Character Movement Work

Calling all actors and cosplayers!

You’re here! Absolutely brilliant. Glad you could make it. So, I’m guessing you like to develop characters, right? Whether it’s a character that already exists in the world, via cannon, or a real person who was born and did stuff, or an original character, you’ve got some work to do. Why is movement important? See, how characters move is a great way to see into their lives. This leads us then to character movement work. Ah, I love character movement work. For me, it’s one of the three lifeblood threads I use when I’m developing a character. Along with voice work and script/story analysis, of course. So, what do I mean by character movement work exactly?

Let’s break it down a bit and look at basic movement first.

Basic movement

Movement from an acting lense is basically how actors move in the space they’re performing in. This can communicate a lot of things to the audience, right? 

Think body language, body control, proximity to others, the use of speed and stillness. Playing with elements like these help display relationships between characters and events unfolding in the world. Depending on how words are spoken, how characters move is a key player because movement can either back up what is being said, scream subtext, or a bit of both.

Can you think of some examples of this in your own life?

Say you’re avoiding someone. The last thing you want probably is to walk right up to them and say hi. Now, say the opposite, you’ve just spotted a dear friend across a crowded room. Do you make a b-line for them? 

Basic movement work is incredibly important in any performer’s process. This is because it helps to train your body as part of your entire instrument along with your voice and mind (your heart too, that’s important 🙂 )

The big bonus that I’ve found is that movement work always comes with a huge dose of self-awareness. My first experience with movement work was pretty mind-blowing.

What it taught me was that in order to play any character, I needed to have a grasp on how I moved as ME first. Otherwise, I may play a character who is psychologically the complete opposite of me, but if I wasn’t careful, physically we’d move the same. 

This doesn’t work so well when the goal of acting is to well, be someone else for a while, right?

So, that’s the super bare bones basics of movement work. Let’s add character stuff now, yeah?

Adding character 

My definition of character movement work is how a character physically exists in their world. The building blocks of how they physically exist, if you will.

Now, when I personally talk movement work I tend to add character in there to complete the package. Character work is my jam, my bread and butter, (throw in your fav ‘staple in life’ idiom here). 

It also specifies the work that I do as a teacher and coach. Sure, don’t get me wrong, basic movement work is key and I use it a great deal in how I teach too, but developing and focusing on how characters move is where we really get to break free and play. 

Here’s an example: a high strung person who feels like they’re always late for everything is going to move VERY differently as their baseline than someone who doesn’t care if they make it to that meeting or not. 

Now, here’s where the fun can begin: Say, this high strung character who feels like they’re always late…let’s say that through the dramatic arch they take throughout their story, they BECOME the person who doesn’t care if they’re late to that meeting. 

As a actor that’s quite some candy, isn’t it? 

By having done the work of how this character would move and by creating that character movement baseline (or a movement signature) as the character lives through their story, their movement journey can evolve with them. Just as you would tinker with mental shifts and motivations, you can tinker with movement.

Have you ever seen a few movies with the same actor in them and they seem to be playing the same role? Not just the character type, but they move the same too? (typecasting is indeed very real.) I will say, flat out, this isn’t always the actor’s fault, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes, but, that being said, switching things up is just more satisfying to play.

Character movement work is a way to help you differentiate the characters you play. It also helps to differentiate them from yourself. 

Character movement work and cosplayers

For my cosplaying friends, how characters move is also super helpful for what you do too. 

How I see it, it’s just another way to lose yourself in the character your embodying. May even help win that contest or shine as the most realistic Wonder Woman at that con and everyone wants a pic with you. (Mourning the lack of cons right now *sigh* someday we gather again in person in a safer world.)

How does Spider-Man move differently from you? What about Tsuyu Asui or Katara who both originated in animated worlds? I’m sure the Mandalorian armor you just put on is gonna put some restrictions on what you can do. Certainly what you can see, for a start. What’s it like to live like that?

Final thoughts…

So, yeah, you should definitely care about how your characters move. Movement work and how characters move is a staple to think about and work on. For one, it helps you become more self-aware of how your own body moves. Adding a focus on how characters move then helps you build a character who moves differently from you, backing up all that hard work in script/background/story analysis you’ve done. 

Which, hey, you deserve to dive deep into that character work, from all angles. It’s the best part, in my opinion, and helps you achieve what I think is the whole point: to be someone else for a while. 

As an actor or cosplayer, characters are kind of key, right? Costumes, props, and voice work are important, don’t get me wrong. They often help inform movement but believe me, focusing on character movement work to level up your performance is never a waste of time.

Is character movement work something new to you? Never fear, this post is a good dipping your toe in the water type of post.

That being said, I’ve got a question for you. Well, not a question really, but something to ponder…

True or false: How someone moves gives you insight into their lives. 

Whatcha think?

