Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Attention all units, check the strength of the lifting wooden frame again..."

The first assistant director held a loudspeaker as the crew recreated the installation artist's home one-to-one, building the apartment downstairs where Molly and Sam's home in the movie was built, and directed the on-site staff.

The NYPD got their big backstage, and Rudy's instructions gave Ronald's crew great convenience. The entire Princes Street in Soho was closed off and lent to the crew for this shot.

After checking the safety measures on site, Ronald personally pulled the wooden frame installed outside the apartment with his hands. This is what Italians from moving companies often do, and temporarily fixed a wooden frame and pulleys above the window. , used to carry extremely tall and oversized furniture.

"A!" After Ronald confirmed, he signaled from inside the apartment to start shooting.

A wooden statue of the Virgin was pulled from the ground to the window. All the window glass has not been installed yet, just waiting for this furniture to come in.

Demi Moore, wearing jeans and a gray shirt, climbed onto the windowsill and reached out to reach the statue.

Molly was afraid that the movers might damage the statue, so she wanted to get her in by herself.

"Cut!"

Of course, Ronald wanted to protect the star. After he photographed Demi Moore's back on the window sill, he called it a halt. Then change the angle and take another close-up shot of the safety belt binding Demi's waist and hips, and then edit them together.

"Prepare……"

Demi Moore put a safety belt around her waist, turned her back to the camera, and began to prepare.

"A!"

I saw her stretching out a hand to reach the wooden statue, but she still couldn't reach it. Demi Moore had no choice but to stretch out another foot to reach. The camera captures her from the upper back with one hand and one foot sticking out of the window.

It happened that the camera only captured her upper body and back, and all protective measures were well hidden from the camera. Although it will be scary when put on the screen later, in fact, there are sufficient protection measures and there is no danger at all.

"Cut!"

The stunt team of the film crew began to untie Demi Moore's safety belt again, and then placed it on the window frame

Demi Moore climbed onto the box again and continued to film the scene of reaching for the statue with one hand and one foot. A clever camera setup makes it look like she's reaching out the window.

In fact, all of Demi's actions are done inside the window frame. During post-editing, after this action is edited to the scene where the safety belt was fastened just now, the audience will automatically imagine in their minds that Molly is doing dangerous actions.

"Ah...ahhh..." Demi Moore screamed. Patrick Schweitz suddenly attacked from behind, grabbing Demi's hand and pulling her inside.

Molly, played by Demi Moore, suddenly lost her balance, screamed and fell backwards, and then discovered that her boyfriend Sam was playing a prank. She fell into his arms smoothly.

And Sam, played by Schwytz, also took advantage of the situation, picked up Molly's legs, hugged her and kissed her.

"Cut!"

The two actors handled this frightened reaction very well. Demi Moore's body language has a very abrupt back movement due to fright, just like a kitten after being frightened.

Generally, in this kind of scene, many actors can only perform such a reaction that the audience recognizes if they are truly frightened. And Demi Moore's contraction shows that this actress has excellent body perception and emotional control.

"very good……"

Ronald praised the actors and continued filming the next episode.

I saw Patrick Schwytz clinging to the window frame with his hands, as if doing a pull-up, and pushing out with his feet toward the wooden statue outside.

With a bang, the statue swayed, first swung outward, and then swung back under the influence of gravity. Schwytz happened to catch it, and then moved it into the room with the help of workers.

"Look out," Molly, played by Demi Moore, smiles at her boyfriend's cleverness and rushes to help.

"Sam, Molly, are you there?" came the voice of Tony Goldwyn, the actor who played Carl, from behind.

"What's he doing here?" Molly asked.

"Slave labor," Sam joked, then called back, "Come help."

Karl hurried forward and helped the two men carry the statue.

"Cut!"

This scene is the second appearance of the three protagonists, and the characters of the three characters are fully expressed. Molly is opinionated and independent, Sam is smart and a bit frivolous, and Carl is Sam's follower and has a crush on Molly.

As soon as they appear on the stage, the images of the three protagonists are quickly established in the minds of the audience. Ronald's narrative skills are becoming more and more proficient. The reactions of the three actors are also very good, which makes the audience very involved in the drama. They can get into the role at first sight and start to look forward to what will happen to the three people next.

"Director, a reporter from the Daily News is here." Assistant Richie Lake, a chubby girl, used every opportunity to inform Ronald about the pre-arranged reporter interview.

"Hello", Ronald happened to catch up with the time gap for re-lighting, and chatted with the reporter of the Daily News.

This time they did not send a reporter from the entertainment section, but instead hired a senior reporter from the current affairs section to interview.

The reporter watched from the side as Ronald directed the crew, and when he had time, he asked questions intermittently.

After asking about some expectations for the new movie, and how it felt when Harry Met Sally was being screened in New York, which is currently in theaters, the reporter asked about the topic of the appointment.

"I saw that in your shooting plan, the male protagonist was stabbed to death in Manhattan, New York. Is this a tragedy?"

"Is it a tragedy? Maybe it can be understood this way, but it is mainly due to the needs of the story. The name of this movie is Ghost. As you can imagine, most of the male protagonists are in the form of a ghost...

