the beginning of the story, the protagonists will be in a relatively safe or comfortable place. This place may be the place where the protagonists lived since childhood.
2.Need — But they want something.
The protagonists begin to eager for something. The existing life makes the protagonists feel dissatisfied, or the protagonist has to get some things different from the current life because of tasks.
3.Go — They enter an unfamiliar situation.
The protagonists left their familiar residence and went to a strange environment. Generally speaking, this environment will be very different from the place where the protagonists lived before. It’s almost the opposite environment. After seeing the obvious contrast, the audiences will be more curious about the development of the following story.
4.Search — Adapt to it.
When the protagonists arrive at a new environment or face a new situation, they need a process of adaptation. Obviously, in the process of adaptation, we can also see the growth of the characters themselves.
5.Find — Get what they wanted.
After constant adaptation and exploration, the protagonists finally get what they want. If the story comes to an ending here, it will be dull and boring. Just like we know that the sun rises during the day and sets in the dark. The audience can guess the development of this story at the beginning. So before protagonists getting items, the process of searching needs to be carefully designed to surprise the audiences.
6.Take — Pay a heavy price for it.
If the characters want to get something, they need to pay the price of the items. In the story, the protagonists often take some experiences from the frustration. The protagonist will lose some important objects or people from These failures. The design of this story part is depressing and serious because it reflects the vulnerability of the protagonists. Even if the protagonist’s ability is powerful, or there are many people’s help passport. There still have some problems that make protagonists weak. Facing difficulties, if the protagonists overcome their fear or weakness, they will know how to defeat the enemy or solve the problem. This process makes the story structure vivid and interesting.
7.Return — Then return to their familiar situation.
Returning to the familiar environment also means that the protagonists have ended their adventure. But at this time, the protagonists and the story have changed a lot. The protagonists who have experienced difficulties and crises have become more powerful in their hearts, and have more excellent moral characters reflected in them. The protagonists will spend a good time in the new life with the friendship, family affection, love (or other things) gained in the adventure.
8.Change — Having changed.
Here is the perfect ending to the story. Of course, some stories are not happy end. But compared with the original life of the protagonist, the protagonists have changed a lot. I tend to think that’s a good chance for the protagonists. In the story, the audiences will also put themselves into the role, and then harvest their own experience and growth.
Tip:
The upper and lower semicircles of the story circle have almost opposite settings.
For example:
The upper part: life. The lower part: death
The upper part: conscious. The lower part: unconscious
The upper part: orderly. The lower part: chaotic
The upper part: the familiar living environment. The lower part: the new environment full of challenges
（2）Story Arc
The height of the story arc represents the tension’s degree of the plot. Why not use the word ‘wonderful’ or ‘value’? Because some stories are excellent from the beginning to the end, so I choose the word tension.
The curve in the story arc is from left to right, which represents the change of story with the development of time. Because the story’s time can not regress, the plot curve can only move forward. (some stories have set back time, but in fact, the character’s storyline is still moving forward.)
1.Exposition: introduction of setting, characters, problems
At the beginning of the story, the paper introduces the world’s background setting, role setting, and the problems that the role needs to solve.
This part needs to tell the audience what kind of environment the story.
2.Rising action: characters struggling with problems
When the problem occurs, the protagonists are required to find out the cause of the problem. The protagonists need to consider how to solve the problem at this story node. The tension in this part will be more than the exposition part, and the plot compactness will also show an upward trend.
3.Climax: the tense moment of crisis
This position in the curve is the most exciting part of the whole story! If it is a hero movie, it should be the hero and villain to fight at this story node. If it is a love movie, it should be time for the male and female masters to overcome difficulties and ensure their true love.
4.Falling action: movement toward an ending
The tension in the story began to decline. The contradiction between the story has resolved. Now is the process of slowly moving towards the end of the story.
5.Resolution: final outcome
The story developed to the end. There is the story and characters’ result. Whether it’s a good ending or a bad one. The whole story has been told and returns to its original peace.
