Including Acting with One's Writing

For this topic, I find both acting and writing essentially go hand in hand because they both pertain to the importance of characters.
For example, when writing about a character, you give them attributes, abilities, emotions, a personality. When acting a role, you would do the same thing.

Let's say, you're a huge Tifa Lockhart fan and you want your descriptions of her to be top-notch and as close to her given personality as possible. Let's also say, that not only are you planning to write a grand fanfic about her, but you also landed the part of her in FF7: The Play lol Just an example, only an example!

Things of interest:


1. Dialogue
Yes, dialogue again, because it's very important! I mean, if your character, in a play, has lines of spoken word, you ARE going to have to READ them ALOUD, right? lol

So, suppose a few lines of dialogue for her from the script is this:

TIFA: Oh Cloud! Are those flowers for me?
CLOUD: [gives her the flowers]
TIFA: [takes them] Someday, I'm going to fill this whole place with flowers! [gestures elaborately, raising her arms above her head and spreading them to further illustrate her ideal]


Obviously, it does you, nor your team, or the audience any good if you read these lines blandly, without any passion at all. In order to make the audience, and yourself, believe you are playing the part of Tifa, you really have to be Tifa. Understanding her way of speech in various situations and under different circumstances is a must. Knowing a character is like meeting and getting to know an actual person; you learn of their likes, dislikes, fears, dreams, strengths, weaknesses and as much as you can about them.


2. Body Language/ Mannerisms


Let's take a gander back up at the short bit of script between Tifa and Cloud. Notice the movements she makes in correspondence to her dialogue to bring her statement more life.
What does this body language say about her character? Is she wistful or is she secretly downtrodden? Is she proud, or is she secretly lonely? Is she strong, or is she secretly struggling inside?


Other ways to help distinguishing personality traits through body language would be through mannerisms.
Since Tifa is an already existing character, and many of us have played FF7 many many times, at least some of us will remember her string of significant animations. In this respect, they become mannerisms.

Like when she positions her arms behind her back, sticking out her chest and standing in the model stance; what does she normally say that goes along with this mannerism? Does she say something coy, snide or nice? Perhaps she is attempting to be nice, but is hiding a hefty fact, believing that she is helping the one she withholds this information from as a type of protection.








Another mannerism is when she smoothes a lock of hair behind her ear/out of her face. What does that detail?
Could she be nervous? Could she just feel comfortable doing it? What are some things she says when doing this animation?

One more example to think of is when she folds her arms behind her back, looks aimlessly off to the side and taps the dirt off the back of her boot.

 What was her attitude when she did this? One particular moment I remember seeing this was when Scarlet was spewing nonsense at Tifa, after she fled from the gas chamber in Midgar when the Sister Ray was moved there. For Avalanche's execution. While Scarlet was talking about how snobbish and stuff Tifa was, Tifa did that motion.
In that situation, why would she do that? To obviously show she wasn't paying attention. lol

When acting on stage, it would be wise to include these motions and their understanding when you act the role of Tifa. When writing fiction, it's best to keep these mannerisms in mind to give a little more depth to her character's individuality. Although, I'm not saying overload your story with these motions, just for them to be used when it counts.

Ever see The Dark Knight? Remember the display of the Joker and his mannerisms (an awesome job by Heath Ledger)? Keep that in mind and study the frequency of these motions if need-be; see how they were done along with what was being said from the Joker and other characters towards him.


3. Music
As we know, Tifa has a theme song. I think it's helpful, for any character you may be portraying on stage especially, to listen to their theme or songs that associate with them. Not only can it help you settle into the role better for a great performance, but it can give you extra insight on the character's role.
For writing, listening to a character's theme can aid you in falling into a groove of thinking more like them from what way their theme sounds.

For both writing and acting, listening to any type of music that relates to the current mood you are aiming to get across to your audience, and nab your creative flow the best, really helps.
If you're trying to act out or write a dreary scene, listen to sad or slow music that matches the sorrow you think must be felt. Remember that emotion for put into your lines and deliver it in house without the music around you, but keeping it in your head. The same goes for an upbeat scene, and the like. For actors, this is during solo or partner rehearsals only, not with the whole cast/house. You don't want to disturb them.


4. Acting
Yes, more acting! You're not acting/writing as yourself are you? No, for this example, you are becoming Tifa Lockhart.
If you'd like to try this for a few hours or so, think of normal everyday scenarios and what you would say.
Say, if your friend calls you in the morning and it's way too early for you, how would you react?
Now think of how Tifa would react. How different or similar are your ways?

Personally I think Tifa would respond with "Mm? Huh? Wh-wha? Mm Barret? It's...4 in the morning...are you sure you dialed the right number?" or something along those lines. I really don't think she'd answer with a "What do you WANT?!" until after she knew who it was, a few lines later, not initially. And judging by the phone they had in Advent Children and the PHS in the game, I doubt they have caller ID! >=3 But even if they did, would they really check the number, unless it was plot-specific???!

You can even play with her mannerisms to see how you feel doing them. That really helps getting into character.

-_- I've been mimicking her moves for years. Most of them are out of my system now but I still remember them.

A word of caution though, in the world of acting and portraying characters, you will end up becoming them in a sense and that can be perilous, meaning their "personalities" can grow on you and become who YOU are, possibly erasing YOU. This can most certainly become permanent, if nothing is done to stop it.
This, is bad. Because you can lose sight of yourself, and so can others. Then you won't know who the real you is. Trust me on this. I've been studying characters for over a decade. I think I'd know. O.o


So! I think that's it for now on this topic.


Mel Meiko Mei Ling