Sep 12 2009
Easy Costume Characterizing tips
How to Become the Character of the Costume You Choose
When it comes to dressing up for Halloween, the true fun is not derived from merely donning the costume of the character. Much of the excitement a person experiences is achieved through literally becoming the character. That means once you don the costume, you develop an outlook and perspective that is akin to how the character would behave in real life. In acting parlance, this is known as “getting into character” and it makes the experience of dressing up for Halloween incredibly memorable.
It is best to avoid looking at a Halloween costume as if it were merely esoteric garments. The costume needs to be a conduit to the character it represents. For example, look at the perennially popular Halloween icon Dracula. Generally, he is ominous and frightening. People have a certain expectation of how The Count will behave. This must be your goal when Halloween rolls around. You will want to truly get into the character from more than a mere superficial perspective. If you dress up as Dracula, you will want to literally become Dracula if just for one night. Of course, this begs the question as to how. Honestly, the answer to the question is less complex than most would assume. You simply have to be watching how the character acts.
Capturing the Essence
The best way to capture the essence of a Halloween character is through observation. This is not hard to do because mostly all of the characters that Halloween costumes are based upon can be found in motion pictures or television productions. Even those characters which are archetypes such as a generic Mad Scientist, Devil, Cheerleader, or Caveman have been presented in live action depictions at some point. Those characters originating in print have been brought to life numerous times in other mediums. Superheroes, which are born of the comic print media, have been captured in motion pictures and animated television series. Those wishing to truly get into the character can simply view a few hours of video to get a feel for the character. Thanks to the presence of video files on the internet, you can even do this without having to purchase any DVDs!
Watch the videos
When you watch such videos, look at the character’s mannerisms, movements, and facial expressions. The body language will tell you a great deal about how to get into the essence of the character. When the character speaks, concentrate on the vocabulary and choice of diction. Mimicking these aspects will certainly help you become the character when it comes time to don the costume. Look at different interpretations of the character. Dracula has been played by scores of actors over the past 8 decades. Spiderman has been featured in numerous animated cartoons and live action television programs and movies. Pick apart these various interpretations of these characters and develop your own unique interpretation that is close to the commonly perceived personality people are used to.
15 minutes should do it
Does this mean you need to invest hours in the creation of the character? No, it does not mean this at all. Merely studying the character for 15 minutes here and there is all that is needed. In time, you will gain a familiarity. Meditating on the character could even be an option for those who really want to get into it. This would simply involve relaxing, emptying out your mind, and concentrating on images of the character in movement. Actors due this all the time when rehearsing for roles and when costume time does arrive, you will be the closest thing to the real thing you can imagine.
This way, when October 31st arrives, you won’t appear to be someone dressed up in a costume. You will suspend disbelief because you will become the closet thing to the real deal as humanly possible.
Now, doesn’t that sound like a lot of fun?