# "Real people. Not actors." **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 17, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-people-not-actors/734918 "2015-10-17T18:21:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-people-not-actors/734918/21 "2015-10-18T21:17:49Z")
Commercials aren’t really shot on film much any more, it’s largely digital video, so the distinction between union/non-union is made in some other way. The film/not film line was also relevant to whether or not the appropriate union was SAG or AFTRA, but they’re now merged. Some of those commercials may in fact use “real people,” but all that means is that the producers found some non-actors with acting talent. And there are some which are clearly a lie–like the car commercial where the guy is in a cage with a bear outside. No one would ever put a civilian in a situation like that; although I guess it’s possible through Hollywood magic the real guy and the bear were never actually together, I haven’t examined it shot by shot. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-people-not-actors/734918/22 "2015-10-18T22:38:23Z")
Commercials are not done live. I say that because people seem to be assuming so in this thread. What is done is that the advertiers bring in a bunch of people and then only use those who give the reactions that sell the product. Those who don’t are edited out, or a new group is brought in to react. It isn’t all that hard to do. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-people-not-actors/734918/23 "2015-10-18T22:47:16Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Commercials are not done live. > > I say that because people seem to be assuming so in this thread. I didn’t notice that. Am I missing something? I can’t imagine a commercial with ‘real people’ being shot live. Some commercials used to be done live, often using the announcer for a live show,. There’s a famous commercial shot live long ago with a Timex watch strapped to an outboard motor propeller. When they stopped the motor and tilted it out of the water… the watch was gone. IIRC the announcer was John Cameron Swayze. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-people-not-actors/734918/24 "2015-10-19T00:38:25Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Lying for money is the very definition of actor, isn’t it? Nope. You can lie without being paid and still call yourself an actor. Which in reality is lying to yourself. All day long. At your busboy job. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-people-not-actors/734918/25 "2015-10-19T01:01:34Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > What kind of a father are you, **Voyager**? Cheerios are delicious. Sez you and those musclebound pinups. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-people-not-actors/734918/26 "2015-10-19T01:05:11Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Nope. You can lie without being paid and still call yourself an actor. Which in reality is lying to yourself. All day long. At your busboy job. To paraphrase Dr. Johnson, only a blockhead would lie for free. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-people-not-actors/734918/27 "2015-10-19T01:30:02Z")
Personally it mean nothing to me b/c ‘real’ people can get paid to say anything . I really love the ads that show a person ‘after’ photo of a weight lost ,or new teeth or facelift but you never see the ‘before’ photo . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-people-not-actors/734918.md?page=1)