C.R.O.W

                                     Acting Final (DAA200CA- Acting)

 

C.R.O.W

                                                                Preface:

            This video covers the topic of CROW, a common set of rules for improvised acting. This video is in the styling of edu-tainment, a style of presentation seem commonly on Youtube, utilized by household names like Trevor Noah, to the more communal Youtube channels such as Super Eyepatch Wolf or Brain David Gilbert. There are comedic elements I placed in here to make myself laugh, and hopefully, they make you laugh as well. Enjoy!

                                                             Video:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12srLoSGxgCnKbh81OLQGQn2Z1xTZpndv/view?usp=sharing

DAA- Acting: Final Project Script

Utilizing C.R.O.W

DAA Acting Final WIP

Script Recording (EDITED AUDIO ONLY)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qv1eYZvPAtDXpycfJXGAyGVg6QC0Cz4H/view?usp=sharing

Script Preview (INTRO AUDIO ONLY)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15lBbKfOJpI6iJxEEKvSyWtD5YSS7ioXS/view?usp=sharing

 Written Script

Introduction

            When you hear names such as Robin Williams, Colin Mocherie, Wayne Brady, Ben Schwartz or Thomas Middleditch, you may initially bridge the connection that these are all funny people. However, aside from providing some of the most notable performances acted out on stage, these actors all have a specialization in improvised acting.

            Improvised acting, which we’ll just call Improv from here on out, is a method of acting that has been utilized since before movies had sound, which involves giving a performance completely on the fly, with little to no prompting. If giving a performance that relies on your own charisma and quick thinking sounds mortifying and a recipe for disaster, don’t worry, it usually is! Improv ain’t easy, and it tends to be a great way to lose your audience if done incorrectly. You may be asking at this point: Why even risk it? Why not get all nice and cozy with a finely-edited script, with all the lines laid out for you, saving you from the embarrassment of bombing in front of a camera? Well, for starters: A script may not save you from a bad performance. Reading a script doesn’t help you have a natural inflection, perform with your face, act with your body, or even sound natural. We all have memories of someone whiffing a presentation by rigidly and robotically reading from a script, causing our eyes to wander and jaws to slack. Improving your improv skills can help you spruce this up, and inject some life into the audience with a performance that is natural, fluid, and realistic.

            Even in an improvised performance there can be simple rules to follow, just so you aren’t completely alone out there! When it comes to improv, there are four simple guidelines to follow: Character, Relationship, Objective, and Where. Or, in this case, let’s just call it the more colloquial C.R.O.W. 

C- Character

            Who is in this scene? Those who have studied basic acting know about high status versus low status characters, which can be a method that shows character relationships without even saying a word. When you begin your performance, try to think about the status you wish to establish or is already established. Are you on an alien planet and the director asked you to improv some dialogue about your brother? Cool! Think about the status before you: You’re not the one in chains, so you’re a little higher up. Your collogues are Bruce Banner and Valkyrie, and based on that it’s probably okay to tell a casual story about how your brother stabbed you as a child because you three are on more or less equal ground here. Great!

R- Relationship

            Once you’ve established the basics of status, now you need to know the relationship between your characters. The last example used Thor and Loki, two brothers with one just a little higher up than the other. Now, in that example, the relationship is laid out for us already: brothers. Using status between characters, you can have a scene with brothers, friends, co-workers, two parents, and so on. Remember: It is not advised to have strangers when you perform. Try and think of a way the characters in the scene could know each other, just to get past the messy improvisation of meeting each other so you can get right to the performance. Combining characters and relationships, would your character be assertive? Amiable? Standoffish? Think about the relationship and the kind of emotions that would come from both sides.

