Stanislavski's Ten Steps for Character Analysis

Stanislavski’s Ten Steps – CHARACTER ANALYSIS

1.GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES:
            Facts that influence a person’s behavior.  Background information.

2.MAGIC “IF:”
            Facts to place yourself inside your character’s life perspective.

            Past:

            Present:

            Future:

3. SUPER OBJECTIVE:

What you want most in life
OBJECTIVE HIERARCHY is a short list of lesser, but still important goals

4. THROUGH LINE OF ACTIONS:

            A particular way of dealing with a variety of obstacles/setbacks

            Ex: when my character encounters __________, he/she does this….; when this character is angry/sad/provoked/etc., this is how they act/react…

5. SCORE:

            Writing down results in manuscript form/mark script into workable units.  This is going to be the copy of your script!

6. ENDOWMENT:

            Project onto people/objects, real/imagined qualities from your imagination or experience to bring to life.  i.e. what does your character have and why do they have it.

7. RECALL:

            Using your 5 senses to awaken memories of both physical & emotional sensations that can be filtered into character

Ex: When they smell/see/touch/taste/hear _________, they ___________.

8. IMAGES:

            Film of the mind that speaks to your partner’s eyes

            What things do they see/visualize and react to?

9. PHYSICAL/VOCAL:

            External Characteristics (esp. pace, tempo, rhythm, mannerisms, etc.).  What do they look like and sound like?  How do they walk/move/talk?

10. CREATIVE MOOD:

            Allow yourself to use all previous research to free your entry into heightened reality that allows both discovery AND control simultaneously

"Bring yourself to the part of taking hold of a role, as if it were your own life. Speak for your character in your own person. When you sense this real kinship to your part, your newly created being will become soul of your soul, flesh of your flesh." - STANISLAVSKI