Writing Strong Characters - The Important Distinction Between Want and Need

In this video I explore one of the most overlooked aspects of screenwriting, "Want Vs. Need", and apply it to Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and Toy Story.
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[@ThinkStory]

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[@zaczaclee]

i NEED more

[@TheUgliestBarnacle]

“Want drives plot, need drives theme” Damn, man. Nice.

[@YaGaffNonce]

Need does not necessarily drive theme. I would say that statement is bold enough to be simply deemed incorrect. It happens a lot, but most certainly not enough to make such a simplified statement such as "need drives theme". Rather, I would say it can greatly contribute to theme. That is a statement which is misleading without specificity. Take Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. Frodo needs Sam to destroy the ring (friendship/fellowship). However, according to Tolkien, the theme of the franchise is "Death and Immortality". It is also said to be "good and evil" by goodreads.com. Friendship is one of many themes in LOTR, but it is not the driving theme. I would agree that want almost always drives plot. Awesome video!

[@isitchillyinahut5921]

I drive, and I need for speed.

[@zednotzee]

Funny, when i watched Rocky as a kid i didn't realize he didn't win. He was still standing, the bell rung, everyone cheered, the music swelled and he got the girl. I thought he had won

[@monicalukomski8884]

He might not have won the boxing match, but he ended up happy. That's why they did all the things that would leave you to believe thag he won. Because he did win.

[@jacktbc3947]

Zed Not Zee he became the people’s champion

[@lucasgill7819]

Because he won. He won the important battle

[@newperve]

His stated goal was to go the distance with Apollo Creed so that he could prove he wasn't a bum. He did that. He accomplished his goals, so he did win in that sense.

[@jasonleetaiwan]

He lost by decision, but he won in a way because no one expected him to go the distance. He set out to go the distance, and he did. If the match had gone on for another round, he would have knocked out Apollo, and that's why it's a great story.

[@cjkalandek996]

So, Aang in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" *wanted* to just be a kid but he *needed* to accept his role as the Avatar if he was gonna end the war.

[@ChristopherCopeland]

Cj Kalandek additionally, and in a more complex way, I think he actually had to overcome people’s expectations of him as “The Avatar”, realizing that if he was going to save the world, he had to do it in a way that was true to himself if he was to break the cycle that caused the problems to begin with. Avatar is wild. Haha.

[@broccolinyu911]

incredible example. I love Avatar. such a well developed show for being aimed at pre-teens and kids

[@soridosuneku]

@@broccolinyu911 Thank the head writer of Avatar at the time, Aaron Ehasz, for that. He knew how to develop the story that the creators of the show wanted to tell, and did it well

[@ultron-5600]

Kachu the movie was garbage but the animated show is actually pretty good and entertaining

[@broccolinyu911]

@@ultron-5600 oh no, that was another film. I believe it was called "No shit, Sherlock"

[@diweyproduction5861]

“Now we listed the 5 known differences, but what if a film doesn’t meet one of the standards.” “BuMbLe BeE sToP lUbErCaTiNg ThE mAn!”

[@layicorn]

😏😉😈

[@dayanmoshe9037]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rovYgoeaapyBjsk do watch

[@baussier134]

Michael Bay crap fest

[@ameliaharper3762]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rovYgoeaapyBjsk

[@desiirwin35]

I think that would fall under fun.

[@wenceslaobelano9858]

This is an eye-opener. Big help to fiction writers out there. Thank you so much.

[@chramoso]

agreed! in case you're looking for more writing tips, may i suggest checking out the channel Hello Future Me, he has great videos on writing (mostly fantasy though). :)

[@lifeismusicparnadonkers]

I totally agree i love you,re explaning

[@robertminnie782]

"What you want isn't the same as what you need" _(Disney's Princess and the Frog,_ 2009).

[@HiruHeart]

I was thinking about the song "Dig a Little Deeper" while watching!

[@lightn2783]

Heh

[@domacinerast1664]

Omg yes I just watched that movie yesterday after few years and it's pretty well done with its story and the characters

[@malaksafa4074]

I was thinking about this just now!

