Category: Characterization

Dramatic Interpretation: A Journey into the Depths of Emotion

Posted on by Heather Neumann

Dramatic Interpretation stands as one of the most emotionally charged and profoundly impactful categories in competitive speech. It requires competitors to delve into complex characters and narratives, often exploring themes of conflict, tragedy, and human resilience. Dramatic Interp is not just about death and dying! This category not only showcases a speaker's ability to interpret and convey intense emotions but also their skill in bringing to life the subtleties and depths of human experience. In some leagues they don’t have Dramatic Interp, so you can apply this article to Open Interp, or a dramatic duo! Really this article is how to dig deeper…

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Mars Hill Boot Camp with Camille Floyd

Posted on by Heather Neumann

Whether your preparing for NITOC or for next year… come learn more about this AWESOME Speech Category with the one and only, Camille Floyd. Sign up for her two night Workshop May 19 and 21. The sessions will be recorded. See the link below… In the mean time read Camille’s perspective on why Mars Hill is one of the most important Speech Categories…

Have you ever sat down with a stranger and talked to them about their anxiety? Have you ever told a random person about the power of forgiveness? 

    Yeah, ok. Probably not. I know I wouldn’t be comfortable in those conversations and we can all imagine how uncomfortable the other person would be. But those conversations are important, right? And sharing with people the information we have about our faith and our purpose in life is what we are called to do? 

Continue reading “Mars Hill Boot Camp with Camille Floyd” →

How to Disguise Yourself – Tips from a Master

Posted on by Kristi Eskelund

Last year, I taught a boys’ literature group that went through the canon of Sherlock Holmes stories. One of our lessons after reading many of the mysteries focused on Sherlock’s ability to assume masterful disguises – such that even his dearest friends failed to recognize him.  This skill enabled our sleuth to trail suspects, slip enemy traps, and observe without being observed. As we discussed his various techniques, it struck me that many of these tips also answer the questions I get every year about creating characterizations for interps. So…here’s how Sherlock does it:

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Online Interpretive Workshops This Friday – 8/10/18

Posted on by Heather Neumann
Speech Season is quickly upon us! Are you planning on doing an Interpretive piece this year? Do you want help making the most of your planning? Join us for any one of these Interpretive Workshops… Anatomy of Interp/Finding the Right Piece/Literary Merit Friday, August 10 – 9:20-10:50 ET / 8:20-9:50 CT Heather Neumann has helped hundreds of students find their perfect piece. In this session we will go over where to look, what type you should be looking for, and what your interp needs for success. $5 members/$20 nonmembers Sign up HERE.
Cutting Scenes Without Losing Story/Tips for Cutting Friday, August 10 – 11:00-12:30 ET / 10:00-11:30 CT Are you making the most out of your piece? Heather Neumann helps you to understand if your piece is making the cut. Don’t worry if you don’t have a piece for this year picked out. We will have handouts to help apply what we will be covering. $5 members/$20 nonmembers Sign up HERE.
Defining Your Characters/Setting the Stage Friday, August 10 – 1:15-2:45 ET / 12:15-1:45 CT How well do you really know your characters? When you are performing an Interpretive Speech, it’s your characters that are telling the story. We will analyze “Theater of the Mind” and apply it to speeches. Hands on activities will have us- defining characters (voices, stances, gait, and any other attributes or factors to make them easy for the judges to imagine and distinguish). We will also “Set the Stage” for success by mentally picturing the scene, identifying where things are, and planning movements appropriately, using the space available, imaginary props, etc. $5 members/$20 nonmembers Sign up HERE. – If you can’t make it to physical camp or workshop, let Lasting Impact! come to YOU! We are so excited to be offering more online workshops this summer/fall. Signing up for an Online Workshop is easy!! All workshops are through an online forum called Zoom. It’s a quick and easy download that your instructor will send to you, as part of their introduction email (usually within 24 hours of your workshop). For a complete list of Online August Workshops, click HERE.

Sign Up Now For Online Speech Workshops in February!!

Posted on by Heather Neumann

Our first Online Workshop (Apologetics) in December was a huge success! We are excited to share so much more with you! Thanks to technology coming February 9th and 10th we will be offering 4 more online workshops- Characters, Illustrated Oratory/Expository, After Dinner Speaking, and Storytelling! There is so much to learn in the exciting world of Competitive Speech! Whether you want to add to your speeches this year, or planning ahead for next year! These four workshops will be packed with valuable information from our amazing Lasting Impact! coaches. Get all the details below… And Sign Up Today!!

