Why do actors always drink out of empty coffee cups in TV shows?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “coffee mugs from tv shows“
Why do actors always drink out of empty coffee cups in TV shows?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “coffee mugs from tv shows“
If you notice, it isn’t just coffee cups. Unless there is a specific sense of time passage–a party on some show, a guy being questioned for murder on another–everything has to appear the same. And this means for extras, as well.
My first appearance on CHICAGO P. D. was a scene filmed at the Congress Plaza. Two hundred extras in the ballroom. A doctor was going to be arrested after accepting an award. No one could even look behind their table, because it might affect their jacket or the chair, even the tablecloth. We had half-filled glasses of champagne, water, empty coffee mugs. Someone came by and took a photo of each table as we sat. By doing so, however the process, another take would be done with a person switching seats with someone with a different hair color or a different colored suit or dress.
The scene took 24 takes and almost three hours to film. You can see the screen capture I made, I am in seven frames of film. You would not see *any* of the details in regular time, the seating, drinks, etc. It just shows a commitment to the show’s integrity.
The filming took three hours with no breaks and we had to sit in a staging area for seven hours prior to that (always be ready to film), so after telling us how patient we had been, the crew carried in one hundred pizzas from Lou Malnati’s.
Seriously it’s so obvious when the cup is empty it detracts from the scene (Good, average and poor shows and films) You’d think CSI could afford a solution.
Why doesn’t some one at least put a non liquid ballast into the cup to give it weight. A handful of coffee beans, a bunch of tea bags or anything similar just so that thing doesn’t seem to float away in the first breeze.
No silly worries about expensive electric equipment.
Good props people will either weight the cups or put just a small amount of liquid in them. The reason people don’t is, if someone spills something, the scene has to be cleaned up and reshot.
Also, for what’s called continuity, everything needs to be kept exactly the same and it’s easier to just not have anything at all rather than possible different levels showing from scene to scene.
In addition to reasons already given regarding spilling something or having liquid sloshing around, thus far, no one has mentioned matching shots for visual continuity – which falls under the purview of the script supervisor, not the properties master.
Because scenes are not always shot in chronological order, rather, the shooting order is dictated by camera setups, instead of having the script supervisor pulling her hair out over keeping track of the liquid level inside a cup throughout a scene, and they try to shoot from an angle that doesn’t show down into the cup.
If there really were liquid in the cup, and the actor were really to drink from it, during the multiple takes necessary to obtain coverage of a scene the cup would have to be constantly refilled to the exact same level it was at at the beginning of the scene, or at the last point in the scene where the cup’s contents were visible.
Otherwise, what you would be noticing instead is the constantly changing level of liquid inside the cup.
For example, the cup was 3/4 full when she picked it up, then she took a drink and set it down. Then it was completely full again in a long shot, then it was down to halfway the next time she picked it up, then it went back to completely full when they got up to leave the diner.
If a scene has the actors actually drinking a sip of wine or champagne, there are usually about 20 glasses all filled to the exact same levels to switch out for retakes, and the champagne or wine isn’t usually real so the actors don’t end up getting buzzed off of 36 sips of champagne.
This is also why you seldom actually see anyone really eating during a meal. In scenes where actors are shown smoking, matching a shot with a lit cigarette in it also has it’s own challenges.
Sometimes,it’s a mistake that the director made.Of course the fact is that it makes the program imperfect.Because there’re so many things to do in one simple program.I think it should be forgiven.
I was about to make this same question. It does seem very odd to leave them empty when simply filling them with water would be good enough. If I was an actor, I think using an empty cup in a scene would only serve to distract me and take me out of it.
So, yea, is there some sort of weird rule about this? I wish I knew.
Because if They have to do 30 “takes” on a particular scene where They’re drinking it, they don’t want to be drowning in the stuff by the time They’re through ! 🙂
In a country where liquor is considered immoral, it is shown to the audience that without a doubt, nothing was really consumed.
Consider this. A to-go cup is a prop. The liquid inside the cup is also a prop. The lid would be a third prop. Not one unit. So in a movie scene, whether it is in studio or on a set, the prop people now have to track 2, maybe 3 props. I’m going to assume that most places where scenes are shot, do not have the proper liquid producing equipment so that would also have to be brought in. It’s got to be easier to carry around a stack of empty cups, or hide them off-camera, sans liquid, than it is to also carry the liquid too. Unless, of course, something specific with said liquid is part of the storyline.
Compare it to carrying a prop gun around. It’s unlikely to have real bullets right? In the Hateful 8, they had several prop guitars on set but because Russell carried the real antique guitar, a priceless historical object was smashed. You can’t have an accidental spill if the cup is empty. Watch anytime a large pile of canned goods are tipped over in a film. In almost every case the cans are empty. Less weight, no danger of a 3 lb can of coffee breaking that highly paid toe or foot when it falls on the actor.
One skill an actor has to learn is to make a pretend prop seem real. If he/she can make it look like the cup is full, everything else is a little easier, even if it seems trivial. All those “easiers” together can mean a substantial savings in time or money.
