Hollywood Road

After signing the investment agreement with Twentieth Century Fox on behalf of Stanton Studios, Murphy's entire energy was transferred to the preparation of "Dark City". He went with Gal Gadot and Helena Espola first. Went to New York and signed a formal agreement on location shooting with relevant parties in New York.

The location of this film will all be located in New York, and some special effects and interior scenes will continue to be shot on the warehouse set next to Venice.

The warehouse studio has once again become the base camp for Murphy's preparations for filming.

Under the fight of Kara-Fiss and Murphy, Twentieth Century Fox finally agreed to Murphy’s IMAX shooting plan. More than 60% of the film’s shots will be shot with IMAX cameras. Because of Murphy’s current status and IMAX also paid great attention to the momentum of the best director Oscar. After the crew contacted the Los Angeles branch of IMAX, they immediately carried out internal deployment and soon sent two huge and heavy IMAX cameras.

Two IMAX cameras were set up by Philip Raschel in the largest filming area for debugging. They are veritable big guys. They are several times larger and heavier than the usual Hollywood cameras, with weight and volume. The increase means that the operation will be more cumbersome and inconvenient.

Standing next to an IMAX camera, Murphy tried to operate it. After standing up, he said to Philip Raschel, “We have some scenes that we need to shoot with IMAX cameras. They are all very impactful shots. ."

After spinning around the IMAX camera, Murphy said again, "For example, when Chris Dann is chasing after riding a motorcycle, I need to show the first perspective with Chris Dann as the starting point!"

"The last time we tied the camera to the front of the car to shoot." Philip Raschel frowned, "but the effect is average, and the impact is not strong enough."

"Yeah!" Murphy nodded and proposed, "Philip, tie this big guy to the front of the plane. Is it feasible to shoot when the plane takes off?"

Philip Raschel thought about it for a few seconds and said, "It's not easy to handle. The IMAX camera is too heavy and heavy. The nose of the plane needs special modification."

Murphy immediately made a decision, "I leased a business jet from Gulfstream, so let me ask them to contact them to see if they can provide related services."

These are all problems that money can solve.

"Wait, Philip, Murphy, wait."

IMAX people have been paying attention to the two of them. Murphy and Philip Raschel’s voices are not low, and they all fall into the ears of Tolby Martinez, the representative of IMAX on the crew. This The person in charge of the IMAX company on the crew hurried over, "I think your proposal is too risky, and it is likely to damage the equipment."

Murphy couldn't help frowning slightly, "Toby, if you want to show the advantages of IMAX technology, you have to build a good enough scene."

Tolby Martinez seemed to want to say something. Murphy didn't give him a chance at all and said directly, "If the equipment is damaged, the crew will pay the price."

Tolby Martinez opened his mouth and closed it again. In front of Murphy, he was obviously not enough.

Besides, IMAX cameras are very expensive, but not so expensive that a crew with an investment of $220 million can't afford it.

Since the filming equipment was leased from IMAX, Murphy would certainly not be polite to use it. IMAX has always adhered to the principle of renting but not selling, otherwise there would not be so much trouble.

Subsequently, Murphy left the studio and went to a representative of Mercedes-Benz in the crew to discuss matters such as Chris Dann’s special motorcycle.

Many similar problems can always be found in the preliminary preparations. This is a problem-solving stage. The more problems encountered at this stage, the less troubles there will be in later shooting.

From equipment to props, from actors to costumes, from shooting plans to sub-shot artwork, Murphy will participate in and review every preparatory work, and know the progress of the entire preparatory work.

Twentieth Century Fox also gave him maximum support, except for necessary financial issues, basically delegated authority to two producers, Carla Faith and Gal Gadot.

After looking at the design drawings of Mercedes-Benz, and exchanging opinions with the designer, Murphy went to the office where the pyrotechnics team is located. This time, several persons in charge of a pyrotechnics team he specially hired were studying the blasting plan.

Different from the previous films, Murphy plans to try a lot of gun battles and explosions in this filming, because all the explosions must be shot on the spot to fit the style of the film, and they cannot be as exaggerated and lacking as the explosions made by Michael Bay. limit.

"I think explosives should be given up."

