Hollywood Hunter

October 10th, Thursday.

On the third day of the filming of "Lola Run", the crew still resided in the apartment in the northwest corner of Montana.

The scene of Laura’s house leads the beginning of the three stories, which is particularly important in the film. The crew arranged three full days to shoot this part of the scene. Today is the last day.

It was already more than three o'clock in the afternoon.

In Laura’s bedroom, after being temporarily remodeled, only a room less than 20 square meters in size was left, but at this time, seven or eight people were squeezed. Counting the cameras, fill lights, reflectors and other equipment, the small room was It’s so full that there are some people who can only stay outside.

However, the atmosphere in the room seemed quite quiet.

This is actually the unified feeling of all crew members since the filming started.

From the first day of filming, everyone found that Simon’s directing style was very different. He would not yell like some directors, nor would he explain to the staff in great detail what kind of results he wanted. .

More often, Simon maintained a quiet state, quietly examining the surrounding scenery, quietly using the viewfinder to consider the shots that were about to be shot, quietly holding the light meter to observe every corner...Then, succinctly gave orders .

If only this is the case, everyone might enjoy this relaxing shooting experience.

Compared with the countless rants and criticisms that many crews have suffered, who doesn't want a quiet and neurotic director?

However, after three days, most people on the crew not only did not feel relaxed at all, but the pressure was increasing.

The young director of the crew is too harsh.

On the first day of shooting, for the first shot, Simon spent more than two hours just lighting up.

As a typical backlit scene, it is understandable to spend more time on lighting.

However, this is not the big scene set in those high-budget movies. It is just a simple close-up shot that took more than two hours to set up the light. In any case, it was too much.

Moreover, due to Simon's age, some of the crew members even began to wonder whether this young man understands filmmaking? Some people even feel that Simon is just showing his authority through this repeated tossing method.

All kinds of doubts and dissatisfaction accumulated for three days. When Simon once again adjusted the camera for a phone that was less than a second shorter for more than half an hour, the crew's lighting engineer Josh Wickman finally broke out.

Josh Wickman is thirty-three years old this year. He has been a lighting engineer in Hollywood for seventeen years since he was an apprentice when he was sixteen. Although due to ordinary personal qualifications and lack of opportunities, he has always been able to work alone on film sets, but in any case he is considered a veteran in this circle.

In all fairness, most of the time, Josh Wickman can faintly feel the subtleties of Simon's adjustments, but he can hardly tolerate Simon's long and repeated consideration.

This is too torturous.

At this time, Josh Wickman dropped the light meter that he was holding in his hand, raised his voice, and the young man who seemed a little confused about his expression said: "Simon, I think this set is already very good. You can't waste time anymore. ."

As Josh Wickman suddenly broke out, everyone stopped their work and watched together.

After listening to Josh Wickman, Simon picked up the shooting schedule next to it and looked at it, and said, "I didn't waste time. The shooting schedule here is three days, and now only the last three shots are left. It’s okay to finish before get off work."

When Simon said so, everyone was taken aback.

With some calculations in mind, everyone found that although Simon seemed a bit too demanding in many details, the shooting progress was not slowed down at all.

This young man seemed to know very clearly what effect he wanted. Therefore, there are very few cases of hesitating repeated adjustments and shooting or deliberately taking a few more shots for backup. In most cases, everyone carefully prepares a shot and then starts shooting. As long as there are no accidents, there are usually only three or four shots, and then it ends. This kind of swiftness speeds up the filming process invisibly.

However, perhaps it is also officially this compact advancing speed without delay, unknowingly bringing a lot of pressure to the staff.

So Jos Wickman heard Simon’s explanation, but became more angry inexplicably, saying: “Anyway, you can’t do this anymore. Or, you don’t even know what you are doing, you little rookie ."

Perceiving the dispute in the room, Ron Macmillan and Sandra Bullock who had been staying outside also quickly walked in.

Ron Macmillan saw Josh Wickman, who was getting more and more excited, and immediately said with some reprimand: "Josh, what's going on?"

"What's the matter?" Josh Wakeman felt Ron Macmillan's questioning, but he said louder: "I'm **** tired of it," Josh Wickman still babbled. I took a look at the reflectors that had been arranged around him, looked at Simon again, and said, "Boy, do you think you are Martin Scorsese? I'm telling you, I'm not doing it."

After that, Josh Wickman bachelorly kicked again on a reflector, turned and walked out.

Ron Macmillan was a little dazed when he saw the lighter's disagreement and suddenly picked him up and left.

How does this work!

However, Ron Macmillan just wanted to chase out, but Simon was caught.

Simon's expression at this time also sank, and he glanced around, and said: "Maybe I am a bit too strict with the shooting requirements, but I don't plan to change this state next, so if you can't adapt, do it now. You can leave."

Everyone is silent.

During these three days, Josh Wickman was really tossed a little bit harder before it broke out. Although other people are also dissatisfied, they are far from reaching the point of resigning and leaving. In Hollywood, the people behind the scenes are just like actors. In many cases, they are also unemployed. Finding a job is also not so easy.

Simon waited for a while and said again: "Only this time, we can leave now, we can terminate the contract very peacefully. But in the following filming, if anyone strikes suddenly, the crew will hold it to the end."

After that, Simon glanced around, until everyone nodded, he leaned over and picked up the reflector kicked by Josh Wickman on the ground, and said: "Alright, continue shooting."

The lighting engineers are gone, no one is lighting, how can you shoot?

This doubt popped up in everyone's mind.

