Comments on: As Seen on the Silver Screen. http://blog.ellywilliams.co.uk/2004/02/04/as-seen-on-the-silver-screen/ Caught Between Industries Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:39:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Tony http://blog.ellywilliams.co.uk/2004/02/04/as-seen-on-the-silver-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-70 Tony Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.ellythompson.co.uk/blog/?p=38#comment-70 mmm... when acting a meal scene, you never eat, lest you choke on something mid performance and ruin everything. Watch for it. Either the actors don't touch their food or they take a very. deliberate. bite. Its not that they aren't hungry. Its just that they can't. it would be physically infeasible, and thats probably true of doing anything on camera really. I'm sure a lot of actors are avid gamers but... If the camera can't easily show the game screen because of the frequencies interfering and creating an (aliasing effect?) Even if the game screen is hidden, its switched off because it would reflect in the characters eyes etc. Silly reasons I know, but just presenting the point that its impractical to do any more than act on camera. mmm… when acting a meal scene, you never eat, lest you choke on something mid performance and ruin everything. Watch for it. Either the actors don’t touch their food or they take a very. deliberate. bite.

Its not that they aren’t hungry. Its just that they can’t. it would be physically infeasible, and thats probably true of doing anything on camera really. I’m sure a lot of actors are avid gamers but…

If the camera can’t easily show the game screen because of the frequencies interfering and creating an (aliasing effect?)
Even if the game screen is hidden, its switched off because it would reflect in the characters eyes etc.

Silly reasons I know, but just presenting the point that its impractical to do any more than act on camera.

]]> By: Elly http://blog.ellywilliams.co.uk/2004/02/04/as-seen-on-the-silver-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Elly Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.ellythompson.co.uk/blog/?p=38#comment-71 Not strictly true Tony - While it's uncommon for actors to eat on stage (drinking is more common - it's harder to fake) - mainly coz you don't get the chance to do a second take - actors on camera frequently do eat - watch any 'blooper' show or read some of the articles about celebs asking for whatever they have to eat for a part to fit in with whatever fad diet they're following (there was one going around when Gwyneth Paltrow ordered a whole load of macrobiotic cakes for filming Shallow Hall - can't find it now tho) Either way - even if they're not eating they're quite likely to make a decent job of pretending, cut up food, put food on fork, put food in mouth, bite, chew, swallow etc in order not not randomly picking any of the above. Even if the actors aren't actually playing a game, or actually looking at a screen, it might be nice if they could do a decent job of pretending. Not strictly true Tony – While it’s uncommon for actors to eat on stage (drinking is more common – it’s harder to fake) – mainly coz you don’t get the chance to do a second take – actors on camera frequently do eat – watch any ‘blooper’ show or read some of the articles about celebs asking for whatever they have to eat for a part to fit in with whatever fad diet they’re following (there was one going around when Gwyneth Paltrow ordered a whole load of macrobiotic cakes for filming Shallow Hall – can’t find it now tho)

Either way – even if they’re not eating they’re quite likely to make a decent job of pretending, cut up food, put food on fork, put food in mouth, bite, chew, swallow etc in order not not randomly picking any of the above.

Even if the actors aren’t actually playing a game, or actually looking at a screen, it might be nice if they could do a decent job of pretending.

]]> By: Tony http://blog.ellywilliams.co.uk/2004/02/04/as-seen-on-the-silver-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Tony Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.ellythompson.co.uk/blog/?p=38#comment-72 The fact that you see it on the bloopers is more an argument in favour that its impractical, don't you think? And is it *really* harder to fake drink than eat? I aggree, they could do a better job of faking it. I just felt like emphasizing why things need to be faked. The fact that you see it on the bloopers is more an argument in favour that its impractical, don’t you think? And is it *really* harder to fake drink than eat?

I aggree, they could do a better job of faking it. I just felt like emphasizing why things need to be faked.

]]> By: Elly http://blog.ellywilliams.co.uk/2004/02/04/as-seen-on-the-silver-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-73 Elly Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.ellythompson.co.uk/blog/?p=38#comment-73 There are many impractical things which actors, director, stunt coordinators and the like are quite good at faking convincingly. I know that there are some things that need faking (hell, it's acting not real life) - that's not an excuse for lack of attention to detail. There are many impractical things which actors, director, stunt coordinators and the like are quite good at faking convincingly.

I know that there are some things that need faking (hell, it’s acting not real life) – that’s not an excuse for lack of attention to detail.

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