Acting Lingo

QUESTION:

What do the "Objective" and the "Characterization" mean?

ANSWER:

An objective is what your character wants. Whether you are working on a scene or monologue, having an objective helps you be in the moment when you act because your character is focused on getting what they want. An objective can be something simple, like "I want to leave". It's helpful to stick with action verbs so you don't get in your head.

Characterization means character work, so when an acting teacher tells you to work on characterization, they mean you need to study and flesh out your character more. This includes everything from understanding your character and their motivations better to working on how they walk, dress, speak, and relate to others. There are plenty of ways to work on your character. Start by asking questions like, "Who is he/she?" "Where does he/she come from?", "Where is he/she going?", etc. You can also write a biography of your character or work from the "outside in" by developing a gesture, look or specific speech pattern for your character.

For more information on objectives and characterization, read our information on acting techniques.