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Posted by Bette (U2222559) on Sunday, 5th October 2008
If there is a newcomer (destined to be long-term), does that imply that another character will leave Ambridge?
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
Presumably the budget is fixed so if someone new comes in (and has to be paid), then that must mean less work for the others? It doesn't mean someone has to drop out though, just appear less.
But as there are only so many episode-minutes available, that must be true anyway.
I don't see though that they have to drop a whole character. They could cut someone - or several someones - back a bit.
VH
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
I think there used to be a rule that restricted the number of characters many years ago. These days I suspect it's as many as they like within budget. Didn't the actress who plays Fallon have a baby recently? Maybe she wants a few years off and the new character is a replacement for her, or possibly Kirsty who hasn't been heard of for ages.
Do we know how old Lorna is?
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
I suspect that its a bit more complicated than simply having a quota of characters. In addition, I don't think that more characters would necessarily lead to less work for the actors either. For example, some actors play another character when one 'disappears'. Judy Bennett has played Shula for many years, but has also been the voice behind various child characters. And of course an evergreen question on these boards is "who played the nurse, postman, receptionist, customer, magistrate, etc." with the reply often being that another member of the cast played the bit-part but has not appeared in the cast list. There is a quota for how many characters appear in a recording session, but characters remain although they are silent for years on end, eg. Lilian, the Tregorrans, Alf Grundy, etc.
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
There is no quota for the total number of speaking characters, although because of budgetary constraints there is a limit on the number of characters we can use in a single week.
Having said that, we alreqady have a large number of speaking parts, so we are very careful about introducing new ones, especially if they are likely to stay around for a long time.
It's also worth noting that if an actor doubles a small part - a receptionist or customer, for example - they receive no additional fee, as they have already been booked to perform in that episode.
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
Many thanks for your definitive answer to that question, Mr Keri.
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Yes indeed. Thank you, Keri.
er - is Nic long-term then?
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
Seven per epi? Even if you need a crowd eg at village hall?
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
, in reply to message 8.
Posted by Arosebyanyothername (U5195299) on Thursday, 9th October 2008
I've never really understood the reason for the 7 per episode rule. It's not normally a problem, but there are times (as you say, when a crowd is needed, or even when Phil and Jill have a big family party) when the absence of more characters leaves gaping holes.
This was horribly apparent in the recent episode featuring the Grange Farm open day. As they already had 4 characters involved in the organizaton they could only have 3 visitors -Lynda, Joe and Lorna. Even Caroline wasn't there, only referred to when Oliver barked an order to her, which disappeared into unanswered silence.
So come on Keri, what's the reason, and why can there never be exceptions to it?
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
It's not a specific number per episode, it's a specific number across the week. I often try to have an ep with four or five characters so that I can have, say an eight or even nine character ep for a big event.
And the reason is simply budgetary - each actor booking costs money.
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
, in reply to message 9.
Posted by rosietonthemove (U2260932) on Thursday, 9th October 2008
I think that's the average - so you get 42 per week - therefore you can have, say, 4 in one epi, then 10 in another, in the same week, if needs be.
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, in reply to message 11.
Posted by rosietonthemove (U2260932) on Thursday, 9th October 2008
sorry, snap
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, in reply to message 12.
Posted by PeterTheOrdinary (U9949465) on Thursday, 9th October 2008
Can you play a sound effect of a crowd to create the illusion that there are more than seven people there? For example, the clapping at the baptism the other week could have used a bit of canned applause.
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
, in reply to message 13.
Posted by Arosebyanyothername (U5195299) on Thursday, 9th October 2008
Thanks for the reply Keri. So if that's the case, why weren't there more people at the Grange Farm open day? It really did sound extraordinarily thin.
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
, in reply to message 14.
Posted by rosietonthemove (U2260932) on Thursday, 9th October 2008
short answer: because Joanna Toye wrote it that way.
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
But there are stacks of Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú sfx available that can be played as background.
Surely it cannot be that all the seven actors have to stand round and pretend to sound like a crowd - because, actually all they come to sound like is....well, ....seven actors in a studio pretending to be a crowd.
Absurd.
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:56 GMT, in reply to DracoM1 in message 16
I think the production staff applaud too (or perhaps they're not allowed to because that is the actors' job?). They could always do some double tracking or whatever it's called, couldn't they to simulate a larger crowd?
The problem is that when you know about the "rule of 42" you always notice the way party scenes are handled "Oooh, look isn't that Shula over there (talking to Aunty Chris). Excuse me, I must go and have a word with her."
OTOH, to be fair, they do do outside broadcasts/recordings for the big events like Horse of the Year show and festivals.
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, in reply to message 17.
Posted by Vicarshusband (U6051871) on Thursday, 9th October 2008
Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:13 GMT, in reply to mike .... in message 17
The problem is that when you know about the "rule of 42" you always notice the way party scenes are handledÂ
Yes, and it's hard to suspend disbelief then.
Given that problem I think that the number of parties/ get togethers/ outings/ gatherings is perhaps suprisingly high?
VH
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
in message 17 OTOH, to be fair, they do do outside broadcasts/recordings for the big events like Horse of the Year show and festivals. Weren't we told recentlyish that the budget no longer allows for this?
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
, in reply to message 11.
Posted by Lemon Sabotage (U9577550) ** on Friday, 10th October 2008
So 42 really IS the answer to Life, The Universe and Everything!
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
But if they do do such OB's, then why not do some general recordng of noise / atmosphere etc to use for in-studio work? Or is it too difficult to match studio sound to OB sound?
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
message 21
I think they no longer do them, as I said.
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
Verb tense slip, RosieT, sorry.
I meant to type 'did' do OBs. But I've got SFX CD's with such crowd, country fair etcetc, sounds.
Do the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú not hold them still?
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
Of course we use fx CDs for background crowds, but they are best supplemented with the cast doing "live" background work as well.
Typically when I was directing, depending on the size of the crowd, I'd have the whole cast in and we'd often record the whole scene, perhaps with recorded crowds, too, then play it back into the studio to double up the live reactions/effects.
And actually seven people in studio applauding etc actually sound like a good dozen. It's an interesting quirk.
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
, in reply to message 24.
Posted by PeterTheOrdinary (U9949465) on Monday, 13th October 2008
So how many go to church at St.Stephen's? For a baptism, even with most of the baptismal families from the usual suspects, one would expect more than "a good dozen" in the congregation.
Link to this forum: Is there a 'quota' on number of characters?
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