Character Work : The Hirachy of Characters in Film...

Three dimensional characters are one which are intriguing, they catch the audience's attention but also can be related to, and a writer the aim is to create these three-dimensional believable characters. All characters have specific functions in order to fulfil, and their is a basic hierarchy of characters within film:
Main Character/s
In most cases the main character is the progtatognist of the story and it is through conjunction with them that the story progresses (for example on Shrek, he is the main character as well as the progtatognist). The protagonists is the character that the audience focuses on, in most cases it is there point of view that the audiences experience the story through, the character must be believable as it is the one that the audience most identifies with, overall it is their outward motivations and goals that drive the plot. The main character is seen as the most memorable character, below is a link to a video created on what makes a character memorable and how it can be portrayed within film:

Secondary Characters
These are the character that interact with the protagonist, therefore have a significant effect on the main character. In many films the secondary characters play the roles of the mirror, antagonist and romance however it can sometimes be the protagonist for example in 'Rain Main' (1988), Dustin Hoffman plays the main character of Raymond however it the secondary character Charlie played by Tom Cruise is the protagonist as the story follower his journey of going from a self-seeking business man to an unselfish loving brother

Minor Characters
These are the characters that add atmosphere, deliver message, open door and generally hold the role of contributing the world of the story