Typecasting: volume One
Another way to look at style essences is in relation to film and television casting. If the person you were typing was an actor/actress regardless of talent or experience, what type of role would they repeatedly get cast as. What roles, make them, as an actress stand out best.
Which of these three women would you cast as the an action star? My first choice is Sofia Boutella. I wouldn't even consider Alexis Bledel. I would cast Natalie Dormer if I had no choice
. It seems that casting directors agree with me. Since her debut Sofia has been cast in many action roles. Besides being a good actress, the reason Sofia pulls off these roles is because of how masculine she looks( I refuse to use the euphemism "yang", because there is nothing wrong with a woman being "masuline"). All these women are ethereals,but the the two other actresses are much more feminine and soft looking. Sofia has more straight, blunt, and sharp masculine lines in her face than she does curving, feminine, ones. Sofia looks as if she can kick butt. Sofia has three primary essences: dramatic, natural, and ethereal. Sofia has no secondaries and her tertiary essence is gamine.
Here are the keywords for Sofia's primary essences:
Dramatic is intimidating, dangerous, edgy, and intense.
Natural is casual, comfortable, and earthy.
Ethereal is otherworldly, mystical, and delicate.
All these essences together create a unique image for Sofia. Action is where many dramatic/natural actresses can thrive. Sofia gets cast in action roles, but her roles have also been roles where she plays people that are not exactly human or "normal"because of her otherwordly ethereal essence. Two of Sofia's biggest roles to date are playing an alien warrior and a resurrected ancient Egyptian princess with God-like powers. Sofia is not going to play the innocent woman, or the know-it all nerd. Sofia is just too tough and interesting looking.
Now imagine the Alexis Bledel or Natalie Dormer in these roles. Sofia does it best.
But which actress would you cast as the naive and quiet romantic interest? I choose Alexis Bledel, I would not consider the other two actresses at all. For the most part Alexis has been typecast as the sweet, innocent, introverted girl that's just trying to figure her life out. Alexis's breakout role was as Rory Gilmore. Rory Gilmore has an introverted, awkward, naive, innocent, sarcastic, type A personality. In Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Alexis also played a shy introverted, naive girl. Most of her roles are in the same vein. It is only recently that Alexis has broken her type casting in The Handmaiden's Tale by playing a rebel and even then the role was dependent on her tricking the audience into believing she is " a pious little s**t". Alexis's only primary essence is ingenue. Alexis's two secondaries are classic and ethereal. Her tertiary essence is gamine.
Here are the keywords for Alexis's style essences:
Ingenue is innocent, sweet, girlish.
Ethereal is otherworldly, mystical, and delicate.
Classic is elegant, upscale,simple, and refined.
Alexis's Style essence has resulted with her easily being typecast as sweet, quiet, smart, and interesting girl. It is very unlikely that she will be cast in other roles except when filmmakers purposely want to subvert audience expectations like she did in The Handmaiden's Tale.
So who would you cast as the femme fatale? Of course I choose Natalie Dormer. Though Natalie is tired of it she is great in femme fatale roles. Natalie gets repeatedly cast as the plucky, wise, and dangerous seductress. No matter what, she is always either dangerous, sexy, clever, tricky, or fascinating. Often her roles even find ways to combine all of previously mentioned traits. Natalie also regularly acts in period pieces. The women that she is cast as are often privileged or royalty. There is also another trick that filmmakers love to use with Natalie. The Filmmaker lets you think that her character is innocent then later make it very clear that she is actually dangerous. Some of the roles she is best known for playing are "girls", she even played a princess. Natalie's style essence is a bit more complicated than the first two. Her primary essences are ingenue, romantic, and dramatic. Her secondary essences are ethereal and gamine. Natalie has no tertiary essences.
Here are the keywords for Natalie's style essences.
Ingenue is innocent, sweet, girlish.
Romantic is sexy, lush, and womanly.
Dramatic is intimidating, dangerous, edgy, and intense.
Gamine is plucky, animated, and boyish.
Ethereal is otherworldly, mystical, and delicate.
Natalie has five essential style essences. The dramatic makes her look dangerous. The ingenue combined with the dramatic allows her to play girlish queens and princesses. The romantic aspect of her essence is the reason her roles are often seductive femme fatales. The ethereal aspect of her essence gives her an otherworldly quality( as in not of this earth, not of this time), which is why she often gets roles in period pieces. And finally her gamine essence gives her a ,clever, tricky vibe.
