Body language, eye contact, facial expressions and gait
Body language
The non-verbal way in which a person communicates their physical and mental state through using facial expressions, gesture and posture. includes The position in which someone holds their body when standing or sitting. and The way in which someone stands. and can convey a character’s feelings or personality. For example, a confident character may dominate the space, standing up straight with their head looking up, using open body language such as hands on the hip and a wide stance. A more nervous character might have more closed body language, with their arms crossed and head down.
Eye contact
Eye contact is the state in which two people look directly into one another's eyes. It can be used to reveal the Position of an individual in relation to another or others, especially in regard to social or professional standing. and relationship between characters. For example, two characters in love may look adoringly into each other’s eyes, whereas a character withdrawing or avoiding eye contact completely could indicate a strained relationship.
Facial expression
An aspect of body language, using the face to convey emotions or feelings. are the way the face moves to convey an emotional state. They can be used to reveal The meaning beneath action or speech. The real feelings of a character that they may not show or express to another character., eg a character may say they are feeling happy while their facial expression reveals the opposite.
| Emotion | Description of facial expression |
| Happiness | Corner of the mouth raised upwards |
| Sadness | Corner of the mouth turned down |
| Anger | Lowered eyebrows and tightly pressed lips or bared teeth |
| Surprise | Wide eyes and dropped jaw |
| Confusion | A raised eyebrow and diverted eye contact |
| Emotion | Happiness |
|---|---|
| Description of facial expression | Corner of the mouth raised upwards |
| Emotion | Sadness |
|---|---|
| Description of facial expression | Corner of the mouth turned down |
| Emotion | Anger |
|---|---|
| Description of facial expression | Lowered eyebrows and tightly pressed lips or bared teeth |
| Emotion | Surprise |
|---|---|
| Description of facial expression | Wide eyes and dropped jaw |
| Emotion | Confusion |
|---|---|
| Description of facial expression | A raised eyebrow and diverted eye contact |
Gait
A person’s manner of walking. is a person’s manner of walking. The way a performer walks on stage will form part of their The creation of a fictional character., eg an arrogant and high-status character may swagger or strut on stage. Gait can also help to convey a character’s physical attributes, eg an uneven gait like a limp or hobble may show that a character is injured or hurt. The way a performer moves across the stage can also show their feelings towards other characters on the stage.