Actor training for motion capture: filling the void with voice and body

Abstract

The core of any form of performance is the ability to transform: from one image to the next, one thought to the next, and to transform physically from being in one imagined space to another. What is ‘not there’ in the context of the performance is also crucial: be it the idea of the ‘fourth wall’ established by Konstantin Stanislavski, which refers to the side in a proscenium arch theatre from which the audience views the performance; or two sides if performing in traverse; three if performing in an amphitheatre space; or even four sides if working in the round. This imaginary concept ensures the actor’s main focus remains on the performance space and not anywhere else in the theatre. With the notion of a Zero Wall in Motion Capture (MoCap), which refers to the abolition of the ‘fourth wall’ concept, the actor has an infinite amount of possibilities in terms of transformations. The absence of any form of ‘wall’ or physical restraint allows the actor the freedom to transform in the void. The Zero Wall concept demands the use of the imagination to communicate the arc of the performance, physically and vocally. This often means maintaining a character, or at least the essence of a character, and clearly transitioning between images by means of an awareness of their physio-vocal range in a performance and/or training environment. It is extremely important therefore for actors to train in this manner in order to prepare them for the capture itself and also to expose them to alternative performance spaces. As the MoCap space and overall system define a specific volume, providing actors with a set boundary within which to work, specific training is needed to increase the actor’s physio-vocal awareness and transformability. Actors need to be aware of the volume of the space as well as camera perspectives. Initially, a 360 awareness is needed to enable a sense of having ‘eyes all over the body’ (Zarrilli 1998), that is, having physical and mental awareness from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet – such a complete physical awakening and awareness is needed when cameras are capturing the body from every angle. MoCap can assist the actor in creating 360 awareness of their kinesphere, their spatial intentions and provide geometric observations through consideration of Rudolf Laban’s category of Space (part of the Laban Movement System). Before such transformations can be practised and performed, this 360 awareness must be implemented in the training. One specific exercise that is utilised for MoCap is The Cube (See Figure 1). There are many three-dimensional spaces and shapes that might be explored, but The Cube is perhaps the easiest and most pragmatic, as it replicates the conventional MoCap studio/volume. Physio-vocality progresses out from the internal (pharyngeal) and immediate (outside) space and creates physical shapes within the body. The resultant sound is also shaped by the changing space of the mouth. Moreover, there is another type of inner space – the shape of the breath. The body shrinks and expands with each breath, and the voice, either through aspirate or full, rich sounds, is an important part of this expansion and contraction. Physical posture is not changed by the muscles alone, but by the whole way in which the actor breathes and vocalises.