Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Chapter 71 The Careless Master

Ronald's shooting plan was quickly approved by the senior management of Saab Automobile. They expressed great satisfaction and allocated more shooting expenses for Ronald to find a lighting expert from London to achieve the best effect he envisioned.

After applying for the use of the hangar, warehouse and runway at Balkabi Airport for shooting, Ronald moved to the airport and began to instruct the technicians to set up the scene in the hangar.

The lighting expert who came from London was called David Watkin, a typical British man in his fifties. He had a big nose and messy hair.

Watkin had just finished shooting a movie in Canada as a photographer. The main reason for coming to Stockholm this time was to travel, earn some extra money to buy his favorite classical music records, and help the familiar "young director from Hollywood" solve some minor problems.

Ronald gave his hotel suite in downtown Stockholm to Watkin and moved to a small hotel near the airport, which made Watkin very happy. He spent a whole day in the lower city with hundreds of years of history and took a lot of photos. . Then he came to the hangar to help solve the lighting problem.

"Mr. Watkin, I want a spotlight effect to focus all attention on the Thor fighter. Just like the spotlight on the protagonist on the stage." Ronald designed the scene of the advertisement according to Diane's lighting idea in "Raging Fire".

Watkin nodded frequently, then tilted his head to look at the location of the fighter. He stretched out his palm and gestured twice.

"My camera position will be arranged here, I want one..." Ronald then stood at the door of the hangar and described the lens he needed.

"No, no, no..." David Watkin put a finger in front of his mouth and made a silent gesture, "I will light the scene according to your requirements, but don't tell me how to shoot, how to shoot is your business."

"Ah?" Ronald raised his eyebrows slightly. Why didn't this director of photography play by the rules? I don't know where the camera is placed, how to arrange the lighting? At that time, I met this old man at the scene of "Endless Love", but I didn't have any communication with him. I only knew that his level was very high.

"I don't even need to be here when you shoot. In my experience, as long as the lighting is done, you don't need me in 95% of the situations. You can put your camera anywhere, and you can put as many cameras as you want."

"Okay", Ronald thought he still believed what Niceta said in the long-distance call from Los Angeles. David Watkin was the best director of photography he could find within his budget. If it weren't for the fact that he was in Stockholm and the workload was not large, it would be impossible to invite this master who was the director of photography for "Endless Love".

"The spotlight is very simple", David Watkin found a local Swedish technician and arranged the lights according to his own ideas in a few seconds. A small lamp with a warm color temperature highlighted the cockpit glass of the fighter, and then a cold spotlight was placed on the bracket on the ceiling, which had a mysterious and blurred effect in the usual smoke of British photographers.

Ronald retreated to the position where he was going to place the camera. In the mist, the Thor fighter lay there quietly like a war hammer. Waiting for the pilot to wake up.

"Snap", David Watkin signaled to turn off the spotlight, leaving only a small light on the scene, and the fighter became more mysterious and quiet.

"Snap", the spotlight turned on again, and now about two-thirds of the body appeared like the goddess of victory, and her wings were still in the shadow, giving people endless reverie.

"Very good, put the camera here." Ronald directed the photography team to start setting up, and the actor who played the pilot also put on his flight suit and sunglasses to show Ronald.

"Okay, I'll go to the warehouse next door to continue setting up the lighting. If you have any problems, solve them yourself. If you can't solve them, let someone call me," David Watkin said and walked out of the hangar.

Ronald didn't care about Watkin's careless attitude. A powerful master always has various hobbies. This lighting is really very good, allowing his intention to be fully realized.

"A!"

After all parties were ready, Ronald called for shooting.

The camera shot with a slow motion lens made a louder motor sound than usual. Fortunately, this advertisement did not require synchronous recording and did not interfere with shooting.

"Swish!" The light from the spotlight on the top seemed to have found its own path, like a bucket of milk poured on buttered bread, covering the Thor fighter.

A man dressed as a pilot took firm steps from the darkness outside the wing, walked step by step to the boarding ladder, and climbed into the cockpit.

"Cut!"

Not only Ronald, but all the technicians present, and the marketing manager of Saab, all applauded desperately. This shot is full of the beauty of metal machinery. If the fighter department needs to promote fighters, the effect of playing this segment will definitely be good.

After shooting a few more shots in the hangar, Ronald moved the camera outside the hangar, facing the door.

This time, a real pilot boarded the plane and slowly drove the Thor fighter out of the hangar.

