Scully Box: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
[[File:
If an actor looks too short next to a costar, the easiest thing to do is to have them stand on something to make them taller.
Named for a special box from the production of ''[[The X-Files]]''. Gillian Anderson was much shorter than David Duchovny. Consequently, to keep Scully and Mulder on roughly the same plane while shooting them together, they developed [http://jaekakes.tumblr.com/post/5613502507/criminalmusings-rachelkillers a special box for her to stand on.] Unlike the traditional movie apple box or trench, a
The term "apple box" is prevalent in the industry for an actor-heightening wooden box of a given dimension, typically: 12" x 8" x 20" or 30 x 20 x
A less extreme but often more visible method is to have the smaller person in high heeled or platform shoes (or boots with a very deep heavy tread for guys), and the taller people in sneakers or flats.
A
See also [[
{{examples}}
▲== Films ==
* While Michael Clarke Duncan is already 6'5, some movies use tricks to make him look superhumanly tall.
** ''[[The Green Mile]]'' made his character look much taller.
** ''[[Daredevil]]'' used this in conjunction with [[
* Inverted in the ''[[Scary Movie]]'' series when actor Kevin Hart had to stand in a trench in order to be slightly shorter than the other actors, since his character is short. Since Kevin Hart stands 5 feet 4 1/2 inches tall, it seems that he frequently employs this device, rather than subverting it as he did in this movie.
* In ''[[Casablanca]]'', [[Humphrey Bogart]] had to stand on a box to kiss Ingrid Bergman. But [[Hello, Nurse!|it was worth it]].
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* In ''[[Back to The Future]]'', because Christopher Lloyd is much taller than Michael J. Fox, the director used camera tricks to avoid using one. For example, the two are rarely in the same shot together and, when they are, one is usually sitting down or much closer to the camera than the other. When Doc Brown is talking, he's often moving around so much that the viewer can't really tell how tall he is. Lloyd also improvised a hunch in his posture that helped give the character more of a [[Mad Scientist]] look.
* Used in-story by Linda Hunt's character in ''[[Silverado]]''. Kevin Klein first meets her while she's tending bar. When she comes around to the other side, she's suddenly a foot shorter. He leans over and looks behind the bar to see a ramp along the other side for her to stand on and comfortably reach the table. She makes a comment about the necessity of "making adjustments" in life.
* Paul McGann (perhaps most notably seen in ''[[Withnail and I]]'', being short, and ''[[Doctor Who]]'', being less so) shares his thoughts on his height and the
{{quote|"Five feet nine. Quite little, really. From a squat tribe, you see. My brothers (and sister) are all taller than me, as are most of the actresses I'm required to smootch. At such times they usually stand me on a box. Sort of keeps your feet on the ground, paradoxically."}}
* In ''[[Water for Elephants]]'', Reese Witherspoon at roughly 5' 2" shared the spotlight with [[Robert Pattinson]], who is a foot taller. In an interview she mentioned this was in liberal use for the kissing scenes.
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* In ''[[In Time]]'' [[Amanda Seyfried]] (5'3) is paired up with [[Justin Timberlake]] (6'1). Rather than use a box or use perspective shots to try and hide the height difference the filmakers decided to make it part of the character and Seyfried is never seen without a pair of very distinctive towering purple high heels.
* [[Marlon Brando]] is always shown from the waist up in ''[[Apocalypse Now]]'' to seem like the 6'6" Kurtz described in ''[[Heart of Darkness]]''.
* [[Miley Cyrus]] is about 5'6, but her love interest in ''[[The Last Song]]'' was played by Liam Hemsworth, who is 6'3, so this technique had to be used on occasion and it can be clearly seen in outtakes from the movie's promoshoot like [https://web.archive.org/web/20210228144715/http://heart-miley.com/gallery/albums/last%20song%20photoshoot/01_%2813%29.jpg this one]{{Dead link}}.
* Used in at least one of the ''[[Dirty Harry]]'' films due to Clint Eastwood's height.
* Inverted in ''[[Judge Dredd]]'', where it's to make Sylvester Stallone tower over the young recruits.
== Live-Action TV ==
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* In ''[[iCarly]]'', the actor who plays Freddie was very short in the first season, compared to the 2 girls in their power trio. So he had to wear a very visible pair of giant platform boots. By the time season 2 started he'd hit puberty with a deeper voice (mentioned on the show), and he was as tall as Carly. In the current episodes, he's starting to tower over Carly as well.
** In Season 4, [[Miranda Cosgrove]] has continued to get taller, while Jennette Mc Curdy has not, so in episodes from Season 4 onward she starts wearing platform shoes.