[@robertminnie782]

@@domacinerast1664 I still find it impressive too. That movie was a gem. Good message behind it and well-executed arcs to illustrate it. I watched it over and over again... STILL so good.

[@kisari-arts]

It's that "Dig a little deeper" scene from Princess and the frog. You *want* to become human, but you are blind to what you need.

[@ameliaharper3762]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rovYgoeaapyBjsk

[@stoneman18]

Yeah, and they got what they wanted the moment they got what they needed. Still my favorite Disney movie

[@izenfaust3856]

"If you need me, but don't want me, I'll stay, but if you want me, but don't need me anymore, I'll go." Nanny McPhee 😄

[@animarts954]

This is the reason why side character are more appreciated than the main character. The main character can often time revert to their old ways and hinder there more than the viewer realizes.

[@OliKember]

Thanks, this was great. It's all about that internal vs external battle. And to add to this, sometimes what they want is actually what gets in the way of their need, and their journey can be about letting go of the want, in order to fulfil and realise the need. Just another way to play it. Cheers!

[@ThinkStory]

You got it! So many films don't do that.

[@PkrBarMovie]

That's actually an objectively better way to go about it, as sacrifice cannot fail to evoke strong emotions when executed properly.

[@iPodiMaster]

Thanks for the clarification, Oliver. I honestly had some trouble understanding

[@davidbjacobs3598]

Like in Up, Carl wants to bring his house to Paradise Falls to wait out the rest of his life, but he needs to go create a new adventure and learn to live without Ellie. In order to realize this, he has to abandon all of his furniture and finally the house itself. The line, "It's just a house," hits me every. damn. time.

[@Agbahizzal]

This seems to be the one way to summarize the life of all those who have become agents of maturation throughout the generations.

[@KekerikiGreen]

Like how you began and ended on that rocky note

[@Bennahr_Fett]

@@Me_Caveman ?? huh ?

[@idanil016]

You should have mentioned that in Manchester by the Sea the absence of WANT is an essential part of Affleck's character. He is in depression, he suffered a lot and can't move past that suffering. It is a true portrayal of a mental breakdown. You really can feel it when you follow him in situations which are not related to his WANTS or NEEDS.

[@akrinord]

Yeah exactly, I was just going to write the same. The lack of want as the result of unfathomable loss is the heartbreaking point of that movie.

[@niqueladajoa4759]

Is too late but, yeah, I thought the same. He has been in pain for so long, that's why he doesn't have a WANT. MBTS is a great movie.

[@joee8278]

Agreed. I stopped watching when he suggested that Manchester by the Sea is not a great movie.

[@Liam-tp7td]

He has a want, it's to get out of Manchester. His nephew gets in the way because all his life is there.

[@valkyrie5018]

Literally every time a lotr clip plays I start to cry and then it ends immediately and I’m fine. Then more clips play. The lotr movies are just that amazing

[@fan-girlsanonymous7650]

Valkyrie501 I was the same way with the matrix clips lol though Lotr is most excellent

[@baylee8659]

That's what happened with me at the end of the video when he played Rocky lol. INSTANT tears.

[@okas_art]

LITERALLY ME 😂

[@CodyJancaric]

The WANT / NEED connection to your viewing experience with Rocky is absolutely brilliant!

[@rhale115]

This was very well put together!

[@ThinkStory]

Thanks very much!

[@IceRiver1020]

Definitely something I'll think more about in my writing from now on! I have a character who wants to be free, but needs to be selfless. Which means giving up on freedom, because his desire for freedom is selfish, it's something that he has to hurt others to achieve, and something that would require him to follow in the footsteps of the man who took his freedom away in the first place. He would become like the man that he hates, something that would hurt himself as well as others.

[@parkoho]

Good luck on your writing!

[@shankarrammurthy8724]

Nice ending with rocky freeze frame effect.

