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| 6 | [[quoteright:279:[[Creator/TomCruise https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tom_cruise_scully_box_8.png]]]] |
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| 8 | ->''"[I am] 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 smooch. At such times they usually stand me on a box. Sort of keeps your feet on the ground, paradoxically."'' |
| 9 | -->-- '''Creator/PaulMcGann''' |
| 10 | |
| 11 | When planning out the framing of an image, sometimes the real-life height of an actor can be a hindrance to making the shot look good. 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 while making sure the camera can't see their feet. This helps to keep people in frame and sometimes better convey power dynamics, as [[LargeAndInCharge taller people tend to feel more in control]]. While boxes are common, this trope refers to a number of different techniques used to bridge that gap including high heels (and not just for women), [[HitlerCam camera angles]], and specialized blocking for (never standing face to face, sitting down a lot, etc.). |
| 12 | |
| 13 | A subtrope is when the camera is lowered and placed at a sharp upward angle to create the illusion of height called a HitlerCam. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Named for a special box from the production of ''Series/TheXFiles''. Standing at 5'2" (1.57 m), Creator/GillianAnderson was [[OneHeadTaller much shorter]] than her co-star Creator/DavidDuchovny, who was 6'0" (1.83 m). Consequently, to keep Scully and Mulder on roughly the same plane while shooting them together, they developed a special box for her to stand on (also referred on set as [[http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1egkr9/i_am_gillian_anderson_ama/ca01vck?context=3 "Gilly-Board"]] after the actress). Unlike the traditional movie apple box or trench, a Scully Box can be stacked up, or laid out in a runway. It's very versatile and used to accommodate large height differences between cast members. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | The term "apple box" is prevalent in the industry for an actor-heightening wooden box of a given dimension, typically: 12" × 8" × 20" or 30 × 20 × 50cm. A Scully Box is an 'apple' and a half and is constructed of aluminum covered with outdoor carpeting for sound-deadening and traction. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | An inversion of this, where a character is framed to look smaller in the environment than they should be, is sometimes referred to as "trenching." Compare CheatedAngle. A ''lack'' of Scully Box can lead to a DownHereShot. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | ---- |
| 22 | !!Examples: |
| 23 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 24 | |
| 25 | [[folder:Advertising]] |
| 26 | * An advert for Springfield Armory had the tagline ''Some shooters can't see eye-to-eye'' with two famous competition pistol shooters glaring at each other, the shorter one standing on an ammunition crate so he could look the other in the eye. Of course the one thing they did see eye-to-eye on was that they both liked Springfield Armory pistols. |
| 27 | * ''Advertising/OtterPops'' features an invoked version. Strawberry Short Kook, being a movie mogul, while also being short, has an apple crate as her IconicItem, both in reference to her directorial and acting motivations, and to cover up her short height. |
| 28 | [[/folder]] |
| 29 | |
| 30 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 31 | * One ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' comic has Nobita snooping through Doraemon's photobook from the future, including a snapshot Doraemon took with his girlfriend, Noramyako, where they're the same height with only their upper bodies visible. Nobita, using a gadget, makes the photo pan out and reveals that Doraemon was actually standing on a tree stump. |
| 32 | * In ''Anime/LuckyStar'''s opening, a zoom-in at waist-level shows Konata's skirt at the same height as the other girls, but she is significantly shorter than them, which implies she was standing on something offscreen. |
| 33 | * {{Invoked|trope}} in Episode 15 of the ''Anime/AceAttorney2016'' anime; Pearl has to jump onto a box in order to see over the Defense Stand. |
| 34 | * PlayedForLaughs in Chapter 36/Episode 8 of ''Manga/MonthlyGirlsNozakiKun''. Nozaki is so bad at perspective that, when forced to draw his own backgrounds, every scene has at least one character who seems to be hovering in mid-air. He solves this by drawing a box under their feet -- every single time. When Hori (the assistant who normally draws the backgrounds) complains, Nozaki tries to justify it InUniverse with a panel where the manga's female lead declares that carrying boxes everywhere is the current fad, prompting Hori to shout "That's not the issue here!" |
| 35 | * InUniverse example in ''Manga/TheSummerYouWereThere''. Since Shizuku is OneHeadTaller than Kaori, a bonus illustration at the end of Volume 2 that has the two crossdressing as butlers, with the two on the same level, explains that Kaori is standing on a stool. |
| 36 | * ''Manga/OshiNoKo'': InUniverse, Aqua plays his father Hikaru in a dramatization of his mother Ai's life. [[HowDadMetMom They first met]] when Hikaru was in middle school, but Aqua was already eighteen during filming, so they had the other actors standing on a box offscreen. |
| 37 | [[/folder]] |
| 38 | |
| 39 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 40 | * Rorschach invokes this in ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}''. When the police arrest him, they find he wears platform shoes to make himself taller. |
| 41 | * On the cover of ''Series/TheLoneGunmen'' comic book a publicity shot of the cast is used which due to lack of cropping, the Scully Box used to make Byers and Frohike the same height as the rest is [[http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/Previews/11-197 very obvious.]] |
| 42 | [[/folder]] |
| 43 | |
| 44 | [[folder:Films — Animation]] |
| 45 | * In ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}'', when [[spoiler:Bear Elinor]] is standing, she is more than twice Merida's height. To fit both characters into the same shot, the animators sometimes sunk [[spoiler:Bear Elinor]] into the floor a bit. |
| 46 | * In one scene in ''WesternAnimation/ParaNorman'', Norman's father is made taller than his son in this way in order to [[RuleOfSymbolism emphasize the disconnect between the two]]. The box is steadily replaced with smaller and smaller boxes as Norman walks away. |
| 47 | * In ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'', since Woody is 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 [[InvertedTrope clipping into the ground]]. They called it "Trenching", named for when trenches were dug for the much taller female co-stars of actor Alan Ladd (5'6") to make him appear at the same height as them. |
| 48 | [[/folder]] |
| 49 | |
| 50 | [[folder:Films — Live-Action]] |
| 51 | * Some movies used this to make the already 6'4" Creator/MichaelClarkeDuncan look superhumanly tall. |
| 52 | ** ''Film/TheGreenMile'' made his character look much taller, which especially came in handy next to the similarly tall David Morse and James Cromwell who is even taller. |
| 53 | ** ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'' used this in conjunction with HitlerCam to make him tower over Ben Affleck who is also 6'4". |
| 54 | * Inverted in the ''Film/ScaryMovie'' series when actor Kevin Hart had to stand in a trench in order to be noticeably shorter than the other actors. Since Kevin Hart stands 5 feet 2 1/2 inches tall, it seems that he frequently employs this device, rather than subverting it as he did in this movie. |
| 55 | * Invoked in ''Film/{{Godzilla|1998}}'' (1998). Charles Caiman (played by 5'6" Harry Shearer) meets his new co-anchor for the first time while she's sitting in her chair on set. He sits next to her and the top of his head barely meets her chin. With the news starting in a few seconds, he desperately asks the producer for a pillow or phone book, then resorts to holding himself up by the arms on his chair. |
| 56 | * Happened with several of Creator/IngridBergman's leading men: |
| 57 | ** In ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'', Creator/HumphreyBogart (5'8") had to stand on a box to kiss Bergman (5'9"). |
| 58 | ** Similarly, in ''Film/{{Gaslight}}'', Creator/CharlesBoyer -- being the same height as his leading lady -- stood on a box for head and shoulders two-shots with Bergman. |
| 59 | ** Used in ''Film/{{Notorious|1946}}'' for the diminutive Creator/ClaudeRains (5'6") in some of his shots with Bergman, including one scene where he enters a room and [[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2iz7qWXP0Os/UwlLv9qgS0I/AAAAAAAAAf8/HA4LAvqRTOE/s1600/Notorious01.gif ascends a ramp]] as he approaches the camera (and Bergman). |
| 60 | * The UK bus-side poster for ''Film/FourChristmases'' has Creator/ReeseWitherspoon visibly standing on a stack of boxed presents, as she's ''much'' shorter (5'1") than her co-star Creator/VinceVaughn, who is... really damn tall (6'5"). |
| 61 | * ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'' |
| 62 | ** In ''Film/XMen1'', James Marsden had to use these when filming around Creator/HughJackman and Creator/FamkeJanssen. At 5'9 1/2", Marsden is not short, but Janssen is 6'0" (not counting heels) and Jackman 6'2". This is especially ironic since Cyclops (Marsden) is canonically about a foot taller than Wolverine (Jackman), whose shortness is one of his most iconic traits.[[note]]For the record, in the comics Cyclops is 6'3", Jean Grey is 5'6" and Wolverine is 5'3".[[/note]] The DVD extras reveal Marsden playfully griping about this fact, and when the team arrives at the Statue of Liberty you can see in a wide shot just how big his boots were. |
