Difference Between Film And Theatre

Films vs. Theatre

Theatre as we know it today (called Western theatre) comes from Greek festival of Dionysus while films appeared only in the end of nineteenth century when first motion-picture camera was invented. On the one hand films and theatre are quiet similar – both are performing arts, both are reflection through moving and acting, film and theatre industries give labour to actors, producers, sound producers and other ancillary staff and implicitly also to composers and script and screen writers. On the other hand they are different by the techniques of acing, by methods of performance, background illustrations and relationships with audience. When comparing acting in films and theatre it is observable that the way actors act in films or on stage differs. Theatre actors have to use spacious and exaggerated movements and gesture. It is needed to speak loud, use exclamations and overstatements in bodily performance to express emotions and represent the thoughts of the character they play. The insignificant changes of facial expression may be unnoticed by the audience and aren`t very expedient in theatre acting while in films these small facial tics are playing a big role of presenting emotions and create character believable. Cinema does not demand from actors to be as flamboyant as theatre actors, the bodily performance is
So it can be said that although there are differences between film and theatre there is something in common between them, too. And it can be said not only about acting. Certainly, as long as live both theatre and films acquire the reliability to achieve great degree of quality and to touch the theatregoers and film viewers on a personal level, although using different