That Creepy Thing You Do!

HOW TO DEVELOP A SCARY CHARACTER FOR FILM & TELEVISION

It isn't so much what your character says but what your character does that makes them scary. Take, for example, the use of a SIGNATURE HAND GESTURE.

A SIGNATURE HAND GESTURE is a hand gesture used by that person more often than other hand gestures and can show insight into that person's personality.

Actors can use signature hand gestures to show the personality of the character they are playing. You can show the subtle creepy side of your character just by adding a well-placed signature hand gesture into the performance.

Let's look at an example.

the SHUSHING HAND GESTURE!

Here is a small excerpt from the SCARY CHARACTERIZATION workshop. To learn more register below.

The "shush gesture" is a menacing motion of putting your finger to your mouth as if to tell the other person to be quiet. It can have other meanings but in the right context, it can be horrifying.

Can you think of a character that did this signature hand gesture in a movie or television show? (Email me your favorite clip)

Of course, it takes more than one shushing gesture to bring a scary character to life. If you want to learn more about building the scary character or you need to try it out for yourself in a workshop environment first. Now you can!

Join me for this 1-night LIVE on ZOOM workshop!

October 27th, 2022

1-night workshop, 2.5 hours Thursday, 6-8:30 PM MDT

$75 early / $99 after October 21st

Limited to 15 students for plenty of on-camera time. The last section of this class sold out!

Written by Faith Hibbs-Clark, Founder of the Communication Method for Actors, casting director for 25+ years, body language expert