| 63 | ** In the [[Film/X2XMenUnited second]] and [[Film/XMenTheLastStand third]] movies, scenes with Jean and Scott together were carefully framed so that their legs and feet were not visible because he was standing on boxes and she wasn't wearing shoes. |
| 64 | ** While ComicBook/{{Apocalypse}} does wear combat boots in the comics, in the case of ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' they were used as an aid to make the average-sized Creator/OscarIsaac (5' 7½"1,71 m) [[EvilIsBigger more imposing]] even if not massive (he looks eye-to-eye with Creator/MichaelFassbender, who's three inches taller). |
| 65 | * In ''I Love Your Work'', Giovanni Ribisi's character kisses a woman while filming a scene in an elevator, then promptly hops off the Scully Box at the end of the take, revealing that the woman is about six inches taller than he is. |
| 66 | * The Disney Channel movie ''Double Teamed'', which portrayed WNBA twin sisters Heather and Heidi Burge (both 6'5"), had the actresses portraying them (who weren't twins, and in fact weren't even related) using several methods to tower over their teammates, from Scully Boxes to specialized sneakers. |
| 67 | * This has been done digitally and with camera angles as of recently, most notably with Robbie "Hagrid" Coltrane (who at 6'1" is pretty big, but no giant) in the ''Film/HarryPotter'' film series to make him seem like a half-giant. |
| 68 | * ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'': |
| 69 | ** Pretty much everyone of average height who shared a scene with Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, or any other hobbits in the trilogy, in order to make the hobbits seem shorter, in conjunction with forced perspective and body doubles. The sole exception was John Rhys Davies, who (by sheer coincidence) is as much taller than the hobbit actors as a dwarf is supposed to be, so shots involving only them could dispense with any height trickery. The same trick was used in ''Film/TheHobbit'' movies, especially as the Dwarf actors (as well as Creator/MartinFreeman) interact with taller characters like Gandalf and Thranduil. |
| 70 | ** Speaking of Thranduil, this happened to practically anybody who shared close-ups with the 6'5" Creator/LeePace. In long shots, he towers over pretty much everyone but in closer shots, most of the other actors had to stand on something. |
| 71 | ** While Galadriel is frequently shown walking around barefoot, Creator/CateBlanchett (5'8") had to wear platform "disco boots" under her dresses to better match the height of the actors playing the other elves. |
| 72 | * In ''Film/JulieAndJulia'' in order to have Creator/MerylStreep (5'6") reflect the height of Julia Child (6'2"). They also used smaller-scale props and hired short actors to be extras in her scenes. |
| 73 | * In ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'', because Creator/ChristopherLloyd (6'1") is much taller than Creator/MichaelJFox (5'4"), director Creator/RobertZemeckis 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 MadScientist look. |
| 74 | * In the infamous ''Film/BattlefieldEarth'' movie, John Travolta and Forest Whitaker walked on stilts to appear 10-foot tall as the alien Psychlos. |
| 75 | * Used in-story by Linda Hunt's character in ''Film/{{Silverado}}''. Kevin Kline first meets her while she's in front of the bar. When she goes around to the other side, she's suddenly a foot taller. 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 bartop. She has a very philosophical view of things, though. |
| 76 | -->'''Stella:''' Life is what you make of it, my friend. If it doesn't fit, you make alterations. |
| 77 | * In ''Film/WaterForElephants'', Reese Witherspoon at roughly 5'1" shared the spotlight with Creator/RobertPattinson, who is a foot taller. In an interview, she mentioned this was in liberal use for the kissing scenes. |
| 78 | * An amusing example: Brad Garrett (Robert from ''Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond'') was cast as comedian Jackie Gleason in a biographical movie (titled ''Gleason'', naturally). Because Brad Garrett is known for being ''extremely'' tall (as in 6'8"!), ''everybody else in the cast'' had to wear platform shoes in all their scenes with him. (Never mind the fact that Gleason himself only stood at 5'10"!) |
| 79 | * In ''Film/InTime'' Creator/AmandaSeyfried (5'2") is paired up with Music/JustinTimberlake (5'11 1/2"). Rather than use a box or use perspective shots to try and hide the height difference the filmmakers decided to make it part of the character and Seyfried is never seen without a pair of very distinctive towering purple high heels. |
| 80 | * Creator/MarlonBrando (5'8") is always shown from the waist up in ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' to seem like the 6'6" Kurtz described in ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness''. |
| 81 | * Music/MileyCyrus is about 5'4", but her love interest in ''Film/TheLastSong'' was played by ([[RomanceOnTheSet future husband]]) 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://www.flickr.com/photos/134181500@N03/22063946161/ this one]]. |
| 82 | * Inverted by 5'4" Creator/CharlieChaplin, who often cast much larger actors to surround him in scenes, so his Tramp character would appear small and fragile. |
| 83 | * Famously, 5'11" Creator/BorisKarloff wore platform boots and a tall headpiece to appear a towering stature as the Monster in ''Film/Frankenstein1931'' and ''Film/BrideOfFrankenstein''. Subsequently, most performers playing the Monster or a character inspired by it, wore platforms to achieve a superhuman height (see: Fred Gwynne in ''Series/TheMunsters''). |
| 84 | * Used in at least one of the ''Film/DirtyHarry'' films, given Clint Eastwood is really tall. |
| 85 | * Inverted in ''Film/JudgeDredd'', where it's to make Sylvester Stallone tower over the young recruits. |
| 86 | * In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', Creator/TomHardy (5'9") needed three-inch heels to be able to look Creator/ChristianBale (6') in the eye, since having Bane be shorter than Batman would severely undermine the dynamic of the characters. Any shot that does show both of their feet is instead using their stunt doubles. This is also why Bane spends the entirety of the notorious opening sequence kneeling, sitting, or getting jostled around by the plane; Tom Hardy is a bit shorter than Aiden Gillen (also 5'9"), which would make the CIA agent's comment about him being a big guy a bit weird. Also employed in the "Do you feel in charge?" scene with John Daggett; Bane towers over Daggett in the sequence, but at 5'11", Creator/BenMendelsohn is actually a good two inches taller than Tom Hardy on level ground. |
| 87 | * In ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'' 5'10" Robert Shaw wore lifts to make his character, S.P.E.C.T.R.E. assassin Red Grant, look menacing enough next to 6'2" Sean Connery's James Bond. |
| 88 | * Inverted in ''Film/RockyIV'', where Ivan Drago, played by 6'4" Dolph Lundgren is deliberately shown towering over Rocky Balboa, played by 5'9" Creator/SylvesterStallone (EvilIsBigger). |
| 89 | ** The same effect is also used in a scene in ''Film/RockyIII'', where Stallone faces off against 6'6" wrestler Hulk Hogan. |
| 90 | * In ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' and ''Film/SupermanII'', 6'6" Jack O'Halloran wore platform boots, so his character, Non would appear superhumanly tall and tower over 6'4" Christopher Reeve. |
| 91 | * In ''Film/KeepingTheFaith'', 5'6" Creator/BenStiller is paired with 5'10" Creator/JennaElfman. In an interview, Stiller said that he "needed shoe lifts and a good sense of humor in bed". |
| 92 | * Similarly, in ''Film/TopGun'', 5'7" Creator/TomCruise is paired with 5'10" Creator/KellyMcGillis. A large number of trickeries were used to make Cruise appear taller than his co-star, including camera angles, Cruise wearing lifts, standing on elevated ramps and apple boxes, and [=McGillis=] going barefoot and standing in trenches. |
| 93 | * In ''Film/InterviewWithTheVampire'', Cruise was placed on an elevated platform in some scenes, interacting with 5'11" Brad Pitt and other actors playing vampires. |
| 94 | * ''Franchise/StarWars'': |
| 95 | ** 5'1" Creator/CarrieFisher stood on an apple box in the famous kissing scene between her and 6'1" Harrison Ford in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''. |
| 96 | ** Inverted in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace''; the set designers had to spend an extra $150,000 adjusting some of the sets to accommodate Creator/LiamNeeson's 6'4" height without making the wise mentor figure look ridiculously oversized in some of the confined spaces. |
| 97 | ** Creator/HaydenChristensen (6'0") had to wear lifts in his shoes while portraying the costumed Darth Vader at the end of ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' in order to be closer to the height of the original Vader Creator/DavidProwse (6'6"). Years later, he did it again for ''Series/ObiWanKenobi''. |
| 98 | * ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' |
| 99 | ** Creator/RobertDowneyJr is 5'8" and had to wear some [[http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5rhng82mG1qgbq82.jpg truly impressive]] high heels while playing Iron Man since he spent most of the films sharing the screen with Creator/ChrisHemsworth, Creator/ChrisEvans, and Creator/GwynethPaltrow, and all three tower over him. In Gwyneth's case, [[http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/images/celebritology/08/gwyn_morph.jpg especially when she's in heels]], which is also why she's visibly barefoot in the scene at the tower in ''Film/TheAvengers2012''. The blooper reel of ''Film/IronMan3'' shows Downey in a Scully Box while talking with the 5'9 1/2" Creator/RebeccaHall (bonus: Tony's supposed to be in armor, and Hall is only in sneakers!). |
