Elevated Extras

November 20, 2020

“Elevated Extras” refers to a side character that has suddenly become a main character. Or, if not a main character, they are suddenly more relevant to the plot than they were earlier. This happens often in TV shows where a character who was popping up every so often is suddenly in every episode. This may happen because they needed to add more main characters, or because a character has suddenly become more relevant. Like any side character who suddenly has more attention, they have to be interesting, otherwise people won’t care.

There is a difference between an elevated extra and a main character that wasn’t getting a lot of attention. In Girl in Red, I didn’t give Neville much focus until year three, but that doesn’t make him an elevated extra. He wasn’t exactly a side character; I certainly didn’t think of him as one. He was a main character that didn’t get a lot of focus. In Person of Interest, a lot of the characters they add to the cast are arguably main characters that didn’t get a lot of attention at first. Fusco, Root, and Shaw are all examples of this. As with an elevated extra, they must be interesting enough to keep the audience’s attention as they settle into the role of main character, and I would argue that all of them were.

For an elevated extra, I would point to the character Molesley in Downton Abbey. He pops up every now and then, but he’s clearly a side character at first. It isn’t until later in the series when he starts working at Downton that he becomes a main character. Like most elevated extras, this takes place in a series. If it’s in a single book or story, there likely won’t be enough time to establish the character as a side character. However, as Molsley does in Downton Abbey as he becomes a main character, he is interesting enough to keep the audience’s attention. He has his own troubles, and becomes more than just the butt of other characters’ jokes.

In Girl in Red, the best example of an elevated extra is Sarah Perks, who was probably my favorite side character of the series. As Sally-Anne’s mom, she does come up every now and then, always calm and collected, with a frightening knowledge of working people for information. The hint that she’s more than she seems comes from a scene at the start of year three, when she tears down Harry’s Uncle Vernon by citing a specific incident at his drilling company that he doesn’t want known. It isn’t until the end of year six that it’s revealed that she works for a government organization tasked with monitoring magicals in the U.K. and maintaining the Statute of Secrecy, with eyes and ears all over the country. In year seven, her position becomes relevant to the plot when Umbridge actively seeks to dismantle the Statute of Secrecy and take control of both the Magical and Muggle worlds.

The transformation from side to main character must be done with care. When a character suddenly becomes more relevant to the plot, they shouldn’t be ignored either. Take the time to build interest around them, to pique readers’ curiosity. Once you’ve got their attention, you’re ready to introduce the plot point that makes them relevant. It’s best if they remain somewhat relevant to something, though. Otherwise, we’re following a random character for no apparent reason. As with everything else in writing, it takes practice and balance. But it’s worth it to get it right.

#Essay #Characters #SideCharacters