I think one of the most useful and important tips I ever received from my acting coach is learning how to act in front of a mirror. “Act in front of a mirror?” You may be asking yourself. Yes, acting so you can see yourself in real time. While you may use this tip for any type of acting, I find that it is vital for the dramatic actor as it helps you not only see your face while delivering a serious and dramatic line, but also memorize how your face muscles feel when they’re in a particular position.
If you wish to delve into this form of acting practice, there are several tips you should follow to ensure you get the most out of this exercise.
Memorize Your Lines
The most important thing to remember when you’re getting ready to act in front of a mirror is to memorize your lines. While it is possible to perform this exercise without memorizing your lines, you do not want to break from character and from the intensity of a scene to grab your next line. You want to be fully engrossed in your character and with his dialogue when performing this exercise. This allows you the freedom to make character choices and truly study your facial expressions.
Have Plenty of Light
Of course, this tip should go without saying, but I feel it is worth mentioning. When performing this dramatic acting exercise, you must ensure the room has ample light. I typically do this exercise in front of my bathroom mirror for several reasons: the lighting is perfect, no one will bother me and the acoustics within the bathroom are excellent.
Focus on Your Eyebrows
When you’re first going over your dramatic monologue or scene in front of a mirror, focus on your eyebrows. See how they move when you’re talking. How do they react when you reach an emotional climax of a scene? Is there movement natural looking, or does it look like you’re trying too hard to be dramatic? The most convincing dramatic actors are those who don’t look like they’re acting.
Memorize The Muscle Sensations
After you have performed the dramatic monologue or scene several times in front of a mirror, repeat the dialogue, but this time really focus on the muscle sensations within your face. If you make a sad face to appears to be very realistic, memorizing the muscle sensations will help you repeat this movement when you’re away from a mirror. This will also help you when taking photographs, as you must be able to convey a certain emotion in an instant, and when you have memorized the muscle sensations of a certain facial expressions you can instantly alter your face to reflect this reaction.