Mime is one of the oldest forms of theater. Mimes give life to stories and tales using only their body, without saying a word. Here's how to become a mime.
Steps
Step 1. Dress like a mime (optional)
If you want to dress like a mime, try:
- Do your makeup like a mime. A mime can be instantly identified by their makeup - white greasepaint on the face (but not on the throat), thick black eyeliner with stylized "tears" up to the middle of the cheekbone, drawn dark eyebrows, and black or dark red lipstick. You could also try small circles of light pink foundation if you want to look like a happy mime or more feminine.
- Wear a mime costume. Professional mimes may no longer wear the "classic" costume, but it's easy to recognize for Carnival or Halloween or a fancy dress party. Find a black and white horizontal striped shirt, possibly with a crew neck and three-quarter sleeves. Wear dark pants, black suspenders, white gloves, and a black hat to complete the look.
Step 2. Let your body speak
Speaking or moving your lips is not necessary while you mime. Instead you will need to use facial expressions, gestures and posture to "speak".
- I use a mirror (or an audience) to evaluate the movements that best convey emotions, moods and reactions. For a beginner you will need a mirror that reflects the whole person, but remember that when you have to perform you will not be able to carry it around.
- A video camera, if available, is also a very valuable tool.
Step 3. Start with the basic techniques:
There are some easy lessons that many mimes learn first.
- Cultivate your imagination. Your imagination is the fundamental component in creating illusions. It is very important for a mime to believe that the illusion is real. Of course, the more real the illusion is to the mime, the more realistic it will be to the audience. You can do it with exercise. For example, pretend the wall is real. Imagine it in different colors. Feel the different surfaces, for example, smooth, rough, wet, dry, cold or hot. Use these techniques while practicing "all" illusions. You will find that your body will naturally react to the illusion if you convince yourself that it is real.
- Use a fixed point. This technique is perhaps best known as 'pointe fixe', the original French term for fixed point. It is a very simple idea: the mime locates a point in his body, and holds it motionless in space. This technique is the basis of all the illusions a mime can create.
- Add lines to the fixed points. The line technique evolves that of the fixed point, initially by adding a second fixed point in space. What makes this a unique technical ability is the difficulty of keeping two points at the same relative distance. Furthermore, the distance between these two points becomes an element on which to build. For example, the line could move in space, as long as the two points keep their distance unchanged. A good example of the application of this concept is the "wall".
- Create a dynamic line. While the line does not apply force to the fixed points, with a dynamic line you will add this element. This is the technique used for "tug-of-war", but it can be used for any representation of forces in an illusion. The secret of this concept is to synchronize the impact of an imaginary force on the whole body. From this point of view a Dynamic Line is an interpretation of physics applied to the human body. It might seem complicated, but you will learn very easily: find a wall and place both your hands on it at shoulder height. Push gently towards the wall with your hands. As you push, pay attention to the pressure you feel in your body. You should feel pressure in your hands, of course, but also on your shoulders and hips. If you can't feel, increase the thrust until you can. Try different positions and notice how the pressures inside your body change. The Dynamic Line recalls the memory of the forces you felt in these exercises and uses it to create a realistic illusion of imaginary forces.
- "Manipulates" space and matter. This is a courtly definition for "make things out of nothing". This is the most difficult technique to explain because it makes use of many elements of the previous three. To do this, it is better to use an example: dribbling a basketball. Using only one hand, the mime uses a technique similar to a Dynamic Line, but doing it with one hand, he uses a single point. Instead of using two points on his body, the mime turns the point into a shape: a rounded palm with slightly curved fingers. This shape defines the 'space' where the illusion exists and allows the basketball, the 'matter', to exist in the illusion. The manipulation of Space / Matter can be used to create any number of objects, characters or events.
Step 4. Grab a rope
Pretend there is a rope hanging in front of you and try to climb it.
Slide and climb for the best effect. When you reach the top, wipe the sweat off your forehead. Climbing a rope is a very difficult illusion to perform correctly. Imagine and feel the full weight of your body. If you were really climbing a rope, your muscles would contract and stretch. Your face would twist into a grimace. Wiping your sweat is a natural reaction. If you've never climbed a rope, do it on a mat under supervision. Make mental notes of your actions and reactions, even though many illusions may not be realized with the exact same movements used in reality, your mental predisposition should be the same. (Read the first note of the "Warnings" section and be sure to warm up before realizing this illusion.)
Step 5. Pretend you are in a box
If you are in an invisible box, you can push the air in front of your hands, first with the palm and then with the fingers. Act as if you are looking for a way out on the sides and in the corners. Run a hand along the "edges" of your imaginary box as you search for the lid and exit. If you want, you can eventually find the lid and open it dramatically with both hands, in a triumphant gesture.
