Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 7 Asking the Boss

   "New World" Production is a company specializing in low-budget films. The 90-minute "Rock High School" was officially filmed for only three weeks, minus the Sunday break, it was actually only 18 days.

   So it’s how fast you can shoot multiple pieces. In order to grab time, everyone had no time to rest after one shot, and immediately started preparing for the next shot.

   The crew are all skilled and are very used to the rhythm of New World production.

   Without Ronald's order, the three strong guys in the camera crew started to remove the camera from the boom arm and move it to the front. The red-haired first camera assistant started to install the gimbal, and then everyone put the camera on it together.

  Clothing and make-up, I'm rushing to touch up Dai Yang's makeup, and the powder puff is flying.

   Soon, Ronald picked up the electric horn again and ordered, and another one was successfully completed.

  The next scene is the appearance of the protagonist PJ Sols. She plays Liv Randall, who puts the Ramones records on the record player on the playground, and school bully Kate Rambo hooks up the line to the school's stereo.

As soon as the    switch was turned on, the indoor and outdoor stereos of the whole school began to play the punk rock of the "Rammons" band.

  This scene needs to be re-set. Jim began directing the various crew assistants to start moving props. "Place the record player here." Here is the wire that Day Young was going to connect. The recording department began to connect the speakers in the playground to the tape recorders that actually played songs.

   Handing over the scene to Jim, Ronald himself went over to discuss her first scene of the day with PJ Sowers.

  PJ·Souls is a slender beauty, she wears a chosen red top with black and white spots on the collar, which is very outstanding. She was wearing leather pants and Converse canvas shoes. In 1978, this was rock punk girl, the most popular look.

   "You're so handsome! You're so hot today, PJ"

   "Hi Ronnie, how does it feel to be a director?"

   "That's right, maybe I'll have to take a photo with you later as a commemoration of my directing career."

   "Hahaha, no problem. You're great, Ronnie."

   "This scene is your appearance, have you figured out how to capture the audience's eyes?"

   "Oh, yeah. I'm going to give the audience the image of a very energetic girl in the opening scene, bouncing around..."

   Ronald's qualifications, and acting skills, are completely insufficient to guide PJ Sowers. Seeing that what she said was similar to the image in the dream, he pretended to appreciate it very much and nodded frequently.

   "Perfect, we'll follow this later."

   At this point, Jim came over and said that the props and set had been set up.

   "Please..." Ronald made a gesture and led the two heroines into the arena together.

  This is a long shot, the director of photography and Ronald mentioned it, using a hyperfocal distance.

   The red-haired camera assistant looked at the aperture and called after conversion: "5 meters, 5 meters away from the camera lens is the hyperfocal distance." That means that all the scenes can be clearly photographed without focusing.

  This hyperfocal method of shooting, which Ronald has seen several times before in the "Rock High School" crew, is said to have a good aesthetic effect. However, he felt that the more important thing was to save time and take as many pictures as possible.

  Ronald starts from the camera and takes 7 steps, far away from the actor. Reassuringly motioned Jim to begin.

  Jim was banned by three whistle blows.

   "All attention, we are officially shooting..."

   "High School Life Scene 128, First Shot, First Article."

  The shot begins with PJ Sowers, who puts a vinyl record into the record player and hits play.

  The camera then moves to Day Young, who pretends to start connecting two wires with exposed copper wires.

   Ronald motioned for the recording crew to play music. The music of the "Rammons" band "Would you like to dance? (DoYouWannaDance? began to sound, and the prelude of "DiDi, DiDi, DiDi" came from the loudspeaker...

  “Cut!”

   Ronald felt that he was a tool man, the performance was controlled by the old fritters PJ himself, and the artistry of photography was handed over to the director of photography, Mr. Candy. As for himself, just to see if it is the same as the picture revealed in the dream. Degenerate to just call Action and Cut.

   "That's fine, anyway, I'm a temporary director and I don't know anything."

   Ronald comforted himself.

   "How about this one?"

   Dean Candy confirmed to him that it was all right.

   "Do I need to guarantee one?"

   "You are the director!"

   "Okay, let's guarantee one more."