| 100 | ** Creator/ScarlettJohansson is 5'3", and while the use of the box wasn't as obvious in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', it was made more apparent in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' where most of her scenes were shared with Creator/ChrisEvans, who is 6'0". |
| 101 | *** To add, in shots where the two actors were together in full shots or full views of the actors together were required Johansson wore specially modified footwear with built-in heels, most notably during their scene in the mall while in disguise. Look carefully and you'll see Johansson wearing sneakers that have a profile closer to heeled boots while Evan's are proper sneakers. |
| 102 | ** Prior to receiving the SuperSerum, Steve Rogers spends the first third of ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' as a tiny 5'4" weakling, but still portrayed by Chris Evans with the help of a stand-in (who still wasn't scrawny enough) and digital alteration. Many scenes emphasize this height difference, requiring a lot of forced perspective and actors standing on raised boards (or Evans in a hole). |
| 103 | ** ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' introduces Valkyrie, who while badass is played by the 5'3 1/2" (1.62 m) Creator/TessaThompson, [[http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2017/03/09/555079-thor-valkyrie-chris-hemsworth-tessa-thompson.jpg much shorter than]] 6'3" Creator/ChrisHemsworth's Thor [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DG7mc3pVwAAOUX0.jpg and]] 6'2" Creator/TomHiddleston's Loki. Aside from wide shots - most blatantly when Val and Thor board a ship simultaneously and end up staring at each other - the camera tries to downplay the difference. |
| 104 | ** Creator/NataliePortman required a raised platform to portray Jane after her transformation to Mighty Thor in ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder''. Portman in real life is the same height as Tessa Thompson at 5'3". But Jane's height as Mighty Thor is whopping ''7 inches taller'' at 6'. This special effect is very noticeable, as Jane is nearly the same height as Chris Hemsworth Thor! |
| 105 | ** Done in-universe in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3'', where the High Evolutionary's assistants bring in a box so that he can suitably tower over Ayesha, one of his subordinates. (Respectively, Creator/ChukwudiIwuji is 5'9", while Creator/ElizabethDebicki is 6'3"; the height difference was real.) |
| 106 | * While Creator/DannyTrejo is ''extremely'' buff, he's only 5'6''. All his movies use tricks to make him look taller. |
| 107 | * In every close-up shot that the 5'9" tall Mel Gibson shares with the 5'11" Sigourney Weaver in the film ''Film/TheYearOfLivingDangerously'', he's on a box so that it looks like he's taller than she is. |
| 108 | * In ''Film/KindergartenCop'', Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger (6'1") is often shown sitting in every scene he has with Linda Hunt (4'9"). |
| 109 | * In ''Film/TheHungerGames'' films Jennifer Lawrence (5'7") and Josh Hutcherson (5'5"), who plays her main love interest, appear the same height when they are shown side by side. In reality, Lawrence is two inches taller. |
| 110 | ** This is actually parodied in ''[[WebAnimation/HowItShouldHaveEnded How It Should Have Ended's]]'' video of ''The Hunger Games'', zooming out to show Peeta falling off the box after eating poisonous nightlock berries. |
| 111 | * In ''Film/TheSoundOfMusic'', 5'7" Julie Andrews wore flats and 5'9" Christopher Plummer wore lifts so he would appear tall next to her. |
| 112 | * Inverted in ''Film/{{Capote}}'', where 5'8" Creator/PhilipSeymourHoffman was often barefoot, standing in trenches, and filmed from specific camera angles to match the small stature of 5'3" writer Truman Capote. |
| 113 | * Also inverted in ''Film/{{Clifford}}'', where 5'7" Martin Short was made to appear the height of a 12-year-old boy, using camera angles and other tricks. |
| 114 | * In ''Film/YoungMrLincoln'', 6'1" Henry Fonda wore lifts to appear the height of 6'4" Abraham Lincoln. |
| 115 | * In ''Film/OfMiceAndMen'', 6'0" Creator/JohnMalkovich wore platforms and was photographed from specific angles to appear superhumanly tall as the giant character Lennie. There was already a four-inch difference between him and 5'8" co-star Creator/GarySinise, which was further emphasized. |
| 116 | * In ''Film/{{Spartacus}}'', 5'9" Kirk Douglas wore thick sandals, stood on elevated ground (or had the people surrounding him stand in trenches) to make himself appear taller. |
| 117 | ** Douglas often wore lifts to appear taller in his movies. Frequent co-star Creator/BurtLancaster once found Douglas' lifts during filming and hid them from him as a prank. |
| 118 | * Aside from the very famous use of HitlerCam, 6'1" Creator/OrsonWelles also wore lifts in ''Film/CitizenKane'' to make Kane appear a towering stature. He can be seen towering over 6'2" Joseph Cotten in the film. |
| 119 | * In ''Film/VaultOfHorror'', Creator/TomBaker's character appears the second shortest out of the main cast in the framing story. Some elaborate scaffolding must have been used to achieve this, since he's the tallest out of the actors in reality, at 6'3". |
| 120 | * ''Film/TerminatorGenisys'' frequently disguises how Creator/EmiliaClarke is so much shorter than Jai Courtney and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Then averts it in a comedic way when all three take mugshots, and it's clear the men are OneHeadTaller. Although Emilia is shown measured correctly whereas the men have been given extra height over their celebrityheights.com measurements. |
| 121 | ** In general for the [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Franchise/Terminator Terminator franchise]], Schwarzenegger (~ 6'1") is above average height and massive but he's not ''that'' tall. Conveniently, the T-800 has a strong preference for outfits with boots. |
| 122 | * PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial''. When Elliot gets intoxicated by E.T.'s PsychicLink, he kisses a female classmate. Since she's much taller than he is, he stands on top of a tripped classmate to kiss her. |
| 123 | * As revealed in the Special Effects commentary tracks for ''Film/AliensVsPredatorRequiem'''s special edition, this was used to make the 6'2" Tom Woodruff Jr.'s Predalien tower over the 7'1" Ian Whyte's Predator. |
| 124 | * In ''Film/{{Scream 4}}'', Creator/EmmaRoberts, who at 5'1 1/2" was easily one of the smallest members of the cast (only Creator/HaydenPanettiere was shorter), had to wear seven-inch-high boots to avoid being towered over by her co-stars. [[spoiler:Since she played the killer, it was extra important that she look like she wouldn't get knocked over by a strong wind.]] |
| 125 | * Creator/SofiaBoutella requested the costume designer of ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'' to put heels on the [[BootsOfToughness combat boots]] she wore as Jaylah. After all, she's 5'4" (1.63 m), and while most of Jaylah's scenes are with the average-sized Creator/SimonPegg (5'9"), the height difference would be worse when the other men appear. |
| 126 | * Simon Pegg himself wore lifts in his shoes in ''Film/TheWorldsEnd'' because the actor playing his character's younger self was about 2 inches taller than he was. |
| 127 | * James Whitmore wore lifts in his shoes during the filming of ''Film/{{Them}}'' to compensate for the full foot difference in height between him and his costar, James Arness. (One assumes this was common with the six-foot-eight Arness, including in his most famous role on ''Series/{{Gunsmoke}}''.) |
| 128 | * Creator/SophiaLillis had to stand on an apple box when she was filming scenes with Stephen Bogaert in ''Film/IT2017'' because she is only 5'0", and he is around 6'0". |
| 129 | * Invoked in ''Film/BallOfFire'' when Sugarpuss (5'5" Creator/BarbaraStanwyck) stacks and stands on two books to demonstrate "yum-yum" with Bertram (6'3" Creator/GaryCooper). |
| 130 | * In ''Film/TheIrishman'', Creator/RobertDeNiro wore [[https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a845947/robert-de-niro-the-irishman-movie-shoes-al-pacino-martin-scorsese/ shoes with humongous soles]] to tower above Creator/AlPacino. The two actors are actually almost equal in height. |
| 131 | * For comedy's sake, ''Film/JojoRabbit'' had the already tall Creator/StephenMerchant (as in 6'8") standing on a box in a scene with Sam Rockwell [[https://preview.redd.it/snv49potzt641.jpg?width=960&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=9cd54a6be03fe9a834bc2a1abb77c30ce6ad5e8a so he'd be downright humungous]]. |
| 132 | * Creator/VinDiesel isn't short by any means at 5'11", but in ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' films, he's been known to use these kinds of tricks to measure up next to Creator/DwayneJohnson, who is around 6'4. In particular, he wears some pretty hefty lifts. |
| 133 | * In ''Film/ThreeThousandYearsOfLonging'', considering Creator/IdrisElba and Creator/TildaSwinton [[https://cdn.justjared.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/elba-cannesprem/tilda-swinton-idris-elba-cannes-premiere-55.jpg are both very tall]] (he at 6'2", she at 5'11"), there is judicious use of special effects and camera tricks to make the Genie a few feet taller than Alithea. |
