008: i studied scriptwriting a while back. one of the most profound things i learnt was that the settings in a film can be as much of a character as the characters themselves. the setting, somehow, shapes the character's lives. it moulds their story. grim settings produce grim characters. happy-go-lucky settings produce happy-go-lucky characters. 

there are, however, exceptions to the rule. and it's those exceptional characters that actually drive the story forward, whether they are a hero or a villain.

you can either be the character who is shaped by your settings, or the character that shapes the setting. it's your movie.

Andre Anderson - Freedom & Balance