   After taking this shot, the sun has risen and the magic light will dissipate after ten minutes.

  Ronald looked at the shooting log, and then there was a panorama. It was the scene where the headmistress came to the playground to give lectures and threatened to detain the students, and the students on the playground fled.

   "Okay, let's take another shot of this and then rest."

   After discussing with the director of photography, Ronald directed the group performance to the middle of the playground.

   "Mr. Candy, are these people enough?"

   "There's still a bit of space to fill the lens."

   "All on, all on, all the crew assistants, costumes, make-ups, and stand-ins without filming assignments, stand in the back row for me!"

  Ronald drove 20 or so crew members to the back row of the playground and stood in the back row in the camera, and no one paid attention to their clothing and age.

   "Recording...camera...

   Start shooting Action!”

   "One, two, three, run!" Ronald said below zero, and the group performance began to scatter.

   "Cut, Cut"

   Ronald hurriedly stopped. "Running too fast? What do you think, Mr. Candy?"

   "Yes, and the group performers all ran out of the screen from the nearest direction. The camera shot was less than 2 seconds, which was not long enough."

  Jim suddenly interjected: "Can you shoot in fast motion?"

   The director of photography rarely replied: "You mean downgrading shooting?"

   "Yes." Jim didn't understand Ronald, and explained to him in a low voice:

   "Down-motion is shooting at a lower camera speed, so that at normal 24 frames per second, the actors become fast-moving, like we did with early silent films. It's a comical effect."

   "Director, how do you decide?" Director of photography Dean Candy still spoke as little as possible.

   "OK, we'll shoot with downgrades." Ronald said, walking towards the group performance, "We still have to solve the problem of not enough time." He recalled the scene he dreamed of last night, and had an idea in his mind.

   "Boys and girls, let's change the way of running next. With me as the center line, all those on my left, run to the right; all those on my right, run to the left."

   "Everyone goes back to the original position and starts." Ronald turned back and said to the photography team.

   "Aren't you going to rehearse once?" Jim asked.

   "No, I'm going to have this unrehearsed first time. Let them be unprepared and we'll catch the real reaction"

  …

   "One, two, three... run!" Ronald gave the order again a few minutes later, this time all the group performances ran in the opposite direction of the last time, the crowd inevitably collided, avoided, screamed, this time was long enough. "

   "Cut!" Ronald turned to the director of photography, "Mr. Candy, let's go and call the boss, Mr. Coleman, first?"

   The DP looks at the light, and the magic light moment is basically over, "Okay, let's go together."

   "Okay, the crew has a 30-minute break." Jim picked up the electric horn and began to announce the 30-minute break, and began to arrange the set for the next scene.

   Ronald took the director of photography and explained it to the dean who was sent to supervise by the school. The two entered the principal's office and started to call the New World Productions office.

  An old-fashioned dial phone, where each digit dialed waits for the dial to turn, as Ronald organizes a speech to his boss, Roger Coleman.

   "Beep...beep...beep...beep, waited a few times, and finally someone answered the phone. Good morning, New World Productions."

   A nice female voice came from the microphone, softly.

   "Is that Gail? I'm Ronald, assistant to the 'High School of Rock' crew."

   "Oh, Ronnie. Calling the office so early? If I hadn't come to the office early this morning, no one would answer your call. Is there something wrong?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm worried about calling too early and nobody's there. Is Mr. Coleman in the office? Listen, there's an emergency here, and the DP, Mr. Dean Candy, is by my side. Director Ellen is out. He passed out on set, Joe has taken him to the hospital, and we need a new director."

On the other side of the phone was Gail, Roger Coleman's assistant to the president, New World's assistant to the president, not the type of office at a big studio. Roger Coleman, the stingy boss, uses people to death. In addition to handling things in the office, Gail also runs around the scene for him, busy like a real estate agent.

   "Don't panic, I'll call Roger right now. Wait for my call back, what's your number? (818) 778-6801? Okay, don't go away, I'll hang up later."

   Putting down the receiver, Ronald looked at Dean Candy next to him.

   "So, Mr. Candy, what do you think happened to the director? Why don't you let me take him to the hospital so that Joe can stay and continue the director?"

   (end of this chapter)