Flashbacks and a brief update

[anoel]

Let's talk about flashbacks. I'm always of two minds when it comes to doing a earlier past one, say when a fourtysomething character is shown in their early twenties. Do you use the original actor with makeup and the like or do you get a younger actor? Where's the line? (Where's the line, Jan? -Do you need to see the video again, Michael?) On the one hand, I love seeing the original actor as I usually feel they best truly represent and get the character and I don't want them to lose their essential characterness/chemistry with other people but it can be distracting, unrealistic and pull you out of the show if it's hard to buy someone as actually younger and not in costume.

Why I was thinking about this was considering whether if Lena Olin from Alias wasn't available as Irina, would I want flashbacks of her and Jack (and Sydney) with different people? I mean, obviously I'd take that over no flashbacks at all (*curses show* ILU though) but if she was available, what would I choose? Now Lena (and Victor) for that mattter do look pretty different when they were younger but still...what about the chemistry? It'd be so hard for me to give that up. Same goes for House and Wilson and seeing their first meeting/past selves, it'd be hard to lose how they work so well with each other but Hugh looks pretty different younger and a different actor would probably be disconcerting and maybe even more so for RSL. So, a poll, one non fandom specific and the other for those two fandoms.

[Poll #1283413]

Still without a computer, still behind on shows (50+ the last I counted, ouch.) and still doing well in school (although reading 8.5 straight hours of Plato is NOT recommended). Loved House last night although mostly the House/Wilson and OT3 parts, will talk about it later. Excited about going to Florida (Orlando/Miami) with my WL friends in April along with my NYC New Year's Eve trip (I so wish I had more money). Which speaking of, I've got to go to work, will finish catching up later.

Comments

[yahtzee63.livejournal.com]

Original actors, within reason. Victor Garber managed a younger version of himself in his 30s in "Alias" flashbacks; however, if you were going to show him being recruited to the CIA while he was 18, you'd want to get someone else. Same would go for Lena or Ron -- with hair, makeup and lighting they can play a couple decades younger without it being incredible. But if they were going to be very young, college-aged, you would want younger performers.

And if somebody were making an Alias vid with flashbacks -- just if anybody had that incredibly delightful idea! -- there would be tons of old footage of Victor Garber and Lena Olin (and to a lesser extent Ron Rifkin) available to cull from.

[anoel.livejournal.com]

Yeah I generally lean that way too. It's just hard to know when exactly to switch.

Is that a hint? It's a good idea though although it'd be pretty hard. I always love a challenge though!