Character In Motion

Introduction

Why This Book Won't Make You Feel Like an Amateur

Let's be honest—most books on acting technique make you feel like you need a PhD just to get through the first chapter. You're an actor, not a scholar! You want practical tools that will help you create amazing characters, not a bunch of fancy terms that leave you scratching your head.

That's where this book comes in. We're going to take the incredibly powerful (but notoriously complicated) Laban-Malmgren system of movement psychology and break it down so that anyone can understand and use it. No previous experience required—just bring your curiosity and willingness to try new things.

What's In It for You?

By the end of this guide, you'll be able to:

Create fully formed characters in a matter of minutes (perfect for last-minute auditions!)

Physically transform yourself to play characters nothing like you

Understand the why behind a character's behaviour

Stop guessing what directors mean when they give you vague notes like more energy

Develop a consistent technique you can use for any role, any time

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE Without Losing Your Mind

This isn't a textbook, so don't treat it like one. You don't need to memorise terminology or read chapters in order (though it helps). Instead:

Try the exercises. Movement psychology is physical—you learn by doing, not just reading.

Use the cheat sheets. We've included quick reference guides for when you need a refresher.

Follow the 5-Minute Actor tips for when you're short on time.

Check out the Celebrity Character Type examples to see these concepts in action.

Skip around if you need to. Having trouble with a concept? Move on and come back to it.

A Quick Warning

This book simplifies some complex ideas. Movement psychology purists might say we're oversimplifying. They're right! But here's the thing—you need to crawl before you can walk. Master the basics here, and if you fall in love with the system, you can dive deeper later (We have a bigger book for that☺).

Ready to become a more versatile, confident actor with a reliable technique for creating authentic characters? Let's jump in!

Chapter 1

What the Heck is Movement Psychology Anyway?

Acting: More Than Just Feeling Stuff

Picture this: You get cast in a role. You read the script. You think to yourself, Okay, this character is angry in this scene, so I'll try to feel angry.

Sound familiar? Most of us start acting this way—trying to conjure up emotions and hoping they look convincing.

Here's the problem: emotions are slippery. They come and go. They vary day to day. Building a performance on feeling it is like building a house on quicksand.

Movement psychology flips this approach on its head. Instead of starting with emotions, it starts with something concrete: the body.

IN PLAIN ENGLISH

Movement psychology is a fancy term for a simple idea: how you move affects how you think and feel, and vice versa. By changing your physical patterns, you can transform your entire character from the outside in.

THE AHA! MOMENT FOR Actors

Here's why movement psychology is a game-changer: it gives you something you can actually control—your physical actions—as a doorway into things you can't directly control, like emotions and personality.

Think about it. Have you ever:

Stood up straighter and immediately felt more confident?

Hunched your shoulders and suddenly felt more insecure?

Moved quickly and felt your thoughts speed up too?

That's movement psychology in action! Your body and mind are connected. Change one, and you change the other.

Where This Stuff Came From (The Super-Quick Version)

This system wasn't invented by some Hollywood acting coach last week. It has serious roots:

A movement expert named Rudolf Laban spent decades studying how humans move and created a way to analyse movement.

A smart dude named William Carpenter connected Laban's movement ideas to Jung's psychological theories.

An acting teacher named Yat Malmgren combined their work into a practical system for actors.

Famous actors like Sir Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, Emilia Clarke, Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender, Russel Brand and Helen McCrory used these techniques to create incredible performances.

So, while we're keeping things simple in this guide, know that you're learning a proven system with almost a century of development behind it.

CELEBRITY CHARACTER TYPE

Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter

Notice how still Hopkins keeps his body, with precise, controlled movements and unblinking eyes. This physical control creates the character's chilling psychological control. We'll learn how to create this effect in Chapter 4!

The Four Big Ideas You Need to Understand

Before we dive into the details, let's get the bird's eye view. Movement psychology for actors boils down to four key ideas:

1. Mental Factors: Four Ways of Processing the World

Every character (and person) experiences the world through four channels:

Sensing: Physical awareness (touch, taste, etc.)

Thinking: Logical analysis

Intuiting: Pattern recognition and possibilities

Feeling: Emotional responses

Some characters favour certain channels over others. (Think of Spock prioritising Thinking over Feeling.)

2. Motion Factors: Four Ways of Physically Expressing Yourself