You see them working the crowds at sporting events, parties, and restaurants – mascots with giant heads creating excitement for teams, schools and companies. Mascot costumes must look good, be animated with skilled performers, and represent supportive organizations in a positive light.
The aim of these mascots is to boost attendance, promote enthusiasm, and maybe even increase awareness or sales. Accomplishing these goals takes practice, aptitude, and patience. Our top three tips for bringing your character to life will help you masterfully animate your mascot costume.
1. Be Comical
People want to enjoy themselves while at an event, and the best way to ensure that is to incite laughter. Keep the energy level high while reflecting the personality of your mascot. Exaggerate your movements, acting bigger than life during a whimsical dance or when “accidentally” stumbling and falling.
Improvising when performing your skit by playing off the crowd’s reactions brings another level of realism to your character. Throw in an “Aw shucks!” motion with a sweeping kick and hooking your arm in front of you, or act scared by running away, covering your eyes, shaking your knees and peeking through your hands.
Join in the laughter by bringing your hands to your mouth while rapidly nodding your head. Of course the mascot should be silent, only communicating with body language. Any talk or sounds will only be muffled by the costume.
2. Be Warm and Sincere
Getting people to buy into your mascot character is easy when you show real emotions. Blow kisses, draw hearts in the air and then point at the person, or hug back if someone has first initiated it. When hugging children, gently pat them on the back or head to avoid an awkward situation.
Shake hands with fans, give high fives, and wave at the crowd. The goal is to always keep your hands and arms busy so that your arms are never just hanging by your sides.
Slower movements around children will make them feel more at ease, instead of being intimidated by your huge presence. Continue to exaggerate your motions while being calm.
3. Be “Body” Smart
The larger head, feet and body that are typically associated with mascot costumes make it difficult to be graceful while performing. The best way to overcome this is to practice in the costume. Climb stairs, move through doorways, and dance around to get comfortable with your increased size.
Know your boundaries when in costume. Are you on a parade float or in the bleachers? Your vision will be somewhat impaired along with your range of motion, so look carefully before moving from one spot to another to prevent injury to yourself or others.
It is a good idea to have an escort when possible to help spot when others are approaching and to intervene if a confrontation occurs. The escort can also help facilitate communication between the fans and the mascot.
Limit the time spent in the mascot costume to 30 minutes when possible to prevent overheating. Stay well hydrated during your performance, and eat salty snacks before and after to help replenish the sodium lost through perspiration.
Above all else, respect the audience while in your mascot costume. They are the reason you are there, and you want to be endearing to them.
