History DoingItForTheArt / LiveActionFilms

* The PsychologicalThriller ''{{Film/CAM}}'' has a heavy focus on internet live streams with realistic chatrooms. To fill the scenes with realistic "background chatter," Isa Mazzei wrote about one hundred pages worth of chat logs, including several "characters" with distinct personalities and inside jokes.

* The PsychologicalThriller ''{{Film/CAM}}'' has a heavy focus on internet live streams with realistic chatrooms. To fill the scenes with realistic "background chatter," Isa Mazzei wrote about one hundred pages worth of chat logs, including several "characters" and inside jokes.

* When Arnold Schwarzenegger read the script for the zombie horror-drama ''Film/{{Maggie}}'', he loved it so much that he refused to accept any salary for starring in it. Perhaps it's not a coincidence, then, that many viewers had a HeReallyCanAct reaction, with several critics sincerely proclaiming it as the performance of his career.

** ''Film/Deadpool2016'': Creator/RyanReynolds, himself a [[JustForFun/OneOfUs huge Deadpool fan]], made many sacrifices to ensure that the film would work. Not only did Reynolds accepted a reduced $65 million working budget and a salary cut to keep the movie's R-rating, but[[http://www.slashfilm.com/ryan-reynolds-deadpool-writers/ he also paid the writers out of his own pocket]].

* Creator/JohnTravolta wanted to make a film version of ''Film/BattlefieldEarth'' for years, and it was only after years of effort, and agreeing to a discount salary for his performance, that it finally got made. Once again, another TropesAreNotGood example.

** The first film (nicknamed for good reason ''Star Trek the Motionless Picture'') was ''also'' this, proving once again that TropesAreNotGood. Taking creative control away from Creator/GeneRoddenberry was part of what allowed the subsequent movies to succeed, as without him the writers and directors could temper For The Art with at least a little bit of What People Actually Want, and it turned out the latter ''wasn't'' a recycled 46-minute TV episode plot from a decade and a half ago blatantly and obviously padded with a long, dull sequence consisting entirely of ambient music and expensive SFX (that by today's standards looks like a cheap screensaver).

* As a good example of TropesAreNotGood, ''Film/ManosTheHandsOfFate'' is a terrible movie, but it is exactly what Hal P. Warren wanted. Only with worse production values.

** Used to a lesser (but still greater than normal) degree for the ''Film/{{Hellboy}}'' films, which made extensive use of puppetry, optical illusions (Krauss' head) and contortionist/actor Creator/DougJones (Abe, Angel of Death, Chancellor...etc.).

** In addition, he took on ''Film/TheDarkKnightSaga'' in order to gain experience with handling a blockbuster production so he would be ready to perfect what was needed for ''Inception'' when it was done. ''Film/BatmanBegins'' and ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' were warm-ups!

** He did the same thing for ''Film/PulpFiction. They considered him a long-shot for the role as he was an A-List star, but he wanted to do a more indie-project and took a big pay-cut to play Butch.

** ''Film/Logan2017'': Just like Ryan Reynolds, Creator/HughJackman took a pay cut to ensure that the movie would be R-rated. Jackman also refused appear in future ''X-Men'' movies as he didn't want to diminish the sense of closure for his final performance as Wolverine.

** Bill Murray is like this a lot: he refused to let his name appear in marketing for ''Film/{{Zombieland}}'' to hide the surprise, and has admitted he only did ''Film/{{Garfield}}'' because it was written by Joel Cohen and he read the name and thought it was it was Joel Coen of Creator/TheCoenBrothers. At which point he signed up without reading the script.

* One of the great early examples is Creator/LillianGish--in the climax of ''Film/WayDownEast'', Creator/DWGriffith required her to lie still on a very real ice floe for hours on end while her hair and right hand were submerged in below-freezing water. Thanks to the stunt, Gish's hand would be partially impaired for the rest of her life, but she contributed to what is considered one of the most exciting climaxes in cinema history.

* Creator/DarrenAronofsky turned down a chance to direct the newest ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' movie so he could direct ''Film/TheFountain'', despite knowing that it wouldn't make anywhere near as much money. He still insisted on getting it made, even after the studio cut half of his budget, forcing him to do the whole movie (an epic sci-fi film that includes a big portion set ''in space'') without any CGI at all. When it looked like the studio would never approve the movie, he wrote it as a graphic novel and got Creator/VertigoComics to publish it. Whether or not you like the movie, it's undeniable that Aronofsky cared about it. A lot.

* Creator/JamesCameron has made a career out of never compromising on his vision. His reputation as a perfectionist paints him as a prima donna director (with stories to back it up), but actors who have collaborated with him often, like Bill Paxton and Creator/SigourneyWeaver, state that it is precisely that that what makes him stand out--a director who stays true to his vision of a film with no compromises and staves off ExecutiveMeddling:

** When making ''Film/TheTerminator'', he actually called weapons manufacturers to ask about how to make a "Phased Plasma Rifle, in the 40 watt range". Understandably, they were confused. Later on in production, when executives barred Cameron from filming a key scene where the T-800 picks up on Kyle and Sarah's trail, the director snuck out with a camera and Arnold Schwarzenegger to the back of the hotel set and shot the scene anyway.

* Speaking of ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'', [[Creator/AndySerkis Andrew Serkis]]'s [[SerkisFolk work]] on the trilogy and ''Film/KingKong2005''. Painstakingly crafting memorable MotionCapture performances even knowing that no one would ever actually see him on screen. Going to Africa to study gorillas in the wild ''on his own time and money'' to make sure he played the most convincing gorilla he could. And in the process, he almost singlehandedly elevates Motion Capture to a full-fledged art form. All For The Art.

