A Day in the Life of a HVD actor
Hah, don’t be fooled by the title of this post. But some days, we really do feel like we are filming a typical HVD-like Chinese drama.
Acting is no easy feat. The tools of the trade are one’s ability to portray the necessary emotions through facial and body expressions, being totally comfortable and un-self-conscious in front of the video camera and watching audience and of course, looking convincing for the role – often times with the aid of make-up.
Sometimes I feel like a puppet being pulled by the directors’ whim and fancy. And sometimes despair at my naturally pouty mouth. Many times, I thought that I was projecting happiness and joy but the directors would say, “Ariel, smile! You are supposed to be happy for this scene!” And I would groan to myself, “But I’m smiling already! See the lilt on the edges of my mouth??” Grrrr….! Now, I understand why actors pump their lips with silicone… hee!
It helps a lot when your fellow casts are natural actors. It’s so easy to act when we are all engrossed in the story and in the roles that we play.
And for research, we watch a lot of related movies from an actor’s point of view – to see how we can portray a certain type of character convincingly. Even while walking on the street or shopping complexes, I will stop to observe how people in different stages in life walk and talk with each other.
We’ve been video shooting for two weeks now and we still have a long way to go. But everyone is committed to getting it done by hook or by crook. It’s made bearable by the producer who never failed to keep us in stitches with his corny jokes, teasings and untimely burps. And there are some other cheerful and patient souls keeping our spirits hale and hearty.
Despite the long hours and hard work involved, I cherish every moment spent because each production is different and we’d probably not work with the exact same people in our current roles again.
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In less than 2 hours I’ll be heading for the dinner. I hope to NOT encounter such uncles and aunties like the ones you mentioned, Chriselle! *shudder*
Heh, Tim, nice joke!
Ah yes, friends who tell us what we need to hear rather than what we want to hear. We can ‘t take that kind of feedback from simply anyone but those that we know have our best interests at heart or diplomatic souls.