Acting / Improv Notes

Improv can be tricky, but an understanding of it can help when creating a dialog shot in animation.

Terms:
http://improvencyclopedia.org/

Notes for improv:

General

*Don’t talk about what you’re physically doing. For example, if you are cooking while you are talking to someone, don’t say “I’m stirring the soup”, say something regarding the other person. Actions supplement the scene.

*Talk to the other person about the other person.

*Enrich a scene with body language, secondary action. Such as twirling a pen or wiggling your fingers.

*Secondary action can help emphasize a moment. For example, if something is moving in the background or a secondary action is taking place, the moment of the dramatic peak, the secondary action can stop. For example, a character could be playing with her hair, and at a dialogue line of something like “I forgot”, she could stop. This makes the moment stand out more.

*Record yourself and REALLY exaggerate everything you do. Subtle movements and expressions are hard to read on camera.

Dialogue Planning

Write out the dialogue in a text document. Note the beats in the audio and tones in the voice and note any sound effects. Pose expressions to the beats.