Spoilers Interesting Comments by Gates McFadden about Appearing in Picard

[timtonruben359]

Gates McFadden gave a new interview today with CinemaBlend and was asked about appearing on Picard Season Two, here response is interesting:

Spoiler

You know, things shift all the time. Nothing definite, yet, at all. I think that the pandemic really threw things for a loop because of how many people can be in a scene at the same time to shoot. They had a much, much, much later start than they thought. So no, I don’t have any news on that front. I would love to do it. I think Patrick and I have a great chemistry, but you know we’ll see. It’s really up to Patrick really at this point. Plans shift all the time with TV depending on so many factors. There was some shift in writers for the show, and things change. I don’t know what’s going to happen.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

So, basically:

Spoiler

She hasn't been asked.

 

[Tomalak]

So, basically:

Spoiler

She hasn't been asked.

Or perhaps

Spoiler

she was sounded out a while ago but there hasn't been anything concrete.

 

[KennyB]

OR.......

Spoiler

She's done it and under a NDA........none of these interviews are even worth reading if you're looking for spoilers......

 

[DEWLine]

If she had already done it and no one's yet discovered the fact, then the NDA is still in effect.
We're just going to have to wait to see for ourselves.

 

[Swedish Borg]

Why don't they shoot everyone individually before a blue screen and then combine them by compositing? After all, most of the time the scenery behind them is already fake and added after the shooting.

I think that could be the future of filmmaking. Imagine how cheaper it could be. Each actor could stay wherever they want and they wouldn't even have to meet in person. And once they've mastered the technique you could hardly tell the difference.

 

[Vger23]

The possibilities are endless.

 

[fireproof78]

Why don't they shoot everyone individually before a blue screen and then combine them by compositing? After all, most of the time the scenery behind them is already fake and added after the shooting.

I think that could be the future of filmmaking. Imagine how cheaper it could be. Each actor could stay wherever they want and they wouldn't even have to meet in person. And once they've mastered the technique you could hardly tell the difference.

So, like animated films?

 

[Swedish Borg]

So, like animated films?

Yes, except with real people and realistic backgrounds.

 

[The Wormhole]

Why don't they shoot everyone individually before a blue screen and then combine them by compositing?

Some shows have tried that. It turned out to be more trouble than it's worth.

 

[fireproof78]

It's also very depressing to actors.

 

[Aragorn]

Why don't they shoot everyone individually before a blue screen and then combine them by compositing? After all, most of the time the scenery behind them is already fake and added after the shooting.

Grey's Anatomy recently did that. Had an actress film all her stuff in Vancouver in front of a green screen and then they inserted her into the scenes shot in California with the other actors. It looked horrible.

 

[Swedish Borg]

Grey's Anatomy recently did that. Had an actress film all her stuff in Vancouver in front of a green screen and then they inserted her into the scenes shot in California with the other actors. It looked horrible.

Practice makes perfect.

 

[fireproof78]

It creates a lot if extra work, it doesn't get the best performance out of the actors and risks being a poor output.

 

[Swedish Borg]

It creates a lot if extra work, it doesn't get the best performance out of the actors and risks being a poor output.

Actors are already used to shoot out of sequence (e.g The end before the beginning) they are also used to talk to the camera pretending that it's the other actor or filming one half of the scene being filmed from one angle and the other half from one other angle. For instance, we have an episode where Spiner plays three different characters that appear in the same scene and they seem to talk to one another. So it seems more a question of practice than anything else.

 

[fireproof78]

Actors are already used to shoot out of sequence (e.g The end before the beginning) they are also used to talk to the camera pretending that it's the other actor or filming one half of the scene being filmed from one angle and the other half from one other angle. For instance, we have an episode where Spiner plays three different characters that appear in the same scene and they seem to talk to one another. So it seems more a question of practice than anything else.

Doing it occasionally is different from standard practice. Ian Mckellen struggled greatly on the set of the Hobbit because he was alone in a green room and asked to act and react. Maybe in a decade actors will be trained for it but it isn't easy to adjust that human interaction.

 

[RAMA]

OR.......

Spoiler

She's done it and under a NDA........none of these interviews are even worth reading if you're looking for spoilers......

This

 

[Danlav05]

Sometimes the actor gets the call a week or a month in advance - they're not always planned months ahead and the producers just presume they're available to film on Day X, Y and Z.

Happens in British soap.

 

[KennyB]

Sometimes the actor gets the call a week or a month in advance - they're not always planned months ahead and the producers just presume they're available to film on Day X, Y and Z.

Happens in British soap.

Not the same at all......even for a small or background parts, availability checks go out at least 4 months ahead of filming. For featured talent, even longer. Holby and Eastenders are a different beast. I've got a call 48 hours before to be on set with them......and they still film 6 weeks ahead of airdate, but it is like a sprint ALL THE TIME.

 

[Swedish Borg]

Not the same at all......even for a small or background parts, availability checks go out at least 4 months ahead of filming. For featured talent, even longer. Holby and Eastenders are a different beast. I've got a call 48 hours before to be on set with them......and they still film 6 weeks ahead of airdate, but it is like a sprint ALL THE TIME.

They must have alternate plans, actor availability is a fickle b... What if the actor is being offered something bigger in the meantime, or gets sick or for some reason is on the other side of the planet at the time of the filming? You never know.