OUAN504 - Character & Narrative - Acting Up: Drama Class

OUAN504 - Drama Class:

In order to boost our confidence levels and help us become the role of our characters, we took part in a form of drama class. Partaking in a range of warm up exercises, becoming comfortable with our bodies, and engaging in activities that allowed us to learn the different personalities we could become were all part of the process. I really enjoyed the class, despite being incredibly nervous. It's ironic that I happen to love acting... so long as there's nobody there to watch me!

Having to face that fear of being watched was a hard leap of faith for me to get to grips with. Having to deal with your brain constantly telling you that you're being watched is one thing, but actually knowing that you are is another thing. It puts you off being yourself, being confident and expressing how you want your character to act. I feel that if these classes were an ongoing thing, they might help relieve some of the anxiety that comes with having an audience.

Performance isn't all about confidence and the psychological aspect of it, though. Physical stamina, health, and lung capacity all play a large part in helping you become a top performer. Being physically fit can determine the difference between a rather sloppy attempt to exaggerate a pose, and a brilliant, sharp, striking movement. I understand this well as I'm not exactly top notch in terms of general health, and although my past may have consisted of being in an operatic choir (lots of lung capacity needed!), it doesn't mean I'm going to become the likes of Charlie Chaplin overnight...

In my opinion, recording yourself becoming a character and expressing yourself in that mentally is the best way of evaluating what you can improve on. I noticed that no matter how many times I recorded my performances, I could have stretched my arms out just a little more each time, pulled my stomach in more, and given myself overall a better posture to suit the character I was trying to become. I will keep at it, and try my best to be fit enough to allow myself to produce good enough reference imagery for future projects so that I can make sure my characters are as accurate as possible!