| 134 | * ''Film/HerculesInTheHauntedWorld'' stars Reg Park, who had the HeroicBuild to play Hercules, but a fairly modest height at 5'8", and Creator/ChristopherLee as the EvilSorcerer villain, who, at 6'5", would naturally tower over Park. Director Creator/MarioBava decided that, while [[EvilIsBigger some villains could be more physically imposing than the heroes]], this wouldn't do in a Hercules movie. Therefore, whenever their two characters appear in a single shot, Park is usually standing on a box, or some other photography trick is employed, to make them appear to be about the same height, thus emphasizing [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chris02_1.jpg Park's weight advantage over the wiry Lee]]. |
| 135 | [[/folder]] |
| 136 | |
| 137 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 138 | * ''Series/EightOutOfTenCats'' host Creator/JimmyCarr has to have a cushion placed on his seat so he can see over his desk. This led to a fairly hilarious scene when guest David Walliams "outed" him by insisting that he stand up, and then removing the cushion, leaving Jimmy about four inches shorter all of a sudden. Also subverted since Jimmy Carr is a good 6 feet tall, so it's more of an issue with the set (or for entirely comedic purposes). |
| 139 | * Creator/FreddiePrinzeJr complained a lot about his sole season of ''Series/TwentyFour'', and apparently the fact they had to disguise how he's taller than Creator/KieferSutherland [[http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/working-kiefer-sutherland-made-freddie-prinze-jr-quit/story?id=24720569 helped]]: |
| 140 | -->"I went and worked for Wrestling/VinceMcMahon at the WWE for Christ's sake and it was a crazier job than working with Kiefer. I didn't have to take my shoes off to do scenes with him, which they made me do. Just put the guy on an apple box or don't hire me next time. You know I'm 6 feet and he's 5'4."[[note]]Sutherland is actually 5' 8½"/1,74 m[[/note]] |
| 141 | * On ''Series/AllInTheFamily'', Sally Struthers regularly wore platform shoes, as she was 5'1" while her TV husband, Creator/RobReiner, was 6'2". The height difference is played for laughs in a flashback to when their characters, Gloria and Mike, first met. |
| 142 | * On ''Series/{{Arrow}}'', the 5'5" Emily Bett Rickards (Felicity Smoak) spends most of her scenes with the 6'1" Stephen Amell (Oliver) and the 6'2" David Ramsey (Diggle). You can see where this is going. In fact, her Twitter bio used to say "I stand on apple boxes for a living." |
| 143 | * ''Series/BabyDaddy'' actually came up with a clever piece of set design for this, no doubt since their cast already existed in the extremes, with the 5'4" Creator/TahjMowry sharing scenes with the 5'10"-and-heeled Creator/MelissaPeterman and the 6'6" Creator/DerekTheler. Realizing they had large height differences to deal with, they seemed to design the sets with this in mind, such as the [[http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140612213059/babydaddy/images/1/1c/10259256_654741817906378_2039755034018526124_o.jpg bar set]] being designed with a staircase in the background for the actors to line up their heights on (this came in '''really''' handy when the aforementioned Theler got a love interest played by the 5'2" Creator/LaceyChabert, a full sixteen inches shorter than he.) This only seems to be used for blocking, however, as the show will often use the height differences of their actors as a [[http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140612214805/babydaddy/images/1/1f/10358936_660808070633086_4784475361706970306_o.jpg source of humor.]] |
| 144 | * ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'': |
| 145 | ** Bernadette is played by the under 5' Creator/MelissaRauch, but Howard, her boyfriend (later husband), isn't that much taller and thus it isn't that big of an issue. In one episode at her apartment, she got a ring at the doorbell and in order to look through the peephole, she had to use a step stool. Rauch mentioned that most of her family is pretty short and her husband is around 6', so whenever they get together it feels like he is visiting [[Literature/TheHobbit the Shire]]. |
| 146 | ** Both Leonard and Howard are fairly short, which is commented upon frequently in the show. Leonard and Penny are generally the same height but if Penny wears high heels she [[OneHeadTaller towers over him]]. In one episode the group was having a formal cocktail party and Bernadette was complaining about climbing the stairs in high heels and Howard revealed he was wearing heels as well. After a confrontation, Sheldon comments that Howard seemed taller than normal. |
| 147 | * On the 9th season of Australian reality show/renovation show/competition ''The Block'', contestant Deanne, married to the much taller, retired pro-sports star Darren (a solid 2 m tall -- roughly 6'8"), stands on a Scully Box during the weekly judging. The box can often be seen in the shots showing all contestants. |
| 148 | * ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': |
| 149 | ** While Series/{{Angel}} was in the series, Creator/SarahMichelleGellar (5'4") had to stand on a box just so she could be seen in the same frame as the much taller Creator/DavidBoreanaz (6'1"). The later seasons had her wear high heels to have Buffy appear taller than Dawn. |
| 150 | ** Creator/JamesMarsters, who plays Spike, has admitted that he would wear lifts in his shoes so that he would look about equal height to David Boreanaz. |
| 151 | ** Though it was bizarrely ''not'' used during Buffy's romance with Riley, with the 6'2" Marc Blucas (who'd even hoped to become a pro basketball player before getting into acting) having to practically bend himself in half to kiss Gellar. |
| 152 | ** In "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E7OnceMoreWithFeeling Once More, With Feeling]]", for a scene where Willow and Tara walk through the park, Creator/AlysonHannigan can be seen wearing high heels in order to minimize the three-inch height difference between herself and Amber Benson. |
| 153 | * ''Series/{{Castle|2009}}'': Stana Katic is tall at 5'9" but Nathan Fillion is 6'1 1/2". Even though the show is called ''Castle'', the two actors' roles are basically equal in importance. So Katic almost always wears 3- to 4-inch heels, which are her version of the box. This is Lampshaded quite often on the show as asides from other characters and it is very obvious when she is not wearing heels. This example is also unusual because height differences of only a few inches such as this usually don't cause an issue. |
| 154 | * Inverted in ''Series/{{Columbo}}'', where 5'6" Peter Falk was always slouching to appear even shorter than his real stature, making most people tower over the Lieutenant. |
| 155 | ** In the episode "Fade In to Murder", TV actor Ward Fowler (William Shatner) is revealed to be wearing elevator shoes to increase his height (a technique 5'10" Shatner himself has used before), which serves as an important clue. It's PlayedForLaughs when Columbo tries on Fowler's special shoes while lurking around in his trailer. |
| 156 | * In ''Series/CrazyExGirlfriend'' Scott Michael Foster is 6'2'' making him 11 inches taller than Rachel Bloom. For the most part this is played for comedy and included in the show, but their tango number "Horny Angry Tango" required them to be face to face at several points. As the choreographer puts it "What if she was on a platform that was 8 inches tall and she had 3 inch heels." |
| 157 | * ''Series/TheDailyShowWithJonStewart'': |
| 158 | ** The raised platform holding the desk serves a similar purpose: observant viewers will note that Creator/JonStewart, who is 5'6", always shakes the guest's hand ''before'' they step up onto the platform. It's just a matter of not looking silly, though; Stewart doesn't hide his height and indeed jokes about it constantly. He explicitly {{lampshaded}} the trope by jumping on the platform to briefly look taller than 6'4" Creator/ConanOBrien during a MeleeATrois {{crossover}} between their shows and ''Series/TheColbertReport''. |
| 159 | --->'''Stephen Colbert:''' That's the magic of television, Jon.\ |
| 160 | '''Jon Stewart:''' Can I have a screengrab of that? |
| 161 | ** In 2012, Stewart took part in a televised debate with 6'4" [[Series/TheOReillyFactor Bill O'Reilly]] in which he used a platform to obscure the height difference. While this is common in such debates (in part to prevent people from subconsciously deciding the winner based on who's taller, which is absolutely a thing that can happen), you don't usually see one of the participants use a motorized version of the platform ''during'' the debate to rise up and tower over an already pretty tall opponent. Stewart mostly did this to defuse tension and get some laughs. |
| 162 | * ''Franchise/{{Degrassi}}'': |
| 163 | ** Creator/AmandaStepto, who played Spike, was 5'2" during ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration'', compared to her on-screen husband Stefan Brogren (Snake)'s 6'3", and so she either wore high shoes or stood on apple boxes to appear taller than she was. |
| 164 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': |
| 165 | ** 5'6" Creator/LouiseJameson wore knee-high moccasins with a wedge heel as Leela because she was co-starring with 6'3" Tom Baker. |
| 166 | ** Used in the promotional pictures for the TV-Movie to make Creator/PaulMcGann appear to be taller than Creator/SylvesterMcCoy. In reality [=McGann=], with his height of 5'8.5" (1.74 meters), is pretty close to [=McCoy=]'s 5'6" (1.68 meters). |
| 167 | ** During Creator/JohnBarrowman's first five episodes, Creator/BilliePiper had to stand on a box whenever she was in a scene with him since he is seven inches taller than she is. This is an unusual example given that John Barrowman and Creator/ChristopherEccleston are the exact same height (6'), and she never did so with the latter. It probably has to do with the mystique of the Doctor. |