O- Objective

            WHAT ARE WE EVEN DOING HERE? What are you trying to accomplish with your scene or your performance? This can be broken up into two aspects: micro and macro. The micro goal of a scene can be something simple like going to get drinks. Let’s say you have an equal character status, you establish that you’re co-workers, and now your first micro objective is to get drinks. Perfect! Then there’s the macro objective, which can be something like one of you wants a promotion but the boss doesn’t like them. Nice! Now this scene can go many ways, and the objective has a lot of room to work with in terms of where it can go. Do you resolve this by marrying your boss’s dad so you can get the promotion and make your boss’s bedtime 8pm? Who knows! Subtly hinting to an objective can help narrow down the scope and make the performance more focused and engaging, rather than being some big, ephemeral mess with no goals or stakes.

W- Where

             Nobody performs in a void! You aren’t theorizing about your boss’s dad’s favorite flowers in a blank void, you’re talking about it in a bar. By establishing an environment, you can add a sense of setting to your scenes in a way that actually allows the audience to imagine it without any props at all. If you mime yourself holding something, if you’re in a sports place (I don’t want sports) it could be a ball, whereas a similar hand miming could mean that you’re actually holding a glass if you’re in a bar, all without actually saying what the object is! Just knowing the location helps the audience a lot. Combining all of this together makes it sound like you could risk making your scene really long, right? Wrong! Let’s look back at that Thor: Ragnarok scene: In case it’s not obvious by being in this video, the story Thor tells about Loki is improvised, as director Taika Waititi actually had Chris Hemsworth say a few different lines and stories before settling on the one we see in the movie. Characters? Equal status with Bruce Banner and Valkyrie, and maybe a little above Loki. Relationship? Brothers with Loki, associates with the other two. Objective? Tell a Story. Where? On an alien planet. Four rules pulled off in 11 seconds of dialogue, it’s not a wonder why this is the story that made it.

Conclusion

            Look, improv is really hard, and you’re probably going to mess up a lot. What I haven’t mentioned here is how to utilize that charisma and confidence I know is deep down in you to actually make this all work for your scene. However, I’m covering CROW because even a nervous performer can give a decent performance by just giving a solid scene utilizing these four simple methods. If you’re in entertainment, whether you’re an animator, actor, story boarder, or whatever, there are going to be times where you need to abruptly get out of your chair and act something out to make the creative process easier. If that happens, just ask yourself these four questions: What’s the status between these characters, what is their relationship, what’s the objective here, and where are we?

DAA- Acting: Final Project Proposal

 

DAA- Acting: Final Project Proposal

Acting with Improv

It is acting related?

• Yes. Improvised acting has been an aspect of film, animation or otherwise, since the beginning.

How can you your class mates learn something relevant?

• I would hope so! Improv acting can help someone build confidence while learning the ever important skill of performing quickly and on the fly.

Will you work alone or will you do it as a team.

• I plan to work alone on this project, but may collaborate with my friend and comedy partner.

Think of it as a TED Talk presentation (Links to an external site.).  How will you make it outstanding?

• I am considering creating an entire video with a script and editing. This would allow me to know how long the presentation will be no matter what, allowing me to shoot for a precise run time for this project. It takes a lot of work, but I'm planning to have this presentation range from 5-8 minutes long, as people are more likely to stay attenuative if the presentation is active, to the point, and concise. 

How are you going to plan your final project?

• The best way to plan a presentation is to break it up into pieces. For the purposes of this project, it will likely be broken up into three pieces. After this, the script will be made, likely 5-6 pages, the video will be voiced over, edited, and finally, posted on my SyncSketch.

What are some topics you will discuss?

• The topics I will cover will be CROW (Character, Relation, Object, Where), Confidence & Repetition , and Why Improv At All?

Is it too broad in scope? 

• Improv, especially when dealing with all facets of acting and not just comedy, runs the risk of being broad. There is a lot that can be said about improvisation that can make this a bloated and lengthy topic to discuss. That is why I will only be covering what I believe to be the three most important aspects of improv just to get people started with the art form.

What is the original content that you will create? 

