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What do they talk about in the background?


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Old 18-12-2012, 15:43
axl rose
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When there's a scene in a pub or cafe and the people in the background are chatting to each other does anyone else ever wonder what the're talking about?
Just watched a scene in the Rovers featuring Peter Barlow with Kevin and Sally in the background having a good old chin wag. Do you think they just casually chat as they would do off camera.....wish I could lip read.
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Old 18-12-2012, 16:53
modeyink
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My drama teacher at school once told me that extras in the background are told to say "rhubarb and custard" repeatedly at different speeds and in different accents to give the impression of conversation. I doubt it's true though lol!
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Old 18-12-2012, 17:03
BadLadAsh
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I've always wondered this!
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Old 18-12-2012, 17:34
cooler
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Probably just random things like the weather or who turned on Fiz's sewing machine.
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Old 18-12-2012, 17:38
EmmerStreetFan
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It's what ModyInk said. It's just a phrase repeated over and over to make it look like you're having a conversation, as the background actors cannot actually speak because their sound will go into the mic and you won't be able to hear what's going on in the scene.
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Old 18-12-2012, 17:54
royllsroyce
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"Do you think we should tell that man his wife is having an affair"
"nah best not to interfere, no matter how obvious it is"


"Do you think we should tell that man he is entitled to benefits"
"no never mix with that lot, his uncle is a murderer and always gets away with threatening behavior"

"I won't be coming back here. The waitress was so busy gurning and yelling at her advisories shes forgotten to put anything in the cups"
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Old 18-12-2012, 18:51
klendathu
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They probably talk about what they are having for tea or something .
I wonder if any extras may read this and pop on here to spill the beans .
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Old 18-12-2012, 19:24
Fred Fonseca
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Pretty sure they do not actually speak. They just mime mouth movements.
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Old 19-12-2012, 14:18
BBaddict212
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Most of them are told to mime, but I always assumed they just talked about general chit chat.
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Old 19-12-2012, 14:45
Scrabbler
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I always love it when you get an extra who is desperately trying to watch the main scene without being noticed!
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Old 19-12-2012, 14:50
little-monster
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I always love it when you get an extra who is desperately trying to watch the main scene without being noticed!
Same
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Old 19-12-2012, 15:16
maurice45
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Trivial things I guess. The weather, what they're planning to do after filming, what idiots the actors are for messing up their scene 27 times. That sort of thing.
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Old 19-12-2012, 15:18
CherryRose
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Sex positions
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Old 19-12-2012, 15:18
thejoyof_pat
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Trivial things I guess. The weather, what they're planning to do after filming, what idiots the actors are for messing up their scene 27 times. That sort of thing.
LOL!!
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Old 19-12-2012, 15:28
Joe_Zel
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Lol, I think sometimes they just have random idle chit-chat in the background and then I remember watching Eastenders Revealed a few years back and if they are quite close in proximity to the people actually talking for the camera in a scene, then they have to mime talking.

It was a scene where Bianca and Tiffany were randomly miming to each other without uttering a sound so the mic doesn't hear them.
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Old 19-12-2012, 16:09
los.kav
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My drama teacher at school once told me that extras in the background are told to say "rhubarb and custard" repeatedly at different speeds and in different accents to give the impression of conversation. I doubt it's true though lol!
No no, your teacher is right! Rabble and Rhubarb are great words for repeating at different speeds because they make your mouth move in such a way that it looks like you could be saying anything. Some films/tv shows even put it in, like South Park having people shout "Rabble! Rabble! Rabble!" in scenes where there's a large group of people doing something political/military like and I'm almost positive that Rhubarb made it into Monty Python or the Goons.
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Old 19-12-2012, 16:16
jackbell
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rhubarb rhubarb (uncountable)

(chiefly UK, film) Background noise of several "conversations," none of which are decipherable since all the actors are actually just repeating the word rhubarb (chosen because it contains no very sharp or recognisable phonemes), or other words with similar attributes.
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Old 19-12-2012, 16:56
axl rose
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I wonder if anyone is reading this silently mouthing 'rhubarb and rabble' to themselves I am
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Old 19-12-2012, 17:01
pixiegirl123
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I wonder if anyone is reading this silently mouthing 'rhubarb and rabble' to themselves I am
Me too
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Old 19-12-2012, 17:02
wallo mr slug
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Yeah it is true they use words like rhubarb at different speeds to imitate conversation
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Old 19-12-2012, 17:06
EESuperFan
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I wonder if anyone is reading this silently mouthing 'rhubarb and rabble' to themselves I am
i was haha
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Old 19-12-2012, 17:14
Mattehhhftw
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I was told they just mime to each-other... Not actually speak :P
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Old 19-12-2012, 18:05
rayofsunshine
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haha great thread! Yes I've always wondered if it was the actors just having idle chat, 'what time you working until?/heard about x' etc!

I spose whether they speak/mime depends on their proximity to the actual scene and whether what they say will be picked up at all?

It must be rather strange to be an extra and do so many scenes where you are just miming, smiling and staring at somebody over and over again!!!
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Old 19-12-2012, 18:13
axl rose
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If they are miming it must be difficult for them not to 'speak' at the same time rather than look like the're having a 2 way conversation. I'm going to keep an eye on this from now on
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Old 19-12-2012, 18:58
Fred Fonseca
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A lot of extras do it as a full time job. Part of the job is acting in a professional manner on set - and that means no talking and no noise!

They can't talk because it would be picked up by the mikes that are whizzing around above the actors following them and picking up the dialogue.

To me it seems embarassing to sit there looking at someone and miming a conversation with them and I imagine I would burst out laughing. But, it is their job, and they do it.

I saw a documentary about the film 'The Shining' where one of the assistant directors directs the extras. (The actual director does not direct extras.) The assistant told them "DON'T nod!!!". They also moved one set of extras from near the camera to the back of the room and by golly they were unhappy about being moved away from the camera.

In the commentary for film 'Dog Day Afternoon' the director says he loves the extras in the film. It was shot in New York, so all the extras were out of work Broadway actors, so the extras were actually 'actors'. He said that in Los Angeles there are thousands of people who work as extras and that is all they do. He implied they weren't always that interesting or as good at acting as the Broadway bunch.
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