Chapter Two Stage Versus Screen Audience: No Cell Phones, Please! Theatre Audiences are active participants Audiences are active participants Communication flows both ways Communication flows both ways a pure form of acting because it belongs to the actors and audience a pure form of acting because it belongs to the actors and audience Ethan Miller/Getty Images Audience: No Cell Phones, Please! Film and TV Audiences are passive Audiences are passive Communication flows in only one direction Communication flows in only one direction Usually know in advance what you are getting for your time and money Usually know in advance what you are getting for your time and money Peter Cade/Stone/Getty Images Acting: Im Ready for My Close-up Acting in Film Photographic charisma is important Photographic charisma is important Often shot out of sequence Often shot out of sequence Memorization is not as important Memorization is not as important Allowed to fail Allowed to fail Photofest Acting: Im Ready for My Close-up Were tightrope walkers. When you walk the wire in a movie, the wire is painted on the floor, but when you walk it on the stage, its a hundred feet high without a net. Al Pacino, Actor acting for film is like a musician playing in a recording studio and acting in the theatre is like playing live in concert Willem Dafoe, Actor Acting: Im Ready for My Close-up Acting on the Stage Talent and training are essential Talent and training are essential Everything is a wide-shot Everything is a wide-shot Memorization skills are required Memorization skills are required Must perform well with each performance Must perform well with each performance T. Charles Erickson/Courtesy Berkeley Repertory Theatre Directing: Direct and Indirect Theatre It is a playwrights medium It is a playwrights medium Director understands that when the performance begins, the actors are in charge Director understands that when the performance begins, the actors are in charge The director tends to work collaboratively The director tends to work collaboratively Joan Marcus Directing: Direct and Indirect Film It is a directors medium It is a directors medium Exerts absolute control over every shot Exerts absolute control over every shot The director tends to be solitary authority The director tends to be solitary authority Photofest Funding: Follow the Money Funding for the Screen Comes from Funding for the Screen Comes from Ticket sales Ticket sales DVD rentals DVD rentals Advertising Advertising Everett Collection Funding: Follow the Money Funding for Theatre comes from Funding for Theatre comes from Ticket and concession sales Ticket and concession sales Federal, state and local government grants Federal, state and local government grants Corporate funding and private donations Corporate funding and private donations William Missouri Downs Control: Who Pulls the Strings? Screen entertainment tends to put the values of the audience foremost Screen entertainment tends to put the values of the audience foremost Theatre tends to value the voice of the artist Theatre tends to value the voice of the artist Bourgeois theatre and independent filmmaking will often combine both considerations Bourgeois theatre and independent filmmaking will often combine both considerations The Theatre Next Door Who controls content? Who controls content? Screen entertainment policies are dominated by a small handful of executives. Screen entertainment policies are dominated by a small handful of executives. Hundreds of differing political view are promoted by thousands of theatres across the US. Hundreds of differing political view are promoted by thousands of theatres across the US. National Archives Ownership: Copyrights and Cash Copyright a legal guarantee granted by the government to creative artists that allows them to maintain control and profit from their work Copyright a legal guarantee granted by the government to creative artists that allows them to maintain control and profit from their work Royalty payment fee paid to playwrights for the rights to produce their play Royalty payment fee paid to playwrights for the rights to produce their play Public domain once a playwright has been dead for 70 years, his or her plays become pubic property Public domain once a playwright has been dead for 70 years, his or her plays become pubic property Writers for hire writers in screen entertainment who forfeit their rights to the works they author for a film or television program Writers for hire writers in screen entertainment who forfeit their rights to the works they author for a film or television program Curtain Call Screen entertainment tends to view their audiences as consumers and what they do as a product Screen entertainment tends to view their audiences as consumers and what they do as a product Theatre tends to view their audiences as equal participants in the theatre experience and what they do as artistic production Theatre tends to view their audiences as equal participants in the theatre experience and what they do as artistic production