Casting Directors often follow style typing without even realizing it. All people have the ability to see these physical traits but often cannot find the words for it. If these actresses were women you saw on the street without ever knowing them, what would you assume about them? Whether you like it or not you would probably subconsciously assume they have the same personality traits associated with their type cast. The truth is everybody regardless of gender, race, religion, or culture have things that people assume about them, even when they don't know you. Even though it isn't fair, it easier for masculine/mature types to get respect than feminine/youthful types. But having an image is not limiting. Knowing your image can actually be tool for knowing how you as a unique person can communicate your self to others.
Alexis Bledel, Sofia Boutella, and Natalie Dormer.
Which of these three women would you cast as the an action star? My first choice is Sofia Boutella. I wouldn't even consider Alexis Bledel. I would cast Natalie Dormer if I had no choice
. It seems that casting directors agree with me. Since her debut Sofia has been cast in many action roles. Besides being a good actress, the reason Sofia pulls off these roles is because of how masculine she looks( I refuse to use the euphemism "yang", because there is nothing wrong with a woman being "masuline"). All these women are ethereals,but the the two other actresses are much more feminine and soft looking. Sofia has more straight, blunt, and sharp masculine lines in her face than she does curving, feminine, ones. Sofia looks as if she can kick butt. Sofia has three primary essences: dramatic, natural, and ethereal. Sofia has no secondaries and her tertiary essence is gamine.
Here are the keywords for Sofia's primary essences:
Dramatic is intimidating, dangerous, edgy, and intense.
Natural is casual, comfortable, and earthy.
Ethereal is otherworldly, mystical, and delicate.
All these essences together create a unique image for Sofia. Action is where many dramatic/natural actresses can thrive. Sofia gets cast in action roles, but her roles have also been roles where she plays people that are not exactly human or "normal"because of her otherwordly ethereal essence. Two of Sofia's biggest roles to date are playing an alien warrior and a resurrected ancient Egyptian princess with God-like powers. Sofia is not going to play the innocent woman, or the know-it all nerd. Sofia is just too tough and interesting looking.
But which actress would you cast as the naive and quiet romantic interest? I choose Alexis Bledel, I would not consider the other two actresses at all. For the most part Alexis has been typecast as the sweet, innocent, introverted girl that's just trying to figure her life out. Alexis's breakout role was as Rory Gilmore. Rory Gilmore has an introverted, awkward, naive, innocent, sarcastic, type A personality. In Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Alexis also played a shy introverted, naive girl. Most of her roles are in the same vein. It is only recently that Alexis has broken her type casting in The Handmaiden's Tale by playing a rebel and even then the role was dependent on her tricking the audience into believing she is " a pious little s**t". Alexis's only primary essence is ingenue. Alexis's two secondaries are classic and ethereal. Her tertiary essence is gamine.
Ingenue is innocent, sweet, girlish.
Ethereal is otherworldly, mystical, and delicate.
Classic is elegant, upscale,simple, and refined.
Alexis's Style essence has resulted with her easily being typecast as sweet, quiet, smart, and interesting girl. It is very unlikely that she will be cast in other roles except when filmmakers purposely want to subvert audience expectations like she did in The Handmaiden's Tale.
So who would you cast as the femme fatale? Of course I choose Natalie Dormer. Though Natalie is tired of it she is great in femme fatale roles. Natalie gets repeatedly cast as the plucky, wise, and dangerous seductress. No matter what, she is always either dangerous, sexy, clever, tricky, or fascinating. Often her roles even find ways to combine all of previously mentioned traits. Natalie also regularly acts in period pieces. The women that she is cast as are often privileged or royalty. There is also another trick that filmmakers love to use with Natalie. The Filmmaker lets you think that her character is innocent then later make it very clear that she is actually dangerous. Some of the roles she is best known for playing are "girls", she even played a princess. Natalie's style essence is a bit more complicated than the first two. Her primary essences are ingenue, romantic, and dramatic. Her secondary essences are ethereal and gamine. Natalie has no tertiary essences.
Here are the keywords for Natalie's style essences.
Ingenue is innocent, sweet, girlish.
Romantic is sexy, lush, and womanly.
Dramatic is intimidating, dangerous, edgy, and intense.
Gamine is plucky, animated, and boyish.
Ethereal is otherworldly, mystical, and delicate.
Casting Directors often follow style typing without even realizing it. All people have the ability to see these physical traits but often cannot find the words for it. If these actresses were women you saw on the street without ever knowing them, what would you assume about them? Whether you like it or not you would probably subconsciously assume they have the same personality traits associated with their type cast. The truth is everybody regardless of gender, race, religion, or culture have things that people assume about them, even when they don't know you. Even though it isn't fair, it easier for masculine/mature types to get respect than feminine/youthful types. But having an image is not limiting. Knowing your image can actually be tool for knowing how you as a unique person can communicate your self to others.
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