Tips on Falling

Check your area.

Always check to be sure where you are falling is clear of people, furniture or objects.

Stay in control the entire way down.

Gravity and Momentum should only take over at the last possible moment or not at all.

Don’t rush! Take as much time as you need.

Very few falls in real life happen quick. On stage there is so much going on that you are allowed to go slower than you think. What is most important is staying in control. Speed past what you are comfortable with eliminates control and is unsafe.

Aim for muscle mass and stay away from bone.

Muscle areas are able to absorb impact while bones are not. Bones also create uncomfortable sounds that distance and turn off the audience. Real pain is not funny.

Get as close to the ground as possible.

The less distance you actually have to “fall” the less force your body will have to absorb. This is why babies and toddlers hit the ground and get back up; they didn’t fall that far in the first place!

Breathe! Breathe! Breathe!

If you hold your breath you create tension in the body which reduces your control and the amount your muscles can absorb. Breathing keeps the body loose, responsive and safe.

Act before the fall and after you have safely made it to the ground, not in between.

The audience will not be able to see or follow any acting you do while you are falling. The extra movement will waste energy and may throw off your balance.

Falling is the process of trying to regain balance.

The act of falling is trying not to fall. Whatever this entails, your goal is to try and stay standing. You ultimately fail but the process will be much more interesting to watch and the audience will be less likely to notice the actual falling technique.

Once on the ground direct focus to a specific area of pain.

Only when you are safely on the ground can you start acting again. Pick an area of the body where you may have “impacted” and act the pain. This will make the audience’s attention skip over the falling technique and make your fall look even more realistic.

Don’t rush the acting!

You earned your moment and the audience is focused on you! Don’t take too long but don’t rush your moment.

Make noise. You cannot overact falling down if you are specific about the pain.

The vocals can be anything. An easy guidepost is to vocalize anytime you hit something. Be sure to make a sound when you hit the ground to simulate getting the wind knocked out. Afterward, your vocals are the dialogue that informs the audience how much hitting the ground hurt and how you feel.