Rochelle Davis part 1 / Barnes and Noble / Langhorne, PA
Important Note: Photos provided by Rochelle Davis. Used with full permission. Rochelle Davis retains all rights and copyrights.
I met Ms. Davis at Lehigh Valley Fanfest in 2014. She played Sarah in the movie, the Crow. After having several conversations on Facebook, I realized Ms. Davis is very down to earth, real and does not have an egotistical / typical celebrity attitude.
I have to point out this was another first for the magazine. The first time I have traveled outside of the Lehigh Valley to do an interview.
I want to thank both Ms. Davis and her boyfriend for taking time and doing this interview. I wish both much success and happiness.
I have to point out this was another first for the magazine. The first time I have traveled outside of the Lehigh Valley to do an interview.
I want to thank both Ms. Davis and her boyfriend for taking time and doing this interview. I wish both much success and happiness.
Interview
Part 1 was fun / interesting / covered a lot. Part 2, time to get into the more technical side of the industry.
Part 1, you mentioned about playing a lot of different roles in your life.
Rochelle: Yes, just not professionally. It was camp / school productions, things I did with friends. I actually had a hernia at 3 years old from moving furniture around. Doing productions for my parents. I have always had an unstoppable urge to create since I was very young.
You are a natural artist. There is a lot more involved than just learning the lines / character. What style / genre is your personal favorite to learn / be in?
Rochelle: My personal favorite would be most likely drama. Only because it requires so much gut feeling when you do a dramatic role. When you have to play something very serious and real. Comedy or something less dramatic, there is a lot more room to play with. Especially with fantasy, it's whatever you create. Same with comedy, whatever is going to make it funny. It not necessarily going to come from a gut feeling that is going to show that dramatic role.
If I had a choice, someone said here is a bunch of roles. It would be the hardest, most difficult, emotionally to ploy. Which would most likely be a drama (laughs).
In all honestly, isn't there also a high level of challenge in science fiction / fantasy? You are taking a character that is not real. Make it real and believable and people can relate to.
Rochelle: It's difficult. Everything is difficult, even comedy. You want to find a way to make it funny that hits a lot of people. That doesn't make certain types of people laugh, it makes everybody laugh.
The way you deliver a line can change everything about that line. It is always a challenge with everything. If you are doing a role that hits someone emotionally, in a (certain) spot. Fantasy, I don't think does that. It hits you in a spot of creativity, interest and sparks a lot in your mind. It does not hit you deeply and emotionally. I want to do roles where someone is like: "That hit me in a spot I just can't explain."
Sometimes that comes across without meaning it to. When I did The Crow, I was 12 and 13 years old. I was about being the best I could. At the time, it did not occur to me the role would hit people in a spot that was close to home.
Somehow, no matter what they have been through in life, they could relate to it.
Rochelle: Right, somehow they could connect to it. That didn't occur to me at the time. It gave me a lot of ideas. When people said that, I thought: "Wow! If I could do that without even realizing it. If I am trying to hit people in the heart, I am really going for it."
That is why it interests me to be more in that type of role. I know that is a way you can hit someone in their soul without just sparking creative juices in their minds. I want people to (breathes), it takes their breath away for a second.
So many movies rely on computers now. Do you think technology has helped the industry? Or taken something away from the industry and movies in general?
Rochelle: Kind of a mixture. It can go both ways. There are things now that give opportunities to people who could have never been a part of the industry before. Example: people who are really good with computers. It also takes away from things. Example: Hand made miniatures we did on set. It doesn't mean people who made miniatures can't learn how to do it on computers. I don't think it hindered / helped the industry in any way. Except there are things we can do now that were not possible previously.
One last question in this area. With the advanced graphics software and how close to real life characters are getting, do you think this will affect the amount of human actors / actresses in movies?
Rochelle: It could and I guess it has a little so far. Using voice over and some things they do not need humans for aside from their voices. I think there will be a lot of people who will not what that. People who will not want to see just the computer generated. People still want to see actors.
I still love a good conversational film. There are a few films I have LOVED because most of it was conversational. It's not necessarily what's going on in the movie, it's what they are talking about that is fun. I love the little banter and facial expressions. You can't get that without a real person.