- Climb a ladder. To create the illusion of a ladder, grab a rung from an imaginary ladder that rises to the top. Put your toe on the ground, as you would on a ladder rung. Push on the pegs (move both hands!) As you climb onto the toes, and then descend with the opposite foot "onto a peg". Alternate your feet and hands each time you "take a step". Keep your concentration on a high point, as if looking at the point you are climbing towards. (If it's a very tall ladder, look down to create a laugh - turn your head slowly and carefully, just enough to look down, and then look forward again, with an expression of fear. !) Accompany the movement of the feet with your legs as if you were climbing a real ladder.
- "Lean". Pretend to lean on a lamppost, wall, or counter. It may seem easy, but it requires a fair amount of strength and coordination to "lean" on nothing. The basic support has two parts. Start with your feet shoulder height.
- For the upper part: Keep your arms slightly away from the body, with the elbow bent so that your forearm is parallel to the ground and your hand (with the wrist slightly relaxed) is close to the chest. Now raise your shoulders as you move your chest towards the elbow (keeping the elbow in the same spot in the space!).
- For the lower part: at the same time, bend the knee slightly, bringing the weight on the bent leg. The final effect should look like your weight is resting on your elbow, even though your elbow has never moved. Make sure you only bend the leg under your raised arm. Keep the other leg straight to create a more effective illusion.
- Look in the mirror, or use a video camera to verify the realism of the technique. Often you will get better results by doing this technique with little emphasis on the movements.
- To give more emphasis to your support, you could enter a trip, a slip and completely miss the object to lean on.
Step 6. Face the wind
Pretend it's very windy and you can't stand up in the gusts. Let the wind blow you in one direction and the other. For better entertainment, add an umbrella battle that keeps revolting.
Step 7. Eat
It can be a lot of fun to watch a mime pretend to eat. Imagine eating a hamburger or hot dog full of sauce and continuing to stain yourself. You accidentally sprinkle some sauce in one eye. Or try peeling a banana, and then slipping on the peel.
Step 8. Walk in place
One of the classic techniques of mime is stationary walking. It is also one of the most physically demanding activities. This walk reverses the pattern used to walk in reality. The foot of call in the walk of the mime does not carry any weight, but "represents" the foot on which the weight rests in a real walk. This is why the leg must remain straight in the illusion - it will "give the impression" that it is bearing the weight. Here's how to do it.
- It is very important to start with good posture. You should keep your abs contracted, otherwise your abdomen will tend to move while you are not paying attention. Keep your shoulders back and up - don't be lazy, your chest and neck should also be erect - not swollen.
- To begin, shift your body weight to the tip of one foot. This will be your "front" foot. Bend your knee slightly towards your front foot as you do this. Align the other foot (the "call" foot) with the front foot. However, keep the sole of the booster foot slightly off the ground, even if parallel to the ground. Keep this leg perfectly straight.
- With your front foot, lower your heel slightly to the ground and straighten your leg. As you do this, move your call foot backwards, while keeping the sole parallel to the ground and your leg straight - you should feel an intense stretch in the back of the leg. Bring the calling leg as far back as possible, respecting the positions described above and maintaining balance.
- Once the call foot is as far back as possible, bring it back parallel to your front foot. Try to raise the heel of your booster foot first, as if you were really walking. Bend your leg as you bring your foot forward.
- Place the toe of your booster foot on the ground. If you look at your feet, you will notice that they will be the exact opposite of the starting position. Now the "front" foot is the "calling" foot and vice versa.
- The shift of weight between the two feet is the key part of the illusion! You will need to shift your weight smoothly between your previous "front" foot and the next. At the same time, you will need to lift the new free foot and bring it behind you. Mastering this technique will take a lot of practice.
- Even if the center of the activity is your feet, don't forget to move your upper body! Move your arms so that the front foot is always in opposition to the hand on the same side. Also, inhale as you raise and bring forward the call foot; exhale as you bring the calling leg back.
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If you don't bring your booster foot up to your front foot, you can simply shift your weight onto it and start a moonwalk!
Mime Step 9 Step 9. Make your interpretation interesting
You can look for a laugh, or you can attempt to elevate mime to a higher art form. If you create a story to mime, you will be able to entertain your audience and show off the artistic skills of the mime technique. Think in advance of a "story" to realize. Keep in mind that a mime can be beautiful and moving if they have the right technique. To take up some of the examples mentioned:
- It is a windy day and you would like to reach the hot dog stand should you meet a friend whose cat got trapped in a tree. Your friend will ask you to climb a ladder to rescue his cat. When you return the cat (which squirms and scratches you in an ungrateful way), your friend will offer you a hamburger, and as you walk away, you won't be able to notice a banana peel on the ground.
