By Sally Benson (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-06-02 16:57

He understands an Oscar-winning performance is not essential, but tries to make his efforts as real as possible.

Sergio Almeida plays a bartender in a Chinese TV show. Sally Benson Sobotka remembers his high school drama lessons about the different methods, internal and external acting. For example, if an actor is required to cry, the internal method involves thinking about a sad event. The external technique involves lowering the head and wiping the eyes.

"I try to make it as internal as I can, however that's not always possible and as easy as we wish it."

When it comes to China's fast-changing society, appearance is important to hundreds of millions of Chinese viewers and consumers.

Assistant to the director and foreign casting Lost in Los Angeles David Tom says the Olympics has been the catapult, which has been pushing everything up and content in film productions reflects that change.

"The focus, the economy, foreign advertising, investment, everything is coming together," he says.

And, he says the focus is no longer imperial soap operas or martial arts films.

"The focus is on modern contemporary pieces and not period pieces," he says. "We are showing 'New China'. Everyone is looking at China, everyone's coming to China this year, everything that will be on TV and film will be 'New China'.

"We have foreign faces on products, in advertisement and television. There is a reason for that, and the reason is psychological."

"Chinese audiences don't see enough foreigners on Chinese TV and film and if they do see them, they see them as stereotypical."

When casting, he looks for foreigners who can act, but most importantly, how they fit the role.

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