Murphy and the head of the pyrotechnic team, Michael Baelz, discussed the most important explosion scenes in the film. He suggested, “As the script says, try to use a few bullets and some gasoline to create an explosion.”

Michael Baelz folded his chest with one hand and his chin with the other. "If you use a model to shoot, there is a certain degree of uncertainty about the gasoline explosion."

"You must use a model for shooting." Murphy said as concisely as possible. "The special effects team of Weta Studio is working on a model, and I will communicate with you later."

"Give me some time and let Weta Studio make a few more models." Michael Baelz frowned slowly, then let go, "I need to do some experiments to achieve the best results when shooting. ."

"There is one more." Murphy looked at Michael Baltz and said seriously, "You can study how to completely blow up a large hospital."

Michael Baelz read the script of the relevant explosion scene, and immediately realized that Murphy wanted real shots, and asked, "Are you really going to bomb the hospital?"

"Yes." Murphy briefly explained, "I have sent people to look for it to see where there is a suitable hospital that is about to be demolished, or a building similar to a hospital."

For the realistic style of the film, he really worked hard.

Then Murphy went to see the actors, mainly James Franco, whose magician role is crucial.

However, when he walked into a studio, Murphy saw James Franco, who was wearing a neat magician's gown, was looking at the script and thinking hard, without disturbing him, and left directly.

Facing his character script, James Franco is considering the thoughts of the character magician.

There is no doubt that this role set by Murphy puts the evil side of human nature to infinity, and forms a set of very distinctive logic, making the magician role extremely crazy and...amazing!

"There is also a perverted person like Murphy..." James Franco couldn't help shook his head, "It is possible to design such a perverted and wonderful character."

Thinking of this, James Franco looked down at the script and flipped through it again.

In this role script, the magician shows a kind of madness, a madness without a bottom line and guidelines, and a craziness to the culmination of evil.

And what is the evil that has reached its peak? In the culmination of evil, evil is not a means, but an end. The evil that has reached its peak is pure, not for money, for nothing, or for any other purpose. Creating evil and displaying evil itself are the only pursuits.

The evil of the magician is pure evil, nothing else, he just wants to create a "higher taste evil" for this city. In James Franco's view, compared with the magician, even the "Seven Deadly Sins" "The crimes of anonymous people in "are not regarded as "high-taste evil", because there are too many additions to evil.

Even in some respects, the magician is actually an evil Puritan. In his eyes, crimes for money, power, sex, or any other purpose are actually blasphemy against "evil". Evil is only in his hands. Is pure.

In the hands of a magician, evil and chaos become a work of art, and he slaps evil like a painter paints or a musician composes music. So from beginning to end, no matter what the circumstances, he maintained the arrogance and contentment of being a demon.

At first glance, the magician's behavior in the script may seem crazy and chaotic, but James Franco can easily analyze that this character has a fanatical mind that breaks through everyone's bottom line.

Faced with such a role, James Franco sometimes feels powerless and feels that his acting skills and state may be difficult to reach the realm of a magician.

"It's really too difficult to successfully portray this character!"

James Franco closed the script, stood up and walked a few steps, and sighed, "Murphy, you dug such a big hole, just wait for me to jump into it!"

He stood there, thinking quietly for a while, knowing that he had to do more preparations for this role.

Then, James Franco left the actor's rehearsal room, found Murphy who was staying in the director's office, and made a direct request.

"Murphy..." James Franco pulled a chair and sat down, and said to the friend opposite, "From tomorrow, I will not come back to the crew for the time being."

"Not coming to the crew?" Murphy asked curiously, "Why?"

"I think the magician is a very special character."

Speaking of the role that will be created in front of the camera lens, James Franco is totally different from the previous giggling appearance, unusually serious, "I want to find a quiet and completely undisturbed environment, and take a while to study this role. "

Hearing this, Murphy couldn't help but look at James Franco. Hulanlan's eyes reflected the kind of enthusiasm that an actor met with a character he really liked.

Murphy thought about it for a moment, "That's good."

"See you later."

James Franco stood up and wanted to leave, but Murphy called out, "Wait, James."

"Is there anything else?" James Franco asked.

"Yeah!" Murphy stood up and said, "Very important thing!"