I personally view it as a romantic love story. The most important thing about love is heart-to-heart connection. There are many barriers between lovers, and sometimes you have to open your mind to convey your love..."

“I saw in the script that the male protagonist was robbed in a high-end area of ​​Manhattan like Broadway, and then stabbed to protect his girlfriend. Is this a metaphor for the current security situation in New York?

"Metaphor? Maybe. But this plot was written by the screenwriter, you have to ask him. In my opinion, this is the need of the narrative, not a satire of the current situation in New York. Of course, the current security situation is indeed not very good. , the Central Park case was mentioned in the previous paragraph.

As a kid who grew up in New York, I hope the city can regain safety and calm and not run into danger in Central Park..."

Ronald stopped talking and did not name any candidates, but everything he said was criticizing the security situation in New York.

He was completely unafraid of Dinkins' side and attacked him for it. Because the security of New York is now an issue that everyone cares about, even black politicians like Dinkins, who rely on blacks as their most stable source of votes, have to repeatedly promise at campaign rallies that they will maintain the safety of the city after being elected. as the first priority.

After all, black people, like white people, only have one life. Although the case of black people attacking white people in Central Park caused a lot of controversy and was used by both parties to blame each other, in fact, it was the black communities in the Bronx that were most affected by the deterioration of public security.

It’s just that violent crimes among black people do not have much news value, so they are not widely reported by the media.

…

The filming in New York went particularly smoothly because of Rudy's help.

That night, Ronald and the crew came to Wall Street, which is the only way to get to their apartment from Broadway. After watching a play on Broadway, it takes five minutes to walk here, then turn a corner and walk another five minutes to reach the apartment.

This is a small road intersecting Wall Street. Under the dim street lights, the ground is barely illuminated, and the surrounding environment is a bit dark. This is the place where Sam was assassinated.

Of course, the crew is not afraid of any safety issues. In addition to Ronald's bodyguard Dan, who hired his former colleagues to provide security for the crew, the NYPD also specially sent several police cars to clear the surrounding intersections. .

Sam and Molly were walking together in the autumn evening. The two chatted a few words about theater and Molly's upcoming gallery exhibition. The weather was a bit cold. Sam put his coat on Molly, and Molly naturally I want to talk to Sam about their relationship.

"Sports Illustrated will cover my exhibition."

"Don't be afraid, those reporters are all students who failed the art school."

"But they have eight million readers..."

"What matters is not them, but how I see it. I think your work is beautiful."

Patrick Schwytz and Demi Moore, walking down a side street like a couple. The body movements of the two people definitely showed this.

Ronald was sitting behind the camera on one side. There was a slide rail built underneath. A group of coolies pushed the camera hard there, following the two actors in parallel. The camera shot close-ups from a 45-degree angle, which was very beautiful. .

When the audience sees this, it feels like they are walking with the two lovers and observing their various beauties.

After hearing Sam's sweet words, Molly smiled sweetly. She could finally say what she had been thinking about for a long time.

"Sam, I want to marry you..." Demi Moore hugged Schwytz's arm tightly and said something earth-shattering. That proposing expression made her very sure that Sam was the one she loved.

"What?" Sam was surprised, but Schwytz's expression couldn't tell what it meant.

"Yes, I've thought about it a lot..." Demi Moore's face had a look like you heard what I said, don't want me to say it a second time.

"What?" Schwytz had not yet reacted to his girlfriend's sudden proposal.

In Hollywood movies, there are generally no plots where women actively propose marriage. This is contrary to American tradition. If men don't propose marriage, then the traditional model of men working to earn wages and women being housewives at home may no longer be popular.

Of course, independent urban women like Molly are completely opposed to this tradition. In their view, a woman's proposal is not a big deal, what matters is true love.

"Are you serious?" Patrick Schwytz stopped.

Ronald looked at the visual director of photography, and immediately the camera stopped on the guide rail. The camera came to a place slightly in front of the two people, and the side close-up changed to a 45-degree frontal view.

Demi Moore also stopped and looked at Sam, "Yes, I think we should just do this..." Full of expectation, she looked at Sam played by Schwitz sweetly.

"But you never wanted to discuss it."

"Ah...", Demi Moore sighed, and she looked at the starry sky on the other side.

At this time, Patrick Schweitzer's sight also left the focus of the two people and looked at the ground on the other side.

This kind of body language performance is much more important than the lines. The message that the audience felt from it was that Sam still had doubts about marriage, which disappointed Molly who had mustered up the courage. After all, if a woman first proposed such a thing and was rejected, it would be difficult for the relationship between the two to maintain the status quo in the future.

If you don't look at the expressions and movements of the two people and just listen to the lines, these important and key information will be lost.

Molly didn't get the expected response, raised her head, as if to hold back her tears, and the two continued to walk forward. Ronald waved his hand, and the coolies began to push the camera to follow again.

After walking a few steps, Molly, played by Demi Moore, took a deep breath and looked at Sam again. She wanted to confirm what their relationship was...

