There's no more exciting surprise to wow your friends at a party than a successful imitation of a famous character. By finding interesting characters to emulate and continuing to do this easy exercise, you will soon have success making your friends burst out laughing.
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Method 1 of 3: Deciding on a Character for You to Imitate
Step 1. Choose a celebrity who has a unique accent or style of speech
It's easier to do a precise imitation if the character has an instantly recognizable style of speech. While imitating their physical traits is also important, imitating their vocal traits will be a determining factor in the success or failure of your business. Famous characters you can emulate are for example:
- Jack Nicholson
- John Wayne
- Julia Child
- Al Pacino
- Christopher Walken
- Sarah Palin
- Morgan Freeman
- George W. Bush
- Fran Drescher
- Judy Garland
- Bill Cosby
Step 2. Choose a character who has the same physical characteristics as you
To make your clone look more convincing, it's better to choose a character who does have a resemblance to you. Frank Calliendo was successful in imitating John Madden, as he had the bubbly and bubbly appearance of Madden.
Alternatively, a perfect imitation of a character whose physical appearance is a lot different from yours will look very funny. A small girl who successfully imitates Chris Farley (who is big) will look very cute
Step 3. Find the “aura” of the character you want to emulate
Imitation expert Jim Ross Althoughmen teaches that, like the Impressionist painter, an Impressionist does not aim to be a perfect imitation like the reflection in the mirror of the character, but rather to display the "aura" of the character. Find the characteristics that make the character different from other people, then display those characteristics with a bit of exaggeration. Characters who have a certain distinctive aura will be easier to imitate than characters who do not have it.
- Al Pacino, for example, always looks as if he is on the verge of exploding with rage in his films. His trademark aura is that of a temper that is on the verge of exploding, and this is what you should display when imitating him.
- Sarah Palin is known to often display a "popular" self-image. This populist style is what you need to display when you imitate it.
Step 4. Practice your speaking style
If you want to emulate Christopher Walken, you'll need to have a solid New York accent before doing so. If you want to emulate Julia Child's speech, practice speaking in an English accent.
Once you get used to the common accents, start learning more specific accents. There are so many unique accents that differ from each other in English, South African, Australian, Welsh and Scottish accents. Expert voice artists can even distinguish the English accent of the city of Manchester from that of the city of Liverpool. Learning different accents and styles of speech will help you identify the accent and style of the character you're trying to imitate
Method 2 of 3: Studying Body Movement Patterns and Speech Habits
Step 1. Make a list of all the characteristics of the character
As you observe and listen to the character you are imitating, make a list noting certain words, movements and facial expressions he makes. Use adjectives in your list. Now, you have created an imitation, by describing the character in words and translating the figure through yourself. Use your list to start perfecting your clone.
Step 2. Find the characteristics
Imitating George W. Bush means incorporating elements of half-closed eyes and pronunciation errors when speaking, and imitating William Shatner means incorporating elements of speech with lots of pauses here and there. A successful imitation is created from a combination of physical and vocal elements, so that we see the figure of the character. Start by practicing your character's signature and develop your clone from that point on.
Often, a character utters certain words or quotes from the film to start the conversation. Mimicking Al Pacino successfully would not be possible without the words “Say hello to my little friend”, taken from his film “Scarface”. Even if you haven't been able to physically imitate Al Pacino, these words are a good starting point for you to start mastering
Step 3. Observe the way the character speaks
Maybe his voice often sounds as if it comes out of the nasal cavity, so the tone tends to be high and as if "whining". Or, his voice is heavy as if coming out of the larynx, so that it sounds deep and melancholy. Christopher Walken's voice sounded like it was stuck in the back of his throat, while Hulk Hogan's voice sounded more like a growl even though it was coming out of his throat. Which point sounds like the source of the character's voice? Paying attention to how other people are talking will help you determine where the sound is coming from.
Practice speaking from multiple sources, so you can get a feel for the range of your own voice before attempting to speak like the character you want to imitate
Step 4. Learn one physical trait and one vocal trait at each stage
You will be overwhelmed if you try to master all the characteristics of the character at once. However, because this imitation includes both physical characteristics as well as vocal characteristics, you really need to study them as a whole. For example, start by studying Al Pacino's screams and angry eyes. Once you've mastered it, continue your learning to the next feature on the list you've created.
Method 3 of 3: Practicing Imitation
Step 1. Record your impersonation attempts
The voice in your mind will sound different from the voice you speak and other people hear. To really understand your voice while doing the impersonation, record your voice with a cell phone or other recording device, and play it back to watch the resemblance progress.
Step 2. Practice in front of a mirror
Jim Carrey is famous for spending hours every day practicing in front of a mirror. It's hard to tell if you're under-similar or overly imitating a character if you don't see the imitation yourself.
Step 3. Read a book or magazine aloud
Spontaneously speaking while imitating other people's voices can be difficult. To give you something to say, you can read while imitating the character's voice. Vary the tempo and emotion of the voice as you read, to train you to speak in the character's voice in a variety of situations.
This will also help you understand which words match the character's voice, and which don't. That way, you can start perfecting the mock figure
Step 4. Repeat what you hear from the radio
While driving, turn on the radio and repeat what is being said or sung on the radio, in the voice of the character you are rehearsing. This is a very good method, especially if you are trying to imitate a particular singer. Singing a Britney Spears song in the voice of Jim Morrison would also be a great joke to perform in front of your friends.
Step 5. Keep practicing
Just like playing music, imitating the style of others also needs to be constantly practiced. Don't let this successful William Shatner clone forget you. Even though you may think you've been successful, practice the mock again every now and then, so you can still do well. You can also add certain elements to the mock. Will Ferrell's impersonation of President George Bush grew more and more complex over the years, as he repeated the impersonation.
Tips
- If you don't have the right voice to imitate a certain character, imitate his body language so that you can still convey the character as a whole. Other people will recognize the character you are imitating.
- Try to identify the words that the character always says, then memorize them and use them. This will be useful to strengthen the quality of your clone.
- If you're really willing to put in the time to perfect this clone, build your skills gradually. Practice your vocals to bring out the character's vocal characteristics, then pause. If you force yourself to master them all at once, you will only spoil the results. Do it step by step.
- If a character's voice is out of your reach, don't worry, just find another character to imitate. If you force your voice to reach a pitch that is beyond its capabilities, your vocal cords can be permanently injured.
- Try to imagine yourself as the character you are imitating. This will make it easier for you to express and perform the character's body movement patterns and habits.