During the filming process, other jobs may be able to be a guest appearance, but the requirements of the professional skills of the lighting engineer are very high. Although the assistant provided by the crew for Josh Wickman stayed, it was obviously impossible for the other party to do the job.

Simon ignored everyone's thoughts and ordered the young assistant lighting engineer to reorganize the lighting equipment.

Ron Macmillan looked at the situation in front of him, somewhat helpless, pulled Catherine, who wanted to come forward to help, and said a few words to her.

Catherine heard Ron Macmillan's words, came to Simon, and whispered: "Simon, should you come here today?"

"It's okay, Catherine, trust me," Simon made a relieved look at the woman, and pointed to the fill light next to him: "Will you turn that off for me first?"

Seeing Simon's persistence, Catherine nodded and started to help.

Ron Macmillan watched the scene get busy again, so he had to leave the room and hurried to the next door. He picked up the phone and wanted to help the crew as soon as possible to contact a lighting engineer to save the scene.

It's just that Ron Macmillan is not one of those big-name producers after all, and after a few phone calls, there was no result.

After hesitating for a moment, Ron Macmillan still sighed and rushed to the scene to help.

So busy, the off work time is coming soon.

Although some time was wasted on the lens where the phone dropped, the next few shots went smoothly.

As a result, everyone suddenly realized that without a lighting engineer, the last few shots were all completed. The young director seemed to be no worse than a professional lighting engineer in terms of lighting.

Although I don't know the effect.

but.

Consider that Simon is also a photographer himself, well, this seems to be a past that can barely explain.

The photographer must know some lighting.

but.

It is still quite abnormal for a young man in his twenties to act as a film photographer.

Some people even couldn't help thinking, if they had just left behind like Josh Wickman, would the young director also take part in his work?

This is impossible!

With all kinds of surprises and doubts, everyone went home from get off work.

As a producer, Ron Macmillan is not at ease, he also has some doubts whether the last few shots of the day can be used. In fact, Ron Macmillan is even a little worried about whether the shots from these three days will be usable.

In any case, Simon was still too young.

Moreover, Ron Macmillan has always wanted to hire a professional photographer, but Simon insisted on doing it himself.

This is also the point that worries Ron the most.

So, after work was over, Simon took Janet to check out tomorrow’s shooting scene, but Ron Macmillan called out Catherine who wanted to go together, and the two hurried to Fox Studios with today’s shooting film. .

Because it was in the same period as the "Butterfly Effect", Brian de Palma provided Simon with a convenience. The film shot by the crew of "Lola Run" can be sent to the post center of Fox Studios and "Butterfly Effect". Developed film together.

Of course, the cost of printing is still to be paid.

But even so, the professional processing conditions of Fox Studios are not comparable to those of independent laboratories. Needless to say, the importance of original negatives to a film is needless to say. The more professional the processing environment, the more guaranteed the quality of the negatives.

Therefore, this is not a small favor.

"Yesterday I asked the Fox Post Center to print a sample of the negatives taken two days ago, and you can see the results today." When he came to Fox Studios, Ron Macmillan took the initiative to explain to Catherine and call her together. The intention of coming, said: "If, Catherine, if the effect of the sample is not satisfactory, perhaps, the subsequent director should be done by you. After all, this is an investment of 650,000 US dollars."

Catherine shook her head slightly and said, "Ron, you should have more confidence in Simon."

"I, of course, I am still very optimistic about Simon, if he can experience for a few years," the plot behind the scenes to drive the director down is not glamorous after all, Ron Macmillan's expression is more embarrassed, but he still said: " However, he is still too young after all, and you have seen the situation these days."

Catherine smiled and said nothing.

The two came to the post-production center, Ron Macmillan was registering the film crew of today's filming with the staff, David Giller, Brian de Palma and other people just happened to talk and laugh. Came in.

Seeing Ron and Catherine, several people also came to say hello.

Ron was originally introduced to Simon by David Giller, and everyone knew Catherine.

So, after chatting with each other for a few words, they learned that Ron and Catherine were going to see the sample footage taken by Simon the previous two days, and both David and Brian became interested.

Brian de Palma said: "It just so happens that we are going to see the samples shot in the past few days, let's go together. I look forward to Simon's movie very much."

Ron and Catherine looked at each other involuntarily when they heard Brian de Palma say this.

Simon, Simon, your shots must be normal.

otherwise.

That would be miserable.

So secretly praying for a certain guy, David Giller ordered a few words to the staff, and everyone walked to the sample screening room in the center of the post.

When I came to the screening room, there happened to be people inside, but it was another veteran Hollywood actor Robert Redford and several other staff members. A film produced by Robert Redford was recently in the late stage. Will appear here.

After exchanging greetings with each other, Robert Redford had planned to leave. Hearing a few words from David Giller, he immediately became interested and said, "David, is that the young man who interrupted someone else's five legs?"

David Giller nodded and said: "Of course, by the way, Simon also hopes that his film can participate in the Sundance Film Festival. So, maybe you can come and see how that young man is doing."

"Of course," Robert Redford nodded suddenly, but still said: "However, I am more interested in how that little guy interrupted other people's five legs. One dozen five, very powerful. Is he the same as that year? Like Bruce Lee, learned kung fu?"

David Giller smiled and said, "Well, you can ask him in person at that time."

Hearing that Robert Redford also planned to stay, Ron and Catherine couldn't help but start praying for Simon again.

Talking and laughing, the staff quickly sent a few samples.

Brian de Palma skipped the "Butterfly Effect" and directly signaled the staff to show the samples of "Lola Run" shot by Simon first.