* Inversion. In the later seasons of [[M*A*S*H (television)|Mash]] with Major Burns, Burns seems to get shorter, despite Larry linville being 6'1" and Alan Alda standing 6'2", and Mike Farrell 6'3". It may have been a nod to the movie, where Burns was played by Robert Duvall (5'8") and Hawkeye by Donald Sutherland (6'4"), and Trapper Elliot Gould (6'3").
* In [[Supernatural]], both Katie Cassidy (5'7") and Genevieve Cortese (5'4") played the demon Ruby. Since almost all of their screen time was spent in the company of the 6'4" [[Jared Padalecki]] and 6'1" [[Jensen Ackles]], tall, spiky heels became a standard of Ruby's wardrobe from the get go. Katie Cassidy has stated these caused her to lose her balance on more than one occasion.
* Used in-universe in ''[[Veep]]'', where the Vice President's assistant has a folding stepping stool in his bag for her to use during speeches when the lectern is too tall. This is understandable, given that the actress, Julia Louis Dreyfus, is 5'3.
* The use of one can be inferred in many scenes of ''[[Strong Girl Bong-soon]]'', given the almost one-foot difference in height between romantic leads Park Bo-young (Bong-soon) and Park Hyung-sik (Min-hyeok). And there are just as many where he has to bend almost double to kiss her on the forehead.
== Professional Wrestling ==
* The [[Professional Wrestling|WWF's]] [[Andre the Giant]] frequently employed a crate during backstage interviews; he was already incredibly tall and large, but this served to make him truly tower over the interviewer. Sadly, the condition that caused his large size ultimately led to his early death.
== Theatre ==
* Referenced in the very first verse of the song "Nelson" from ''[[A Day in Hollywood, A Night in the Ukraine]]'', which is an [[Anti-Love Song]] from [[Jeannette MacDonald]] to her eternal co-star, [[Nelson Eddy]]:
{{quote|''My hero must stand on a box in our love scenes
''And God, does he act like a lox in our love scenes.}}
== Web Comics ==
* When ''[[Drowtales]]'' released its 14th chapter [https://web.archive.org/web/20151001212608/http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive
== Western Animation ==
* In ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]]'', since Woody was actually much taller than Buzz, in scenes when they had to talk with each-other but their feet wouldn't be in the frame. the animators would actually have Woody's legs dangling BELOW the ground. They called it "Ditching".
* A similar trick was done in ''[[Total Drama World Tour]]''. Since Sierra is just shy of [[One Head Taller]] than her crush Cody, the animators had to cheat whenever she employed a [[Marshmallow Hell]], and kept Cody's feet a few inches above the ground.
* An in-universe example in the 1987 ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' episode "Rondo in New York" when action Hollywood star tours the theater to promote his latest film. The actor is really short and has a crew placing apple boxes as he walks by the crowd looking down on them, much to Michelangelo's disappointment.
== Real Life ==
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** After divorcing him, [[Nicole Kidman]] declared "Now I can wear heels again."
* Tom Cruise's BFF [[Church of Happyology|David Miscavige]] uses a box for nearly every speech he makes. He also surrounds himself with short people, and has regular-sized and tall people stand in the back for group pictures.
* During a debate when Robert Reich was running for governor of Massachusetts in 2002, a camera pan showed he was standing on one of these behind the podium. Understandable, since he's 4'10" due to a bone condition. [[Self-Deprecation|He's made fun of this]] on shows like ''Conan O'Brien''.
* John Kerry, frequently has this device used by people he's posing with, since at 6'4" he towers over practically everyone. This is especially notable whenever [http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70/TayTayTay/KerryPatrickTall.jpg he has to stand next to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick] and is a good head and then some taller.
* During an event where speeches were given by Obama and [[The Napoleon|Nicolas Sarkozy]], several pictures were taken from the side, revealing the... vertically challenged French president had stood on a box, presumably because he wouldn't have reached the microphone (set up for Obama) otherwise. Sarkozy even needs one of these when pictured with his own wife, [[Ugly Guy, Hot Wife|an ex-supermodel]].
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* Famed architect [[Frank Lloyd Wright]] accomplished the same effect by designing many buildings around his own height of 5'8". Tall people find them notoriously cramped.
* Many photographers have boxes in their studios for just this purpose. It really comes in handy for couples with large height differences. Some studios also employ phone books (and [[Doorstopper|other thick literary titles]]).
* In the [[BBC]]'s flat racing coverage, Willie Carson, a five foot tall ex-champion jockey, employs one of these to be seen in shot with his much taller co-host Clare Balding.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Script Speak]]
▲[[Category:Scully Box]]
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