Listening To Fear Script Discussion

[xita]

posted 12-09-2000 14:31 EST (US)
Nothing much on the w/t front, but I thought you guys would want to know that Rayne has put up the script for Listening To Fear. Here's the roof scene:

quote:

---

EXT. ROOFTOP OF DORM - NIGHT

It's a clear night and the sky is lit with stars. Willow and Tara lie on a plaid wool-blanket staring up at the night sky. Willow seems a little sad.

WILLOW
You know what's weird?

TARA
Japanese commercials are weird.

WILLOW
Yes. And also... you know some of the stars we're looking at don't even exist anymore? In the time it takes for their light to get to us, they've died, exploded, poof.

TARA
Were, um... were things rough at the hospital?

Willow gives a little half-shrug.

WILLOW
I used to love to look up at them when I was little. They're supposed to make you feel all insignificant but they made me feel like ... like I was in space. Part of the stars.
(points)
There's Canis Minor.
(points)
Cassiopia.

TARA
(points)
The Big Pineapple.

WILLOW
Um... you know... not sure I remember that one.

TARA
Oh, it's a major one. See those three bright stars right there?
Tara presses her head close to Willow's so that they share the same line of sight, tracing the outline of the three stars with her pointed finger.

WILLOW
Yeah...

TARA
And see those stars along there? That's the bottom of the pineapple.

WILLOW
It's big.

TARA
Hence the name.
(then)
The real ones never made sense to me. I sorta have my own.

WILLOW
Teach me.

TARA
See those stars over there? 'Cow With Three Udders'. And that's 'Moose Getting a Sponge Bath,' 'The Short Man Looking Uncomfortable'. 'The Little Pile 0' Crackers' ... That one's a bit of a stretch. You do it. What would you
call that one?

WILLOW
Hmm... I see ...
A HOT RED STREAK SLASHES ACROSS THE SKY. A meteor of some kind passing awfully close to Willow and Tara.

WILLOW
A huge flaming meteor about to crash into something.

SFX: The sound of an EXPLOSION as the meteor lands nearby.

Willow and Tara scramble to their feet. Off their looks of awe we:

---

anyway, so it was at the dorm. And I love that Aly adds all the little touches that are not in the script, or it could be directions. Plus all those wonderful smiles by Amber sigh.

[eekiboo]

posted 12-09-2000 19:56 EST (US)

quote:

---

Originally posted by xita:
TARA
See those stars over there? 'Cow With Three Udders'. And that's 'Moose Getting a Sponge Bath,' 'The Short Man Looking Uncomfortable'. 'The Little Pile 0' Crackers' ... That one's a bit of a stretch. You do it. What would you
call that one?

---

the 'Cow with three udders' was edited out coz the real dialogue ended up as:

TARA
See those stars over there? "Short man looking uncomfortable." "Moose getting a sponge bath." Mmm.. "Little pile o' crackers." That was a bit of a stretch. You do it. What would you call mmm... that one?

peace!

------------------
Willow to Buffy: "we have to face it, you can't handle Tara being my girlfriend..." The Yoko Factor

[Rane]

posted 12-09-2000 20:35 EST (US)
it still freaks me out to see or read that scene cause it reminds me too much of my own. Even mentioning cassiopeia. *shivers*

what i find interesting is that it is Tara who presses her head close to Willow in the script yet in the ep it is Aly who moves over to Amber. I wonder why they switched it. or maybe they just felt like it but it thought they always were pretty much by the script.

[Roxton]

posted 12-09-2000 22:02 EST (US)
I think because Alyson and Amber are so comfortable with each other and have such great chemistry, they probably feel free to improvise if they think it might add to the scene.

[This message has been edited by Roxton (edited December 09, 2000).]

[darvangi]

posted 12-09-2000 22:53 EST (US)
I hesitate to say this, but I'm going to go ahead and put my head on the chopping block and admit that I have occasionally considered Aly, loveable though she is, to not be as great an actor as others on the Buffy set. But then when I read this passage from the script and realize all the subtle nuances she had to put into her performance to make the scene work just right, I gain a new respect for her ability to make the Willow character come to life and exist as someone who is intellectual and yet down-to-earth, and in possession of a charming vulnerability. It's good to have a moment to notice her talent and not take her contributions for granted.

And I agree with Roxton that Aly and Amber have developed a great chemistry together - one that is only rivaled on the show by Sarah and David in their prime during the first 2 seasons.

And I would like to hijack this thread for a minute and add something that I think is interesting: If, for the sake of argument, we assume that both Aly and Amber are completely straight (which I kind of doubt, btw), how difficult has it been for them to create this kind of chemistry with a same-sex actor? For Sarah as Buffy, she could draw on personal experiences with another man for driving her relationships with Angel and Riley; but, in keeping with the argument, Aly and Amber don't have that privelege. I wonder how this experience has affected their views of same-sex relationships in general, and more specifically if it has generated any real attraction between the two actors beyond the roles.

[xita]

posted 12-09-2000 22:57 EST (US)
Oh dear god, how did I miss that. You are right eekiboo, that got edited out. Quick Lord Bowler add "cow with three udders" to the Tara signs.