| 168 | ** Creator/FreemaAgyeman is below-average height, so Martha Jones is almost constantly wearing heels. |
| 169 | ** Used InUniverse in the Christmas special [[Recap/DoctorWho2007CSVoyageOfTheDamned "Voyage of the Damned"]], where Music/KylieMinogue's character stands on a box to kiss Creator/DavidTennant. It's PlayedForLaughs. |
| 170 | ** This was needed, but the actual box technique itself was averted, come time for Creator/MattSmith to step into the shoes of the Doctor. For his most iconic enemy, the Daleks, those that remained were tailored for Billie Piper's height previously, but instead of employing any camera trickery or boxes, they simply redesigned a new set of Daleks to match Smith's considerably taller frame. Unfortunately, they weren't very popular with the fans and have since been benched. |
| 171 | ** Creator/JennaColeman, measuring all of 5'2", has stated that an apple box is required for some shots with 6-foot-tall Creator/PeterCapaldi. Her character Clara Oswald's penchant for wearing heels is clearly due to this trope as well. |
| 172 | * ''Series/{{Elementary}}'' has the 5'2" Creator/LucyLiu with 5'10" Creator/JonnyLeeMiller. This results in Joan Watson wearing quite ''a lot'' of heels. |
| 173 | * It's mentioned several times on the commentaries that filming ''Series/GameOfThrones'' could be a logistical nightmare when Creator/PeterDinklage's Tyrion shared a scene with another actor, especially Creator/CharlesDance who plays his father Tywin and is a full two feet taller. They often resorted to these sorts of tricks or had Tywin sitting down to make framing easier. |
| 174 | * In ''Series/GetSmart'', Barbara Feldon was slightly taller than male lead Don Adams. This led to Adams standing on an apple crate or Feldon bending her knees and/or not wearing shoes so he would appear taller than she did in close-ups. |
| 175 | * ''Series/{{Glee}}'': |
| 176 | ** Staging scenes is often difficult because of this, especially when 6'4" Creator/CoryMonteith was involved. Monteith was much taller than anyone else in the cast (even the cast members playing teachers), thus he spent a lot of time not only sitting but also leaning forward with his forearms resting on his thighs (otherwise seated cast members behind him ''still'' wouldn't be visible). Other times they actually used his height to their advantage; for example, when sharing a scene with Rachel, the camera sometimes switched to a shot closer to her perspective which only served to make him look even ''taller.'' |
| 177 | ** Creator/ChrisColfer is slightly taller than his on-screen love interest Darren Criss but because Criss' character was meant to serve as a mentor-type figure, efforts were made to make him appear taller than Colfer, even in photo shoots promoting the show. |
| 178 | * ''Series/GreysAnatomy'', in-universe: Miranda Bailey is very short and can clearly be seen using a variant in the OR to ensure she is at the proper height when operating. |
| 179 | * Required quite often on ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' whenever Creator/HaydenPanettiere and Creator/KristenBell, who are both 5'1", share scenes with Creator/ZacharyQuinto, who is 6'1". |
| 180 | * ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' has [[HugeGuyTinyGirl 6'4" Marshall paired with 5'4" Lily]], which is sometimes commented on. But the rest of the male cast is still above 6' and the other female cast member Robin is a fairly tall 5'9", which leaves Lily as often wearing high heels even when lounging around at home. |
| 181 | * ''Series/ICarly'': |
| 182 | ** Creator/NathanKress was very short in the first season, compared to the two 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. |
| 183 | ** In Season 4, Creator/MirandaCosgrove has continued to get taller, while Creator/JennetteMcCurdy has not, so in episodes from Season 4 onward, she starts wearing platform shoes. |
| 184 | * ''Series/IClaudius'': Both used and referenced in Claudius' marriage to Plautia, whom he meets on his wedding day. When seated beside her, they're at eye level, but when they stand, Claudius is horrified to discover that she towers a full head taller over him. After gaping up at her for a moment, he looks down at her feet, obviously looking to see if she's standing on something, but she's not. The actress Jennifer Croxton actually ''was'' standing on a box, as she's of normal height. |
| 185 | * ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' originally used boxes, but has since switched to risers, so that shorter contestants may see over the podiums and to make all contestants roughly the same height to make pan shots easier to manage. |
| 186 | ** This was humorously referenced on the celebrity episode of February 9, 2001, on which Creator/SethGreen was a contestant: |
| 187 | --->'''Creator/AlexTrebek:''' We started off the week, ladies and gentlemen, here in Las Vegas with me feeling vertically challenged because one of our contestants was [6'6"/198 cm] [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation Charles Barkley]] and I felt very short next to him. Seth [who is 5'4"/163 cm] took pity on me.\ |
| 188 | '''Seth Green:''' ''[points down]'' I got this sweet box! ''[steps down and loses about a foot in height]''\ |
| 189 | '''Alex Trebek:''' He wants to make me feel a lot better. |
| 190 | ** The 1993 College Tournament winner Phoebe Juel recounted that the coordinators had to search the studio for more boxes because the ones which were on hand were still too small for her. |
| 191 | * In ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'', Creator/MorfyddClark (5'3") filmed several key scenes sitting on a box to make sure she is at the same level with her taller co-stars. One such scene is when Galadriel talks to a blinded Miriel; in the behind-scenes, Morfydd is shown sitting on a box while talking to the queen. |
| 192 | ** Notably a number of different techniques and perspectives are used with Clark and her costar Charlie Vickers' (5'11") Halbrand for him to appear only slightly taller. [[spoiler:These are [[https://fictionhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/galadriel-attacking-halbrand.jpg dropped]] in the scene where Halbrand is revealed to be Sauron and it contributes to his utter NoSell of her dagger attack.]] |
| 193 | * Inversion. In the later seasons of ''Series/{{MASH}}'' with Major Burns, Burns seems to get shorter, despite Larry Linville being 6'1" to Alan Alda's 6'2", and Mike Farrell's 6'3" (BJ, in particular, seems to be noticeably taller than Burns, while Trapper, played by Wayne Rogers who is ''also'' 6'3", did not). It may have been a nod to the movie, where Burns was played by Robert Duvall (5'9"), Hawkeye by Donald Sutherland (6'4"), and Trapper by Elliot Gould (6'2"). |
| 194 | * Spoofed in the ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' skits: |
| 195 | ** In "Scott of the Sahara", an actress is standing in a trench on her own feet, while the actor with her is on a box. The result is a ridiculous height disparity. And then, when the actor suggests that he get off the box and she gets out of the trench in order to bring them more-or-less on the same level, she flounces off in a huff because she ''never'' works outside of a trench. |
| 196 | ** In a skit about horse jockeys, several jockeys are so short that only their hats are visible in frame. Another jockey is so short that he has to stand on a box just to make his hat visible. |
| 197 | * In ''Series/TheMunsters'', already very tall (6'5") Fred Gwynne wore platform boots to appear superhumanly tall as Herman Munster. |
| 198 | * In ''Series/TheOrville'', Creator/SethMacFarlane's boots help make him look taller than Creator/AdriannePalicki, even though he's only an inch shorter than she is. Both of them typically tower over the rest of the cast. |
| 199 | * {{Inverted|Trope}} on ''Series/{{Password}} Plus'', where host Allen Ludden was placed in a depression on the set so as not to appear as tall in comparison to the contestants. One contestant fell in Allen's "pit" upon walking back from the BonusRound to the tables for the main game. |
| 200 | * When the Granada ''Series/SherlockHolmes'' [[TheOtherDarrin replaced]] David Burke's Watson with the shorter Edward Hardwicke, this trope came into play: |
| 201 | -->'''Jeremy Brett:''' So he watched the previous thirteen films (and) decided to try and look a little like David Burke, as much as he could, bless him. So he put on a rug, I mean a toupee, and put lifts in his heels. And the first film we shot together was "The Abbey Grange". And we were running across a field, and these heels were too high so he was slipping and sliding. And I said, "Oh, Edward, take them out! I'll bend my knees for the rest of the film!" |
| 202 | * In ''Series/SheHulkAttorneyAtLaw'', for the scenes where Jen Walters has turned into her taller alter-ego, Creator/TatianaMaslany used such trickery (along with a cutout of She-Hulk's face above her head) to give the co-stars reference before she was replaced with [[SerkisFolk a CG She-Hulk]]. |
| 203 | * In the episode ''His Last Vow'' of the BBC's ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'', 6'3" Lars Mikkelsen spends a great deal of his screen time with other characters seated or even at one point on his knees (where he is still nearly the same height as 5'4" Creator/AmandaAbbington.) Conversely, the height difference between stars Benedict Cumberbatch (5'11 1/2") and Martin Freeman (5'6 1/2") is highlighted and PlayedForLaughs. |
| 204 | * ''Series/{{Smallville}}'': |
