6 Truths About Movie Production We Didn’t Pay Attention To

A great movie is like the game of Jumanji — it literally pulls the viewer into its world. However, the process of production is no less interesting than the result, and can become a real thriller. And we found several most intriguing secrets of the movie industry to prove it.

Actors with a “smartphone face” look out of place in historical movies, but filmmakers often turn a blind eye to it.

Have you ever noticed how much out of place some actors look in historical movies? They don’t “fit in” the period because they look too modern, which is sometimes the result of cosmetic procedures (whether it’s fillers, Botox, or just a trendy eyebrow shape). These actors are usually said to have a “smartphone face” because they are immediately recognized as the people of the 21st century. This effect is often caused by perfect pearly white teeth or veneers.

For example, Blake Lively, who starred in The Age of Adaline, doesn’t particularly look like a woman who lived in the 1930s, although many people believe that she has the type of beauty of the Golden Age of Hollywood. On the other hand, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, Elle Fanning, Florence Pugh fit into costume dramas perfectly.

Anya Taylor-Joy has also appeared in several historical films, for example The Witch or Emma. However, some Internet users believe that the actress doesn’t look modern because she actually looks like she’s arrived from the future.

Ben Affleck in Shakespeare in Love doesn’t look like a man who lived in the 16th century at all. And Timothy Chalamet certainly doesn’t look like King Henry V. On the other hand, James McAvoy perfectly “fits” in the 18th century, while playing in the movie Becoming Jane.

It smells bad on the set.

To prevent fading of fabrics, they don’t usually wash costumes during filming. An actor can wear the same shirt for as long as necessary. To keep costumes fresh, they simply spray them with an alcohol containing mixture. And during the lunch break, actors are given something to cover their clothes, so they don’t stain them.

Vintage costumes require a special attention. The actress who played in the series Downton Abbey revealed that everyone smelled terrible during the filming because the clothes were not washed to preserve their authenticity. Everyone was given special pads for the armpits, which absorbed the sweat. At least, the pads were washed from time to time.

Actors have to work in all weathers.

When the film director of Titanic, James Cameron, was shooting the scene where Jack is rescuing Rose, he noticed that the hairs on Kate Winslet’s arms stood on end from the cold, and the light was catching this. So, Cameron stopped filming and asked to get Kate’s arms shaved.

Almost all sounds are captured or added in the studio.

Almost all sounds are captured and added in the studio, and sometimes this may cause difficulties. For example, they played Madonna’s song Like A Prayer on the set while filming the final scene of The Princess Diaries. The track was supposed to help the actors relax and start dancing.

Eventually, the scene had to be reshot and carefully edited. That’s because they ended up choosing a different song (Miracles Happen), but the actors were originally singing along to Madonna.

The food is almost never real.

Try to pay attention to any scene where characters are sitting at the dinner table covered with food. If you look closely, you can see that the actors don’t actually eat because most of the food is just fake.

After all, no one knows for sure how long the shooting will take place, and in a few hours, any food will become cold and inedible. Besides, there will be a lot of leftovers. This is why most filmmakers prefer to use fake food on set.

Extras don’t really talk.

Extras that you see in the background in movies and TV shows often say meaningless bundles of words like “peas, corns, and carrots” or “a pink and purple elephant.” And if they are required to speak, they should whisper. For the most part, directors ask extras to use slightly more exaggerated body language to show a conversation is taking place.

BONUS

During a podcast, Emilia Clarke disclosed that she would often experience emotional moments and tears prior to shooting intimate scenes with Jason Momoa. Interestingly, she had accepted the role without fully anticipating these explicit scenes.

There are still debates about which is better: computer-generated special effects or real sets and on-location filming. But in any case, movies masterfully blur the line between fiction and reality. Only thanks to behind-the-scenes photos, we can learn about how the movie magic is created.