What Is Reality?

Settle down, Agents, we aren't going to go into an intensive philosophical discussion on the circumstances of your reality - or even your Actor's reality. However, depending on the Show your Actor participates in, and the Roles they take on, their reality within the confines of these Shows can change dramatically. In one Show, an Actor may find himself living the life of an animated cartoon cat leading a resistance against the Robotronic Armada, tricking them through such clever feats as defying the laws of physics; in another, an Actor may be a gritty, street-smart detective, fighting against gangsters with nothing more than a handgun and a sense of duty; in a third, the same Actor may be a three-armed alien woman and the most normal member of the Cast.

When an Actor takes on a Role and shows up for filming, they literally become the Character they are portraying until their time on the set is over, and for all intents and purposes they are dealing with the world that the Show depicts as if they were living in it personally. This generally means that there are rules which a particular Show follows that an Actor is also expected to follow in order to maintain a consistently excellent performance and ensure their Role's survival. In this section, we look at some of these rules and conventions, and how they may change the ways in which Actors must treat their Characters' worlds.

Regular Physics

While many of your Actors never attended a physics class - unless they did a stint as a child actor on a kids' science show - they should nevertheless be familiar with Regular Physics. This all-encompassing term is meant to define 'the way the real world behaves'. Under Regular Physics, acceleration due to gravity occurs normally up to terminal velocity, gas tanks don't explode when you put a bullet through them, car doors are not bullet shields, and people are not sent flying when shot. If it doesn't work in real life, it won't work here.

Cinematic Physics

Although Regular Physics is fine for some Shows, Cinematic Physics is the most common type used. In short, Cinematic Physics lets people get away with unlikely things that sound plausible to the average person without much explanation. In particular, Characters can survive injuries that would put real people in the hospital, perform feats that are normally beyond the realm of human capability if they push themselves to the limit, ignore the laws of physics when cinematically appropriate, use unlikely objects for cover from dangerous circumstances, and so forth. However, this does not let the Characters perform truly unbelievable feats unless a rational explanation is given. (Depending on the Genre and the Plot, the definition of 'rational definition' may vary widely. As a rule, if the Plot supports it, or the Genre supports it, it's fair.)

Cartoon Physics

Cartoon Physics is familiar to practically anyone who's ever watched Saturday morning cartoons for an extended period of time, and generally contains violations of the laws of physics on a routine basis, especially when it's funny. Laws of gravity, inertia, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, and such are frequently altered or ignored.

SciFi Physics

Although there are various definitions of science fiction, most 'hard' science fiction Shows use Regular or Cinematic Physics; however, SciFi Physics is that special brand of physics that allows almost anything to be possible if you have a sufficiently technical explanation, particularly if your Role has the scientific or technical background to justify it. Just remember that fans of a particular show will still demand continuity...

No Violence

Generally, this constraint on reality is assigned when a Show is intended for children, or in situations where the Roles aren't meant to be combatant at all (such as your average, normal game show.) When it says No Violence, it means No Violence - anything that could be classified as assault in a modern courtroom (including slapping, smacking, punching, kicking, spitting, and so forth) violates this convention of reality.

No Serious Violence

Most Shows allow some violence, particularly cartoons and comedy shows. However, with this constraint in effect, characters are not allowed to commit acts of serious violence; the way in which this is rationalized depends on the particular world. Animated Shows usually use this (along with Cartoon Physics) to justify things such as putting a coyote through a blender (the end result being scratches and missing clumps of fur and bandaging, or in extreme circumstances unbleeding segments of character that fall apart, leaving just the blinking eyes behind.) Most other Shows use this to justify any level of violence that doesn't show any bloody injuries on camera (swordfighters may cut up each other's shirts, and fistfighters may punch each other around, but in most cases the only real damage is bruises and dishevelment).

No Graphic Violence

This allows a Show to have scenes of violence, and even death; however, this means that most injuries are not shown in gruesome detail (for example, you can shoot someone, but you won't see brain matter spraying everywhere or hear the gurgling as his trachea collapses.) Any Show with this constraint in existence is automatically given a minimum rating of T (Teenagers).