| 205 | ** Creator/AllisonMack (5'4") admits to using either a crate or a lifted "alley board" so she doesn't look short against "ostentatiously tall" Creator/TomWelling (6'2 1/2"). It is the only way they could [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/f1a0907e3048e8000b1ba9c287a3c6e9/tumblr_mlujscjuqf1snvqpxo1_1280.png hug naturally with the 10 inches difference]]. |
| 206 | ** Creator/CassidyFreeman uses it a bit as well, despite [[StatuesqueStunner being 5'8 1/2".]] |
| 207 | ** Parodied in one scene in which Creator/EricaDurance kicks a stack of paper next to Creator/TomWelling's feet (on-screen) before running to him. One of the more visible examples, as the moment in question eventually made it into the opening credits. |
| 208 | ** Oddly, in "Upgrade", Creator/CallumBlue (6'1") is somehow shown to be several inches taller than Tom probably due to misuse of boxes. |
| 209 | * Referenced in the behind-the-scenes scenes of the ''Series/StargateSG1'' self-parody ShowWithinAShow ''Wormhole Xtreme''. The male lead requests a "half apple" for the kiss scene with a noticeably taller woman. |
| 210 | * In ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', 5'9" William Shatner wore lifts and heels, and was often photographed from specific camera angles to look the same height as 6'0" Leonard Nimoy. In the episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?", they deliberately avoided showing Shatner and 6'3" Michael Forest standing next to each other. In "Court Martial", due to Shatner's complaints, the director re-staged a scene in which a much taller actor was originally supposed to stand next to Kirk and had him sit at a bar stool instead. |
| 211 | ** In the first pilot, "The Cage", short females were deliberately cast as the Talosians, to make 6'0" Jeffrey Hunter (Captain Pike) appear towering height next to them. While Pike physically towers over the aliens, they dwarf him with their intellect and telepathic capabilities. |
| 212 | ** PlayedForLaughs in "The Gamesters of Triskelion", where 5'6" Walter Koenig (Chekov) faced off against 6'7" Mickey Morton (Kloog), of course, not standing a chance, but providing a laugh for the audience. |
| 213 | ** In "The Ultimate Computer", Shatner, Nimoy, and 5'10" [=DeForest=] Kelley stood on apple boxes next to 6'5" William Marshall (Dr. Daystrom). |
| 214 | * Inverted in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', where due to Jonathan Frakes (6'3 1/2") being significantly taller than most of the cast, Riker was often shown leaning forward in a CaptainMorganPose, simply because it was the only way they could manage to fit him into frame. Heck, an old back injury and the fact that he was even too tall for many of the sets and props led to the so-called "Riker Maneuver" where Frakes would swing his leg over a chair before sitting down, sometimes all the way over the back! 5'3" Marina Sirtis wore heels on the show to appear in the same frame with Frakes. |
| 215 | ** In the episode "Rightful Heir", 5'6" Kevin Conway was cast as the clone of legendary Klingon warrior Kahless. Given that Klingons are usually portrayed as big tall people, and to avoid being dwarfed by 6'2" Michael Dorn, Conway wore (very noticeable) platform boots, boosting his height to 5'11". |
| 216 | * Similarly, spin-off ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' rarely made any effort to conceal height differences between actors by allowing the 6'3" Cirroc Lofton to tower over virtually everyone else and the 5'7" Jeffrey Combs to appear much shorter than most of his costars. Most noticeable [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ucYaefmjWY when the two share a scene.]]. They did usually have 5'7" Nana Visitor in heels to lend more strength to [[ActionGirl her character]] when dealing with the other main characters, who are all around 6' or taller, including 6' tall Terry Farrell. |
| 217 | * In ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' 5'4 1/2" Kate Mulgrew wore heels as Captain Janeway, so she would appear to be more of a commanding presence next to her co-stars, including 5'11 1/2" Tim Russ and 6'0 1/2" [=Robert Duncan McNeill=]. |
| 218 | * In ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'', 6'3" Doug Jones wears special "hooves" and (when his feet are not visible on camera) platform boots to appear a towering 6'8" as the Kelpien Saru. |
| 219 | * ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' |
| 220 | ** Both Creator/KatieCassidy (5'7") and Creator/GenevievePadalecki (5'4") played the demon Ruby. Since almost all of their screen time was spent in the company of the 6'5" Creator/JaredPadalecki (Sam) and 6'1" Creator/JensenAckles (Dean), tall, spiky heels became a standard of Ruby's wardrobe from the get-go. Cassidy has stated these caused her to lose her balance on more than one occasion. |
| 221 | ** According to Creator/RichardSpeightJr. (Gabriel), he (5'8") had to use ''four'' of these while sharing a scene with Padalecki and Ackles. Without them, he wasn't even in the frame. |
| 222 | ** One scene had Rowena (played by the 5'2" Creator/RuthConnell) both wearing heels and standing on a curb while she talked to Sam, who was standing in the road gutter. She still just barely reaches Padalecki's shoulder. |
| 223 | * In the earliest seasons of ''Series/That70sShow'', the scenes where 15-year-old Creator/MilaKunis (Jackie) and Creator/LauraPrepon (Donna) talked alone had either to portray them sitting, or to have Mila wearing platform heels. Not quite a box, but very close. |
| 224 | * ''Series/TopGear'': Richard Hammond was once seen to be standing on a box so he could see over the bonnet of a Cadillac Escalade. |
| 225 | * Melissa Rauch also had this taken to new levels when she was on ''Series/TrueBlood'' as she spends most of her screentime with 6'4" Creator/JimParrack. |
| 226 | * ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'' uses it with the 7'2" Richard Kiel to push him past any remotely possible human height as an alien in the episode "To Serve Man." |
| 227 | * Used in-universe in ''Series/{{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 her actress Creator/JuliaLouisDreyfus is 5'3". This causes Vice President Meyer some embarrassment in one episode when it's revealed that her box is made of a special metal alloy and costs $1200. |
| 228 | * ''Series/WheelOfFortune'' puts the contestants on platforms that may be raised or lowered to fit their height and make spinning the Wheel easier. Sometimes averted with disabled contestants, who are allowed to bring a friend or family member to spin for them (and ''only'' spin, except on special weeks with two-player teams). |
| 229 | * In ''Series/TheWildWildWest'' 5'7" Robert Conrad wore large lifts in his boots, and the series had a policy not to cast female guest stars over 5'6". |
| 230 | [[/folder]] |
| 231 | |
| 232 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 233 | * When Music/ChristinaAguilera and Music/JustinTimberlake embarked on a tour together, they did a photoshoot for ''Rolling Stone'' to promote the tour where they were eye level. However, because Justin is 5'11 1/2" and Christina is just barely over 5 feet tall, he had to bend down while she had to stand on a step ladder in order for them to be at eye level with the camera. |
| 234 | * During the 2005 Academy Awards, Music/{{Prince}} gave Best Original Song to Jorge Drexler for his contribution to ''Film/TheMotorcycleDiaries''. Poor Drexler [[http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/jorge-drexler-on-stage-during-the-77th-annual-academy-awards-on-27-picture-id52254204 had to hunch]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20ikB2I7v2g so he could use the microphone set for the 5'2" star.]] |
| 235 | * For the band photo featured on the back cover of Music/{{Black Sabbath}}'s 1980 album ''Heaven and Hell'', 5'3" singer Ronnie James Dio stood on a ledge to appear the same height as his bandmates. |
| 236 | * The cover of the Music/{{Ramones}}' [[Music/RamonesAlbum debut album]] tries to disguise the shortest (Tommy is standing on a ledge) and tallest members (the enormous - 6'6"! - Joey is slightly contorted). |
| 237 | * In most of Music/{{Nirvana}}'s music videos, TV appearances, and band photos, 6'7" bassist Krist Novoselic was either crouching, slouching, positioned far away from/behind his bandmates, or shot from specific camera angles, so he would not tower over 5'9" Kurt Cobain and 6'0" Dave Grohl. |
| 238 | * A similar technique can be seen in many Music/RedHotChiliPeppers band photos, where 6'3" drummer Chad Smith is positioned in a way so he would not tower over his bandmates, 5'6" Flea, 5'7" John Frusciante, and 5'8" Anthony Kiedis. |
| 239 | * Stevie Nicks (5'1") adopted the habit of wearing 6" platform heels to avoid looking really short next to her Music/FleetwoodMac bandmates, especially 6'6" Mick Fleetwood. |
| 240 | * Music/{{Tool}}'s Maynard James Keenan is 5'7", putting him in the same slightly below average range as Tom Cruise, yet is matched with taller than normal band members Danny Carey (6'5"), Adam Jones, and Justin Chancellor (both 6'). Coincidentally, he's often on a stage platform and/or hunched over to make it difficult to determine his height. However, this is an aversion, since multiple band photos clearly reveal he is shorter than his bandmates, such as [[https://www.rollingstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/tool-new-album-aeb79008-af4d-443e-86ca-da43cadf1ab1.jpg this one]] and [[https://www.revolvermag.com/sites/default/files/media/images/article/tool_2006_travis_shinn_1600x900.jpg this one]]. He also performs from the back of the stage cloaked in shadows, sometimes with his back to the audience. |
| 241 | * When Bono (reported as 5'6) from Music/{{U2}} was photographed in 2005 for Time Person of the Year alongside Bill and Melinda Gates, he was made to stand on a box so the heights of all three better aligned. |