• I am debating taking the VERY scary risk of recording a bit with a friend, as both of us do improv comedy and have occasionally performed in the past. I would absolutely be more comfortable showing the works of other comedians who nail it better, however, if original content is the goal, I will likely have some pre-recorded audio. If not, me and this friend will record a 10-15 second long video showing the same short scene both with and without the tips and tricks I go over.

Client feedback:

• Improv involves doing things on the fly, which can greatly improve a performance. Be sure to mention the benefits of the art form!
• Use my personal experience when discussing and how it has helped me both in class and out of class.

Body Language Analysis

 Signs of Confidence

DAA200CA- Acting

Composure

In a clip of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez leading a hearing where Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was pressed on the spread of misinformation on Facebook, her composure sets the tone of the conversation. Zuckerberg cannot manage to maintain his own composure, which AOC not only capitalizes on, but uses to press even further in order to prove her points. The juxtaposition between their speaking patterns and body language only makes AOC appear more confident.

Open Posture

In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter struggles to lift the rubble off of himself, arguably at his lowest moment of the film. It's not until he looks at his mask in a puddle of water while remembering Tony Stark's words that Peter's posture changes, standing tall, open, finally gaining back some lost confidence.

Unwavering Eye Contact (Minimal Blinking)

Furthermore, AOC's eye contact rarely leaves Zuckerberg (Aside from reading her notes). This intense eye contact is a show of confidence as well as intimidation, as Zuckerberg routinely looks away from AOC, at his feet, around the room, and blinks constantly as he ties to think. 

Identifying Weakness

"Your foot's starting to jump a little bit, you better
get to your next question."

In a clip where Robert Downey Jr. is being asked several invasive questions about his past during an interview, he takes control of the situation rather than let himself explode. As with AOC, he remains composed, and attacks the interviewer's nervous habits to establish control and confidence.

Decisive Language (Confident Speaker)

Finally, AOC chooses all of her words very carefully when speaking, and rarely (if ever) stutters over her own words. She asks her questions and speaks with confidence and control, as Zuckerberg struggles and ultimately fails to do the same (As seen in the gif above).

Additional Examples of Confidence

Character Power Center and Gesture Analysis: Dracula

  Power Center and Gesture Analysis (DAA200CA- Acting)

VLAD DRACULA TEPES

(Netflix's Castlevania)

Power Center

Dracula's power center lies in his chin and chest. It appears simple, but the way his back is always straightened and stiff, with his chest forward and chin out-facing, emphasized his status, regality, and his ability to impose dominance in any situation. 

Breakdown #1

In most scenes that involve Dracula, he uses his chin to lead his body when walking, or simply when he speaks to other characters.

Gesture Analysis

Dracula vs. Alucard

Dracula's rage, another staple of his character. Even in combat, he lords over his enemies, striking poses and stances that accentuate his large frame and strength. 

Breakdown #2

Every stance he takes in battle is meant to show the audience how powerful he is.

Dracula's shame

The rare sight of Dracula in a moment of weakness. The softer side of Dracula is typically only seen in flashbacks when he is with is wife, and here we see it when he realizes the value of his own son's life. Through gesture, we see a man who is broken, alone, and ashamed. 

Breakdown #3

This side of Dracula, more than any other, is the emotional anchor behind his genocidal and cruel actions.

 Character Analysis (DAA200CA- Acting)

VLAD DRACULA TEPES

(Netflix's Castlevania)

Gender: Male
Age: Immortal
Ethnicity: White (?)
Family: Lisa Tepes (Wife), Adrian "Alucard" Tepes (Son)
Cultural background: Wealthy
Intelligence (IQ): High
Education: Scholarly
Occupation: Vampire Lord and King of the Undead
Religion/Philosophy: No religious ties
Sexual orientation: Straight (?)
Goals, ambition, dreams: To destroy humanity, and to orchestrate the end of the world
Secrets: We wishes to die
Fears/Phobias: None, as he has nothing left to lose
Sense of humor: Non-existent, though he does humor his wife and laugh at her jokes and behavior
Adrenaline moments: When he declares war on humanity for the murder of his wife
Physical description: A tall, imposing man, garbed in a long cape. Square-framed shoulders with still movements, never needing to move so much as one unnecessary inch. Healthy, yet terrifying.
Physical disabilities, if any: None

What makes a character interesting? 