I know, right? If the director would ask the production assistants to put water in the cups, they’d have some weight and wouldn’t look empty. Or, if the actors would use those mime skills we all got during our training, and pretend they have some weight to them, that would help, too. After all, you’re proving through your question that details count, and people get distracted when things lack verisimilitude. Good directing means paying attention to even the little things.
The easy answer is continuity. If you can see the empty cu, you’d also be able to see the level of water in the cup. This would mean that someone has to do continuity and make sure all the cups are filled the same for each take. Why pay for this when it doesn’t really matter?
As actors do so much rehearsals/takes,
So, it is not affordable for the directors/producers to give them full cup of tea every time. \U0001f600
Because they could spill it, let it drip down their shirt, cough if it goes down the wrong pipe, or swallow it awkwardly or loudly (because they’re tense). Its a worry the director doesn’t want, and any of those things would cause a retake, which costs money.
I think the biggest reason is retakes. On most occasions, a single take isn’t enough to get the right shot. They do a lot of takes, even from varying angles or with changes in dialogues and action. it would be alright to drink at least some water to bring some authenticity if there aren’t many takes. But if there are, it might be very difficult for the actor to keep on drinking over and over again. it gets uneasy advert a while. This is why they use empty cups while filming. Or at least one of the major reasons.
lots of potential reasons:
the actor wants a bit of ‘business’ (see questions on that) but doesn’t want the risk of spilling coffee/liquid on the set or their costume.
someone told the propsmaster when they tried to refill the cup: ”if the audience sees that, then the actors/writer/director isn’t doing their job, now scram…”
the pace of TV shooting one-camera is fast and the propmaster was back in the truck prepping the next shot.
Because wardrobe is terrified they will spill something on there clothes. Actors do not often own the clothes they wear playing a character, especially on major studio projects. Plus fear of the liability if an actor spills coffee on equipment or another actor.
Scenes in movies and tv shows will sometimes be done over and over and over numerous times to get the proper shots as well as the different camera angles. There is NO way an actor can keep drinking coffee after coffee doing this. So they drink from empty cups to create an illusion of drinking coffee so as not to become ill or full from drinking it. A scene can sometimes take a day or more to film.
It’s because those TV shows are cheap and stupid. There is no actor on Earth that can accurately fake a full cup with an empty cup. It looks so stupid and everyone can tell. I don’t know why any show would do it. At least fill the cup with water. Good shows don’t use empty cups, period.
Well the answer is probably one of a couple lame, uninteresting reasons. One, we don’t want actors spilling water on the set. Two, if you can see how much water is in the cup, you might notice it magically emptying and refilling in-between scenes. Three, and the most likely, is that they probably thought it wasn’t important and you wouldn’t be able to tell.
Probably because the one shot you see finally takes tens of retries. If the actor was actually drinking coffee in each shot, he might face serious problems, insomnia being the first. Hence they choose to “act” the drinking as well.
Dunkin’
Beverages spill. Because of the potential number of takes, coffee gets cold.
I always feel sorry for shows that have the characters sitting down and eating, as you know they have probably done 2-4 takes of that same scene, but each time they have to pretend to eat and enjoy it. “Downton Abbey” had a lot of those scenes (and they were intricate, too, with all the silverware, glassware, and place settings!) “Big Bang Theory” is another one. On BBT they almost always have the characters eating together in order to get them all in and have everyone have some dialog. But notice how often someone actually puts a forkful of food in their mouth. Rarely!
Disclaimer: I’m no TV expert, however:
I imagine it has something to do with the performance, it is a lot harder to act if you have a full cup of hot coffee in your hand. Reversely, if you’re occupied by acting a part, the risk of spilling hot coffee on yourself or someone else increases.
Secondly, does it really matter? By this I mean, the actual act of drinking coffee is not so much the focus of a TV show, but rather a means to an end (stimulating conversation, moving the plot forward)
Hope this helps!
It all depends on how many ‘takes’ they have for a scene. If they have to have many takes, then drinking the cup for each take would mean the actor would ingest quite a lot of liquid for one single shot. Easier to pretend to drink. This will also ensure that they stick to their rigorous diets as well.
Realistic question. I’m happy someone asked this question cos i thought only i noticed this in films and serials, ha ha. Even i have often wondered why dont they ‘really ‘ fill up the cups with water or tea.
They should offer real liquids to these actors who would be parched with thirst sometimes doing the scenes many times with lots of retakes.
Because today’s actors haven’t taken pantomime. Marcel Marceau would have no trouble getting you to believe that the cup had something in it.
They’re empty for obvious reasons – they do multiple takes and no one’s going to want to take 73 sips from that cup over the course of even several hours. The actors are pretty faces and get so wrapped up in their lines that they will spill the beverage all over the nice white sofa or their pretty yellow blouse.