No Extreme Gore

In short, this constraint on reality only means that while all levels of violence are allowed, they are not to be overly glorified - no extreme descriptions of how various internal organs rupture under the claws of the zombie hordes from the point of view of the person being eviscerated, or of a tortured victim's hours under the various blades and implements of a sadistic murderer, for example. Horror Shows tend to push the envelope of this constraint on reality, but in television, there is still such a thing as too much gore. Any Show with this constraint in existence is automatically M-rated by the Content Ratings Authority.

No Real References

Many Shows actually have this constraint if not in 'modern normal' times, requiring characters to not reference real television shows, people, software, movies, music, sports teams, books, copyrighted materials, etc. This is generally either due to licensing concerns (although The Director usually doesn't worry too much about those) or due to simple anachronism (people four hundred years in the past or future likely neither know nor care about Fall Out Boy.) Parodic versions of reality are generally acceptable, particularly in comedic Genres.

No Parodies

Generally used in 'serious' Shows to prevent bad jokes (the Decisive Jorge W. Shrubbery, for example), or to avoid bypassing the limitations of the 'No Real References' reality constraint. As you might imagine, this means no parodies of real television shows, people, software, movies, music, sports teams, books, copyrighted materials, etc.

Historical Accuracy

Obviously, this constraint on reality is only a concern in Shows that take place at some point in the subjective past -- whether last year or five thousand years ago. With this constraint in effect, your Actor must obey the limitations of their time period and any established canon, particularly in regards to technology and terminology. (This means that most characters in a Show based around Ancient Rome are not going to understand the concepts of modern medicine or gunpowder, for example, unless they happen to be a particularly advanced chemist or a time traveler.)

No Illegal Drugs

With this constraint in effect, characters of a Show are never to be depicted using, dealing, distributing, etc, any form of illegally produced or purchased drug. Alcohol, cigarettes, and other legal drugs are acceptable, though. This generally applies to family Shows where characters may drink or smoke, but where the depiction of illegal activities is discouraged. (Shows may violate this precept for a Very Special Episode that focuses on how horribly wrong these drugs are, though.)

No Drugs

This constraint bans any sort of drug (including alcohol and cigarettes) from being used, sold, or glorified on the Show (again, barring Very Special Episodes.)

No Adult Language

In short, this means that any sort of profanity is strictly forbidden; this is generally considered a requirement of any show rated K or E by the Content Ratings Authority. This does allow implied cursing (son of a gun, heck!), however.

Mild Adult Language

This generally allows some forms of swearing as long as they are appropriately censored (f**k, sh*t, or just plain [bleep!]) or can be justified ('bitch' is a female dog, 'ass' is a donkey, 'damn' is a Biblical verb, and so forth); any Show with this level of constraint automatically earns a minimum rating of T from the Content Ratings Authority.

Strong Adult Language

This basically means that there are no restrictions when it comes to language; Actors can use any level of vulgarity they see fit, without fear of censorship or reprisal. Any Show with this level of constraint automatically earns a rating of M from the Content Ratings Authority.

No Gambling

Although it isn't likely to come up, it generally ends up on family shows (rated K or E by the Content Ratings Authority) as a requirement. In short, if this constraint exists, characters cannot be shown gambling for money.

No Adult Situations

With this constraint in force, you cannot acknowledge sexual relationships (you can acknowledge that couples exist, but not discuss what they do when they're behind closed doors, and generally cannot discuss relationships that don't fit the couples norm - yes, it's not fair, but it's television), basic bodily functions, disturbing medical problems, or threaten graphical violence upon others. It generally exists hand in hand with No Adult Language; again, if you can't do it or talk about it in front of a five-year-old, you can't do it here. Required for Shows rated K or E by the Content Ratings Authority.

Mild Adult Situations

With this constraint in force, you can imply sexual relations and relationships, but cannot graphically describe them; you can acknowledge basic bodily functions (yes, scatalogical humor counts as a mild adult situation - damn those fart jokes!) and medical problems, and you can threaten graphic acts of violence against others (unless this violates another constraint.) Any Show with this constraint is automatically rated T by the Content Ratings Authority.

No Explicit Content

Basically, this constraint means that you can effectively talk about anything on camera, and do anything short of graphic sex acts on camera. Any Show with this constraint is automatically rated M by the Content Ratings Authority.

No Continuity

When applied to a specific Episode, this generally implies that the events of this Episode do not actually affect the Show's Canon; when applied to a Show, this generally implies that the Show will not be worrying about maintaining a sense of continuity between Episodes.