a random email on performing - behind the wall of text.
I received an email inquiry about fursuit performing. I thought I'd write a quick reply, but ended up with quite the wall of text. I could write/talk for hours on the subject, but it's challenging to organize thoughts into something coherent. Last week I also helped organize registering a panel on Advanced Fursuit Performing for Anthrocon with Wolfpup TK and Nexus Folf.
It's amazing the magic we can create as fursuiters, being cute cartoony characters come to life. Performing in the community, where fursuits are rare, is much more fulfilling than at a convention where fursuits are everywhere. However, it is also riskier outside the safety of a convention bubble. Most furry con attendees know the suits are hot, heavy, impair breathing and speaking, and can be rather fragile. Out in the real world people don't know or in some cases don't care how much effort or money (or both) was expended bringing this creature to life. Beware the unruly teen/pre-teen who would love nothing more than to reject all things of childhood by ripping your ear or muzzle off? Not trying to scare you just help you realize that not everything will be a positive experience. The reward potential though, that's also much greater. When you make that magical connection like the one you spoke of outside FWA*, or when you win the hug of a timid child, or even get that group of pre-teens to think you're cool enough to give a high-five, that's worth all the heat, sweat, energy and expense we put into it.
Fursuit performance is sometimes considered the unsung art of fursuiting -- sure, one can buy a fursuit but a personality cannot be bought. This comes from within, from our imagination, where we can pretend to be a large fantasy/cartoon animal, and bring that fur and foam to life. The anonymity plays a big part, I think. You've heard the saying "Dance like no one's watching," meaning to perform without care of what people think. This is similar to donning a fursuit, which protects your identity, and people only see the costume. You can act like a buffoon, and people will laugh, not at you, but at the buffoon.
Basic advice.. off the top of my head (tho I need to organize my thoughts as I'm helping with some panels at AC).
Before you get the suit, in the design process. Get some idea of what this character is like. Think in broad strokes, key words that strike an image in your head. Cool. Sly. Sneaky. Shy. Energetic. Grumpy. Heavy/lumbering. Swishy. Graceful. etc. Also perhaps if there is a cartoon/tv/movie/etc character that sparks your fancy, it's something to focus on. Suave like James Bond, imposing like Darth Vader, scheming like Wile E. Coyote.
Things may change a bit once you actually get the suit. If it's a commission, it will likely not be 100% exact to your specification - people overlook that they are commissioning an artist, who will interpret the source art in their own style. But once you get the suit, people will see the suit, not the concept art, so this is what you start from.
Put the suit on. Get inside the character. Look at what's staring back in the mirror. When you move, this full-bodied puppet moves with you. Try to use those key words and/or media character as your focus. What would they do? How would they carry him/herself? Feel the character's face and body surface, imagine this is your body. You have different features, know where your ears, nose, eyes are.
If there's body padding, imagining that this bulkier body is your new body surface, this helps with a kind of mental transformation useful in this pretending. (I actually picked up this tip from "Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre", a classic text on improvisation)
You might also have a (long) tail. It's a prop attached to your butt, which can be held onto (maybe if you're shy), or learn how to get it to sway -- it's a pendulum with a resonant frequency that you might hit while walking or just shifting your weight. This surrogate body idea may also help with claustrophobia, imagining that this IS you, rather than you being inside something.
Also, while looking in the mirror, see if you can get the character to look directly at you. Remember this spot on the inside of the head/eyescreen and next time you pose for a picture, center the camera at that imaginary spot. (Alternately if you see through the mouth, have a friend figure where the character is looking so you can figure where on the ground you have to look for the character to appear to be looking at the camera).
This part you may want to either record yourself, or have some friends watch and offer feedback. If you're shy about it, maybe try it by yourself before recording or performing for friends. Walk around. Try to walk and carry yourself differently than a regular person in an animal costume might. Try pantomiming some different emotions and really throw yourself into it. You're a big cartoon, your body is your instrument.
Some side notes:
Remain in character as much as you can. It reinforces the concept of the character, and discourages the thoughts of being just a-guy-in-a-costume. You don't have to be wacky 100% of the time, but you can develop some "idle motions" that keep the character alive at idle moments. Since your vision is impaired, you can move your head around more than usual. makes you look quizzical but also you are scanning the area for possible obstacles, problems or opportunities to interact.