[@ThinkStory]

Haha, unfortunately I can't take credit for that. That's the actual Rocky ending which worked out perfectly for me :)

[@schnoz2372]

Too well written, edited, read, and spoken to pass up. KZbin recommendations rarely work for me but here I’ve found gold

[@100mhopkins]

THANK YOU! This was incredibly insightful and eyeopening for me. As an amateur, screenwriting enthusiast/hobbyist (yes, that's how I categorize myself) I sometimes jumble and mix up the need and the want and their symbiotic roles in creating a complete character and story. Thanks for the super clear explanation. I'll let you know if helps lift my screenplay off the runway! Mark - Columbus, Ohio

[@ameliaharper3762]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rovYgoeaapyBjsk

[@wesselconway3920]

You’ve explained this concept better than anyone ever has.

[@jaredgunkle1562]

rocky isnt about winning what i wanted was to see rocky win what i needed was to punch people more often

[@warrentan831]

Underrated comment

[@bryantdeutschman3409]

I just write my stories and characters based on my experience of watching movies and reading books I’ve loved, but it was interesting to watch the analysis you present. I didn’t even know I was writing that way already. Well done, I took notes. Thanks.

[@izzytheamazing]

I'm learning about storytelling so that I can figure out how to tell my own story. Currently working through the "Pixar in a Box" course on Khan Academy and I came here to learn more about "Wants vs Needs." Not only did this video help me understand it from a storytelling perspective, I also managed to create a wants/needs list for myself. Thank you for such a good video!

[@DD-nc3zx]

I was 8 first time watching Rocky. And loved it, because he did not won, like in any other stereotypical hero story. He lost but he was a hero. I dont understand people watching movies for a positive outcome. Its the journey that counts.

[@aspiringeyecandy4856]

Penultimate sentence comes across as condescending.

[@DD-nc3zx]

@@aspiringeyecandy4856 to who? to positivitty people on planet eden? your comment is judgemental...and meaningless, why bothering to write it?

[@shabeehhaider2553]

I wholeheartedly agree. Sometimes people just care more about the ending than the importance of the journey.

[@traumachild1737]

I've always loved writting but I always find my characters weak, this video will be a great help to improving that. Thank you!

[@robertmoore4050]

Writing a good story is call life. That's what make a good character. I do comics and this will help me even more

[@williamhunter8773]

This formula TRULY explains WHY I hate a lot of the movies I hate. You actually put it into words for me. This has been most insightful. Thank you

[@m3ng252]

This is such a good essay, no words wasted. I wish I could write essays like this.

[@riverpaw3234]

*”Bumblebee, stop lubricating the man.”*

[@dragongemgaming8294]

I read this right when that scene was played in the video lol 🤣

[@daelaenor]

It's so exciting to realize ways you could implement these things into your plot. By coincidence, I've already laid down a fitting scenario for wants and needs. My main character's want is to overthrow a tyranny in order to help the common folk (which in itself will be very ambiguous), and he needs to realize that he's someone special who has the ability to do so with the help of others who put trust in him.

[@starwing2814]

This was extremely helpful! I'm currently struggling in developing characters. I've struggled with this concept for a while. But now I feel like I have a good understanding! Thank you for this video!

[@awkwardhomo972]

okay so i suck at understanding things when people tell me something, but this was really detailed yet easy to understand for me :)

[@BackboneAgZ]

I’m not sure Manchester by the Sea was a good example. He has a clear want: to move on from his traumatic past, which he thinks he’ll achieve only in solitude. What stands in his way is actually his need in achieving his want: having to finish raising his nephew. It ties in perfectly with your final statement in this video. “What we need might be right in front of us and we don’t even realize it.” The distraction of a responsibility as high as raising a high school kid and the closeness of family could help him regain his sense of purpose. I don’t wanna spoil the ending for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but essentially, he finds a middle ground between his want and need, which I think makes for a pretty excellent and somewhat satisfying ending to a mostly depressing film. However off the top of my head, I can’t think of a movie with too much need and too little want. Overall, this video offers an incredible insight to what makes for good character writing.

