Re: The Actor Game

From: rjmeints_at_...
Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 09:47:27 -0400

Personally, I like referring to actors and actresses as a STARTING point when figuring out how an NPC or PC could look and/or behave. I'm pretty sure that everyone is in agreement that the artwork in any finished Whitewall product will not be line drawings of the actors used as "inspiration". When I play in a freeform, I think of a movie character and use that as a basis for some of my mannerisms, accent, motivations, etc. There's no reason why this approach can't help with this project. Of course, that only works if people know what you're referring to when you say that Moonson should behave/look like Elvis during his Vegas years, as opposed to Jaxarte looking like Elvis in his pre-1968 svelte look.

All jest intended, some of you really need to rent more DVDs and watch more television. Books are soooo 20th century. :-)

Peter Lorre in movies such as "Casablanca" and "Arsenic and Old Lace" is an archtypical little weasel of a guy who has a wonderful sidekick/toadie aspect. I think he could have made a great Wormtongue in LotR, for example. Peter was kind of the Steve Buscemi of the 40's.

Brian Blessed was OTT fantastic in the 80's movie "Flash Gordon" as Voltan the Hawkman. He's great if you need inspiration of a big beardy barbarian with a booming basso voice.

All of the people above are/were basically character actors. In many respects, they played themselves in a wide range of parts, which makes them all the easier to use as examples.

The above contains no google assistance. I embrace our media culture and happily wallow in its lowest denominators. Try watching 5-10 movies a week and you'll know what I mean...

Back to Glorantha,
Rick Meints

> From: "Oliver D. Bernuetz" <bernuetz_at_...>
> Subject: Re: The Actor Game
> > Let me be a dissenting voice. I don't want Whitewall to be cast by
> Mirmax, New Line, or the BBC. Why try to find a role for Orlando
> Bloom, Sean Connery or Hugh Jackman? Rarely to the Hollywood actors
> even resemble the historical figures. I have a clent that was
> portrayed by an exceptional Englsh actor in a film some years back.
> He did a fantastic job portraying somebody other than my client.
>
> I don't think you're the sole dissenting voice. I mean really Colin
> Ferrell as Alexander and Brad Pitt as Achilles? Who cast that crap?
>
> Anyway, I can see "some" advantages to the idea but I think a good
> written description with an original art work for the final
> product
> would be best.
>
> Oliver