Acting is nearly always obvious

[The Last Word]

Regarding your two queries:

I think you'll find it's because acting is acting and, like film/tv/theatre, not meant to be 'real life' but realistic within each medium. A good actor, like a good director, is supposed to draw you into the drama/performance and thus the awareness of the medium is countered by the involvement the viewer has with it. Obviously there are exceptions - such as those that use the medium to explore the medium. All of Hitchcock's films are 'about film', often very conciously, and so the performances must be altered accordingly. In all mediums the type of performances used to bring 'conviction' to one instance would sometimes be wholly unsuitable to bring the conviction to another.

Is it ever possible to act so naturally that no-one can tell if you are even acting?

You mean you've never had one of those 'I got so caught up in it I forgot it was a film' moments?

Poor you. Have you seen Twelve Angry Men?


The Last Word

[IdolDroog]

its weird tho, ppls criticism of acting is something i find a lil harsh in a way cos if i watch a soap (god forbid) something like neighbours most of the time im just paying attention and only when someone tries to get angry or "emotional" is it obvious neones acting....yet ppl say all the actings shit....so i dunno i hate actors but kinda appreciate the "skill" in doing it as i physically im incapable of doing it and glad of it

[Deano!]

Completely agree. I often think how ridiculous it would be to have people behaving in real life as they do in films. But then in real life about 99% of our lives are quite boring for anyone else to watch. I guess you had a version of that Big Brother bollocks up ther in Britian ? What a load of chuff it is to watch would be 'stars ' trying to be exciting and interesting all the time. Perhaps a good actor is someone who can make the un-natural look normal. But then I guess porno movies do that anyway !

[Red Triangle]

I think you're missing the whole point of drama if you look at it this way.

Of course people in films/drama do not act like we would in real life.
Firstly there is the thing called the frame. It means two people for instance
having a conversation in a way that would be unrealistic in real life because they have to fit within the frame of the picture rather than just be standing where they would be in real life in a whole room.

Secondly there is drama. Film is supposed to elicit an emotional response. To do that you need to get your characters to act in a way that will maximise this response. So the girl who wanders into the basement of a horror film does this even though you would never do this because then you get scared for her because you know she's not supposed to do this. Zoe doesn't tell Kelly in Eastenders she fancies Ronnie because this revelation will have much more dramatic impact if Kelly discovers this at another time. In Friends Ross has another misunderstanding even though you wouldn't in the same situation because you as viewer can see everything that goes on whereas he is only limited to what little information he has seen in front of him.

At the end of the day, film isn't real life because that would be too boring. I mean what do you do when watching Terminator 3? "oh, she's just acting like a cyborg, she's not really a killer robot from the future, well that's ruined the film for me."

[Ace]

Red, I for one would NEVER admit to watching EastEnders OR Friends here.

[Red Triangle]

Ace, I have no shame.

Strange though, the people on the Friends/Eastenders board said I should NEVER admit to watching pornography. Hmmmm. What a strange world we live in where you can't admit to anything.

[steve56]

hi ace/red,its nothing to be ashamed of different people like different things ive only just started rewatching bad girls/the bill again.

[nosey]

What annoys me about programmes on TV (especially soaps-- Coronation Street in particular) which are supposedly about real life is that there is never any talk about day to day things, and in Coronation Street which is set near Manchester, about football.