Hard News: Effectively Friday
165 Responses
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Hurlbut was a putz and deserved a good reaming
But isn't there a point at which 'he deserved to be yelled at' morphs into 'whoa, but not *that* much yelling!'? Obviously, the point at which this occurs, for me, is quite early on - say, a minute or less.
I'm not a complete hippy or anything, but I am quite honestly surprised by how normal or justifiable some of you think this is. Perhaps it's because I find that level of hostility quite terrifying, and immediately think that someone yelling that much could snap at any moment and beat the shit out of me, and I wouldn't be able to defend myself because I'm five foot three with zero muscle tone. Heh.
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But isn't there a point at which 'he deserved to be yelled at' morphs into 'whoa, but not *that* much yelling!'?
I agree, and I think it may be that the difference betwwen justified and unjustified yelling may just be a quantitative one - it only takes so long to communicate that you're A) angry and B) justified in being angry - after that, you're moving into "being a dick" territory.
That said, Bale's rant did seem to be qualitatively dickish as well - the sarcasm, threats and "seriously, we're done professionally" stuff couldn't be written off as just venting. I, of course, MHO.
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Apparently, Bale was in the middle of a scene showing how insanity ran in the Connors bloodline and so his reaction was half-Bale and half-Crazy_John_Connors". That's the problem with a lot of method-acting "live the role" training - it can deliver good results but it's very hard to switch off between takes.
I've seen flip-outs like that (Hell, I've probably delivered flip-outs like that!) and the person most embarrassed by the whole thing is the flipper-outer. That said, it often clears the air and everyone moves forward. I hold a personal theory that actors are by definition a little psychotic as we spend our time being other people and demanding applause from those around us. So this sort of eruption is inevitable now and again.
My advice would be, if you're a shrinking violet-type, avoid a career in the arts ;-)
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Having said that, as an actor and as a lighting designer/rigger/operator, you don't mess with gear during a take, or even a rehearsal. It's incredibly unprofessional.
Absolutely. I'm surprised the DP needed to be told this once, let alone twice or more on set. The DP on a major movie will be getting paid pretty darn well - more than I get to be "professional". He should know his job.
But obviously Bale's reaction went way too far.
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I am quite honestly surprised by how normal or justifiable some of you think this is.
Maybe it’s because Ben’s worked in some pretty tough work places, by the sound…
You wouldn't hear that 220 second rant in any normal workplace.
I not only would hear such things, I have heard them. And a lot worse too.
"a lot worse"? ... Yikes. I work in a pretty normal workplace (bank central office), and someone would most certainly not get away with such an outburst. Same with any regular workplace I’ve previously worked.
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3410,
Yikes. I work in a pretty normal workplace (bank central office), and someone would most certainly not get away with such an outburst. Same with any regular workplace I’ve previously worked.
You're talking about offices. Try a building site; Christian Bale's got nothing on some of those guys.
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Or warehouses, even shops (though not where the customers can hear). The only reason I think it got any coverage was the liberal use of the F-bomb, but any one who's worked in theatre and film will acknowledge that effing and blinding is pretty much the lingua franca of those industries.
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You're talking about offices. Try a building site
Try academia. Imagine a boss who yells out in great detail her fantasies of an underling's sexual infidelities at meetings while suffering the delusion that she's being witty.
This sort of thing was routine with her, and not the worst. Anyone who complained about her behaviour was eventually forced to leave or made redundant.
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Try a building site...
...Or warehouses, even shops (though not where the customers can hear). The only reason I think it got any coverage was the liberal use of the F-bomb
No no, I don't think the swearing per se was the main attention grabber. And I have worked in those places before (well, not on a building site), and I don't think you would get away with wasting so much time, just for one.
Try academia
I accept your example, kracklite, but academia ain't a normal workplace.
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You are soooo right, Steve.
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I don't think my experiences are particularly extreme, I just don't make a habit of desperately avoiding rough people, when they seem to have a genuine point, or real talent. I've heard similar blowups from:
-professional coaches
-artists
-teachers
-office managers
-high powered currency traders
-stockbrokers
-truck driversall of whom I've worked with.
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I just don't make a habit of desperately avoiding rough people, when they seem to have a genuine point, or real talent.
Neither do I.
I don't see what 'real talent' has to do with Kyle's point about regular workplaces. As for having 'a genuine point', I think most or all agreed that Bale had a valid point: that the DP was not doing his job properly. The issue is whether he overreacted (obviously, yes), and whether people in regular workplaces would do the same or worse and get away with it (obviously, no).
-professional coaches
-artistsDon't want to speak for Kyle, but that's not what I had in mind when I used his term "normal workplace". I've seen artists have similar blowups, yes. But not in a situation I would think of as a "normal workplace". They certainly weren't in a position to be put through a diciplary procedure or be instantly dismissed by an employer.
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So, Steve, you'd consider a film set to be a "normal" workplace?
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No, but Kyle was comparing the Bale outburst on the film set to what one might get away with in a "normal workplace" (Kyle's words), and Ben disagreed.
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As usual, the Onion cuts to the chase (NSFW - language)
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/sony_releases_new_stupid_piece_of
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