AFTV-FUND-Lesson 5 – The Physicality of Acting - Final Act Drama

Lesson 5 - The Physicality of Acting

Pantomime, Body Language and Movement

“The actor has to develop his body. The actor has to work on his voice. But the most important thing the actor has to work on is his mind.”
Stella Adler

We’ll put the voice and mind aside for a moment and work on the body for now. The physicality of acting refers to the use of pantomime, body language, and movement to effectively convey emotions, intentions, and storytelling without relying on spoken words. It involves the use of the body as a tool for communication, expression, and characterization. Lets look at these aspects of physicality in acting.

Pantomime

Pantomime is the art of conveying meaning and actions through gestures and facial expressions, without the use of words. It requires precise movements and clarity to effectively communicate the intended actions and emotions to the audience. Pantomime is acting out a scene without speaking or making any noise. It is a great skill for all actors to have, especially beginning actors. Pantomime gives new actors the opportunity to work on their confidence, communication, and stage skills, without having to worry about remembering lines or using props. Pantomime requires the actor to act out a scene using only facial expression, gestures, and actions.

Though many would think that Pantomime is only a street art for guys with white make-up on their face trying to get out of an imaginary box, it is much more than that. It is a skill where we convey actions, ideas, and emotions to an audience using only our body. No props, no scenery, not wardrobe, no words!

Think about your favorite action or superhero film. We are all familiar with how filmmakers use “Green Screen” techniques to add digital elements to the scene that are not there when the actor is preforming the scene. The actor has to use his imagination to envision their surroundings, digital characters, or special effects that will be added later in post production. Frequently the actor has to interact with that digital element as if it is there in the moment. In essence, they are pantomiming the scene using their imagination.

Simple rules for pantomime

Visibility: Anything that the actor is trying to communicate in pantomime must be visible to the audience. We need to identify our audience. In a live performance with physical people in attendance, it is easy to locate the eyeballs of the people. If an actor turns his or her back to the audience during a pantomime, they can’t see what the actor is doing. If we are doing camera work, we need to know 2 things. 1. Where is the camera? 2. What is the framing of the shot? If we are pantomiming texting on our phone in our lap and the shot is a medium close up, then the camera, thus the audience, can’t see what we are doing. Pretty simple concept, but actors blow this frequently by not seeking all the information.

Consistency: When the actor establishes that something exists in a certain place or as a certain size, it must remain the same. Objects can’t get bigger or smaller. Doorways and waIls can’t move. Actors can’t walk through furniture or other things that the actor established as existing in the pantomime. If you are pantomiming playing volleyball with a beach ball with a friend, and you suddenly catch it in one hand like a baseball, you have blown up the scene in the mind of the audience. If you enter a scene through a door that you open and closed when coming in. You must open it to exit or you lose the attention and credibility with the audience.

Exaggeration: Body movements, emotions, and physical resistance need to be exaggerated to make sure that the audience understands what you are communicating. Hand arm and hand movements should be bigger than in real life. Facial expressions and emotions should be exaggerated the same way gestures are exaggerated. When pantomiming something that would have physical resistance in real life, the actor should exaggerate it. For example, if an actor pantomimes lifting a heavy box, the actor should exaggerate the weight of the box when lifting it.

As we talked about earlier, acting is about telling a story. Pantomime is telling a story without words and all the other “stuff”. Act it out and let us see what is in your mind.

Exercise

Practice a simple pantomime exercise by pantomiming one or more of the following scenes while paying attention to the specific movements and gestures involved, and try to make them clear and understandable to an audience. Be as detailed as possible and think about how your character feels in the scene and communicate that as well.
-The process of getting dressed.
-Washing a dog.
-A 5 year old’s birthday party.
-Going to a yard sale.
-Riding a roller coaster
-Decorating a Christmas tree
-Performing magic
-Fishing
-Driving a race car
-Burglarizing a home

Body Language

Body language involves the use of posture, stance, gestures, and physical presence to convey character traits, emotions, and relationships. It plays a crucial role in defining the personality and intentions of a character on stage or screen. For example, a character who is confident and dominant might stand tall with their shoulders back, while a timid character might have rounded shoulders and avoid eye contact. Make sure you know what your character is feeling and mentally connect with your character’s feelings. Attempting to artificially look like you feel a certain emotion, will frequently look fake or overacted.

Exercise

Work on developing different character postures based on the feelings that are associated with them. Choose a variety of character types (e.g., confident, insecure, powerful, frail) and experiment with different physical postures that reflect their inner qualities. Observe how these postures affect your body language and overall portrayal of the character.

Movement

Movement encompasses the overall physicality and motion of a character. It includes walking, running, dancing, and other forms of physical activity. Movement can convey a character’s energy, age, physical condition, and emotional state. For example, a character in a state of joy might move with light, energetic steps.. A character that is depressed will have less movement and energy. Movement will be heavy and lethargic.

Exercise

OK, this exercise may feel silly, but trust me for a bit. Becoming other characters is a vulnerable experience, so sometimes we have to stretch a bit. Practice a movement exercise by exploring different qualities of movement. Start by moving as if you were an animal, such as a cat, bird, or elephant. Observe the characteristics of each animal and try to incorporate them into your movement. This exercise helps you develop physical flexibility and explore different ways of moving that can be applied to character work. It will also help you not to take things too seriously and have a little fun.

Remember that these aspects of physicality in acting should be authentic and connected to the character and the given circumstances of the scene. It is important to observe and study real-life behavior, as well as the behavior of different characters portrayed in films, plays, or other performances, to gain a deeper understanding of how physicality can enhance a character’s portrayal. Regular practice and exploration of these techniques will help you develop a strong physical presence and effective communication skills as an actor. I find that mimicking performances that I see on TV helps me to find that zone of authenticity that on-camera acting requires.

“Acting requires faith. You just have to believe that you are the person you’re playing and that what is happening is happening to you.”
Ivana Chubbuck