Creating Fantastic Characters with Heather Neumann

Date: Fri. Feb. 9

Time: 10:30 am CT (Approx. 1.5 hrs)

SIGN UP HERE

Are you wanting to take your characters to the next level? Learn how to develop a deeper understanding of your characters. Participants will be guided through an analysis of their interpretive speech, specifically for their characters. Each participant will be given Heather Neumann and Kristi Eskelund’s character worksheets. We will also have guest speakers to give examples of “pops”, voices, facial expressions, etc.

Heather Neumann has been coaching for years… Teaching students to look with in themselves to create well developed characters.

All About IO/Expos with Anna Johansen

Date: Fri. Feb. 9

Time: 1:00 pm CT (Approx. 1.5 hrs)

SIGN UP HERE

IOs and Expositories are intimidating. Most competitors are overwhelmed by the idea of building boards from scratch—coming up with ideas and figuring out how to make them happen in real life. How do you make a stained-glass window? How do you make a 3D staircase? How do you make a sinking Titanic? In this workshop, we’ll take you from the basics (like materials, magnets, adhesives, and straight edges) all the way to the finishing touches (like themes, aesthetics, interactive pieces, and show-stopping features). If you’ve ever considered doing an IO/Expository this workshop is a great way to give you the practical tools to make it happen.

Anna Johansen is a speech and TP coach in the Chicago area. She also writes, edits, and coaches for Ethos Debate. Anna is currently pursuing a double major in English and History, and hopes to continue teaching and writing long-term. Whether it is through editing others’ work or creating her own, teaching the tools or using them, she wants to pass on a love of speaking and writing and communicating to everyone she comes in contact with.

After Dinner Speaking with Aj and Heather Neumann

Date: Sat. Feb. 10

Time: 10:30 am CT (Approx. 1.5 hrs)

SIGN UP HERE

After Dinner Speaking is hard! How do you write a speech that is informative, impactful, and perhaps motivational, yet funny? ADS is so much more than just telling stories. Learn how to create or add depth to your After Dinner Speech. And don’t forget your delivery! We will teach you what you need to know to make your ADS shine!

Aj Neumann qualified to Nationals both years NCFCA offered After Dinner Speaking. He won Regionals, had many first places at tournaments, and in 2015 got 3rd place at The National Championship. Aj is passionate about ADS and he can’t wait to share what he has learned through his experiences.

Storytelling with Abbey Lovett

Date: Sat. Feb. 10

Time: 1:00 pm CT (Approx. 1.5 hrs)

SIGN UP HERE

In this webinar, Abbey is going to go over why storytelling is important in all styles of competitive forensics and communication. She’ll talk about the science behind storytelling, how you should use it in speeches, and how you can become a powerful storyteller. She will give you practical tips and tricks that you can take into any aspect of your life to craft powerful stories.

Abbey Lovett has been involved with competitive forensics for over eight years and has gained three national champion titles. In her time both as a speaker and a coach, she has learned that the most powerful way to communicate important ideas is through storytelling. Abbey has studied storytelling for years and is excited to share with you what she has learned.

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All workshops will be done through Zoom, an online meeting forum.

Cost:

$5 per workshop for members of Lasting Impact!

OR

$20 per workshop

 

Stereotypes v. Stock Characters in Interpretive Speech

Posted on by Kristi Eskelund

Advanced interpretation is not equal to advanced interpers delivering their material in a speech and/or forensics competition.  Advanced interpretation is instead marked by subtlety and skill more than by experience.  Admittedly, experienced speakers tend to have more skill, but very often they apply that skill in such a way as to emphasize their own largess rather than to expose believable and relatable characters in believable and relatable conflicts.  One hallmark of those doing truly advanced work is their ability to differentiate between stereotypes and stock characters.

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The Interpretive Triple Pass

Posted on by Kristi Eskelund

Perhaps you’ve seen the new Beauty and Beast film this year.  I’m not going to lie; my daughter and I were GRIEVED that Dan Stevens had to be written out of Downton Abbey in order to take on the role of the Beast for this film, but he was perfect!  In numerous interviews, he talks about how he had to fuse several technologies in order to get the full role of the Beast layered into the film, and it struck me that this triple-pass to building a character follows the way I often coach kids in building their interpretive characters.

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