No reflection but can be seen on film.

[NightBird]

Was a reason ever given to the changes in vamp rules at the start of Angel?

Angel doesn't have a reflection but he appears on camera, that doesn't make any sense.

I always thought that it was a point about how shallow and superficial the city of LA is, you know, a kind of, 'the city's so vain that even the vamps appear on camera.

So anyone know the real reason for this or is it a writer goof?

Also what is with the direct sunlight rule, in the ep of Buffy when Kendra locks Angel in the back of Willies bar and the sun is shinning through the window (indirect sunlight) everything is set up to look potentially fatal.

Was the direct rule light just for the sake of the plot so that the series wasn't fully nocturnal?

 

[white avenger]

There have been several occasions where Spike and other vampires have been video taped, and I believe that Giles once showed Buffy a very old photograph of Angel, Spike, or some other vampire, I believe in either the first or second season. The whole "no reflection in a mirror or still water, does not cast a shadow" thing has never made a bit of sense to me, because if a vampire had no reflection, it wouldn't reflect light, therefore would just be a black blob if they even registered in our eyes at all. Joss should have completely ignored that bit of vampire lore. (Besides, there were several times when they screwed up and actually showed vampires' reflections)

 

[SC7 Fan]

(Besides, there were several times when they screwed up and actually showed vampires' reflections)

Yeah, like in the episode Older and Far Away, when Buffy and Spike go out into the hall if you look in the mirror you can see Spike's reflection as he goes past it.:: vampire

 

[anyatara]

The thing with cameras is confusing. In 'Are You Now or Have You Ever Been' there are pictures of Angel in the Hyperion but in 'Storyteller' Andrew says vampires don't show up on camera. Also in 'Halloween' Spike is watching videos of vampires battling Buffy. The camera thing really makes no sense.

 

[Crazy Flakes]

in 'Storyteller' Andrew says vampires don't show up on camera.

I'm pretty sure he just said, "I thought vampires didn't show on camera." After all, he was able to videotape Spike. In one episode of Angel (I'm pretty sure it was Are You Now or Have You Ever Been), Cordy says that vampires can be photographed, they just can't be photographed well.

It doesn't make any sense to me, but hey, Joss can do whatever he wants.

 

[Aethra]

Yeah, like in the episode Older and Far Away, when Buffy and Spike go out into the hall if you look in the mirror you can see Spike's reflection as he goes past it.:: vampire

And the bit at the end of the Angel intro, when you can see Angel's reflection in a puddle as he walks by. I believe it's a scene from the pilot.

 

[JCC]

Basically it makes the storytelling easier.

 

[Kemy]

Bram Stoker started this whole thing when he misinterpreted a quote that said something along the lines of Vampires Souls or essences not reflecting on the world around them, not a literal reflection. So from Dracula onwards it kind of "stuck". I can't remember exactly what it was he got wrong but it was just a mistranslation, so it doesn't come from proper Vampire legend anyway.

But only years earlier in Carmilla, shes constantly admiring herself in the mirror despite being a 150 year old Vampire, vain as any other vacuous noble woman of the era.

Thats why I love that part of Underworld, they deliberately have the Vampires walking past as many reflective surfaces as possible showing full reflections, Erika in particular prancing in front of a mirror or polished/glass surface every other scene. Just the 'to Hell with that' attitude towards the "mirror bit".

 

[frayadjacent]

I believe in terms of a Vampire casting no reflection in puddles and water and mirrors is a mystical thing that affects the natural world. When you throw science into the mix it changes the rules, cameras and video cameras aren't natural and arguably aren't as affected by the mystical aspects surrounding vampires' reflections. And remember, photos and video cameras have been known to catch ghosts and strange lights etc that weren't seen before, some people even believe that photos steals a bit of your soul, so it can be said that photos and film are able to catch more than what's seen by the naked eye.

And the bit about Spike and Angels reflections here and there?...Everyone makes mistakes, you can even see the boom mic from the top of the screen from time to time if you pay attention.