Avoid being partially in-costume, and avoid speaking aloud (unless it's intended as a speaking character - but that means speaking IN character, a whole separate improvisational art). Sure, at furry cons I tend to bend these - if I have to deliver a panel I'll either show up out of suit or I'll remove the head so I can actually be heard. I consider panels as makeshift 'backstage'. I'll speak in hushed tones if someone is asking me (Jimmy) a question as opposed to asking Yippee, Twilight or whichever character I am portraying. This is a level of commitment to the character, and people will notice and interact with the character as the character.
Likewise, know your audience - at a furry con you can be more lax about committing to character, but when you really put an effort toward it you can stand out from the walk-and-wave bunch. In public, tailor yourself toward who you perform for. A child is short, crouch or kneel down to their level so you're not hulking over them. Older kids will probably not think you are "real" but you can interact with them as if you are. Be that cool guy, offer a high-5 (or 4 or 3..) or fist-bump if they respond to you holding out a fist. (always offer a paw/fist and let THEM come to you). In a crowded tight area, and/or in direct interaction you will want to keep your motions smaller than when you're in a wide area, like in a wide fursuit parade path. You'll want to exaggerate there, though be mindful where your body parts go - if you swing your tail in a dealers room you might knock something--or someone--over.
Here's a parade trick I like to do. Since you can't interact with individuals try to get people to cheer. Look to a group, make hand-clapping motions and put a paw to your ear. Once in a while if you see someone waving in an odd manner, point at them and wave similarly.
Watch people. Watch kids. Watch animals. Watch cartoons. See how they act and play and interact, there may be something to spark your imagination.
Approach people, make contact -- but be quick to step back if they don't want to interact. Respect people's personal space, personal items,... and respect people who are in the middle of something, like running a panel. Unless perhaps it's about fursuit performance, and then they might make an example of you.
Above all, my number one rule -- HAVE FUN. Fursuiting to me is like taking a short vacation from being me, to being a pretend cartoon/fantasy character I've created. Pretend is also called make-believe, and when we make people believe in the character and play along with us, we make our world a little bit more fun. When we have fun performing, it shows through in our body language, and people will have fun watching.
Edit: Here's an excerpt the original email, about what inspired the person to try fursuiting:
* - [An interaction] I saw at Furry Weekend Atlanta a few years back... three canine suits... suiters?... were walking through a public area outside of the hotel. There was a frazzled family that were tired and grumpy walking past where I was sitting. The father caught sight of the suiters and his entire demeanor changed. He was amazed and excited, and hurried to get pictures of his young sons with the suiters. I was just floored by how drastic his day was changed... he walked in tired and upset, and walked off happy, refreshed, and excited.
It's amazing the magic we can create as fursuiters, being cute cartoony characters come to life. Performing in the community, where fursuits are rare, is much more fulfilling than at a convention where fursuits are everywhere. However, it is also riskier outside the safety of a convention bubble. Most furry con attendees know the suits are hot, heavy, impair breathing and speaking, and can be rather fragile. Out in the real world people don't know or in some cases don't care how much effort or money (or both) was expended bringing this creature to life. Beware the unruly teen/pre-teen who would love nothing more than to reject all things of childhood by ripping your ear or muzzle off? Not trying to scare you just help you realize that not everything will be a positive experience. The reward potential though, that's also much greater. When you make that magical connection like the one you spoke of outside FWA*, or when you win the hug of a timid child, or even get that group of pre-teens to think you're cool enough to give a high-five, that's worth all the heat, sweat, energy and expense we put into it.
Fursuit performance is sometimes considered the unsung art of fursuiting -- sure, one can buy a fursuit but a personality cannot be bought. This comes from within, from our imagination, where we can pretend to be a large fantasy/cartoon animal, and bring that fur and foam to life. The anonymity plays a big part, I think. You've heard the saying "Dance like no one's watching," meaning to perform without care of what people think. This is similar to donning a fursuit, which protects your identity, and people only see the costume. You can act like a buffoon, and people will laugh, not at you, but at the buffoon.
Basic advice.. off the top of my head (tho I need to organize my thoughts as I'm helping with some panels at AC).
Before you get the suit, in the design process. Get some idea of what this character is like. Think in broad strokes, key words that strike an image in your head. Cool. Sly. Sneaky. Shy. Energetic. Grumpy. Heavy/lumbering. Swishy. Graceful. etc. Also perhaps if there is a cartoon/tv/movie/etc character that sparks your fancy, it's something to focus on. Suave like James Bond, imposing like Darth Vader, scheming like Wile E. Coyote.
Things may change a bit once you actually get the suit. If it's a commission, it will likely not be 100% exact to your specification - people overlook that they are commissioning an artist, who will interpret the source art in their own style. But once you get the suit, people will see the suit, not the concept art, so this is what you start from.
