Don’t move: How do actors appear dead in movies?
Acting is a tough gig. Mastering the ability to perform realistically, even in the most dramatic of moments, requires plenty of skill, as does knowing when to let loose and when to restrain yourself. Having to embody someone else, particularly someone you can’t relate to, is surely no small feat. Countless hours of research and training can go into a role, allowing actors to emulate their character as perfectly as possible.
Of course, depending on the role an actor has been given, levels of preparation will differ. For certain parts, dramatic weight changes might be required, leading actors to change their whole lifestyles and diets. Some actors commit to their parts by dying their hair and undergoing significant physical changes, while others go all out and embody their character off-screen, taking method acting to extreme levels.
Clearly, the ways that actors prepare for their roles differ across the board, but one of the hardest – but rarely talked about – things an actor might have to do requires a different kind of preparation. Pretending to be dead is something that all actors have probably done at some point, whether that be as an extra or a leading star. In doing so, actors have to do more than simply act – they can’t just lay there and hope for the best.
Rather, actors often have to learn specific techniques to help them appear as dead as possible, which is certainly a hard thing to achieve for an extended period of time. Think about it: actors have to hold their bodies completely still, making sure that the camera can’t see their chest moving, their eyes blinking, or their fingers twitching. If the dead character has been killed brutally, all of this has to be done while covered in heavy makeup and fake blood, too.
To achieve the look of a realistic dead body, actors will typically hold their breaths and practise keeping as still as possible. Actors must learn how to control their breathing, honing their technique so that they are less likely to need to cough, swallow or gasp for air. The camera won’t linger on them for too long, perhaps using several shots so that actors can catch their breath or blink. Then, once all the scenes are edited together, it’ll look like an actor is really dead.
However, on some occasions, the crew might have to utilise computer-generated techniques to help make a character look as realistically dead as possible. If an actor is breathing noticeably, it can be edited so that their body appears still. Elsewhere, a dummy might even be used for longer shots, carefully framed to look like a section of a real human’s body.
Another technique that is commonly used is close-ups on specific parts of the body, such as the face. This makes it considerably easier for an actor to stay completely still, only having to control certain body parts at once rather than all of them. Throw in some makeup to give the actor a lifeless look, and you’re onto a winner.
