alternative to beer/alcohol in scene

9

908media

Active member
Hi,

I'm shooting a scene in a bar. We need to fill some pint glasses
with beer but we don't want to use the real thing.

The actors drinks during the scene. Any suggestions besides O'Douls.

Thanks.

Ken
 
Just buy some non alcoholic beer from a grocery store..

looks like the real thing.. cause it is the real thing sans the fun factor.

peas.
 
Or ginger ale, perhaps. But you won't get the same kind of head. Really only good for beer that had been in the glass for a while.



(And iced tea for whiskey, should the situation come up).
 
Alternative to beer? That's crazy talk. Use the real thing. It'll loosen up your talent and they'll feel like hollywood method actors.
 
On second thought, just use O'Doul's.
agecheck_logo_bottles.jpg


(non alcoholic)
 
Since you're not interested in O'Doul's (which does contain a small amount of alcohol), I'd say experiment with apple juice. It has the correct color, and you can try mixing with a little 7-up to get the fizz. Ginger Ale would be too fizzy/bubbly.

Then maybe for foam you could try a very small shot of Reddi-Whip. It should dissolve enough to not look like whipping cream...have to test that idea, though, it may clump up and float to the bottom!

Finish selling the illusion by making sure the glass is sweating, much like a real beer would. (Damn, I'm getting thirsty...) You could always pour a real beer for a closeup and then switch to whatever replacement you have in mind.

Note: Beer intoxicates and apple juice doesn't, but excessive amounts of either tends to cause diarrhea.
 
Go with the real thing....
1) Don't let them drink too much during conversations while filming
2) Try to do the shooting with at least 2 takes, maximum 3...
3) After 3 takes and lots of drinking you might end with a very natural comedy scene. :D

You can always "pretend" drinkingby emptying a bit the glasses during cuts or drink it for them.
 
Good call Steve!

How many actors do you have drinking? I'd multiply each actor x 5 beers. Let them only drink two and keep the remainder for yourself when your movie bombs and you need to get wasted! BUAHAHAH!
Just kidding.
 
Does the beer have anything to do with the story or is it just a "prop". If it's just a prop, then get a 6 pack of IBC rootbeer bottles because no one will be able to tell the difference and no one will care even if they can.
 
GenJerDan said:
Or ginger ale, perhaps. But you won't get the same kind of head...
Click to expand...

But I thought the whole point of guys drinking in bars with women was to try and...

Oh never mind. This one was WAYYY too easy a setup- and this IS a family site. LOL
 
Did I say that out loud?

Did I say that out loud?

908media said:
Hi,

I'm shooting a scene in a bar. We need to fill some pint glasses
with beer but we don't want to use the real thing.

The actors drinks during the scene. Any suggestions besides O'Douls.

Thanks.

Ken
Click to expand...

pardon my earlier post RE: Ginger ale. LOL... OK, I'll be serious now. :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

You can try using Apple Juice, mixed with San Pellegrino or similiar mineral water- standard CLUB SODA might even work better. Play with the ratios until the color looks right... I'd say somewhere between 50/50 to 70/30 apple juice to fizzy water.

Start by pouring the apple juice. Then, if you pour the bubbly water into the center of the glass from about 3 or 4 inches high, right before each take, you should be able to simulate the beer foam for a few seconds.

The Germans call this drink "Apfel Shole" and it really is quite refreshing. Your actors should like it, and it won't fill them up on sugar as fast as straight apple juice would.

Good Luck!
 
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And...with all of the above...if the audience is paying that close attention to what is in the glass, the script needs work. :)
 
well in THE LAST SUPPER (rikki's zombie short) we all drank a few beers. he supplied a few cases. yes it was in the script. as Hunter Thompson would say "it worked for me"
 
Frizzle Fry, nice ideas.. but did you realize the actors might have to drink this? :D

Personally, id say light beer. Its just the easiest way
 
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