Performer Training

Who can be a performer?

Anyone can suit up and become a performer, but there are a few aspects to consider.

Yes, anyone can throw on a costume and perform without training. But, did you know there are a few qualifiers? (at least in my opinion)

  1. The performer MUST BE WILLING TO PERFORM. Simply put, forcing anyone to do anything will yield a bad result every single time. If you force an employee to suit up in a costume to perform as the face of your brand, they’re going to give a lackluster performance and poorly represent your brand.

  2. Make sure the costume fits the performer. Most manufacturers supply a suggested height range for their costumes to ensure a proper fit and sometimes include other measurements like waist line. Nothing breaks the magic more than seeing part of a performer’s body through gaps in the costume because they exceed the height range. Same goes for a performer who is too small for the costume and it hangs off their body or bunches up in the arms and legs to give the character a saggy appearance.

  3. Understanding the very basics of performing in a mascot costume elevates the performance, no matter how inexperience the performer is.

What are the performing basics?

These might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised.

  1. Your body language is the main form of communication with your audience. AKA no talking. A mascot is a single frame of cartoon character come to life, their facial expression is stuck. Talking breaks the illusion because a voice is coming from an internal void inside the character while the costume’s mouth isn’t moving.

  2. Understand the viewpoint from inside the costume and how it makes the character look while performing (like an out of body experience). Understand where the sight line is (eyes, mouth, neck, other) and how the character is positioned while the performer is maximizing their visibility. For costumes where the performer looks through the mouth or neck, the costume’s head isn’t looking on the same line as the performer.

  3. Understand the parts of the costume. The performer should know where different features of the costume are (eyes, nose, ears, mouth, etc.) and if they have the ability to interact with said features.

  4. Understand the movement of the costume. The performer should understand how the costume limits their range of motion and mobility so they don’t try something physical they don’t have the ability to do and end up hurting themself.

  5. Pace yourself. The costumes get hot quickly, can be hard to breath in, and you are going to tire quicker than you think. If a performer is running at 110% the moment they are in front of people, odds are they’ll be gassed in under five minutes and struggle through the rest of the set. Subtle movements and picking your spots for high energy moments can go a long way in bringing a character to life.

  6. Handlers are important. They serve as your eyes for your blind spots, speak for you, are your personal security detail controlling your adoring fans, and keep track of time for you.

Super obvious. Have any advanced tips?

Of course, but I won’t share all of them… or at least go into detail for each point. I’m trying to sell a training program here!

  1. Develop non-verbal communication with your handler so the performer can tell the handler if they’re ready for a break or the handler to tell the performer that it’s time to move on to the next thing.

  2. Understand what the scope of your appearances are. Are you there to interact with as many people as possible or is there a very specific reason for the character to be there?

  3. You’re character is not the center of the universe… but someone is always watching you. Again, understand your role within an appearance. Even if you aren’t the focal point, someone is always watching a living cartoon character.

  4. Don’t kick yourself over every little mistake (regarding scripted performances). Chances are you nailed the important parts but if you miss a small portion of your skit, no one noticed outside of those involved in creating the skit.

  5. It’s okay if you didn’t get to interact with every single person. It’s not ideal, but such is life.

  6. Know your limits, listen to what your body tells you. Your health and safety as a human and a performer is paramount to everything else that goes into a performance.

How can I get better as a performer?

You can’t watch yourself perform, at least in real time (unless you have superpowers). Here’s some tips on improving as a performer.

Understand your end goal. If you’re in high school, do you want earn a college scholarship? If you’re in college, do you want to compete in skit competitions or build a resume for a professional job? If you’re already a professional, how do you want to grow the character?

No matter what you want to accomplish by improving as a performer, seeing yourself on film is a great start to dissecting your abilities. Have a friend or family member film you during appearances to have that out of body perspective on how people view your character. If you’re practicing a skit, set up a camera when you rehearse it.

Spend some time looking up other mascots to see what they do. Pick and choose what you like about their performances and work it into yours. Better yet, make an effort to connect with other local performers and see them perform in person.

How can I turn performing as a professional idiot into a career?

All depends on where you’re at now. Younger performers have a better chance to turn this into a career purely because they have more time before their body starts to wear down with age.

Creating a highlight reel (and keeping it updated) is a great start for a performer, regardless of where they are in their career. This allows you to showoff your handpicked highlights with prospective employers to give them an idea of what type of performer you are. Use this to show off your favorite skits, crowd interactions, community involvement, and special moments. If you don’t have access to video editing software, at least keep track of your video highlights.

If you’re still in college or high school, look into skit competitions to bolster your resume. Try to gain as much experience as possible, even try to find opportunities to perform as many characters as possible. Pay attention to what type of character you feel the most comfortable performing as.

Anything Else?

Perfection doesn’t exist, especially as a performer.

Do you have what it takes to bring your character to life?

Consider the following

Please reach out if you want to work with me one on one as a performer, regardless of your experience level. I’m more than happy to introduce eager performers into this wild world while helping a professional get their next skit just right. We can stay broad with the lessons or get as intricate as you want.

Ready to become a better performer?

Connect with us and see how we can help you reach your potential.