Put the suit on. Get inside the character. Look at what's staring back in the mirror. When you move, this full-bodied puppet moves with you. Try to use those key words and/or media character as your focus. What would they do? How would they carry him/herself? Feel the character's face and body surface, imagine this is your body. You have different features, know where your ears, nose, eyes are.
If there's body padding, imagining that this bulkier body is your new body surface, this helps with a kind of mental transformation useful in this pretending. (I actually picked up this tip from "Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre", a classic text on improvisation)
You might also have a (long) tail. It's a prop attached to your butt, which can be held onto (maybe if you're shy), or learn how to get it to sway -- it's a pendulum with a resonant frequency that you might hit while walking or just shifting your weight. This surrogate body idea may also help with claustrophobia, imagining that this IS you, rather than you being inside something.
Also, while looking in the mirror, see if you can get the character to look directly at you. Remember this spot on the inside of the head/eyescreen and next time you pose for a picture, center the camera at that imaginary spot. (Alternately if you see through the mouth, have a friend figure where the character is looking so you can figure where on the ground you have to look for the character to appear to be looking at the camera).
This part you may want to either record yourself, or have some friends watch and offer feedback. If you're shy about it, maybe try it by yourself before recording or performing for friends. Walk around. Try to walk and carry yourself differently than a regular person in an animal costume might. Try pantomiming some different emotions and really throw yourself into it. You're a big cartoon, your body is your instrument.
Some side notes:
Remain in character as much as you can. It reinforces the concept of the character, and discourages the thoughts of being just a-guy-in-a-costume. You don't have to be wacky 100% of the time, but you can develop some "idle motions" that keep the character alive at idle moments. Since your vision is impaired, you can move your head around more than usual. makes you look quizzical but also you are scanning the area for possible obstacles, problems or opportunities to interact.
Avoid being partially in-costume, and avoid speaking aloud (unless it's intended as a speaking character - but that means speaking IN character, a whole separate improvisational art). Sure, at furry cons I tend to bend these - if I have to deliver a panel I'll either show up out of suit or I'll remove the head so I can actually be heard. I consider panels as makeshift 'backstage'. I'll speak in hushed tones if someone is asking me (Jimmy) a question as opposed to asking Yippee, Twilight or whichever character I am portraying. This is a level of commitment to the character, and people will notice and interact with the character as the character.
Likewise, know your audience - at a furry con you can be more lax about committing to character, but when you really put an effort toward it you can stand out from the walk-and-wave bunch. In public, tailor yourself toward who you perform for. A child is short, crouch or kneel down to their level so you're not hulking over them. Older kids will probably not think you are "real" but you can interact with them as if you are. Be that cool guy, offer a high-5 (or 4 or 3..) or fist-bump if they respond to you holding out a fist. (always offer a paw/fist and let THEM come to you). In a crowded tight area, and/or in direct interaction you will want to keep your motions smaller than when you're in a wide area, like in a wide fursuit parade path. You'll want to exaggerate there, though be mindful where your body parts go - if you swing your tail in a dealers room you might knock something--or someone--over.
Here's a parade trick I like to do. Since you can't interact with individuals try to get people to cheer. Look to a group, make hand-clapping motions and put a paw to your ear. Once in a while if you see someone waving in an odd manner, point at them and wave similarly.
Watch people. Watch kids. Watch animals. Watch cartoons. See how they act and play and interact, there may be something to spark your imagination.
Approach people, make contact -- but be quick to step back if they don't want to interact. Respect people's personal space, personal items,... and respect people who are in the middle of something, like running a panel. Unless perhaps it's about fursuit performance, and then they might make an example of you.
Above all, my number one rule -- HAVE FUN. Fursuiting to me is like taking a short vacation from being me, to being a pretend cartoon/fantasy character I've created. Pretend is also called make-believe, and when we make people believe in the character and play along with us, we make our world a little bit more fun. When we have fun performing, it shows through in our body language, and people will have fun watching.
Edit: Here's an excerpt the original email, about what inspired the person to try fursuiting:
* - [An interaction] I saw at Furry Weekend Atlanta a few years back... three canine suits... suiters?... were walking through a public area outside of the hotel. There was a frazzled family that were tired and grumpy walking past where I was sitting. The father caught sight of the suiters and his entire demeanor changed. He was amazed and excited, and hurried to get pictures of his young sons with the suiters. I was just floored by how drastic his day was changed... he walked in tired and upset, and walked off happy, refreshed, and excited.