Andy Serkis is Fluent in the Language of the Face

Learning to speak and interpret the Language of the Face is one of the most important skills in an actor's tool bag. Without the ability to express the internal state of your character in a recognizable and accurate way, there is no performance. This is important for every style of performance and motion capture is the next frontier where actors with mastery of the Language of the Face are in high demand.

You may not know him by name, but there is a good chance that you have seen Andy Serkis perform in the last ten years. With lead roles in many hit movies of the last decade, he is one actor you may know and love without ever seeing his face.

Andy Serkis gives life to computer generated creatures and characters through the use of motion capture technology. He specializes in delivering subtle and recognizable facial expressions, a skill that he has put to great use while playing characters like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings and Ceasar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Let's take a look at how he works and hear his own words on the subject of acting and motion capture.

Not only is he a motion capture specialist, but he is also a well respected actor with an impressive body of work on both stage and film. Andy Serkis is a perfect example of how important understanding the Language of the Face is to us as actors and performers of all kinds. Andy Serkis is fluent in the Language of the Face and it has made his career.

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Myth #3: "If I create truthfully, honestly, organically, it will appear on my face appropriately."

This statement has put me in a bit of controversy with some of my peers and at first in conflict with myself based on my own training. Like most actors, I was taught not to be concerned with the face. I was taught to listen to the other actor, focus on the circumstances, involve myself with an activity or the overall action and come from my own instincts. If I did this, what appeared on my face would be appropriate. So, if what you are experiencing doesn’t appear on your face in an appropriate way then all that is left to think is, you are doing something wrong. How frustrating is that?

At some point you (may) have to be concerned with what your face is revealing or choose not to work in front of the camera. You can, of course, always stay on the stage.

So, back to the statement, If I create it truthfully, honestly, organically it will appear on my face appropriately - Is it a myth or a fact?

It is a fact, if:
•the trigger is specific and strong enough to trigger the emotion in you
•if there are no distortions in what and how you express emotion
•if you understand the nature and the experience of the emotion you are creating, which refers to the impulses and the sensations that stem from that emotion
•if you have a keen awareness of what that emotion looks and feels like on your face, from its slightest hint to its strongest reveal

Unfortunately, this is a fact for only a small portion of the acting community and quite possibly the reason why such a small percentage of SAG actors are actually making a living from acting. So for the rest, to not understand the very thing that you are relying on to get you hired, it may be time to get concerned with what you face is communicating.