Introducing new characters late

[calibanV]

I've heard that when a new character shows up midway through a film, you just know he/she is going to die.

Anyone have any pointers or seen articles concerning
successful integration of new characters late? I am working on something that requires just that, and a few which actually do have to get killed off.

Anyone?

thanks,
caliban

[Roxanne Battle]

Robin Williams showed up around the halfway point in "Good Will Hunting"?

[GirlinGray]

Well this depends on genre, Caliban. I am pretty sure Harrison Ford shows up late, in Working Girl, and he doesn't die. In fact, no one dies in Working Girl. There just are genres where no one dies. (wink)

Want to be a little more specific about what kind of story you're writing?

[wcmartell]

At the end of WORKING GIRL... but test audiences made them change the ending.

Actually, Ford is the subject of many discussions before he shows up. He's INTRODUCED early in the film, he's just not SHOWN. She thinks of him as some faceless businessman.

What I would worry about is a character who isn't introduced until late in the story. If that character is critical to the story, and if they change the direction of the story, they should be introduced earlier (even if they aren't seen). If not, you are creating a coincidence: The exact person who will change the story's direction (or help the hero, or provide the hero with an emotional scene, whatever) is introduced right before that scene. What a lucky/unlucky break!

Now... there is an exception to this: Let's say your hero is has found himself hunted by the convict he testified against years before... If your hero opens the yellow pages and hires a bodyguard, that's not a coincidence at all. That's logical.

But if that bodyguard turns out to be a world expert in vengeful ex-cons, um... That's just not likely.

- Bill

PS: Who played the absolute rat who took Melanie Griffith on a business meeting, then tried to screw her in the limo (telling her it would help her career)?

[GirlinGray]

Was that Kevin Spacey?

[Couchguy]

Speaking of Kevin Spacey, he isn't revealed until damn near the last reel in Se7en...but he kinda

SPOILER ALERT!

dies in the end, doesn't he?

Your pal,
Couchguy

[wcmartell]

Spacey:

1) Yes it was.

2) But the killer was introduced in the first scene. Since this wasn't a mystery, but a pursuit story, we didn't really need to see him until he was captured. But there are many close calls when he is ALMOST captured... and just a figure running away in the rain. We know he exists, we just don't know what he looks like.

- Bill

[Bill Marquardt]

Looking to televison, the One-Armed-Man wasn't shown until the last episode of the last season of "The Fugitive." This probably has no bearing on this discussion, but I want to appear knowledgeable, so humour me.

Bill