You are allowed one scene in your screenplay in which to introduce your lead character before he becomes involved in the plot. The idea is to develop one brief signature scene that sets up the character for the rest of the film.
In the Ipcress File, we see Harry Palmer wake up in the morning and prepare for a day of work. He has to find his glasses before he can see the alarm clock, he grinds his own gourmet coffee beans, and he uses a complicated coffee maker. Later, he finds a woman’s earring in his bed--while searching for his misplaced gun. Then he leaves his apartment, late for work. Everything we need to know about Harry Palmer is established in this scene. From here, the film whisks us away on an adventure.
The best way to write an introductory scene is to make a list of everything the audience needs to learn about our lead character, then come up with a single scene that illustrates each important point in an entertaining way.
The "hot dog" scene in Dirty Harry is a good example. Harry is sitting at the counter in a blue-collar diner eating a hot dog when he spots a car idling in front of a bank across the street. Harry tells the diner owner to call the police, then unholsters his .44 Magnum and stops the bank’s robbery single-handedly, destroying everything that gets in his way. Finally, he threatens the downed bank robber and speaks his signature line: "Do you feel lucky, punk?"
What do we learn about Harry from this scene? 1) He’s a blue-collar guy. 2) He’s incredibly observant and smart. He sees smoke from the tail pipe of the car parked in front of the bank and figures there’s a robbery in progress. 3) He carries a non-regulation gun. A HUGE gun. A gun that isn’t designed to wound, but to kill. 4) He faces the robbers alone. He is fearless. 5) He doesn’t wait for backup. He’s a lone wolf, not a team player. 6) He continues eating his lunch as he brings down the robbers. This is just another normal occasion for Harry. 7) Nothing gets in the way of his quest for "justice." He trashes the entire block while catching the criminals. 8) He doesn’t read the wounded robber his rights. He threatens to kill him--no kid gloves here. This guy treats criminals like scum. 9) We learn many other details, and they help the audience identify with Harry. This incident interrupts his lunch. Not even a sit-down lunch, but a lousy hot dog. Anyone who has ever had his lunch interrupted by work knows how Harry feels.
We learn at least 9 very important things about Harry from this one brief scene. By the time Harry gets a new partner and sets out after the Zodiac Killer, we know exactly how he will react in every scene, because he was very well set up in the opening scene.
Another way to introduce your character is to reveal. This second person technique helps the audience find out about your character through the dialogue or actions of others before meeting the character.
For example: A group of grizzled cowboys sit around a poker table, talking about the meanest, toughest, fastest gunslinger in the West. Each contributes a story showing a different side of this gunslinger. "He once shot 8 men without a reload. The bullet bounced from one to the other like a billiard ball." "I once saw him tear a man’s arm clean off in a fist fight." "I personally know he ruined three of the girls at Miss Kitty’s. They went and fell in love with him and quit the business." "The army put him in Yuma Prison once, but he tunneled his way out with his bare hands. He’s a tough one, that Roy Slade." As soon as the audience gets a vivid picture of who this desperado is, the saloon doors open and THERE HE IS-- Woody Allen in a cowboy hat!
The main problem with introducing a character through second-person dialogue is that it’s talking heads, and film is a visual medium. Show, don’t tell.
Thus, the visual second person introduction is the one we most often see. Two examples: In Ben Hecht’s Notorious, we see a wild party in progress. Dancing, drinking, people going into the coat room to make love. Amid all the carousing, we see a man sitting in a chair with his back toward us. This man turns down all invitations to dance. He isn’t drinking. He seems very businesslike. With every invitation he turns down, our curiosity grows. Finally, the hostess (a provocatively dressed Ingrid Bergman, looking HOT!) tries to force him out of his shell. No success. As the party dies down, she continues flirting with him. Nothing. Now we really want to know what this guy’s game is. Why is he even at this party? He is after something, but what? Soon, the only characters remaining are Ingrid, a passed-out drunk, and the mystery man. She makes a pass at him and he turns her down flat. He only wants to talk to her. We finally dolly around to see the Mystery Man’s face. It’s Cary Grant, our hero.
In this scene, we learn many things about Grant’s Devlin character, and the most important is that business comes before pleasure in his life. In fact, he is so business-oriented that we wonder whether he ever has any fun. Certainly, he has no love life. We also learn how focused he is, how easy it is for him to avoid temptation, and how patient he is. All of these elements--some assets, others liabilities--will figure into the story.
Raiders of the Lost Ark has a similar "reveal character" introduction. We follow the point of view of the guides, cutting through a jungle. Who is leading? Not a guide, but our lead character. We see only the back of his head. When the expedition comes across something scary in the jungle, the guides pull back in terror while our lead continues forward. When we come upon traps, our lead avoids them, but the guides (who live in the area and should know what to do) fumble and get killed. Finally, after we’ve learned how brave, crafty, intelligent, and strong our lead character is, we see his face: Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.
No matter who your character, it is important for you to familiarize the audience with your lead character quickly and succinctly so that they can settle into their seats and enjoy the rest of the film. Create a single character introduction scene early in the script, and pack it full of information. Then let the story take control, and take the audience on a roller coaster ride for the rest of the film.
Yes, this is for screenplays, but the same rules apply for story and novel writing, so listen up and figure how you can successfully adapt this technique. The opening of a novel is no different than that of a film, but using words to make a picture. Always keep in mind the crucial "Show, Don’t Tell" rule!