Simple Characterization Techniques for Storytelling in Speeches
It's characterization techniques that breathe life into your storytelling. They are simple, fun to learn and effective.
In acting the term characterization means identifying the distinguishing characteristics or mannerisms separating one character from another. These are verbal as well as physical.
Does this mean I need to learn performance skills?
The short answer is, yes. But as you are already performing (Giving a speech is type of performance), learning a few more skills will add to your repetoire, giving you additional strengths to draw on.
If you've listened or seen a good storyteller at work, you'll know that living into or becoming the characters in your tale is vitally important for making them appear real.
These simple characterization techniques will show you how to achieve that.
You will not learn how to become an actor for that is a complex process requiring years of specialist training. But you will learn enough to lift your storytelling to new heights.
Let's begin.
Most stories have as well as narrator, characters who say things and interact with each other. Even if they are small tales of only 30 seconds long or less, they will still most likely to have those elements. The key to successfully telling these very small stories is to establish believability instantly. You do that by using characterization techniques.
In my storytelling page I said if you are talking about a character being happy, sad, angry, jealous, shy etc, the way to make that believable was to 'be' it.
Mastering basic characterization techniques means you need to know what each of those emotions do in terms of firstly your bodylanguage, and then your voice. You need to know how to drop into and out of those states very quickly to follow the flow of your story line.
It's easier to begin with if you concentrate on your own body. Learn to know what you do when you're excited, ashamed, dreaming etc.
A quick way of getting this awareness is to remember times when you experienced those emotions. Put yourself back into the situation and watch what you body does in the mirror. The trick is do it wholeheartedly. Small subtle changes won't communicate rapidly to an audience. This is not film. You don't have the benefit of close-ups or lingering shots. You need to convey the mood immediately and unambiguously.
Once you've established what one mood feels like, where it is centered in your body, what it does to your posture, how it reflects on your face, change it for another. Make these shifts between two opposite emotions, like 'happy' to 'sad' so the differences between them are easily observed and remembered. Practice doing them quickly. A technique I've used in classes is to draw a line on the floor. On one side is 'happy' and the other is 'sad'. I have students step from one to the other. We start slowly and build up speed until the changes occur almost instantly.
NB: There's a page on bodylanguage here. Even though it's mostly about appropriate bodylanguage for speakers delivering a straight non-storytelling speech, if the notion is new to you, it will provide a basic introduction.
The next group of characterization techniques focus on voice.
You know the tone, pitch, volume, and rate of words change according to how we feel. If we're irate then the volume is likely to be raised, as is the pitch, the tone will be harsh and the rate the words come from our mouth is much faster than usual.
The task is to figure out how to accurately and quickly characterize mood shifts with your voice. Do you need to alter pitch, tone or rate of speech? Do you need to stress some words or parts of them more than others? Do you need to hold some up or pause? And what breathing patterns do you need to underpin your delivery?
One simple way of getting into character voice is to begin with the body. Assume the emotion first of all and then add voice.
For example: My character is tired and bored. I show that my slumping my shoulders foward. I let my center of gravity slip so my weight is mostly being carried through my legs. My arms may hang loose at my sides. My head is heavy on my neck and my face says, 'Yeah, so what!' I sigh heavily.
Now speak. Hold the bodylanguage and say whatever comes into your mind. Listen to hear if the emotion of your body carries through to your voice. It should sound 'flattish' and slightly held back as if speaking was an effort. If there are inflections they will tend to fall rather than rise.
Once you've heard and passed yourself as reasonably accurate for one mood -swap to another. Note the differences as you go so you can easily return and replicate it.
Now let's put these characterization techniques into a story.
To do it well, we need just a couple more.
The first is to understand 'who' is doing the talking. So far we've looked at mood and how mood informs voice. Now we need to look at exactly 'who' the person is experiencing the mood. For example: Are they old, young, male, female, rich, poor etc, etc.? What physical mannerisms (stance, habit, way of talking) distinguishs them from anybody else?
This doesn't need to be complicated - simple is better. Think stereotypes rather than 'real' people. You need an easily identifiable gesture or body stance marking one character from another. The rich man impressed with his own power, quite literally stands as if he were full of himself. Feet apart, chest out, head high...he looks down on those beneath him. The flirty girl stands one leg behind the other, hands clasped behind her back, cocks her head to one side, thrusts her chest out and swings her body from side to side.
Once you've found your key gesture for each character practice them. Use the mirror to help you and watch yourself go cleanly from one to another.
With the characters established you are ready to add mood and voice. In the first part of characterization techniques we focused on learning the bodylanguage for varying emotions. While holding your key gesture denoting character, add an emotional state. For example what would the flirty girl do with her body to show anger, happiness, or sadness? You'll need to experiment until you find what feels right. Once you have, add voice.
And now you're ready to apply your characterization techniques to a story.
Anything that is direct dialogue gets the characterization techniques treatment. That means if you've got a salesman talking you become him. Your also become the customer, the bystander etc,etc. You play all the characters, including yourself, the narrator linking all the players together.
NB As the narrator you stop acting and assume your normal speaking pose and voice.
Just one more tip to slip into your characterization techniques kit-
Because you are playing two or more people as part of your story doesn't mean you need to rush all over the stage from one speaking place to another to show who is talking. You can achieve this through illusion. For each character establish a place they look to whenever they speak or react. The salesman looks straight ahead. The girl looks up to her right. The boy looks to his left. The audience will very quickly understand what you're doing and follow without confusion providing your transitions between characters (including narrator) are crisp and clean.
For more specific help with vocal delivery: varying your speech rate, using pauses effectively, changing pitch and tone, projection, breathing and more be sure to look in on
this page. You'll find all the above by following the links under the heading 'Here's Additional Information to Maximize Your Impact'.
As with most things, practice makes perfect. These characterization techniques will add vibrancy and life to your stories. Enjoy the process of getting better and better at telling them.
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