As an actor, do you use your body?
There is nothing more important than the way you use your body. The way you use your body can make or break your performance. Your body and face are the first things a director, audience, and camera see when watching you act. Poor use of body can be a distraction from any acting ability.
Whether you’re a beginner or advanced actor, it is important to understand how to use your body as an actor. What kind of character are you playing? Are they someone who is shy? Vulnerable? Angry? There are many ways to use your body as an actor.
When you think of actors, you probably think of people who are really good at pretending. That’s because acting is all about pretending. It’s basically the art of pretending to be someone else and selling it, so that the audience believes you and not their own eyes. So, if it’s all about pretending, why do actors tend to be so uncomfortable in their own skin? We’ve covered some of the scenarios in the actor’s character for TV or film building, but it has a physical element too.
That’s because actors spend a lot of time rehearsing lines and blocking (where they stand or sit) rather than exploring the nuances of body language. The fact is that your body is one of your most powerful tools as an actor. You can use your body to convey exactly what you want the audience to feel – without saying a word!
Know the Basics of How to Use Your Body as an Actor
The first step to using your body as an actor is to know the basics of how to use your body! And to know what you might convince others that the character has become. This starts in the audition process and clues can be found in the casting call. Use your body to show what your character is feeling. You can do this with your posture, gestures, and movement.
Posture – Your posture can convey confidence or vulnerability. Think about your everyday posture to help you decide how your character would stand.
Gestures – Gestures can be a very effective way to convey what your character is feeling. Think about how your character would gesture and use that to help you decide how you want to move on stage.
Movement – Movement can help you create a character that the audience can understand. Movement makes characters come to life. It can also help you transition from one emotion to another.
Change the Way You Move to Change the Way You Feel
As an actor, you can change your mood or feelings by the way you move your body. If you’re feeling sad, try sitting up straight with your chin down and eyes averted. If you’re feeling happy, try moving your body with energy and excitement. Situations that might make you feel a certain way can help you change how you move. This technique can also help you get out of a rut if you’re feeling stuck with your current character.
If you’re feeling really stuck and you can’t figure out how to change your mood, try doing something that gets you excited or nervous. Go for a run, get a drink with friends, or do something else to get your blood flowing and your emotions flowing. Then, go back to your movement exercises to change how you feel. This can help you discover new or hidden emotions that you can use while acting.
Be in the Moment
Being in the moment is crucial to being a good actor. It can be difficult to stay in the moment, but it’s necessary to do so. You can stay in the moment by focusing on your breathing or the environment around you. For example, you could focus on the sounds in the room or the scents nearby. You can also try to focus on your feelings to help you stay in the moment. Be in the moment, but don’t forget to be natural. Being in the moment is all about being real. Also, consider what acting mistakes you should avoid (especially if you are a beginner.)
Do what your character would do in the scene, but be yourself. If you’re supposed to cry on stage, feel the emotion and let the tears flow naturally. If you’re supposed to be angry in a scene, be angry and let the emotion flow. Avoid trying too hard to be a certain way. If you try too hard to cry, you’ll end up over-exaggerating and coming off as fake.
Use your body to show emotion
If your character is happy, you could swing your arms and move around excitedly. If your character is sad, you could move slowly and sit down with your head down low. If your character is in pain, you could rest your head in your hands. If your character is bored or tired, you could have your arms crossed or lean against something while sitting down. You should use your whole body to show emotion. This can help you fully commit to the scene or show.
If you’re playing a character who is angry, you don’t want to sit down with your head in your hands. You want to stand up tall with your head up and shoulders back. You want to use your body to show what your character is feeling. You can also use props to help you show emotion. An angry character could throw a pillow in a couch.
Use Props to Help You Use Your Body as an Actor
Props can help you use your body as an actor. Choose props that correspond to your character. If your character is nervous or scared, you could hold a piece of candy in your hand. If you’re sad, you could hold a stuffed animal. If you’re happy, you could hold a flower. If you’re confident, you could hold a stack of papers. If you’re in a scene with a loved one and you’re supposed to be in love with them, you could hold their hand. If you’re supposed to be fighting with someone, you could hold their shirt. You could also move their shirt to show anger or frustration.
Utilize Shapes and Stances To Show What You’re Feeling
As an actor, you can change your shape or stance to show what your character is feeling. If your character is angry, stand up tall with your fists clenched. If your character is sad, sit with your legs crossed and your head down low. If your character is happy, sit with your legs apart and your hands on your knees.
If your character is scared, sit with your legs crossed, hands on your knees, and your head down low. If your character is nervous or worried, sit with your legs crossed and your hands on your knees. You could also sit with one leg crossed and the other leg stretched out in front of you. You could also sit with your hands resting in your lap.
Don’t Forget The Importance of Breathing
Breathing correctly is important when you’re acting. When you breathe correctly, you can help yourself show emotion. You can also help your voice sound better when you act. When you’re nervous, you can end up breathing too quickly. This can cause you to sound more nervous or high pitched.
Slow down your breathing by inhaling for three seconds and exhaling for five seconds. This can help you sound more like your normal self. It can also help you show emotion more effectively. When you’re acting, you might be nervous. This can cause you to breathe quickly and through your chest. You want to make sure to breathe from your diaphragm or abdominal area. This way, you can sound more relaxed and show more emotion.
Change your physicality to match a role
If you’re playing the same character over and over again, you might want to change your physicality to match the new role. This can help you fully commit to the character. You can change your physicality by changing your posture, your gestures, and your movement. If you’re playing a confident character, you want to make sure you have a confident posture.
Stand tall with your head up and your hands on your hips. You want to keep your gestures simple and make sure you keep your movements smooth. If you’re playing a shy character, you want to make sure you have a timid posture. Sit with your legs crossed, hands on your knees, and your head down low. You want to keep your movements subtle and make sure your hands and knees are close together.
In Conclusion
As you can see, there are many ways to use your body to be an amazing actor. If you’re still working on becoming the best actor you can be, why not consider classes for actors where you can explore and learn in a safe environment? You want to show emotion and convey what your character is feeling. You want to move your body and change your physicality to show what your character is feeling. You want to breathe correctly and make sure you don’t forget the importance of breathing.
These are just a few of the ways you can use your body to be an amazing actor. If you’re an actor, you need to know how to use your body. Your body is the first thing an audience sees when watching you perform. Using your body can make or break your performance. Whether you’re an experienced actor or a beginner, it is important to understand how to use your body as an actor.