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Incorporate character traits - Step 3

The Analyze and Release steps mentioned above are extremely difficult, whether you are a seasoned actor or a newcomer. It is also fairly safe to say that most people would not consider the first 2 steps particularly fun and exciting either. They can be very difficult, frustrating, and time consuming...

Welcome to life as an actor!

However, with Step 3, we are getting into an area that will allow us to introduce a little bit more excitement on the acting front. By this point we are aware of how we physically and mentally manifest our tension, and we have worked very hard to find ways to get rid of it as best we can while on stage/camera. Now that we have our own baggage out of the way, we can dive into the baggage of the character we are portraying.

Quite frankly, it is outside the scope of this particular post to outline all the various ways that we can make character choices and have them show during performances. If there is one thing I can comment on though, it is that there are no sure fire ways to make this happen. Much like Step 2, Step 3 will involve lots of trial and error on the part of the actor, and hopefully the director (if they are any good!).

Perhaps in a future posting I will be able to talk about some of the ways I, and some of my peers, have found useful in crafting a characters physicality... But for now, just realize that by following the first 2 steps, you have opened yourself up to a vast realm of possibilities as an actor. Once we "get out of our own way", so to speak, we can explore our characters in ways that were before impossible.

Now you will be able to explore the subtle, gentle side of the character involved in the hypothetical romantic scene we mentioned above, and you will be able to explore the brutal and menacing physicality of the fight scene. On top it it all, you will not be constrained in your movement by the physical tension that you once had weighing upon you.

Believe me, your audience will notice, and it will make an enormous difference in the quality of your performance!

 

This article written by Hollywood Actor Tyler Michael Jonsson

For more about Tyler, please visit his personal website and his blog.

http://www.TylerMichaelJonsson.com
http://www.TylerMichaelJonsson.com/blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tyler_Jonsson

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