I was wondering...

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Although the Alley is usually full of politically charged debate, I thought I'd pose a question about the film industry...Acting in particular. I read this article about an upcoming movie: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

Angelina Jolie said it was very interesting/difficult working in front of a blue/green screen for the majority of shooting. Whenever I read articles about actors stating that they find it harder to get into character on green/blue screen stages, it seems to me to be an odd statement.

Isn't that what acting is all about? I would think if you had less to work with physically, you'd have to lean on your craft a bit more, thus becoming a better actor. It seems to me that acting in front of the green/blue screen would actually be liberating. You can pretty much do anything and extend your range....Which is what I thought was the essence of acting!

What do you think about it?

 

Didn't someone ever said acting is reacting? I think it to be true. Recently I saw Elija woods acting the scene inside the house of bilbo baggins, but there was no house and no Gandalf. It was only him and an entire house of green screen which wasn't even resembled as a house. I can understand why it is difficult to act to that.

 

I volunteered last semester to do some instructional tapes for training Resident Advisors at my University last year. I had to stand in front of a blue screen and play the part of a drunken student. Needless to say acting while limiting your movement and hitting certain spots on the floor while reading your lines on a teleprompter and looking at the video screen is not easy. It took me like ten takes to get it right. Not to mention everyone giggling and laughing at you behind the scenes.

 

Acting in fornt of a green/blue screen harder? Possibly, I can certainly understand that after seeing in interviews when guys like Will Smith talk about acting to a mop which will later be a huge cockroach alien etc. But I'm so talentless that I respect and admire most anyone who can act well at all.

To be a bit critical though, isn't all acting about using your imagination anyway?

 

I guess acting/interacting with a screen must have its issues but I think that if you are good actor that's doesn't have to be a problem; a good actor can express fear/joy/cry/laugh anyway regardless of the enviroment. People always have something to complain; for the money they make I guess they have to try a little bit harder, no? We have soccer players who make lots of money and yet they complain because they have to play 2 times in a week, just for run about 30 minutes a game, not like NBA players who run almost 30 minutes a game 4 or 5 times per week; politicians that earn so much money but still they ask (and give theirselves) more (12 or 15 times the money a regular worker make). Anyway, back to the topic, like Apeman informs in his post, if you watched the movie, you see that Elija acting was almost perfect, is not his fault if in the editing part they put things out of place.