Filming Actors Individually for an Group Scene

B

Bruce Morgan

Well-known member
Hello Folks!!
This task is -
To film actors at seperate calander times and a wide variety of locations who -in the final scene will appear together .

The Reasons as to why vary from availablity to expense.

Here is my check list if you would like to comment on it Id be happy to consider comments and advise.
1) Lock the script and the story board.Letting actors know the parts well in advance as well as the overall intent or impression of the scene.
2)Make common scene flats which will appear behind actors (unless you are doing blue or green screen)This might help marry or weld the seperate loctaions to give the impression of one place .
3) With Film keep a good supply of the same film stock .
4) Notes lens use &distance etc .
5)let the other actors see and take notes the resulting ensemble work(on film or tape ) unless they are the first in the scene .

This is not my desire to work this way but-
in the case of some very famous or very interesting actors who are rarly available -i feel i have to try this !!!
.
Any accounts of your own experience would help me get some perspective .
Thanks
Bruce
 
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I'm not a fan of this... I've yet to really see a use of it that doesn't feel
'staged' with a disconnect between eyelines, uneven performances and
other telltales that hint that something isn't 'right'.
 
Simply put, no.

Performances solo will never have the same effect as if performing with someone. If you're doing a group scene it would make it worse, as tones of voices, reactions, body movements, etc... will all come into play. If even one thing is off then it won't be believable.

If you absolutely must do this then get some actors to help sub for the other actors so the ones you're filming will have someone to work off of. Meaning you'll need a bigger group of actors to work with, all of whom won't be the same. But it's better than nothing. Also, yes, have them study tapes.
 
i agree with jon. Being an actor, there is nothing like working off of fellow actors. You want to avoid the route that george lucas puts actors in an empty green screen room, only to act off of the void.

95% of acting is reacting, the last 5 % is for performance. Get rid of the reacting, and all your left with is staging.
 
if you don't have a master wide shot or a similar shot linking the characters, it will be hard to believe they're all in the same room. i'd suggest having some stand ins/doubles at the shoots and film some over the shoulder shots during the scene and try to get creative with matching wardrobes, focus, and framing and see if you can do shot or two where the doubles faces aren't in the shot
 
These are all Good suggestions including DONT DO IT IF YOU DONT HAVE TO!!!!
The part that hits me strongest is the eyeline issue and the " acting is reacting" "comment .
Some Stand in Actors must be hired for the reaction part ..that I am committed to .
Again in some instances It is either this sorry method or no filmed scene at all -
and yes
George Lucas's work is a kind of cautious template for this emergency method .
I do recall the comments his actors made which are included on his own dvd versions of the Episodes.
I am an actor myself !
and the only thing which re ratifies this emergency method is all the work I recall from mime and improv.
Also the old Pudovkin and Eisenstein juxtiposion issues are- old -yet freash in my mind !!!
To all I say "Thanks for the comments "
Cheers
Bruce
 
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chris f said:
if you don't have a master wide shot or a similar shot linking the characters, it will be hard to believe they're all in the same room.
Click to expand...
Kuleshov Effect- "Any series of shots that in the absence of an establishing shot prompts the spectator to infer a spacial whole on the basis of seeing only portions of the space."

That being said, can it be done? Yes. Should it be done? I'll throw my hat in with all the others saying "don't do it if you can avoid it."

But if you do do it, proceed with caution! Get body doubles that can actually emote with the actors and choose your staging/ framing VERY carefully!
 
If it's your only option, then I'd strongly suggest letting your actors play against the previously recorded performances you have, probably use stand-ins as well. But if you want performances that blend together naturally you're going to have to give your actors the actual performances they're supposed to be playing off.

Good luck with it Bruce, I suspect you're going to need it.
 
Obviously if you can avoid having to do this, that is a good thing.

However, on the positive side, I thought they did this pretty well (and often) in "Sin City".
 
Ok,
I totally doubt this will ever yield satifying results.
If you had the same location and stand-ins for the absent actors, well that´s done all the time.
But also different locations...?
Different lighting, set colors, sound...?
And we are only talking one scene or maybe later various ones through out the movie, because there will be other hold ups...?

I can only guess you have to class A actors at hand and just can´t get them on set at the same time and can´t live without one or the other...
Good luck!
 
Again so far I say thanks for the continuing feedback on my issue of the segmented ensemble scene.
We are really going to stress a real ensemble -all essential actors present at the same time ..
next choice is to screen and see prior days acting of prior actor for immediate reaction on set for the actor of the moment .
Third will be an actor that can at least give a comparable preformance opposite the on screen actor on the same day .
Logistics and artistic ethos sometimes merge and sometimes ....it like the nonsequiter "military intelligence"
Thanks Again to all
Cheers
Bruce
 
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