Good Mascot Video!

This YouTube video has some great examples of how you should act in a mascot costume. Check it out to see some good examples of how to communicate with people while doing meet and greets.

How to Prepare Yourself to BECOME a Mascot

As we discussed earlier, it is important for the person acting in the mascot costume to have a lot of energy. It is also important for the person who will be wearing the costume to have a high level of stamina. To build stamina, it is important to incorporate cardiovascular training into your weekly routine. This will help build the endurance you will need to keep moving throughout an entire event. For example, a college football or basketball mascot will have to be out for a good portion of the game. Building your cardiovascular endurance will help you maintain your energy for an entire game. Your cardiovascular training can include running, walking, elliptical training, biking, etc. Choose something that you’re comfortable with and push yourself!

In addition to cardiovascular training, it is also important to incorporate strength training. Some mascots are required to perform acrobatic stunts. It is also fairly common for college sports mascots to do pushups at certain points in the game, whether it be when the team scores, etc. You’ll obviously have to be capable of doing pushups out of the costume before even attempting to do so in costume.

Don’t be afraid to step outside the box. Taking at least a couple of dance classes will help give your mascot that extra zip it needs to keep patrons entertained. You can even check your local library for various dance instructional videos to aid in this department.

And most importantly, practice in front of a mirror (IN COSTUME!!!). There is a HUGE difference between practicing your mascot routines out of costume and in costume. You will be amazed at the temperature difference. While you can purchase cooling systems for the costumes, you still want to rehearse in costume (we do recommend you invest in a mascot cooling system- especially if your mascot will be performing in a warm area). There’s nothing worse than getting out in front of a crowd and realizing you’re not comfortable in the costume.

When practicing in front of a mirror, pay close attention to how you ‘come to life.’ Are your movements exaggerated enough? Are you animated enough? Are you able to portray emotions or messages without being able to speak to the crowd? Experiment! This is your time to figure out what does and doesn’t work!

Mascot Acting Tips #1

Acting in a mascot character costume is MUCH different than traditional acting. Mascot acting goes beyond theatre. In fact, it's bigger than theatre! In most cases, when you're acting in a mascot costume, you are in front of crowds of hundreds to thousands of people. Your typical movements will not bring your character to life. Now is the time to be larger than life!

Often times, unexperienced actors are put in mascot costumes and sent out in front of the public before learning anything about acting in this type of costume. This can result in a very boring, lifeless, and ineffective character.

Tip #1: BECOME the character

Once you put on that mascot costume, you have become the character! Leave your inhibitions behind. You must remember, to the public, you are the character. This is especially true with children. Don't be yourself- this is your time to shine and have fun!

Tip #2: Act Larger Than Life

Huge, exaggerated movements are imperative to bringing a mascot to life- especially when in front of a massive crowd, such as a stadium- you have to project the character to those directly in front of you as well as at the top of the stands! Remember- regular movements look like tiny movements when in costume (all that extra padding and fur diminishes what you would typically think are large movements). Stand in front of a mirror and you will see how large the movements must be to really bring the character to life.

Tip #3: Be Creative!

I can't tell you how many times I've seen a mascot character simply walking around and waving. How boring! Be creative with your character...what kind of character is it? If it's an animal, how would that animal move if it were real?

Tip#4: Use Your Body Language To Portray Emotion

Humans have one key tool to portray emotion that mascot characters don't: a moveable face! Mascots are all body as far as life- the character's head is not able to illustrate different emotions. Because of this, you must use your body language and movement to project the emotion of the character. And remember, big motions!

The following are two videos that exemplify good and bad mascot movement. Note how in the first video, the mascot is wandering aimlessly and the movements are not exaggerated. After watching the first video, watch the second and note how much more life the mascot has. This is due to the exaggerated movements and energy of the actor! Remember- this is VERY important to bringing your character to life!

That's all for this edition of Mascot Acting Tips- check back often for more tips!