[@luciddreams7540]

Completely agree. In Manchester, he just wanted to be left alone and bury the past, leaving his family behind to do so. His need was to face the past, moving on by embracing family once again.

[@64ccd]

I see your point but am inclined to agree with Think Story. I think that the problem is that wanting to move on from the past isn't tangible enough, and as such borders on being a need. I think it could've been made clearer if his traumatic past was standing in the way of something else that he wanted. I don't know what it is Casey would rather be doing with his life if he weren't haunted by his past.

[@berlinsb1]

I agree. And for my Manchester by the Sea really worked in every way. I was hooked and deeply moved.

[@jakeblottenberger3699]

Manchester by the Sea is the best example I have ever seen of a movie that is pure shit.

[@fatmac1975]

I really like your analysis but I also think it can work even without the feeling of a “need”. I think that feeling of little aim and strong clear goal works in a story about overcoming the depression and trying to escape the past: you can feel like nothing is really happening and you’re just stuck in time

[@alfredhigglestein2828]

Just wanted to say how helpful this video was for me. I've been wanting to write a story since I was a kid and having this sort of semi guideline for how to structure characters around their needs and the plot is super helpful. Great vid thanks again

[@filmmakeranto]

I read John Truby but this essay gave a whole new level of information.. You helped me a lot with my characterization for the Screenplay I'm working on.. Thank you

[@ThinkStory]

That is excellent! And good luck with the screenplay!

[@kokichiyoursupremeleader.1713]

1:34 that’s so true and I feel that there are a lot of media that forgets that and you hardly even see any true noticeable internal conflict. But one thing you for to mention with that is that both are necessary and important. And usually with an internal conflict there’s an external and vise versa. (Doesn’t mean that the vise versa gives a good internal conflict to the external one) And another thing with that want is that people want to (normally fan work and mostly Gacha) do is give their character all these external conflicts and all these awful things that happened to them. I think an important trait for a writer is to know when it’s enough and adding something will make it too much. 4:00 personally they’re both needs. You can’t write it without a basic understanding on what’s gonna happen. Therefore without even a little bit of an idea for plot. (You don’t even need to have it all planned out) you can’t develop on themes. 4:06 this one is complete fact all the way. What makes something amazing is it’s heart. Teen titans and teen titans go. There are a lot of reasons why the original is better but one of the most important and possibly overlooked reason is the amount of heart that’s given into the original. You can see how well written the characters are you could see that there was a lot of thought in it They are making an original vs go but in all honesty is it really the original coming back. By the trailer it’s obvious it doesn’t have the heart that made the original the original. What Go seems to aim for is the nonsense and silliness, hoping this “fun” aspect will appeal to kids. And the thing is it can be fun and silly but it needs to have heart and meaning.

[@MarkowskyArt]

Truly excellent distillation of the difference between these two concepts. Been looking at lots of videos to help me clarify them and this one really nailed it! Well done! Looking forward to more!

[@lyndsaystval6752]

Great work guys. I've watched a ton of stuff about characters and this is right up there. Very clear and easily understood.

[@james4727]

just found your channel, very insightful, i have been researching storycraft and movies for personal interest for a year or so and these vids are perhaps the most concisely put and insightful breakdowns of story.

[@prove_it000]

i have never seen such a complex topic summed up so simply. you really know your stuff. thank you!

[@Koliflower]

Awesome video, and more importantly, a great lesson. This was so well structured and I found it very easy to see how each aspect of the two columns aligned with the previous ones. Thank you so much!

[@pyromaniac301]

A silly movie to bring up but you kept mentioning childhood so.... Cars, the final scene kept popping into my head and I remember as a kid I was never upset about Lightning not winning the race and was more happy that he wasn't a douchebag anymore.

[@tinguyen999]

Writing for assignments always stressed me out because I wouldn’t know where to take the story or conflict. Videos like these really help. Thanks, man.

[@cryptomancer2927]

The best explanation of Want vs. Need I have ever heard. Thank you!