And yes they do look so comfy, just the two of them.

[Roxton]

posted 12-09-2000 23:41 EST (US)
I think what we see onscreen darvangi is a blend of the actual chemistry that exists between Alyson and Amber and their talents as actresses. That is what makes the Willow/Tara relationship so real.

I have to admit that because they make the Willow/Tara relationship so vibrant onscreen there have been times when I wondered if an attraction had actually developed between Amber and Alyson. That is a testiment to their acting abilities.

[This message has been edited by Roxton (edited December 09, 2000).]

[Rane]

posted 12-10-2000 11:43 EST (US)
it doesn't matter how straight you are, how could you *not* fall in love with willow and tara? or aly and amber?...

and as for acting... i think that aly and amber are friends & being friends allows you to be comfortable with the other person. (thought i wouldn't like to be kissing Aly if Alexis is on set, that be too wierd. or amber's mom on set. it's cute how she takes her everywhere though i dont know about the on set part)

plus, in my opinion most of the scenes with them they are acting like friends who really like each other, cause they really dont have much PDA. yeah they throw in a couple of touches and glances and that rocks but *hetero* people do do that too. lots of people have these kinds of friendships. intense friendship that have nothing sexual about them. I've had them so i'm kinda using my own experience here.

i dont know why i think that both their acting is hit and miss, even within the same show. i guess if i had to act every day for weeks i'd get like that too. but they do have moments where i am blown away. SMG is usually on target.

but which one do you think is closer to their character? i'd say Aly, amber seems like a nutty person. Did you all hear the loveline interview? she's insane. who wouldn't want to be friends with her?

[Zahir]

posted 12-10-2000 12:09 EST (US)
Speaking as an actor myself, I assure you that mysterious thing called "chemistry" often has nothing to do with how the actors themselves get along. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, for example, were not close. Richard Gere and Deborah Winger--whose love scenes in "An Officer and a Gentleman" are so intense--pretty much hated each other. Same for Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder. Yet Alec Baldwin and Kim Bassinger, who are by all accounts deeply in love, have zero chemistry together on screen.

Of course, how Allyson Hannigan and Amber Benson "find" their characters is something best asked them. I do gather they're friends and that certainly helps (believe me--and be glad I decided not to tell a certain story here). But an actor's primary and most important tool is his/her imagination.

------------------
"O let my name be in the Book of Love.
If it be there, I care not of
That other book Above...
Strike it out! Or write it in anew.
But let it be in the Book of Love!"
--Omar Kyam

[xita]

posted 12-10-2000 12:17 EST (US)
Darin and Roxton, I too have wondered at one point or another. Which is a great tribute to those actresses. I blame it on that pic from the Who Are You location when Aly and Amber are walking to the shoot, together, just kinda hanging. I just loved it, set my imagination on fire, even thought about writing a fic, but that would just be wrong.. wrong.

Darin, what makes you doubt they be str8?

[SciFiAcid]

posted 12-10-2000 12:32 EST (US)
Ummm interesting Zahir. So would you say, as actors, with their imaginations as their best tools, and since the relationship comes across so 'real'... would this mean, in some sense, that Aly and Amber do have some kind of thoughts about each other beyond friendships? I mean, to make the characters more real... do they have to allow that imagination, fantasy, into their minds?

[SciFiAcid]

posted 12-10-2000 15:11 EST (US)
As to who is more like their characters, I would say Aly as well. Although, I think she's a lot less 'innocent' than Willow is. Which is logical since Aly is 26! Amber, I don't think she's really like Tara at all. I think she's much more of a ham and less shy. And I loved Lovelines! She was too funny

[Dr.G]

posted 12-10-2000 15:25 EST (US)
For sure, I don't see Tara singing 'toucha toucha touch me' almost -but not quite- without any clothes on in public. On second thought, that smile she gives Willow in that 'Willow hand' scene is anything but shy...

[Zahir]

posted 12-10-2000 16:37 EST (US)

quote:

---

Originally posted by SciFiAcid:
Ummm interesting Zahir. So would you say, as actors, with their imaginations as their best tools, and since the relationship comes across so 'real'... would this mean, in some sense, that Aly and Amber do have some kind of thoughts about each other beyond friendships? I mean, to make the characters more real... do they have to allow that imagination, fantasy, into their minds?

---

Depends on what you mean by "in some sense."

I'm not gonna comment on the private emotions of these two actresses, but certainly they spend time pretending to have a relationship that includes sex. They do this very well, so I assume "in some sense" they can actually feel this. How "real" might that be? I don't know.

My only point is that Amber Benson and Allison Hannigan are good actresses. They are perfectly capable of playing characters very different from their real selves.

------------------
"O let my name be in the Book of Love.
If it be there, I care not of
That other book Above...
Strike it out! Or write it in anew.
But let it be in the Book of Love!"
--Omar Kyam

[april]

posted 12-10-2000 17:52 EST (US)
does anyone know where i can download/listen to the entire amber loveline? it has me so intrigued...

[Warduke]

posted 12-10-2000 17:55 EST (US)
april, you took the words right outa my mouth
I would love to get the whole interview in one clip, rather than several small clips.

