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Old 03-28-2010, 05:24 AM
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MT2008 MT2008 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mazryonh View Post
Why aren't they happy? They really have no one but themselves to blame. No one is forcing them to perform incorrectly, and their mistake is right there for everyone who knows better to see. Actors are paid to learn how to portray a character and then do so on camera to the director's satisfaction and budgetary/time limits. If they do it wrong, why are they upset with this site? Unmodified screenshots displaying their gaffes aren't libel or slander.
That's what I said, but I'm guessing it's partially because in some cases, the particular critiques were extremely sarcastic and said things like, "(name here)'s technique in this image is HORRIBLE!", exactly as I've written it.

Also, we'd rather not be blacklisted in the business or gain a reputation for sarcasm, so we try to stay as neutral as possible.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mazryonh View Post
I'm surprised that the foregrips aren't then removed by the armourers so as "keep the actors from being a disgrace to the weapons." Of course, this wouldn't stop other gaffes like the slide-bite-prone grip you mentioned, or inappropriate trigger discipline, but it would reduce this "head, meet desk" inducing problem of not knowing what a simple handle is for. I mean, it's a handle, like the handles on a bike, there for you to hold and put your hands on.
Right, but blanks have almost no recoil, so it's not like the actors need to use the foregrip to control the weapon while firing. Also, when it comes to vertical foregrips specifically, are there any other movies besides "Under Siege 2" and "Mission Impossible III" where we've seen actors who don't use their MP5Ks properly? Those seem to be the exceptions, not the rule. And at least in Tom Cruise's case, it's probably due in part to the fact that he's a small guy, so grasping the magazine may diminish the distance he has to stretch his arms.

And you'd really be surprised how much people who have little experience with guns (and again, that's probably true of most actors) tend to find controls difficult to use. Like the people who can't figure out the difference between the slide release and the decocker on my SIG 226 when I let them try it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mazryonh View Post
The more I think about this, the more I think something like a "Guide to Guns for Actors, Background or Otherwise" composed by people like you would be useful, explaining proper stance, grip, and common functions of gun features. Would certainly help to inform people who could do more to look more convincing with film firearms.
The purpose of this site is to identify guns in movies, not critique the technique of the actors firing them. We are an encyclopedia and a "history of guns in movies" type of site, nothing more.

Besides, as Excalibur pointed out, it is becoming a lot more common for actors to work with experts nowadays. They are definitely getting better. Notice that it is mostly in movies made before 2000 that we see a lot of the most egregious errors in technique. I don't think they need our help.
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