（3）Type of Characters
1.The main character (Protagonist)
The main characters in the story can also be called the ‘protagonist’. It may make up of one or more people. The actions of the main characters will influence the direction of the story.
2.Character opposing the main character (Antagonist)
If the protagonist is a hero, the antagonist is the evil force fighting against the protagonist. The antagonist can be a person or a group, or it can be a negative power.
3.Static or flat character
These characters are not significant in the plot, and they rarely appear in the story. The characters’ character or behaviours have no change. However, it is possible to promote the development of the plot in a certain story node and help the protagonists complete tasks.
4.Changing or dynamic character
This character will have dynamic changes in the story and will have an important impact on the plot. For example, from a very timid weak person to the most powerful assistant of the protagonist. Or by an unknown person, under the influence of some reason, become a monster with evil power.
5.Confidante character
The growth of the protagonist accompanies this kind of role. Provide support, encouragement, and other positive energy to the protagonist. Help protagonists to build their self-confidence. These characters don’t only limit to be human. It can also be an animal, plant, and so on.
6.Foil character
You can use the characteristics of these characters to form a contrast with the protagonists. There is a lot of significance in this character story. It’s difficult to directly tell the audiences many of the good qualities of the protagonist by using lines of the story. But through this role, the audiences can understand the good characters of the protagonist from different angles.
7.Stock character
These characters don’t make much sense in the story. It will neither promote the development of the plot nor attract the special attention of the audiences. It looks like they get a job in the story that someone is needed to work for this.
8.Round character
This is one of the most interesting characters in the story. Generally, it can be called the main character or dynamic character. These kinds of characters will continue to develop themselves in the story. There may be multiple personalities or behavioural changes in a story. This setting also makes the characters more realistic and makes the audiences feel more empathetic when watching.
9.Evil character or villain
Evil characters are very similar to antagonists, both of them like to make problems. If the antagonists are mainly to make trouble for the protagonists, then the evil characters are more inclined to make trouble for the world. Often under the influence of these negative characters, the protagonists will establish a firm belief in maintaining peace.
（4）Archetypes
1.Hero
The main characters in the story. Heroes often need to protect the world by completing various tasks or defeating the enemy in a new environment. The audience will experience the story from the hero’s perspective.
2.Mentor
Hero’s mentor in the story. Help hero strengthen or develop capabilities in a new environment. They will also help the hero establish a correct outlook on life and values. When the hero grows strong enough to take the path of justice, the mentor will leave.
3.Threshold Guardian
Threshold guardian is similar to an examiner who tests heroes. When the hero reaches a certain standard, the threshold guardian allows the hero to go on the next journey. Unlike the mentor, threshold Guardian doesn’t teach hero skills, they’re just the final judges.
4.Herald
This character often gives the hero a warning of the crisis at the beginning of the story. Gerald drives the whole plot. Let the hero encounter danger in the original living environment. So that the hero forced to leave the comfortable and safe place, and then go to a strange environment and dangerous struggle.
5.Shapeshifter
This role is very contradictory. A shapeshifter can be a friend and an enemy. The character’s loyalty to the protagonist is not certain. But shapeshifter can also bring the key information to the protagonist at some point.
6.Shadow
This character exists to create threats and conflicts and to give the hero something to fight. Shadows are not necessarily human. If the shadow set to mirror the image of the hero. This character will show the audience that if the hero goes wrong, the hero may lose the faith of justice, and highlights the hero’s inner struggle. On the other hand, it also makes the success of heroes in growth more meaningful.
7.Trickster
This character is the spice of the story. Trickster adds a lot of humour to the story. If there are restrictions on the number of words, plot, and other aspects, the director can also delete the trickster in the story.
8.Allies（sidekicks）
When the hero faces a challenge, allies will appear to accompany the hero to fight together. Allies can be a human, animal, plant, etc. These characters may not be perfect and have many shortcomings. But their loyalty and admiration can accompany the protagonist through the difficulties.