Bale Me Up

So there's been this massive furore about Christian Bale's behaviour last year on set of "Terminator: Salvation" flick - I'm not going to re-write the whole saga here as it's all over the place - but both Will Dixon and Trevor B. Cunningham have written very succinct posts on the matter.  As both of the above say, we really don't know any of the circumstances surrounding this outburst so can't presume who was in the 'right' or in the 'wrong'.  

But here's one thing I do know and know well: film sets and TV studios are highly charged places and people lose the plot all the time.  As an actor, you are standing there under hot lights, channelling your brain to the scene ahead,  getting into your zone - with make-up 'rearranging' and wardrobe prodding for the twentieth time in two minutes - then light meters are being waved in your face and tape marks stuck hither and thither, then suddenly, silence descends and it's your time to pull it out of the bag.  You enter your 'deep zone' and the world before you is now from the pages of the script. Then a train whizzes by or the trainee make-up girl drops her brushes with a resounding clatter.

"Cut - that'll do for a rehearsal.." 

Everyone, breathes again, scuttling to alter what seems like every single detail.  Director makes a few points, make-up are back with their powder and brushes, you find your opening mark and go again.  You run a few solid takes here and there.

Then the magic happens. No trains, no clatters, no line fluffs, no stray hairs, no shadows, no masking - pure visual gold - and just as you are 'there' at the end of the scene, some fucker is having a play fight right in your eyeline...to be honest they could just be picking their nose. Same effect.  End of magic. Time to flip.

And that's how easy it is.

I'm off on my Digital Shorts training course for the rest of the week now.  I now know exactly what we'll be doing and I am really looking forward to it - as well as cr*pping myself at the same time.  A bit of edge never did anyone any harm.

I shall report back next week.

Ta-ra.  Onwards.