| 242 | * Band shots of Music/{{Metallica}} usually disguise how much shorter Lars Ulrich is compared to everyone else, such as the fisheye lens cover of ''[[https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Yyg0Mh5UL._AC_SL1400_.jpg Garage Days Re-Revisited]]''. |
| 243 | * Both Anya Geraldine and Jefri Nichol reveal on their social media that Jefri stands on some planks to make him taller than Anya in Music/{{Noah|Indonesia}}'s "Bintang di Surga" music video. |
| 244 | [[/folder]] |
| 245 | |
| 246 | [[folder:Politics]] |
| 247 | * President UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush made it a personal rule never to be photographed standing next to UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan while he was Reagan's Vice President because the 6'2" Bush didn't want to overshadow his boss (Reagan was 6'0"). |
| 248 | * Michael Dukakis, Bush's challenger in 1988, wasn't abnormally short (5'8") but the height difference with Bush, combined with a broader physique compared to Bush's, made him seem short, and Dukakis's sensitivity on the subject came to light when a ''Boston Herald'' photographer snuck behind the podium and took a picture of the governor standing on a box inside the lectern during a campaign speech. |
| 249 | ** Parodied in the ''[[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL]]'' debate in which Dukakis, played by Jon Lovitz, adjusted his position behind the lectern using a noisy motorized lift. |
| 250 | * During a debate when Robert Reich was running for governor of Massachusetts in 2002 (against the 6'2" Mitt Romney), a camera {{pan}} showed he was standing on one of these behind the podium. Understandable since Reich is 4'10" due to a bone condition. [[SelfDeprecation He's made fun of this]] in interviews, notably during one with the famously tall Conan O'Brien. |
| 251 | * John Kerry, former longtime Massachusetts senator and former Secretary of State, 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.\ |
| 252 | It's also thought that this is one reason former President UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush was frequently drawn as a midget in political cartoons, since while the real Bush is actually 5'11" -- not small by any means -- he wound up looking short next to the outrageously tall Kerry (same with Al Gore, who's 6'2"). There was apparently some behind-the-scenes handwringing by the Bush staff about this (previously, though likely coincidentally given the fairly small sample size, the taller major-party candidate had always been the winner of the presidential election) that resulted in negotiations with his competitor's counterparts about the best way to film them to prevent this, not that it worked. |
| 253 | * Former [[UsefulNotes/ThePresidentsOfFrance French president Nicolas Sarkozy]] used lifts in his shoes to appear taller. During an event where speeches were given by UsefulNotes/BarackObama and [[TheNapoleon 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 the 6'1" Obama -- otherwise. Sarkozy, who is 5'5"[[note]]That's an inch ''shorter'' than the actual historical Napoleon, folks![[/note]], even needs one of these when pictured with his own wife, an ex-supermodel. |
| 254 | * In a Swedish election debate in 2014, the state TV channel had Social Democratic leader Stefan Löfven stand on a box when debating incumbent (and taller) Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. The box drew attention among the viewers. In the election, Löfven defeated Reinfeldt. |
| 255 | * A box is frequently used when interviewing Dutch minister of finance Wopke Hoekstra... [[https://i.imgur.com/07gVwcP.jpg for the interviewers.]] |
| 256 | * According to ''The Lives of the Twelve Caesars'' by Suetonius, Emperor Augustus was shorter than the average Roman male and compensated by wearing elevated sandals. However, he made this a secret by hiding his sandals under his robe. This makes Augustus the first recorded "lifts-wearing" politician in history. |
| 257 | * At Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration, Sasha, his 8-year-old younger daughter, was provided with a Scully Box that matched the color of the podium. [[https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3258/3212437799_815c5cb37e_z.jpg pic.]] |
| 258 | * During the 2020 Presidential primary, Sen. UsefulNotes/AmyKlobuchar -- by far the shortest person on the debate stage at all of 5'4" -- used a Scully Box behind her podium to at least put her on somewhat of a level with the other candidates. |
| 259 | [[/folder]] |
| 260 | |
| 261 | [[folder:Pro Wrestling]] |
| 262 | * The Wrestling/{{WWF}}'s Wrestling/AndreTheGiant 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. This was especially notable when he was doing an interview alongside another big man such as Wrestling/KingKongBundy compared to their sizes in the ring. Sadly, the condition that caused his large size ultimately led to his early death. |
| 263 | * When he came into the WWF in the 1990s, Jorge "Giant" Gonzales was 7'7" tall. Despite this, he wore lifts in his boots so the WWF could bill him as being "nearly 8 feet tall". |
| 264 | * Wrestling/{{Kane}} stands at about an impressive 6'6", but because he was supposed to be bigger than his kayfabe brother Wrestling/TheUndertaker, who is about 6'8" (billed at 6'10"), he wore lifts in his boots to be closer to his billed height of 7 feet. |
| 265 | * Inversion: interviewers like the 6'2" Mike Rome and 6' Tom Phillips often have to widen their stance so they don't appear taller than the wrestler they're interviewing. It's especially notable when interviewing the under 6' Finn Balor or Wrestling/ChrisJericho |
| 266 | [[/folder]] |
| 267 | |
| 268 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 269 | * Sometimes used in-universe in ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' when somebody is too short for the witness stand, such as Cody Hackins from the first game, who is a young boy. [[FirstPersonSmartass Apollo]] lampshades this in [[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies the fifth game]] when a witness makes fun of him for being short, [[HypocriticalHumor while the witness himself needs a box to testify]]. |
| 270 | * ''VideoGame/AlanWakeII'' features the {{Ink Suit Actor}}s Creator/IlkkaVilli and Sam Lake portraying various characters, particularly the titular Alan Wake and Alex Casey, respectively. The ingame character models are extremely detailed digital doubles, except that the models for Lake's characters are all nearly the same height as Villi's characters, perhaps an inch shorter. Villi is about 6'2", and [[https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxs9w9PNEqH/ various real-life]] [[https://www.instagram.com/p/Cvho4nJtnx6/ photographs of]] [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GIpNWk5XAAAm6mo?format=jpg&name=900x900 the two men together]] show that Lake is at least 4-5 inches shorter than him, indicating that the character artists gave Casey a little bit of extra height. |
| 271 | * In ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'', Solaire of Astora's model is blatantly floating in the air to give the impression he's about half a head taller than the player character. Also true of the Crestfallen Merchant in Sen's Fortress, but the layout of the room he's in (including a floor texture that plays with visual perception) make it harder to notice except when close up. By the time of the [[VideoGame/DarkSoulsII sequel]], the developers overcame the issue, as demonstrated with Vengarl, who's really that tall. |
| 272 | * In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', romantic scenes between a Dwarven Inquisitor and Iron Bull are identical to when you pursue him as any other race, despite Dwarves being half the size of [[TheBigGuy Qunari]]. But a scene in the game's ending shows the Inquisitor standing on a stool so that Bull won't have to stoop down as much, with the humorous implication that your character is ''always'' standing on something when they make out. This was added to solve one of the animation issues that [[WhatCouldHaveBeen nearly]] made Bull's RomanceSidequest race-exclusive. |
| 273 | * Ryoma Hoshi from ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' is the shortest character in the series at a mere 3'5", and because of this, he has to stand on a stool during class trials. This also happens when the robotic teddy bear Monokuma joins the students in the final class trials of both [[VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc the first]] and [[VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair second]] games, in which he stands on a vaulting horse to be the same height as the students. |
| 274 | * Yennefer in ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt'' is actually very small compared to most other characters. Her height compared to others can seem inconsistent in cutscenes where her feet aren't visible because she is often levitating off the ground to get the proper angle. |
| 275 | * Charlotta of ''Videogame/GranblueFantasy'' is a [[LittlePeople Harvin]] who is [[HeightAngst very sensitive about her height]] and as such is prone to standing on large wooden boxes to look more dramatic. Her Light variation has her Victory pose as her standing on a stack of boxes that will alternate between putting her at even height with others to having her tower over them. |
| 276 | * A variation happens in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatII'' and ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombat3 3]]''. [[BigBad Shao Kahn]] is played by bodybuilder Brian Glynn, who may be impressively muscular, but he isn't particularly tall. His digital sprite was resized to tower over the other characters. This is referenced in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'', where Frost makes a comment about Kahn being much shorter in person; fans have had a similar reaction when meeting Glynn at conventions. |