But the real reason is that no one on the production side of the lens cares. There’s a guy who has a v-blog dedicated to this. There’s a scene from the Gilmore girls where one of the characters walks in carrying two take-away coffees, holding one and the second resting on top of it! And she’s walking and talking at the same time! There’s another scene from another show where a woman is holding her mobile phone and WITH THE SAME HAND is holding her supposedly full coffee cup between her pinkie and thumb, which are reaching around the mobile phone. Someone at that point needs to go, “Cut! Marge, what the hell, darling? That’s a cup full of hot coffee. It’s called “acting” for a reason!”
Victor Allen’s
It depends on the show… Sometimes they have colored water or watered down alcoholic beverage (depending on what the character is supposed to be drinking)
But I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cup ‘empty’ There might be just enough to sip in it. (especially having to more than one take.
Aide from the aforementioned technical and cost difficulties for retakes and spills, there’s also the actors to think of.
With coffee in particular, even decaf coffee is a diuretic. This means it will make you pee more. Imagine having four more hours to shoot of this scene, constantly sipping on coffee, and trying not to do the potty dance while delivering your lines.
For many people, it also stimulates the muscles of the intestines, and it will make you poo. All in all, having to stop shoots so the actors can take care of business, then reset and reshoot is inane. As they say, time is money. You can replace a dirty shirt or broken equipment, but you can’t buy back time. And time passing waste is time wasted in the film industry.
Eight O’Clock
It doesn’t have to be a liquid, does it? Why not put something solid in the cup to at least look substantive?
I think its to prevent the risk of the actors spilling their drink. In some instances, it could ensure the area is safer for the actors. You see, if the liquids are spilt that could potentially ruin the shoot, and make them have to redo a part of the set. And lets say the actor has some tea. If the actor spilt it on to somebody else, you run the risk of scalding them. Jonathan Pie shows this at the end of his video on the EU Referendum, I’d recommend you watch it when you get the chance!
To the other answers, I’ll add the fact that most sets have lots and lots of expensive electronic devices above, below and to either side of what you’re actually seeing, and the risk of getting that stuff wet for an otherwise simple scene shot probably isn’t worth the effort. Actors can trip, and a cup of water can do serious damage to certain types of props and equipment.
Then there’s the health aspect. Do you think they clean all the cups and dishes and stuff between each take? That “cup of water” you’re talking about may have been there all day. Or all week. Put water in a cardboard cup and leave it out for a while. Odds are, the water will start to deform the cup after a day or so. Yes, they can empty them out after the shoot, but what if they forget? Just one more thing to worry about (or not worry about, if you take the easy route and just don’t fill the cup).
Because he might have to perform in take after take. By the time they are finished, his kidneys will be floating.
Peet’s
It’s probably because they think that very few people notice.
It is generally very hard to make a movie that looks completely real in every way. As a result, filmmakers put their money where they think it’ll do the most good, and if they think something is unlikely to be noticed, it’s a potential short cut.
Actors use empty cups for the same reason they only pick at their food. It’s because most scenes in movies and TV shows are not completed in one take. The director determines how may times a scene is re shot. Depending on the director, retakes can anywhere from 1 to 100 or more. If the actors had to continually drink whatever is supposed to be in the cup, especially by the 20 or 30th take, and the cup did have liquid in it, they’d either:
have to stop to take multi bathroom breaks; or,
get sick and tired of what they’re drinking; or,
their stomachs would get uncomfortably full; or,
any combination of the above.
Try drinking coffee 20 or 30 times in one day, and you’ll see what I mean.
I can’t believe someone beat me to this! I was going to ask this just now haha. I’m pretty sure the answer is just lack of attention to detail. I saw one show where there was something in it. What they should really do is put actual coffee in them, make it even more realistic, but I guess some actors/actresses wouldn’t be okay with that.
In addition to reasons already given regarding spilling something or having liquid sloshing around, thus far, no one has mentioned matching shots for visual continuity – which falls under the purview of the script supervisor, not the properties master.
Because scenes are not always shot in chronological order, rather, the shooting order is dictated by camera setups, instead of having the script supervisor pulling her hair out over keeping track of the liquid level inside a cup throughout a scene, and they try to shoot from an angle that doesn’t show down into the cup.
If there really were liquid in the cup, and the actor were really to drink from it, during the multiple takes necessary to obtain coverage of a scene the cup would have to be constantly refilled to the exact same level it was at at the beginning of the scene, or at the last point in the scene where the cup’s contents were visible.
Otherwise, what you would be noticing instead is the constantly changing level of liquid inside the cup.
For example, the cup was 3/4 full when she picked it up, then she took a drink and set it down. Then it was completely full again in a long shot, then it was down to halfway the next time she picked it up, then it went back to completely full when they got up to leave the diner.
If a scene has the actors actually drinking a sip of wine or champagne, there are usually about 20 glasses all filled to the exact same levels to switch out for retakes, and the champagne or wine isn’t usually real so the actors don’t end up getting buzzed off of 36 sips of champagne.
This is also why you seldom actually see anyone really eating during a meal. In scenes where actors are shown smoking, matching a shot with a lit cigarette in it also has it’s own challenges.