"Do you love me, Sam?"

"What do you think?"

"Why don't you say it?" Molly was deeply disappointed and didn't look at Sam's face when she spoke. The two stopped again.

This time, Ronald didn't need to wave his hand. The coolies had stopped and rehearsed many times.

"What do you mean? Don't I say it every day?"

"No, you didn't say it. You always say dido, not I love you."

"I think sometimes it's not important to say..." The two continued to move forward.

In this conversation, the two people had a deep misunderstanding, and the mentality of men and women was also well expressed. I believe all the audience will feel the same.

"Cut!"

Ronald felt that the two stars were in a really good state, so he hurried to shoot again.

After shooting the required footage, Ronald waved his hand to let another actor come forward. He was Rick Aviles, who played the robber assassin. A Latino actor, he looks very arrogant, and with hairstyle and makeup, he is even more wild.

"Hi, Rick, long time no see." At this time, Helen just came to the crew. She greeted Rick Aviles. The two had worked together in "The Secret of Success". At that time, Rick Aviles played a maintenance worker.

"Do you mind?" Ronald looked back and saw that it was Helen. In order to save time, he quickly talked to Rick about the play.

"Oh, I won't bother you." Helen stepped aside obediently. He couldn't help but smile when he saw Ronald's guidance.

"Aha..." Demi Moore saw this scene from the side and thought to herself, Ronald, you are not...

"When you appear there, you have to move a few bottles and make a sound. This is a signal to the audience."

Ronald finished his guidance to Rick Aviles. When the audience saw this, they thought that Sam and Molly would have an emotional conflict due to the failed proposal, but they didn't expect it to take a sharp turn... They need to give them a little hint here, such as the sound of a bottle rolling to introduce the robber.

"A!"

The camera is now completely in front of Sam and Molly, and the audience's sight is looking back at them.

Just when it was time to taste the bitterness of a failed proposal, "tap...clang..." Willy, played by Rick Aviles, kicked over several bottles.

Sam and Molly found something wrong and turned around and left. Willy caught up from behind, and the camera gave him a close-up. With his face full of flesh, he looked like a criminal.

Ronald watched everything from behind the camera. This name was deliberately designed. The name Willy has a kind of magic, because this is the name of the fugitive who caused President Dukakis's election defeat. Of course, in order not to offend black audiences, Ronald chose a Latino actor to play this character.

Sam pulled Molly and walked away quickly. But Willy was chasing closely.

"What do you want?" Feeling that Willy was behind him, Sam suddenly turned around and tried to scare him away. He is a very strong man. If it's one-on-one, he may not have no chance of winning, at least he can let Molly take the opportunity to escape.

"Huh?" Rick Aviles took out a prop gun and pointed it at Schwitz's chin.

"Give it all to him, give it all to him..." Molly was terrified. This was no joke.

"OK, the money is all here, take it all, and let us go." Sam was not going to be a hero either.

Suddenly, Willy pushed Sam and aimed his gun at him.

Molly came up to interfere and was slapped in the face by Willy.

Sam saw that things were not going well and pushed Willy against the wall with all his strength.

Molly shouted on the side, "Come on, someone..."

"Bang..." The prop gun went off.

"Cut!"

Ronald felt that Schweitzer and Demi had really entered a zone. In their performance tonight, not a single move was inaccurate, and not a single move was redundant.

After a short break, the camera was aimed at the dark street. The lights illuminated the near side, while the far side remained dark.

"Da Da Da..." Rick Aviles, who played Willy, ran away quickly.

"Da Da Da..." Patrick Schweitzer chased after him. Seeing that he could not catch up, he stopped for a while and then returned.

In the camera, at first there was only a figure in the dark, then the light illuminated his face, it was Sam who came back.

Then Patrick Schweitzer's face was full of confusion, he seemed to have seen something incredible.

Then he squatted down and looked at Molly on the ground, something happened that he couldn't understand.

"Cut!" Luo pressed to stop, "Quick, quick, makeup artist, special effects makeup!"

In order to save time for filming, Schwytz put on makeup on the spot. A large blood bag was made on his chest, which was filled with dark red pigment water and ketchup. Darkness and blood are the same texture.

After checking the camera's position and angle, shooting started again.

"Help, who can help me?" Demi Moore screamed desperately. She hugged Schwytz who was lying on the ground, and red fake blood continued to flow from his chest. Molly, played by Demi Moore, had Sam's blood on her hands, face, and body.

It turned out that Sam, who had been chased out just now, was already a ghost. He didn't know that he was dead. When he came back, he saw his body on the ground in Molly's arms, and then he understood what the problem was.

"Cut!"

This scene is not easy to film, but fortunately the performance of the two actors was perfect.

Ronald looked at the special effects director Van Fleet and three other people. They all said that the accuracy of the special effects had not been damaged and could be used.

"Okay, that's it for today, call it a day."

Helen, who had been waiting on the side, smiled and waited for Ronald to finish explaining everything, then stepped forward to hold his arm. Ronald worked overtime today, so the dinner for the two of them was postponed until midnight.