I don't think it will ever get to the point where robots and cgi will ever take over everything we (actors / actresses) do. I think it will amplify what we can do, the movie Avatar for example. I don't think it will take jobs away. I think that would be cool to play a role like that. I was 9 feet tall and other things (laughs)!
You have a long career and several roles ahead of you.
Rochelle: I hope so. I am not going to quit any time soon.
Think this is the end? Not yet. There is still part 3!
Part 1, you mentioned about playing a lot of different roles in your life.
Rochelle: Yes, just not professionally. It was camp / school productions, things I did with friends. I actually had a hernia at 3 years old from moving furniture around. Doing productions for my parents. I have always had an unstoppable urge to create since I was very young.
You are a natural artist. There is a lot more involved than just learning the lines / character. What style / genre is your personal favorite to learn / be in?
Rochelle: My personal favorite would be most likely drama. Only because it requires so much gut feeling when you do a dramatic role. When you have to play something very serious and real. Comedy or something less dramatic, there is a lot more room to play with. Especially with fantasy, it's whatever you create. Same with comedy, whatever is going to make it funny. It not necessarily going to come from a gut feeling that is going to show that dramatic role.
If I had a choice, someone said here is a bunch of roles. It would be the hardest, most difficult, emotionally to ploy. Which would most likely be a drama (laughs).
In all honestly, isn't there also a high level of challenge in science fiction / fantasy? You are taking a character that is not real. Make it real and believable and people can relate to.
Rochelle: It's difficult. Everything is difficult, even comedy. You want to find a way to make it funny that hits a lot of people. That doesn't make certain types of people laugh, it makes everybody laugh.
The way you deliver a line can change everything about that line. It is always a challenge with everything. If you are doing a role that hits someone emotionally, in a (certain) spot. Fantasy, I don't think does that. It hits you in a spot of creativity, interest and sparks a lot in your mind. It does not hit you deeply and emotionally. I want to do roles where someone is like: "That hit me in a spot I just can't explain."
Sometimes that comes across without meaning it to. When I did The Crow, I was 12 and 13 years old. I was about being the best I could. At the time, it did not occur to me the role would hit people in a spot that was close to home.
Somehow, no matter what they have been through in life, they could relate to it.
Rochelle: Right, somehow they could connect to it. That didn't occur to me at the time. It gave me a lot of ideas. When people said that, I thought: "Wow! If I could do that without even realizing it. If I am trying to hit people in the heart, I am really going for it."
That is why it interests me to be more in that type of role. I know that is a way you can hit someone in their soul without just sparking creative juices in their minds. I want people to (breathes), it takes their breath away for a second.
So many movies rely on computers now. Do you think technology has helped the industry? Or taken something away from the industry and movies in general?
Rochelle: Kind of a mixture. It can go both ways. There are things now that give opportunities to people who could have never been a part of the industry before. Example: people who are really good with computers. It also takes away from things. Example: Hand made miniatures we did on set. It doesn't mean people who made miniatures can't learn how to do it on computers. I don't think it hindered / helped the industry in any way. Except there are things we can do now that were not possible previously.
One last question in this area. With the advanced graphics software and how close to real life characters are getting, do you think this will affect the amount of human actors / actresses in movies?
Rochelle: It could and I guess it has a little so far. Using voice over and some things they do not need humans for aside from their voices. I think there will be a lot of people who will not what that. People who will not want to see just the computer generated. People still want to see actors.
I still love a good conversational film. There are a few films I have LOVED because most of it was conversational. It's not necessarily what's going on in the movie, it's what they are talking about that is fun. I love the little banter and facial expressions. You can't get that without a real person.
I don't think it will ever get to the point where robots and cgi will ever take over everything we (actors / actresses) do. I think it will amplify what we can do, the movie Avatar for example. I don't think it will take jobs away. I think that would be cool to play a role like that. I was 9 feet tall and other things (laughs)!
You have a long career and several roles ahead of you.
Rochelle: I hope so. I am not going to quit any time soon.
Think this is the end? Not yet. There is still part 3!