** Used to a lesser (but still greater than normal) degree for the ''Film/{{Hellboy}}'' films, which made extensive use of puppetry, optical illusions (Krauss' head) and contortionist/actor Doug Jones (Abe, Angel of Death, Chancellor...etc.).

** The underwater scene on Naboo in Episode I? Trisha Biggar used vintage fabric for Obi-Wan's robe, and it shrank in water. They had to make and destroy a robe for ''every single cut''.

* John Milius's [[Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982 movie adaptation]] of ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'' was very, very, ''very'' good for a character most people treated as a joke and expected to get something lighthearted and campy. Instead, they got something [[DarkerAndEdgier dark, edgy]], philosophical and yet still a good adventure movie. It had plenty of changes from the original stories, but it still stands up as an individual story and has actors that are either excellent, [[LargeHam hammy]] or [[Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger both]]. Sadly, Milius was not brought back to work on the sequel.

* The films of Creator/QuentinTarantino and Creator/RobertRodriguez are typically full of AuthorAppeal (sexual and otherwise). ''Film/{{Grindhouse}}'' was made because they felt like it, and when Rodriguez made ''ComicBook/SinCity'', he got Josh Hartnett and Creator/MarleyShelton to come by to film a short, which he digitally edited and gave to Creator/FrankMiller just to convince him to give Rodriguez the rights to make a full movie out of it.

* After ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'' went over budget, was panned by critics and audiences, and just barely made a profit, Paramount just wanted a sequel to be more profitable, even if the series just turned into a FranchiseZombie. So they brought on TV producer HarveBennet for the next movie, mainly because he promised he could do it on a fifth of the last film's budget. Instead of just making a slapdash sequel, he brought on the best people he could with the money he had, including Creator/NicholasMeyer to direct. The result was ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'', a monster critically hailed hit that made the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' film franchise one of the longest and most successful film series in Hollywood history.

* Kevin Pollack insists that he only works on projects that he thinks will be good, and has managed to get into some major hits like ''Film/AFewGoodMen''. While Film/JuwannaMann seems like an obvious [[MoneyDearBoy cash grab]], he signed on because the lead role was originally going to be played by Creator/WillSmith.

* Creator/SergioLeone was a meticulous perfectionist filmmaker who wanted every take to be perfect. This is what got him and Rod Steiger into several arguments during the making of ''Film/DuckYouSucker'', as Steiger preferred the spontaneity of the first take. Also, Eli Wallach notoriously cheated death five or six times making ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly'', including having a train narrowly missing his head, and Eastwood himself once after they blew up a bridge. They built a bridge and blew it up.

* Creator/EmmaWatson and Creator/KateWinslet are examples of actors who moved directly from blockbuster productions (Franchise/HarryPotter and Film/Titanic1996, respectively) to smaller, independent productions because of a stated desire to do stories they felt were more worthwhile than another billion-dollar moneymaker.

* A general example: the trope is often invoked by actors and actresses who take on sexually explicit roles and find themselves defending or rationalizing the decision in later interviews. While some may take a SexSells attitude, most justify doing it for the sake of the art, the story.

* Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit ''embodies'' this trope. In an age when computer animation and fully green-screened film making weren't commonplace yet, this film blended cel animation with live-action choreography, prop work, and humans, especially lead actor Creator/BobHoskins, so seamlessly that it was completely believable that humans and cartoons coexisted and interacted with each other.

** The lengths the producers went through to get the [[Creator/Disney rights]] [[Creator/WarnerBros holders]] of the numerous cartoons characters to allow their characters to appear in the movie, and then weave those characters' involvement in a believable yet hilarious way, goes to show just how far these creators were willing go to create the ultimate love letter to these cartoon legends.

* Creator/MichaelChiklis insisted on uncomfortable makeup rather than ConspicuousCG for the Thing in [[Film/FantasticFour Fantastic Four]]. CG and voice over would have let him do the role in days. The makeup meant he spent hours a day in it, and could not even sit. He did this because he was JustForFun/OneOfUs and knew a CGI Thing wouldn't have the same effect on the audience. His efforts were arguably successful; although the films themselves failed to make much impression, Chiklis' version of The Thing is generally considered the best and most comics-accurate part of the venture.

* Creator/JackieChan: After all the broken bones, the organ injuries, and life-threatening misses...and even (by his own honest admission) the occasional MoneyDearBoy offer, almost all of the work he does, he does for the love of bringing his brand of physical entertainment to the world. Continuing a shoot with a broken leg using a rubber shoe-sock over his cast? Done. Rolling over a ''circular saw''? Check. Jumping from building to building with ''little to no safety mechanisms''? All the time.

* Creator/MichaelChiklis insisted on uncomfortable makeup rather than ConspicuousCG for the Thing in [[Film/FantasticFour Fantastic Four]]. CG and voice over would have let him do the role in days. The makeup meant he spent hours a day in it, and could not even sit. He did this because he was OneOfUs and knew a CGI Thing wouldn't have the same effect on the audience. His efforts were arguably successful; although the films themselves failed to make much impression, Chiklis' version of The Thing is generally considered the best and most comics-accurate part of the venture.

*** It doubles with EnforcedMethodActing since the bit where the Joker stops and starts smacking the detonator wasn't in the script. One of the explosions failed to go off on time, but Ledger stayed in character while waiting for the explosions to finish, so the scene could still be used in the film. Which turns an UnflinchingWalk scene into one of the funniest reactions in the movie.

* Surprisingly, the film ''Film/{{North}}'' fits this. Apparently, director Rob Reiner wanted to make a touching fable that would be his very own [[Film/TheWizardOfOz Wizard of Oz]]. What he failed to realize is that he made [[Film/ThePrincessBride his own touching fable]] seven years before. Also, he unexpectedly managed to tick off [[Creator/RogerEbert a rather important critic]].