Influence of character type and narrative setting on character design for fictional television series

Abstract

The importance of characters in fictional audiovisual productions has received much emphasis in research on media entertainment. However, despite the centrality of characters, analysis of the factors that influence their design is a topic that has scarcely been approached. The objective of this research study was to analyze the process of designing fictional audiovisual characters. Participants (N = 303) were audiovisual communication students whose task was to create a fictional character while being manipulated experimentally (through instructions) as to the type of character to design (general versus immigrant character) and the fictional setting (hospital versus police station). The dependent variables were related to the attribution of narrative characteristics, socio-demographic characteristics, personality traits and potential for audience identification with the character. The results show that the type of character and narrative setting influenced the occupation assigned to that character: when the character to be designed was an immigrant and the action was to take place in a police station they were most frequently considered criminals. It was also confirmed that the character type to be designed affected the narrative role, role in the plot, educational level and socioeconomic status assigned to the created character. In addition, the immigrant character was assigned a lower identification potential and this, in turn, influenced the personality traits assigned to the character.

Imagen y representación de estereotipos y arquetipos en la ficción audiovisual televisiva española: de Cites a El Pueblo como casos de educomunicación en series

“…In this regard, Park (2012) indicates that the consumption of audio-visual fiction facilitates positive intergroup relations and the corresponding reduction of negative prejudices towards social minorities, insofar as identification with the character of that minority group is promoted. In fact, other studies such as those by Igartua and Marcos (2015) or Müller (2009) have shown, along the same lines, that a viewer's feeling of identification with a character is a significant process in facilitating this reduction in prejudice. It has also been observed that the attributes selected to highlight and construct a character condition audience response.…”

“…In this regard, it is worth highlighting Jung's (2014) categories of archetypes, completed with the analysis of Atarama-Rojas, Castañeda-Purizaga and Agapito-Mesta (2017), which are fundamental for this study, as they are frequently used in television fiction: In this context, it can be affirmed that audio-visual fiction serves to foster archetypes and reinforce certain stereotypes, while helping to emphasise other, less distended aspects of reality (Igartua& Marcos, 2015), by using exaggerations, and continuing to use parodies and prejudices (Villamor & Romero, 2018).…”

“…Raney (2004) notes that the status of characters determines the emotional orientation that audiences may develop towards them, an issue endorsed more recently by the contributions of Canet and García-Martínez (2018). Thus, characters who are considered good stimulate a favourable affective disposition, while those who are considered villains have a negative affective disposition (Igartua and Marcos, 2015).…”