While theatrical folk may perhaps use the term “Rhubarb” the film industry in the US and Australasia, influenced by our North American colleagues, use the word “Walla” more frequently.
Usually background extras are required to appear more or less animated during the shooting of a scene, but remain as quiet as possible so that the principal actors’ dialogue may be clearly recorded.
For various reasons a scene may be shot “MOS” (“mit out sound”--a legacy of one of those European directors who came to Hollywood in the Golden Age) as well, and the whole track including Walla has to be built from scratch.
“Walla” is usually recorded later in a sound studio as part of post production and generated by a “loop group” of actors, who very often have played no previous part in the film and usually require some direction to acquaint them with the nature of the scene. It’s common, too, to add further information from unspecified extras by recording “wild lines” which have written content but vaguely defined speakers.
The film industry has a rich jargon, it’s not just about “best boys”.
Ross
Welcome, maelduin.
Olly! Did you see this? I have the feeling you and Ross have something in common!
“Walla” is usually recorded later in a sound studio as part of post production and generated by a “loop group” of actors
Kia ora maelduin.
There were other words that these 'extras' employed as well such as 'Natter natter' or Blah blah blah! When said in chorus its generally undecipherable Natter.
It is quite common nowadays to utilise digital effects libraries to build a soundtrack. Canned laughter is similar in the sense that there is quite a range of laughter types from boisterous to, haha, I got it chuckles. I don't know about your part of the world but 'Extras' down here are on occasion referred to as 'Warm Props'
Tenakoe Ollie
One of the first jobs I ever had in a cutting room was to drop the appropriate 2, 4, 6, boundary or out of the ground prerecorded applause into a track against the 2, 4 runs etc marked on the cut film by the editor. This was taken to a recording studio and commentary added. This was before videotape. It was an advance on the really early ABC cricket broadcasts where the commentator listened to the badly transmitted commentary from England and repeated it, hitting the desk with a pencil to approximate ball and bat.
Re loop groups: it was not uncommon for the dialogue editor to be left to direct walla. In NZ the group was usually assembled from office staff and crew, but it was invaluable to have at least one experienced actor to drag any performance out of the non-actors. My experience with US extras recordings is that lower ranked actors specialise in this job; a loop group captain is contracted, given a profile of male/female/ages and he or she gets the group together and virtually directs the session.
marked on the cut film by the editor
There're still a couple of chinagraph pencils lying around here somewhere.
we always said "rhubarb in the suburbs".
Here in the plains we have wild rhubarb, looking very much
like the edible kind. Sometimes someone will pick a stalk
and try to eat it. It may be edible, who knows?, but it
sure does not taste good.
Why don't you just try it? Rhubarb, what we call rabarber and also use like you folks for stage murmur (as a word), is in the garden also almost like a weed, a wild plant. Just have a taste of it, unless you dislike rhubarb anyway.
Here in the plains we have wild rhubarb, looking very much
like the edible kind. Sometimes someone will pick a stalk
and try to eat it. It may be edible, who knows?, but it
sure does not taste good.
Some folks add a bunch of sweetener of one sort or another. If you haven't prepared the rhubarb yourself you might not be aware of this fact. Whatever you do, don't eat the leaves.
That also goes for high plains wild potatoes and tomatoes.
Why don't you just try it? Rhubarb, what we call rabarber and also use like you folks for stage murmur (as a word), is in the garden also almost like a weed, a wild plant. Just have a taste of it, unless you dislike rhubarb anyway.
Because unless one is totally sure if a plant is edible, it could be poisonous. I've tasted it: acrid.
I love rhubarb and have plants for pies, etc. Not much of a cook but love the sauce. Will send you
a picture of both wild and domesticated, whenever it stops raining.
That would be lovely, much obliged.
Rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb. Rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb, rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb (rhubarb rhubarb) rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb?
I got something for you. [
off topic]
tetragonia When you run out of rhubarb try this. I'm jalous you can just pick it on the beach. And delicious.
But, a fantastic garden grower too.
New Zealand spinach Stir-fry with a small onion, tiny bit of cinnamon and nutmeg.
But, the word rhubarb does have a connotation of `brawl` or `a heated dispute`. Refer: AWAD`S theme on `Slang`.
Stir-fry with a small onion, tiny bit of cinnamon and nutmeg
Yummy! I must admit I have never knowingly tried it but I'll pick some up at my local and see how she grows.
Here in the plains we have wild rhubarb, looking very much
like the edible kind. Sometimes someone will pick a stalk
and try to eat it. It may be edible, who knows?, but it
sure does not taste good.
Some folks add a bunch of sweetener of one sort or another. If you haven't prepared the rhubarb yourself you might not be aware of this fact. Whatever you do, don't eat the leaves.
Of course. Then again I should not say that, as there are some who probably do not know that.
Wild rhubarb and domesticated are distinctly different. I promised Bran a picture, and will post it on
Flickr when I get it to my computer (since I cannot seem to post on the threads.)
Here are pictures I took of wild rhubarb growing on the creek
in my yard, and a picture of a stalk of the wild as compared
with 'domestic' or 'edible' rhubarb.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33242986@N08/?saved=1
Ha! The only thing better than a kept promise is two pictures of comparable rhubarb stalks/leaves. Good pictures! Yes, there is similarity. Thanks much Luke.