Deconstructing Characters

The protagonist: The exploiter

The colors of the exploiter are red and blue. Red is to represent freedom, and blue is to represent truth. This character is all about free speech and is a huge opponent of censorship in a time when it is dangerous to have that stance. The colors have to be very vibrant, because it shows that he wants things to be clear and out in the open. This serves as a contrast to the bleak colors of his antagonist. The blue and red also work well together aesthetically as they are both primary colors. 

The lighting that the Exploiter is usually portrayed in is a sort of glowing. The exploiter should always appear as he is emitting light wherever he is. This lighting is representative of the way the Exploiter uses investigative journalism to uncover government secrets the people deserve to know about that are kept in the dark. The exploiter shines his light, and similarly, uncovers truth wherever he goes. The lighting shows portrays him as the hope for the people who cannot see through the darkness that the government has created with its lies and secrets.

The Exploiter’s look is based on several triangle shapes, because triangles are well defined and the Exploiter does not like things that are vague, because he sees vague information as a way to trick people into thinking everything is fine, when in face the opposite is true. Additionally, since a spearhead is commonly a triangle shape, it also shows how the Exploiter is the ‘spearhead’ of a rebellious movement against government censorship. The triangle shape portrays the Exploiter as a leader, someone who is not afraid to be the first to say something is wrong with the way things are.

The antagonist: Agent 001

The colors of Agent 001 are black, grey and white. This monochromatic color scheme is representative of the censorship agency he works for. This agency wants a world where the truth is not clear, and everything is a sort of a mix of lies and truth in which nobody can tell the difference which is which. Essentially, it is a monochromatic color scheme for Agent 001’s monotonous idea of a perfect world. The way his colors essentially lack any saturation at all is a striking contrast to the Exploiter’s vibrant blue and red.  Agent 001 and his employers want the world to be ‘colorblind,’ so to speak, to the dangerous methods of the government.

Agent 001 and any other agents that may appear in a story are always depicted in shadows. Agent 001 should usually be barely visible, much like the secrets he keeps. It is Agent 001’s job to keep things hidden, so he himself should always appear to be hidden. This type of lighting is representative of the way the government does not want its secrets to be brought into the light. While the exploiter is always trying to uncover something with light, Agent 001 is always trying to hide something with darkness. The two are in a perpetual battle, for their goals are completely opposite.

Agent 001’s look is based on a square, because squares are so rigid. The rigidness represents Agent 001’s unflinching obedience to his employers, due somewhat to brainwashing but also to misguided views on his past. Square is also a good shape to represent big government, because the square sort of creates a metaphorical fence, with the edges representing the law. No matter how unjust a law may be, if a citizen steps ‘outside’ of these boundaries, his motive is not taken into account, he is punished. Agent 001 does not make exceptions or bend the rules, he is rigid, like a square.