In today’s video, I delve deep into the subtle art of nonverbal communication—something we’re all fluent in, whether we realize it or not.
From the way we stand in a grocery line to the outfits we choose for a garden party, our body language is always telling a story.
I share some poignant anecdotes and practical tips that will help you tap into the power of unspoken cues to make your characters more vivid and relatable.
For instance, did you ever consider how someone’s grooming habits or attire could reveal deeper emotional states? I also touch on the somber role that body language can play in our daily interactions, underlining the silent cry for help that often goes unnoticed.
Jane Cleland here.
How can I use body language and other nonverbal cues to communicate my character’s emotions?
Well, first of all, you have an array of options set in your mind because you’ve spent a lot of time observing people – certainly people you interact with, but also just as you’re wandering through your life: standing in line at the grocery store, eating at a restaurant. How do people look? What are they doing?
Years ago, I read a newspaper article that really touched my heart. It was about a young man jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. This was, as I said, many years ago. He left a note that said if even one person smiled at him as he walked from his apartment to the bridge, he wouldn’t do it. All I could think of at the time, and it has stayed with me all these years – I bet he never looked up. I bet he was one of those guys you see walking around, staring down, downtrodden in their demeanor. The hunched shoulders, the furrowed brow. It’s sad. How could anyone smile at him if he isn’t even looking up?
So that’s an example of body language communicating emotion. Think about what people wear. I think you can tell a lot about emotions by how people dress. You know, first impressions leave an impression. Is someone dressed nicely? Professionally? Overdressed?
When I first moved to the East Coast after several years living in Los Angeles, we were invited to a garden party, a summer party, and we were told it was informal. In California, informal is shorts and flip flops. Informal in the Hamptons on Long Island is khakis and blue blazers and little tea dresses, sort of the daytime equivalent of a cocktail dress for the ladies. Man, were we underdressed! But it goes to show our ignorance, and I thought it was kind of funny.
Where do people look? How are they groomed? Are they disheveled? Unkempt? Do they twirl? Does a woman twirl her hair nervously? Is a guy got that shaken leg all the time, indicating some kind of anxiety or nervousness or pent up energy perhaps? In other words, one move of the body may be interpreted in several ways, so you need to build on that and come up with a profile that is unique to that character. And I know you can do it.
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