[@Sarah-fb1nm]

I love this video so much, I don’t plan to write my first story anytime soon because I want to improve my art and storytelling in a lot of ways, but I feel like I just improved my character 100 percent, he may not be the best but I’m proud of it, thank you

[@andrewdummett5141]

5:38 Such a great reference to 'The Room' amongst what has been a very insightful analysis of the importance of 'Wants' and 'Needs' in character development. Comparing the bad amongst the good here, made it very funny. Thank you.

[@braelinmichelus]

Love this video! Very glad I found it. I'll never think of stories in the same way again. I'm an aspiring writer, and this video has seriously helped me in writing my characters. Thanks for making this video!

[@SergioOsvaldoVA]

Great video but I will also say that theme is equally important in stories and most of the times the characters both embrace and define the variants of the theme. LFTS did a brilliant video about it.

[@moniquevamado]

Good stuff. The comment about Manchester by the Sea is exactly how I felt watching it: great acting, and... ? Perplexed at it winning so many awards.

[@stephanielikescake2501]

I wrote two pages of notes for my novel from this vid. Thank you for a very interesting and helpful explanation of this

[@manmarzi8935]

Just what I wanted. Crisp information, easy to understand

[@MrReaperofDead]

You create strong characters by giving them strong emotions. A character seen losing his temper is gunna be known for his anger...But when the reader or audience sees a character that was once known for his anger be 'humbled' this instills an emotional response between them and your character. This is because instead of expecting them to be normally a certain way, a dynamic situation has changed them to respond differently. Plays do a good job at displaying how a protagonist can shift his personality over time as he ages through the story. Usually tragedies can show this too.

[@MrReaperofDead]

With that being said, any emotion given to a character should at times be exaggerated, this makes them memorable. (Like a shy character acting extra shy for no reason, or a pompous character getting mad and becoming extra pompous after he was given a cheap receipt for his purchase.) That way if you plan on dynamically changing your character over time, there will be a stronger response from your readers and audience. Ex. Thr pompous man may be offended by a cheap receipt...But after seeing his friend being placed in a cheap shallow grave, he may be brought to tears and you'll see them humbled. Now the audience will generate a memorable emotion from that said character, and so on.

[@shabeehhaider2553]

Another great example is Guts from Berserk manga

[@user-me5fh3yu1j]

This was really helplful, especially explaining plot vs. theme in wants vs. needs, which I didn't understand before.

[@leighbailey4386]

Thank you - your five key points of Want vs Need was just what I needed for that aha moment in planning my novel!

[@DrCK-mn2tb]

Beautifully explained...We can identify our needs for our wants in our own life..Besides in storytelling....Thank you

[@NewWayIndia]

Most clearly explained and well presented video on WANT Vs. NEED - Must watch all beginner story writers. Thanks for the upload.

[@liunderground1899]

Thank you for clarifying the distinction between "want" and "need".

[@skyleranimates1251]

I love this video! Thank you so much for this it’s really helpful.

[@noxlupa2996]

Thank you so much for the informative video :D I'll have to keep these in mind while developing my characters in the future.

[@aisyaica]

Thank you for making this video. I learn a lot! Keep up the good work 👏👌

[@janelienert1670]

This video was very helpful. I'm in the process of writing a story and I learnt a lot thx to you :)

[@Micmoves]

I agree with many other comments. Thank you for this insight. I hadn't thought of quite like this.

[@Fjuron]

Very informative and practical; thank you for sharing this!

[@thatoneidiotnamedme6990]

Love that you use some of my favorite movies for the video!

[@thevioletskull8158]

This really helped me and made me rethink things.

[@Prene16]

I am in the middle of writing a book and i am struggling with a secondary character... Watching this video made me realize he lacks a "want"... He is so "supporting" to the main character he doesnt have his goal and thats making him an extra even tho he is very important in driving the plot.... I dont want anything and any characters to be there just to fill in a plot hole so i am stuck...

[@el_tdg]

You still writing?