- If you want to mimic something more serious, wear the most appropriate clothes and makeup, and perform with adequate lighting. Think of a serious story in advance. For example, you may want to represent the suffering of a homeless man who is forced to sleep in the open during a cold winter. Paint a sad face, wear threadbare clothes, and use soft lighting. Think of a story that allows you to mimic the desperation of the homeless seeking asylum for the night. Mimics making a makeshift bed under a bridge out of cardboard. It mimics the tremor and the inability to sleep well. Convey sadness to reflect this person's suffering.
Method 1 of 1: More Info
- There are some famous circus and theater artists who have been successful by combining mime and clown techniques, achieving a great artistic effect. Joseph Grimali, the father of late eighteenth-century English Pantomime theater, used the comedy of mime to create his legend that lives on to this day.
- 200 years earlier, the boundaries between clown and mime were blurred in the great tradition of the commedia dell'arte and its venture companies that spread throughout Europe after being banned by the church of Rome. The very famous French mime Pierrot finds his origins in the characters of the Italian Comedy: Gian Farina, Peppe Nappa and Pedrolino. An art form that has greatly influenced the works of Shakespeare, Moliere and Lope de Vega, just to name a few. The popularity of this art form continued for three centuries in many European nations.
- Even in the twentieth century there have been many examples of artists showing off their skills as clowns and mimes. From the circus environment we can mention, the Swiss clown Grock, the legendary Lou Jacobs and Otto Griebling of the Ringling Bros. and Leonid Yengibarov and Anotoly Nikulyin of the Moscow circus in the Soviet era. As a clown, they could entertain the audience only thanks to their pantomime.
- From theaters, concert halls, films and televisions, we cannot fail to mention Bert Williams, Chaplin, Keaton, Stan Laurel, Harpo Marx, Red Skelton, Marcel Marceu, Georges Carl and Dick Van Dyke. Their influence is still visible today in the celebrated artists of the New Vaudeville movement.
- Penn & Teller, Bill Irwin, Geoff Hoyle, Robin Williams and John Gilkey are excellent examples of recent famous people who also include clown and mime skills among their skills. The more you practice the discipline, the sooner you will begin to master mime and clown techniques that will allow you to make your audience laugh.
Advice
- This article refers only to a specific style - the 'style' or 'illusion' mime. There are hundreds of other forms that have no connection with the art of Marcel Marceau or Charlie Chaplin.
- If you have a real interest in starting a career as a mime, consider taking a mime course at a school or in a theater company.
- The clothing and make-up characteristic of traditional mimes are borrowed from the legendary Marcel Marceau. Nowadays, however, it is considered so commonplace to dress like that for a mime that modern artists often avoid it.
- A very good mime is a highly sought after figure in the world of theater, film and the circus. Think of "Cirque du Soleil" and science fiction films, where mimes can express emotions without using words and create a bridge between human sensations and those of fantasy or alien worlds.
- "A mime must have the body of a gymnast, the mind of an actor, and the heart of a poet." Etienne Ducroux, the "father of modern mimes".
- While the mime may seem childish to you, don't be afraid to deal with more serious topics. Many famous mimes, such as Marcel Marceau and Charlie Chaplin, performed predominantly as brave but unfortunate characters (Bip and The Tramp, respectively).
- Many people who are trained in the art of mime now work under the definition of "physical theater" to avoid the preconceptions and prejudices that the word mime can arouse today. Many of these artists do not wear the traditional costume.
- Moonwalk and breakdance borrow techniques from mimes.
- The white makeup used by mimes is borrowed from the clown tradition. It is used in both cases to bring out facial expressions so that they can be seen clearly even from a distance. White makeup was originally used to portray a simple and innocent character. The mime makeup tradition has used more stylized symbols and simpler color schemes and lines.
- Instead of white makeup, the ancient mimes wore masks or simple stage makeup.
Warnings
- To avoid tearing and stretching, always warm up before performing or exercising; miming requires the same agility as dance or acting.
- Mime can be a grueling activity. Don't do mimic exercises if you can't do normal exercises.
- Hostility or fear of street mimes can get out of hand. Never perform in a public place without a friend or agent watching your back.
- For the same reason, never perform in public without a place to take refuge (e.g. a car, dressing room, or friend's shop - don't use a public toilet.)
