The Kibbe-Verified Soft Dramatics
PLEASE NOTE: These are all generalizations for the purpose of finding commonalities and there are exceptions to every rule. David Kibbe has only 10 image IDs devoted to describing the overall body shape, movement, and demeanor of millions of people – there is going to be significant variation within each type! The point of this post is to seek out general trends and common features, not to put anyone in a box.
Mae West is one of the shortest confirmed Soft Dramatics I am aware of, at only 5.0′ tall. But to just look at her in comparison with these other verified Soft Dramatics, I don’t think you would know that. She has the presence of a much taller woman, and she is certainly pulling off those diva-esque lines.
Soft Dramatics are so often associated with overt sensuality, but to me, it’s more about this sense of control they have, over themselves and everyone else in the room. They are unflappable (unless it’s for comedic affect!).
Despite being physically shorter, your eye is drawn up to her face and shoulders first. It’s a similar principal to interior design: if you want to increase the visual height of a room, you add eye-catching detail towards the ceiling.
Their movements are fairly structured and deliberate, especially around the torso and shoulders. This is a very self-possessed, self-aware Image ID.
Anita Morris’ wardrobe malfunction. She maintains her poise and good humor and in a very unfortunate situation!
Anne Bancroft was 5’8″, appeared in the classic film “The Graduate”, and was married to comedian, writer, producer, and actor Mel Brooks. I think it is easy to see what Kibbe means by “sharpness” when you look at Anne Bancroft’s shoulder and elbows in this scene, and towards the end of the scene when she’s in profile you can really see the deliberate corners in her jaw:
She gives the impression of being completely in control as soon as she enters the room.
Diahann Carroll exhibits complete confidence in the import of what she has to say, and a depth and unflinching honesty about the way she says it.
If I ever tried to pull off a hair flip like Rita Hayworth’s it would look comical, or at best cute, but on her it seems completely natural.
I’ve seen a few SDs now who exhibit a very slight rounding to the upper back, like you see from Rita Hayworth in this scene. You also see this a lot during Lisa Kudrow’s performance as Phoebe Buffay on “Friends”, for example (though she is not a confirmed SD). As a tall person, I can attest that this is possibly due to the very banal reality of being tall – you often find yourself slouching over in the company of shorter people! Lisa Kudrow even mentioned this in an interview once.
Joan’s presence in a room is not to be missed (even if she isn’t throwing airplanes at you!)
By presence, I do not necessarily mean a sexual presence – although that is sometimes the case. Take, for example, Rachel Weisz as Evie in “The Mummy”. Her character was really never played as overtly sexual in that movie, and yet she visually fills the frame (in a manner of speaking). Rachel does comedy well because she has big, over-the-top movements and facial reactions. She looks like the kind of girl who can really handle a dangerous adventure in the desert, but who might be something of a “bull in a china shop” in an antiquities library, because of the strength of her frame.
There are lots of other videos and clips of these gorgeous women available online and I encourage you to look them up and study them if you are interested in Kibbe image IDs and body typing. Kibbe has expressed that he does not like to type people by photo and won’t fully commit to a type until he has met someone in person. Also, a fair bit of the system centers around presence and quality of movement, which can be more easily discerned via video than in any still photo. I have certainly learned a lot about the qualities of Soft Dramatics through this exercise! Please let me know what characteristics you notice while watching these clips.