( To clarify, by how someone moves, I don’t mean dance. You don’t have to be a dancer or even interested in dance to be an excellent mover. Just wanted to state that for the record. )

Spotting movement in others

So, imagine this: let’s say you’re walking yourself or a pet in your neighborhood and you see a person across the street who’s also walking. A pretty standard day in the life of walking down a street, right? Well, maybe not right now, being in a pandemic world, but bear with me.  

Now, let’s say you notice this person is limping slightly, favoring their left side. 

Have questions started popping into your mind? What happened to them? Have they always had this limp? Does it cause them pain? Was it an accident? If so, how long ago was it? Oh, oh! I bet they were in an accident while working on a construction site! Or maybe their leg has always been that way. Maybe it’s an injury from a victorious battle with an ROUS (Rodent of Unusual Size).

These all are assumptions, and we may never know the truth, but people watching (respectfully from a distance, of course) can be a great imagination tool.

Our minds are constantly creating stories and if you’re an actor or cosplayer, chances are you do this story-creating thing, on the regular…Like, a lot, if you’re anything like me. 

Let’s say this person with a limp is moving very slowly. What other questions pop up? Is it a new injury? An old injury that never healed properly? Maybe they’re in no rush to get to where they’re going? 

Still with me? Great!

Adding another layer

Let’s add one more level of pondering to your mind…this person, with a limp, suddenly starts moving VERY quickly. 

What just happened?! Did they remember an appointment? Get an emergency call? Observe: how is their limp impacting their ability to move? Has it changed from when they were moving slowly? If yes, how so?

And…example complete! Thanks for walking through that with me. ( Yarp, pun fully intended 🙂 )

See, layering movement into our performances not only adds complexity to the world we’re building or inhabiting, but it also allows us to well…play!

And that’s kind of the whole point, isn’t it?

It sure is for me. Because, let’s be honest, for the vast majority of us…we don’t do this for the paycheck. 

So, let’s revisit that true or false pondering at the top of this post: How someone moves gives you insight into their lives.

True, right? 

Character movement work levels up performances because it enhances their stories.

A new way to look at established characters

I’d like to share with you one of my favorite pastimes: analyzing movement in characters in tv, film and plays.

It’s a great way to people/creature watch with the added bonus of knowing the performer most likely put some time into movement work. How seasoned performers use character movement work to level up their performances is not only fun to explore but if you can pause, back up, and rewatch a gesture or movement it turns into a great teaching tool for yourself.

Plus, if you’re cosplaying, or going to be playing a real person where there’s video footage, this also becomes evidence and research. 

When Hermione Granger raises her hand in class, does she do it slowly? No. She shoots it up into the air at lightning speed. It tells us she’s enthusiastic, not afraid to speak up, and believes in following the rules. It’s a seemingly simple gesture, but how it’s carried out tells a story in and of itself. 

Now, take Jack Sparrow, first movie Jack Sparrow. He appears drunk even when he’s not (or maybe he always is I think the jury is still out there. Don’t quote me, I honestly didn’t have the heart to watch movie #4). The fact is he’s so unbalanced that it makes him incredibly unpredictable which gives him an edge. It’d be really odd if he was more grounded and stoic, right?

And because this example makes me giggle more than I care to admit- let’s look at Darth Vader. His presence is rather imposing, right? (RIP David Prowse ) Now, would our opinion of him change if he slouched or skipped? He’d be a completely different kind of villain. (I personally love the idea of Vader skipping along with his lightsaber.)

The examples are endless, and seriously, it’s a really fun and educational pastime. I highly recommend it. 

So, for Hermione, Jack, and Vader, outlandish or subtle, character movement work levels up performances and helps further their stories. 

Alright, so how do I start incorporating character movement work to level up my performances?

I’m glad you asked.

Some questions to ask your character

Well, maybe not directly, it depends on your relationship with them. So, what I’ll say instead is to pose these questions when thinking about your character.  

Start thinking about how they may move differently from you. 

Do you have pretty good posture but maybe they slouch? Maybe you shuffle your feet and this character is an assassin, so shuffling is probably out.

You can ask yourself questions like these: 

How would this character:

Stand up?

Walk up or down stairs?

Reach for a box on a high shelf?

Read a book? (If they would read of course. If they don’t read how would they approach a book they found or were given?)

Get creative with this! Like questions you ask when delving into understanding the background of a character, there are thousands of things you can ask specifically about how they move.

Final thoughts on how movement work can level up performance

So there you have it! Some thoughts to ponder to get you started. 

There are countless ways to approach character movement work. If you dig into this kind of work you’ll find a lot of different techniques out there.

Know this: there is no right or wrong way to approach character movement work. Your body is your body and what works for you may not work for others and vice-versa. So, please keep that in mind. This kind of exploration should be fun and insightful.

Bottom line, let yourself experiment and play! 

Now, get moving! By beginning to experiment with movement work you’ll start to build your character from the ground up and that is how character movement work levels up performances.