[@ohifonlyx33]

4:07... literally almost cried there. i mean you were talking about emotional moments and I- YOU FOUND ONE. ETA and again with 4:41 DUDE, MAN YOU GOTTA STOP SHOWING ME SAD LOTR CLIPS I JUST DID A REWATCH AND MY HEART CAN'T TAKE THIS.

[@QuincyIQ]

Imma be honest. This video is a semesters worth of knowledge. I should know I just did a semester in screenwriting.

[@geministrial950]

This. This is the kind of content i've been looking for.

[@KKati-th6bv]

Thank you for sharing. Great explanation on the point. Wish you flows and inspiration for your writing

[@willtobias5280]

Gonna have to watch this a few times, good stuff

[@EmmaParvin1320]

Great video. Your channel has really helped me in my writing process!

[@ThinkStory]

Thanks Emma. My channel has shifted away from more of the screenwriting stuff, but I do have a playlist with all my screenwriting videos to help :)

[@IrashiAkane]

Wow thank you for this! You explained it so well.

[@FlavioColombini]

Thank you! This video is very well done! I loved it!

[@ThinkStory]

Thanks Flávio!

[@priscillajimenez27]

This makes so much sense now. It motivates me to write!

[@NthabisengMosieane]

What an important video - Very well-researched and highly informative.

[@supperpokemonsgo9720]

This video is a masterpiece that helped me plan my English project. Thanks!

[@michaelboushra275]

this video carries a new insight to me .. thank you

[@lachlanhatfield2530]

Excellent video and fantastic channel, look forward to more content

[@ThinkStory]

Thanks a lot! Just getting started. Make sure to tell any writer/film friends to check it out :)

[@damianstarks3338]

Great analysis of want and need

[@jaizerocool]

I have no words to describe how much I liked this video

[@chvp4605]

That was great and super helpful,thank you!!💕🙌🏻✨

[@ThinkStory]

Thanks for watching :)

[@kaptenkladdkaka8769]

This was very insightful. As a writer, I'm thankful

[@jahanvigurjar5744]

I can't believe how much I learned from this single video......🤗😍

[@TheDude-vx6wn]

Amazing. Thank you for posting!

[@teacherdowrich2028]

thank you for this wonderful explanation.

[@shaeholden1743]

Excellent video, very well explained.

[@secretweapon8367]

Honesty this kind of fantasy analysis makes it easier to hurt people because they have unrealistic expectations. You put people like me in business. Grats.

[@prehistorichero2755]

This would help me improve my writing. Thanks!

[@oscarwilson7591]

I’d also say, adding onto what you were saying, that for compelling and satisfying story, the Want doesn’t need to be fulfilled, but the Need DOES. In fact, whether the Want is fulfilled is completely dependant on whether it contributes to the Need being fulfilled i.e. Him losing in “Rocky” (an unfulfilled Want) supported his Need as it brought home the idea of what’s important and what isn’t. If he had WON (and therefore, the Want fulfilled), the Need would have fallen flat and it would have been what you’d call a generic “hero always wins” story which is rebounded for sacrificing a fulfilled Need for a fulfilled Want. Very good video and I’m sad I only just found it now. Very useful in distinguishing these kinds of important thing in a story

[@bn3099]

This is pretty complicated actually, I think if I watch a lot of times I'll understand lmao but good video man, very very useful especially for beginners in writing

[@JeremyFrancispiano]

Sound advice. Thank you!

[@cheriewi7874]

Many thanks. This is so helpful 👍.

[@andrewjohnston1564]

This video makes me want to read Anatomy of Story more thoroughly. I will definitely watch this again as well.

[@G-Blockster]

Holy crap, this is fantastic. I just subscribed.

[@geniusisland371]

Super helpful. I had my “💡” when you said OBSTACLES of WANT vs OBSTACLES of NEED.

[@michukito]

This is really helpful. Thanks!

[@JuanSerradelaFuente]

I wanted this video and half way through I realized I needed it

[@Benny-pk1zh]

Thank you so much! This video was a tremendous help. (New subscriber)