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Topics
a character’s power, either positional or physical
Status is a useful tool when creating characters and relationships. At its core, status reflects power. It helps negotiate who is dominant (high status) and who is submissive (low status) without needing to fight each other to figure things out.
Topics
Status behaviors reflect the relative power between characters. There are two types of status—positional and physical. Within each category there are high-status and low-status behaviors. One isn’t better than the other. They’re just different ways of getting things done.
Exercises
Players mingle and chat. On a given signal, players start embodying either high or low physical status while continuing to mingle. When another signal is given, they embody the opposite form of physical status.
Topics
a change in who has the upper hand in a situation
Characters become interesting when they change. One of the most potent changes is a status shift—one character’s status goes up causing another character’s status to go down, or vice versa. It’s like being on a teeter totter. If your partner assumes higher status, lower yours. If they go lower, you go higher.
Exercises
Player A and Player B each play a character that they have developed. They determine (or are given) a circumstance in which their characters might encounter each other. They play out a scene that illustrates particular traits, perspectives, and characteristics of each of their characters.
Exercises
Pick five physical status behaviors. Shoot a two-minute dating profile video for a character, embodying the status behaviors.
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