[Roxton]

posted 12-10-2000 20:00 EST (US)
I'd also love to listen Amber's interview on Loveline. Does anyone know how large the download is?

[SciFiAcid]

posted 12-11-2000 12:13 EST (US)

quote:

---

Originally posted by Zahir:
Depends on what you mean by "in some sense."

I'm not gonna comment on the private emotions of these two actresses, but certainly they spend time pretending to have a relationship that includes sex. They do this very well, so I assume "in some sense" they can actually feel this. How "real" might that be? I don't know.

My only point is that Amber Benson and Allison Hannigan are good actresses. They are perfectly capable of playing characters very different from their real selves.

---

Yeah, I think that is what I meant. I'm just interested in the motivation of actors. As I am not one, nor ever will be , it's always interesting to me to hear how actors go about motivating themselves. And how those, who in my subjective opinion, manage to create realistic characters that may, or may not, be beyond what they themselves are all about. And I think this is probably totally getting off post topic... and I've had a migraine all day so hopefully that makes some sense.

tee

[eekiboo]

posted 12-11-2000 18:58 EST (US)
i think the chemistry between Willow and Tara is great onscreen because Alyson and Amber are great actresses and friends in real life. just look at Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor who portrays Xena and Gabrielle respectively? they're best friends in real life and the chemistry between Xena and Gabrielle is just awesome when they have scenes together, romantic or otherwise. altho' i know, some actors don't get along in real life but are great onscreen, the fact remains that they (Amber and Aly or Lucy and Renee) give more acting prowess to their scenes because they are comfortable with their working and non-working relationships. it passes as "real" to us as it is to them.

i remember when Renee was asked if she (as Gabrielle) was willing to kiss Lucy (as Xena) she said "sure, why not" without any second thoughts, because she is comfortable with the person she's working with. that goes the same with Aly and Amber i guess. so their scenes together seems as "natural" or as "real" as we watch them. well, the scene of Gab kissing Xena was deleted or never shot unfortunately, that was in the second season i believe...

peace!

------------------
Willow to Buffy: "we have to face it, you can't handle Tara being my girlfriend..." The Yoko Factor

[Zahir]

posted 12-11-2000 19:07 EST (US)
For what its worth, SciFiAcid, I've found Excedrin Migraine actually works...

------------------
"O let my name be in the Book of Love.
If it be there, I care not of
That other book Above...
Strike it out! Or write it in anew.
But let it be in the Book of Love!"
--Omar Kyam

[eekiboo]

posted 12-11-2000 19:16 EST (US)

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roxton:
I'd also love to listen Amber's interview on Loveline. Does anyone know how large the download is?

---

i donno how large it is but the Loveline interview is located in Amber's homepage:

The Essence of Amber: What's New Page

peace

------------------
Willow to Buffy: "we have to face it, you can't handle Tara being my girlfriend..." The Yoko Factor

[SciFiAcid]

posted 12-11-2000 19:22 EST (US)

quote:

---

Originally posted by Zahir:
For what its worth, SciFiAcid, I've found Excedrin Migraine actually works...

---

Thanks Zahir, I might buy a bottle and keep it around JIC. These days though, wWhen I have a migraine, I go striaght to the good drugs... codeine

[xita]

posted 12-11-2000 22:55 EST (US)
I think only parts of the loveline interview are up at the Essence of Amber. One day, if you want, I can play it again over voice chat in the chat room.

[april]

posted 12-11-2000 22:59 EST (US)
hey, yeah, voice chat! (couldja maybe start earlyish, for poor little me over here on the east coast? i'll be good...)

[SciFiAcid]

posted 12-11-2000 22:59 EST (US)
Well, when I get my new puter up and running I'm SO gonna start doing vid/sound caps for the site. I'll do the Loveline thing, but I did not get the whole thing... pout. I think LW's got 4 clips up right now.

[xita]

posted 12-11-2000 23:36 EST (US)
Ok, I'll set a date, next Sunday at around 8pm PST or earlier if you would prefer. I didn't get the first couple of minutes, but aside from Amber saying Tara was a lesbian witch the good stuff happens later on. Or we could try Thursday at around 7pm pst. Let me know.

[shazza]

posted 12-12-2000 05:29 EST (US)
Xita - where could I get a download a copy of that pic you mentioned of Aly/Amber walking together at the shoot for Who Are You?
Much appreciated

[xita]

posted 12-12-2000 10:18 EST (US)
Here's the website, and here's the pic:

[This message has been edited by xita (edited December 12, 2000).]

[april]

posted 12-12-2000 10:21 EST (US)
what, tara's a lesbian witch? why didn't anybody tell me?

hey xita, if you do it on thursday, could you make it 8pm instead of 7? wouldn't want to interfere with the cult of ER...especially if kim and kerry finally get some action.

sunday at 8pm pst is fine, too...i can always make time for amber.

oh, i just saw the aly/amber pic. cute, cute.

[This message has been edited by april (edited December 12, 2000).]

[Roxton]

posted 12-12-2000 10:27 EST (US)
I've always found that a very interesting picture. Even off camera the chemistry is evident.