La Vie Est Éphémère

The Movie World: Acting, the Psyche, and Existential Rambling

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:40:08 GMT

Lately, my interest in the acting and film business has been growing and growing. This is most likely due to the fact that I am a little bit more involved in fandom and watching more movies and shows. I've taken to criticizing performances and dissecting the appeal of a film/show. It makes being a fan more enjoyable, in my opinion. It makes the overall experience more valuable. Rather than just admiring the pretty, I'm trying do understand why it works and how it was put together.

There is so much that goes into making a production. I worked in stage crew all throughout high school, so I have a little bit of an idea of how it can be. But the film world is completely different. I would love to work on a set one day. There is so much attention to detail; every shot is planned, to the last prop on the wall. It's insanity. And that's not counting how many takes are required in order to get the shot that would make the final cut.

Film actors need to repeat scenes constantly while maintaining a high level of integrity and sincerity in their performance. It's amazing to me, realizing that the final product could have taken 20 takes. Acting requires total control of one's face and body, or at least an awareness of them. Moreover, imagination is key. And the ability to immerse onself emtionally, mentally, and physically into the life of a character and bring that character to life , like living and breathing as a different person. It makes me wonder what goes on in the minds of actors and actresses? What is the level of their emotional stability? Is it possible that acting, at its core, consists of emotionally repressed and/or unstable people? I mean, i feel that an actor needs to have a solid idea of who he/she is in order to live a relatively normal life and not confuse fictional emotions with reality.

I've heard from many of my favorite actors and performers that acting or any other form of art and artistic expression is their form of escape, a haven from the real world and their real lives. In a way, actors can hide behind a character or feel something that has been lacking in their real lives. For example, a normally shy person can find fulfillment in playing a more confident person. However, this makes me wonder further if such form of escapism and/or expression places one's true misery and mediocrity into higher relief, resulting in possibly more depression or feelings of inadequacy. Acting a character is just that, acting. It's all pretend. And pretending is one of the most powerful forms of self-deception. At times, acting and pretend can manifest themselves into the real world. But is it truly emotionally fulfilling?

I want to understand actors. How do they do it? How can they place themselves in states of complete anguish and heartbreak without experiencing it in real life? What makes a performance sincere and believable. I've tried getting into character, to see if the acting is really that hard. I guess sadness is the easiest one to convey. And the imagination, memory, and the power of visualizaton actually work. By remembering a moment, with all its details and deriving from all of one's senses in that specific moment, you can actually bring back a significant portoin of your emotions and actually feel them take over.

It must be exciting, in a way. To undergo emotional/mental challenges. To commit oneself fully in a moment. Make it real. Make it mean something to you and to the audience. That's where the integrity and sincerity aspect of acting comes in. The viewers can tell if a performance is forced. The camera is very unforgiving. Subtlety is crucial in filmmaking. People watch movies in order to escape the real world and be part of something different for a couple of hours. Once an actor looses focus in a scene, i feel that is an insult to the audience, reminding them that they are spending their time on a lie.

In fact, the entire movie business is a form of escapism for everyone involved. Both the actors and audience commit to the experience in order to forget, at least temporarily. Well, then. Widespread delusion and denial. That's modern society in a nutshell.

Top 10 Reasons Why Harry Potter is Better Than Twilight

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 03:52:42 GMT

Not that its a legitimate debate, really. But, still, it feels good to rub it in.

http://www.spunkybean.com/commentary/1039-top-10-reasons-why-harry-potter-is-better-than-twilight

Working on an HBP review

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:34:24 GMT

Yes, yes, I know. Its late to write a review for this movie. BUT I feel like i need to write one just for my piece of mind.

summer '09: so far...

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:23:39 GMT

This summer has so far been pretty uneventful. Doing office work part time and basically spending time at home with family. I start college in less than two months; because I transferred, I have to do everything all over again. I try not to think about it too much, but it's something that I need to face and deal with appropriately. Transfer student orientation is in four days....I have no focking clue what I'm doing with my life...

I've been doing alot of shipping and reading the past month. I decided to join the Harry Potter fandom several weeks ago, after six months of 100% Supernatural. I only spent 2 wks with Star Trek 2009 and Kirk/Spock after seeing the movie. Now I'm taking it a bit easy with SPN. I'm determined to remain unspoiled during all of Season 5 and my interest has dwindled as expected during a summer haitus. *Shrug*

Dean/Castiel Fic Recommendations

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:54:30 GMT

Hello, all. First post in a while. The past several months: college, work, and keeping up with Supernatural. And I have recently joined the Dean/Castiel ship. After "On the Head of a Pin" to be exact. I have no idea why I didn't notice it before. But I've made up for it by reading an incredible amount of fan fiction on them. This is the first time I have felt committed to a romantic relationship on this show.

There are some amazing stories out there. And I wanted to share a few of my favorites, that I have found SO FAR. O:) Read them. They are mind-boggling awesome. Seriously. Enjoy :]

Thank you, writers, for helping me bask even more in the glory that is this ship and show.

Angels Tread by goth_clark
http://goth-clark.livejournal.com/889807.html

Truth or Dare by izazov
izazov.livejournal.com/23633.html

The End of It All by strangeandcharm
strangeandcharm.livejournal.com/12069.html

Keep Only One of Us Free by eggblue
eggblue.livejournal.com/63189.html

Sixty-Six Weeks by strangeandcharm
strangeandcharm.livejournal.com/29620.html

Putting The "Christian" In Hans Christian Andersen by strangeandcharm
community.livejournal.com/deancastiel/308173.html

Spill All Your Secrets On Me; pre-Dean/Castiel by sucuri
community.livejournal.com/deancastiel/363845.html