| 277 | * Since the way all characters despite their size take cinematic attacks the same in ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', in order to fit the frame some of the smaller characters such as Ibuki often are made to float from the ground in ways that can't be seen in camera, while some of the bigger characters actually clip into the ground a bit to fit the same scenes. |
| 278 | [[/folder]] |
| 279 | |
| 280 | [[folder:Web Comics]] |
| 281 | * When ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'' released its 14th chapter [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5323 the cover]] showed Ariel and Chirinide standing back to back and at even heights, even though other [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5252 pages]] show that Ariel is about a head shorter. The joke naturally became that she's standing on a stump, or in one piece of fanart, [[{{Jerkass}} Rikshakar]]. Ironically after a 15-year {{timeskip}}, Ariel is now so tall that [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8341 she has a full head of height on everyone in her squad]]. |
| 282 | * ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': One of the extra bits of art depicts Dr. Beetle, who Gil notes in the comic proper is self-conscious about his height, [[https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/sketches.php?date=20070108 standing on a box while ordering a clank about in his lab.]] |
| 283 | [[/folder]] |
| 284 | |
| 285 | [[folder:Web Videos]] |
| 286 | * Elliot Morgan and, during the early days, Philip [=DeFranco=], are both significantly taller than the other members of WebVideo/{{SourceFed}}, so everyone else has to stand on an apple box in order to look similar heights. |
| 287 | * WebVideo/TheCinemaSnob and WebVideo/DiamandaHagan's crossover review of ''Film/MyraBreckinridge'' starts by showing [[TinyGuyHugeGirl their height difference]] as they are standing in a corridor. But later as they're sitting in bed they are leveled, with Brad even bigger... due to him sitting on a pile of pillows (easier to see in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVgnQYTpxGA the blooper reel]]), which Hagan laughs about and Brad says "If it's good enough for Humphrey Bogart, it's good enough for me!" |
| 288 | ** The Snob's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaXsgSAJ4pI crossover review of]] ''Film/TromeoAndJuliet'' with ''WebVideo/BrowsHeldHigh'' had the scenes of him confronting Kyle Kallgren in a corridor shown only up close. Once it gets to wider shot it's blatant why, as Kyle is taller. |
| 289 | * ''WebVideo/RedLetterMedia'' has used this a few times: |
| 290 | ** The ''WebVideo/HalfInTheBag'' episode covering ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' and ''Film/AMillionWaysToDieInTheWest'' has Mike mention (in his [[BadBadActing typical style]]) that Jay had to stand on a box to be "almost as tall as me". |
| 291 | ** The ''WebVideo/BestOfTheWorst'' episode covering ''Bigfoot vs D.B. Cooper'', ''Black Cougar'', and ''Raw Force'' has Len Kabasinski suspiciously eyeing the wooden crate Jay is standing on, with Jay reacting with feigned ignorance. The scenario is then repeated with Mike, who is already tall enough, and subverted with Josh, much to Len's surprise. |
| 292 | * The "Artists vs. TMNT" ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory'' behind the scenes shows that 3 sets of boxes were required for [[WebVideo/RhettAndLink Link]], [[WebVideo/{{Smosh}} Ian and Anthony]] so that their heights could align with the exceedingly tall Rhett. |
| 293 | * The short film ''[[https://vimeo.com/30282156 Applebox]]'' parodies this -- revolving around a big movie star who's actually TheNapoleon and someone steals his apple box to BreakTheHaughty. The actor is played by Creator/JamesMadio, who is 5'3" and has said he's made use of this a lot. |
| 294 | -->"Everyone's taller than me." |
| 295 | * ''Website/CollegeHumor'': For the "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXi_rvD6r10 Wait, How Tall is Grant?]]" video, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z9AZaE0AqM numerous camera tricks are used]] to make Katie Marovitch and Zach Oyama look taller or shorter than the 6-foot-tall Grant O'Brien. |
| 296 | * This [[https://twitter.com/TwitterVideo/status/844209380912386048 making of a mini-documentary]], featuring the stars of ''WebAnimation/TheMostPopularGirlsInSchool'' and ''WebAnimation/DrHavocsDiary'', has Lee Newton standing on one of these. |
| 297 | [[/folder]] |
| 298 | |
| 299 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 300 | * Jeremy Hawke in ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'' is apparently very, ''very'' short (18" shorter than he appears), and disguises it with heels. When one heel breaks, he starts running ''very'' askew. |
| 301 | * An in-universe example in the 1987 ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|1987}}'' episode "Rondo in New York" when an 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. |
| 302 | * A similar trick was done in ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama''. Since Sierra is just shy of OneHeadTaller than her crush Cody, the animators had to cheat whenever she employed a MarshmallowHell and kept Cody's feet a few inches above the ground. |
| 303 | [[/folder]] |
| 304 | |
| 305 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 306 | * Creator/TomCruise is well known for manipulating his appearance to appear taller. Scully Boxes, and in just about every photo where you can see his feet, Cruise wears shoes with lifts to give him those much-needed extra inches. Interestingly, Cruise is 5'7", only slightly below average, but he's so well known for this (and so frequently around other actors, who tend to be tall) that many people assume he's even shorter. |
| 307 | ** In his wedding photos, where Scully Boxes couldn't be used, he had Creator/KatieHolmes squat down a bit so that she wouldn't be taller than he was. After divorcing him, Creator/NicoleKidman (who is 6'0") commented "Well, I can wear heels now." on Letterman. |
| 308 | ** A bit of aside trivia, Cruise was the only actor in ''Film/TopGun'' that met the height requirements for a Navy fighter pilot. For comparison, Anthony "Goose" Edwards is 6'2", and was barely able to fit in the backseat of an F-14. |
| 309 | * After ending her relationship with Rory [=McIllroy=], Caroline Wozniacki made some "high heel" statements [[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-2697112/Caroline-Wozniacki-takes-dig-Rory-McIlroy-wearing-high-heels-Istanbul-shopping-trip.html very similar]] to Kidman's, above. |
| 310 | * This became a source of controversy when 5'11" baseball player Enrique Hernandez stood on a bucket when being interviewed by 6'1" Kelli Tennant, with many claiming it as an example of toxic masculinity in sports. In reality, the post was a ''joke'' that Hernandez himself had posted on his Instagram. But like many things on social media, the context was quickly lost. |
| 311 | * [[ChurchOfHappyology David Miscavige]] (5'3") 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. |
| 312 | * CNN reporter Frederik Pleitgen typically ends up with a cameraman on a box. Fred is very tall, and when doing interviews stands with his legs apart to bring himself down to the level of most of his interviewees. This way, they aren't looking up and we don't get a lovely shot of the subject's nostrils. However, to avoid the opposite effect of Fred looking down, the cameraman needs a boost to operate the camera at a suitable height. |
| 313 | * 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. |
| 314 | * 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]]). |
| 315 | * In the BBC's flat racing coverage, Willie Carson, a five-foot-tall ex-champion jockey, employs one of these to be seen in the shot with his much taller co-host Clare Balding (5'7"). |
| 316 | * Creator/PaulMcGann (perhaps most notably seen in ''Film/WithnailAndI'', being short, and ''Series/DoctorWho'', being less so) shares his thoughts on his height and the Scully Box: |
| 317 | -->''"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 smooch. At such times they usually stand me on a box. Sort of keeps your feet on the ground, paradoxically."'' |
| 318 | * In certain videos and photos, voice-over CreatorCouple Creator/LauraBailey (5'2") is shown standing on a chair to reach her husband Creator/TravisWillingham (6'4"). In some photos, she's sitting on his knee/lap like she's a child. |
| 319 | ** Another with voice actor Creator/TroyBaker (6'3") and his second wife Pamela. There are a lot of photos showing her wearing heels, but it makes little difference to reach her husband's lips. In one of their wedding photos, he had to bend over in order to kiss her on the lips. |
| 320 | * Much snickering was heard 'round the interwebs when a side photo of [[Website/{{Facebook}} Mark Zuckerberg]]'s April 2018 testimony before a Congressional committee revealed he was [[https://www.cnn.com/videos/cnnmoney/2018/04/11/mark-zuckerberg-hearing-booster-cushion.cnn seated on a booster cushion]]. |
| 321 | * [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor Both Prince Charles and Lady Diana]] were about 5'9" tall, yet all official photographs of the former couple display him as considerably taller than she. |
| 322 | %% |
| 323 | %% Note there is a separate Politics folder above |
| 324 | %% |
| 325 | [[/folder]] |
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