mr spooky

Research Assignment: The Art of Acting without Props. and Animation

Research Assignment: The Art of Acting without Props and Animation.

Introduction

This assignment is about the art of acting without props and how it can be applied to animation. Actors that act with out props such as Charlie Chaplin and Marcel Marceau are discussed. It explores how body language works and examples that can be used. Body language helps express emotion, attitudes and feelings and because the body-language is usually on a subconscious level, the actor has to make a conscious decision to use body language effectively.

How to Act without Props

When acting without props, the actor should use his body to speak. According to ChangingMinds.org, research has shown that it is much easier to understand someone when one is watching them because the body supports the verbal message. Body language is non-verbal communication (Changing Minds, 2008). Hand signals, shrugs, head movements assist in communication (Changing Minds, 2008). There are many universal symbols that can be used. The body has to relate to the message because if it is very different from the message, the audience will be confused (Changing Minds, 2008).

Facial expressions are just as important as the body movement because they help express emotion (WikiHow, 2008). When acting with out props, exaggeration is essential because the audience, as well as the actor, is using their imagination and exaggeration will paint a clearer picture of what is happening. Exaggerated facial expressions will convey feelings, mood and attitude (WikiHow, 2008).

Lighting can affect the mood of the scene that is being acted out. It can reflect the emotions that the actor is trying to convey. This can be done with using different colored lights or using bright and dark effects.

The appearance of the actor, such as the clothes they wear, or the way they brush their hair and make-up informs the audience about the character. Mimes, for example use white face paint to highlight their faces therefore the audience is drawn to the face to read their expressions (WikiHow, 2008).

Verbal communication as stated before is supported by body language, however f there is little body movement, then verbal communication should dominate (Changing Minds, 2008). Words and one used should be emphasized (Changing Minds, 2008).

Illusions such as imaginary lines, used mostly by mimes are useful when there are no props. Actors can pretend, or “make things out of thin air” that there are props and they are supported with their non-verbal behavior when lifting or using the objects (WikiHow, 2008).

Applying these techniques to animation can be done by incorporating facial expression in characters and exaggerating body movements. Not all body movements need to be exaggerated as there can be a few subtle movements such as eye movement. The movements do have to match up to the message being sent across and this is where timing is important.

Actors Who Act without Props

Marcel Marceau, a French Mime artist created many special effects with just his face and body language without speaking a word. He created the signature character “Bip the Clown” which became his alter ego (FilmReference, 2008).

Charlie Chaplin was considered by many as one of the world’s finest mimes ever caught on film. Charlie Chaplin’s alter ego was “The Tramp” (Charlie Chaplin Official Website, 2008).

Both of these artists were very successful in their field and proved that acting without props can be effective.

Conclusion

Acting without props is possible if done the right way. There are many techniques that can be used which were discussed such as using body language and facial expression. These are used in animation because the body movements support the message.

References

(Author unknown) Changing Minds. “Non-Verbal Behaviour”. 2008 http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/non-verbal_behavior.htm Accessed: 05 May 2008

(Author unknown) Charlie Chaplin Official Website. “The Circus”. 2008. Available: http://www.charliechaplin.com/en/articles/1-biography Accessed: 05 May 2008.

(Author unknown) Film Reference. “Marcel Marceau Biography (1923-2007)”. 2008. Available: http://www.filmreference.com/film/35/Marcel-Marceau.html Accessed: 06 May 2008

(Author unknown) WikiHow. “WikiHow: Mime”. 2008. Available: http://www.wikihow.com/Mime Accessed: 06 May 2008

Motivation: Lighting Assignment

Motivation: Lighting Assignment

This motivation discusses what moods and lighting tones I chose and why I chose them. Very small changes in a lighting rig can have a dramatic affect.

Regular light

Name	Type	Intensity
Key Light	Spotlight	0.75
Fill Light	Point Light	0.32
Rim Light	Point Light	0.2

1 High-Key Warm mood

Name	Type	Intensity
Key Light	Spotlight	0.75
Fill Light	Point Light	0.53
Rim Light	Point Light	0.313

I tried to create a warm and cheerful high-key mood. This is done by allowing a lot of light into the scene. There is a lot of light on the floor and walls. The whole room is lit up and so objects are very clear. I added an orange tint to the rim light to enhance the warmth of the mood. The fill light has a hint of yellow. I did not tweak the texturing in order to get the full effect of the lighting.

2 Low-key Dramatic Night Mood

Name	Type	Intensity
Key Light	Spotlight	0.89
Fill Light	Spotlight	0.23
Rim Light	Point Light	0.14

This mood is just a regular room lit up at night. The fill light has a blue tint to it to give it a cool colour temperature. The fill light intensity is 0.23 which is low. The rim light is very low in intensity. This makes the spotlight seem harsh because it is at the intensity of 0.89 and directly above the furniture. The dark tones are meant to dominate the scene. This is because I wanted the mood to be low-key and by this the dark areas are meant to be accentuated by the light areas. This should have a dramatic and powerful effect. The spotlight is directly above, but not focused too much on the furniture to create shadows.

3 Romantic/Night Time Mood

Name	Type	Intensity
Key Light	Spotlight	0.53
Fill Light	Spotlight	0.30
Rim Light	Point Light	0.10

This mood is romantic and the scene takes place at night. To bring across this mood, the rim light and fill light have been tinted pink and orange. The spotlight has not been tinted, but the intensity is less than a regular 3 point system. For the spotlight the cone of light is very large, covering most of the scene’s surface area. The feathering of the spotlight is almost as large as the cone of light. I chose these tones because the pink and orange go well with the furniture in the scene. My choice of colours portray a warm colour temperature.

References:

Stinson, J. “Light Source: Lighting for Mood” . 2004. Available: http://www.videomaker.com/article/10216/ Accessed: 08 May 2008