alice quinn // writing help

writing actors

Requested by @MsAwesomeness123

Okay, I am going to try to do my absolute best on this one, as I know almost nothing about it despite the amount of movies and tv shows I watch.

ACTORS

The job of an actor is to follow the script and do what the director asks of them, however depending on the director, they may have more creative liberty. Some actors are able to come up with their own lines, and they are the ones who make the lines sound believable, with how they say them and the facial expressions they make.

They also must collaborate/talk to the other actors, the director, and the cinematographer to make sure they're on the same page about some things and can all do the best job they can.

Actors must learn their lines and practice them as well as come up with the right way to say them and the right way to move around the set on camera. They have to think about what they're doing and what they're going to be doing quite a lot so that everything looks good on camera and the emotions of their characters are portrayed well.

OTHER PEOPLE

PRODUCER

The producer pretty much makes the movie or tv show happen. They're the ones who keep an eye on the budget and get the locations, cameras, props, etc.

WRITER

The writer does just what you think, they write the script/screenplay. And that's pretty much the end of their involvement. They might have to make adjustments or rewrites, if the director asks, or there might even be other writers brought on.

DIRECTOR

The director is in charge of the creative decisions on the project. During preproduction, the director casts actors and may make changes to the script to suit their own personal vision. They storyboard the shots and choose locations, color schemes, costumes, and lots of other things. During production, they're in charge of the set and work with the actors and other crew members to execute their creative vision. In postproduction, they work with the editors, sound designers, composers, etc. until the project is finished.

EDITOR

The editor decides which shots to use and the order in which to place them, as well as anything else that needs to be edited, such as lighting, or when one actor portrays twins.

CINEMATOGRAPHER

The cinematographer is the director of photography, or DP, and captures the script on film. They must pay attention to the lighting and the camera's technical capabilities, and they achieve certain visual qualities through manipulating the camera.

COSTUME DESIGNER

Costume designers convey the personality, economic status, occupation, etc. of characters, as well as the time period and location of the film or tv show.

MAKEUP ARTIST

Makeup artists help the actors not only look better on camera, but also convey the same things as the costume designer. And if it's needed, special effects makeup artists provide cuts, bruises, and anything else to show injuries or death.

Of course, these roles may overlap in some aspects, and there are some more specific roles that I haven't included.

EQUIPMENT USED

This is simply a list of some of the equipment used in filming.

- Cameras, could be handheld or on a track or tripod and there are different lenses that can be used

- Microphones, could be the little ones pinned to clothes or the big ones that are placed just off camera

- Lighting, such as softboxes or reflectors to bounce light around the room

- Editing/production software

OTHER

I'm sure the energy present during filming is a positive one, as anyone there is working and doing their best to make a good project. If one person is not pulling their weight, however, I'm sure the others would be upset and perhaps let them know about it, especially the director.

As for an actor's loneliness, I'm not too sure about that. I think it depends on the way you portray them. An A-Lister would have to be a lot more involved in the world and with other celebrities than B's or below simply because of publicity. However, these friendships don't necessarily have to be real ones, if you don't want them to be. If your character is closed off, then maybe they only hang out with other celebrities for short periods of time and only for the publicity. Your character doesn't even have to be involved with other celebrities. So, I don't think actors are necessarily lonely, unless they don't fit in with the others that they are surrounded with.

If any of this didn't help, maybe try to look up some interviews of actors, or even directors and cinematographers, and see what they have to say about this kind of stuff. There might even be some movies that have actors in them, which might be worth checking out for bringing your character to life.