Dracula is both the most dangerous threat of the story of Castlevania, but in this version most of all, Dracula's passion is used as an antagonistic tool more than his other iterations. Dracula's love for his late wife both fuels the conflict of the story as intensely as it resolves it towards the end of Season 2, as Dracula's love for his wife, and ultimately his son, drives his actions.

 

SyncSketch Link

Character Poses and Gesture: 

Primary Posture of Dracula

Dracula's primary pose. It appears simple, but the way his back is always straightened and stiff, with his chest forward and chin out-facing, emphasized his status, regality, and his ability to impose dominance in any situation.

Breakdown #1

Dracula vs. Alucard

Dracula's rage, another staple of his character. Even in combat, he lords over his enemies, striking poses and stances that accentuate his large frame and strength. Every stance he takes in battle is meant to show the audience how powerful he is.

Breakdown #2

Dracula's shame

The rare sight of Dracula in a moment of weakness. The softer side of Dracula is typically only seen in flashbacks when he is with is wife, and here we see it when he realizes the value of his own son's life. Through gesture, we see a man who is broken, alone, and ashamed. This side of Dracula, more than any other, is the emotional anchor behind his genocidal and cruel actions.

Breakdown #3

Intention

 (Links to an external site.)

What is the message or emotion you are communicating in the scene? What are your choices?

Dracula fully intends to kill his son, Alucard, in this scene, seeing him in another obstacle on his path to genocide. However, in the end, it's the love for his son and his mother that allow Dracula to not only spare Alucard, but to allow his own death wish to be fulfilled. 

Subtext (Links to an external site.)

The implicit meaning of a character or scene. Body acting and speech could contrast each other.

Dracula's death is the cumulation of his desire to die and finally be with this wife, even though he wanted to bring all of humanity down on the way out. Instead, he accepts that the man his wife fell in love with no longer exists, and that there is nothing left for him than to be with her and accept his demise.

Specificity (Links to an external site.)

Knowing your character, conveying the intent in a way that is unique to them.

Throughout both seasons up to this point, most of the central characters suspect that Dracula's impractical plan to wipe out humanity is secretly a plea for help, an admission of a lack of willingness to continue living. We see that when Dracula attacks his own son, though instead of killing him outright, he pummels him slowly and meticulously. His actions and the validated suspicions of the other characters both catch up with him during is final moments with his son.

Execution (Links to an external site.)

Posing, Arcs, Polish, Mechanics

I can not think of many more well done moments of animation in season 2 than this. Dracula's punches carry a sickening heft and weight to them, and Alucard's staggering movements show that he is trying and failing to keep up with his father. Dracula doesn't wait for his son to get back up before delivering blow after blow. However, when they enter Alucard's childhood room, Dracula goes from a stoic, battle-ready stance, so a softer, pleading pose. His hands stay clasped over his heart for much of the scene, his voice cracks and wavers, and he leans on the surroundings as if he's trying and failing to put himself back together. He stares at the hands that have laid hands on his son, and we can see he's ashamed. Even when he is staked by his own son, his body implies pain without the anger or fear. It's just death, which is what he has been secretly waiting for.

Caricature (Links to an external site.)

Exaggerate to communicate and simplify the action

"I'm killing my boy. Lisa... I'm killing our boy."

"Your greatest gift to me... and I'm killing him."

Dracula has a very eloquent and dramatic manner of speech, both which are utilized perfectly to sell the sorrow of the scene.