"A!"

Ronald issued an order on the radio intercom, and the assistant in the hangar repeated the order to start shooting, and then the staff pressed the button, and the two doors of the hangar slowly opened to both sides.

The Thor fighter is like a huge iron bird, parked there quietly. The pilot slowly closed the canopy. The light from outside the shed slowly shone in, and the fuselage was slowly lit up.

"Brush", a yellow light suddenly lit up, illuminating the fighter tires in the darkness, the pilot started the engine, and the aircraft began to slowly slide out of the hangar.

Next, Ronald moved to the side of the hangar door. The fighter pilot slowly taxied the aircraft out of the hangar, the pitot tube piercing the boundary between the hangar and the vast world outside, then the nose cone, and finally the cockpit. The driver slowly closed the cabin cover while turning. A ray of yellow light from the light left a highlight on the cabin cover.

"cut!"

The large team of people finished shooting the fighter jets in the hangar, and then rushed to a small warehouse nearby to shoot shots of Saab cars.

David Watkin had arranged the lighting in the warehouse. He was holding a square transparent box and said to Ronald, "I have already thought about the shot at the door. You ask them to hang this on the shelf in the back."

Ronald looked at the coolies of the camera crew. They took over the square box, carefully hung it on a high place at the back, and then connected it to the power source.

A soft light shines from the box. There are a total of 14x14 matrix small lights inside, a total of 196 lights, illuminating the ground very brightly.

The completely dark warehouse was very brightly lit.

Ronald was surprised. Generally speaking, lighting for night scenes is much more troublesome than during the day. Because the lights have to be hidden out of sight, and the attenuation of artificial light sources is very severe. If the actors walk a few more meters, the lighting will be completely different, and the lighting must be re-arranged.

But this magical box by David Watkin makes the lighting uniform everywhere, and there is no difference visible to the naked eye. Ronald walked around the floor with the light meter and was surprised to find that the readings were almost the same everywhere.

"How did you do it?" Gu Meng

"It all depends on the Wendy lamp," David Watkin smiled. "This is my patented invention. Night scenes can also be solved with one lamp. You shoot first, and I will go over there to arrange the car scene." ”

"Oh, that's amazing." Ronald felt that today was really an eye-opener. Britain's film technology was indeed unique.

The props placed the four letters saab in milky white on the two doors in the warehouse set. The actor in a pilot uniform came diagonally from behind, and the door with saab subtitles slowly opened.

"cut!"

Then there was a man in a windbreaker. He also repeated the pilot's actions. The route, angle, and final stance of the two walking in front of the gate were exactly the same.

Finish filming this scene. Ronald rushed to the place where the Saab 900 was filmed.

David Watkin still completed the lighting in advance and was waiting for him there, "The car is very small, so I only got you a spotlight on it, and I didn't put any special high lights."

Ronald watched as Watkin demonstrated the effect of the spotlight switch, which was very similar to the effect produced by the two lights on a fighter jet. Probably Watkin's principle is that if it is not necessary, then don't add lights. It is best to have one light.

"Okay, all departments are ready." Ronald asked everyone to start preparing for shooting. This shot is almost the same as the shot of the fighter jet just now. A driver wearing a windbreaker and sunglasses slowly walked towards the car and opened the door.

"cut!"

After the photographer turned off the switch, the camera, which was shooting with an upgraded lens, took longer than usual to slowly stop.

"Huh...chi" everyone heard a faint purr.

"David, David" Ronald gently shook David Watkin, who was napping in the corner.

"Um...have you finished filming?" David asked quickly after waking up.

"Yes, why did you fall asleep?"

"Making a movie is boring. What if you don't sleep? This is the only thing that can keep you from getting sleepy on the set. Aren't you sleepy on the set?"

"Um... But if you are passionate about movies, you won't lack energy on set, right?"

"Enthusiasm, I still have to work hard. I have no passion for making movies. Listening to classical music suits me."

"Okay, we have one last shot, come and take a look at it for me." Ronald snapped his fingers, "Give Mr. Watkin a cup of coffee? What kind do you want?"

"No sugar, no milk."

David Watkin followed Ronald swayingly to the runway of the airport, holding a cup of coffee.

"I want to shoot a shot where the audience can see a Saab fighter jet taking off from the top of a Saab car."

"Then you need a low camera position and a telephoto lens." David Watkin said without thinking.

"Leave it to you, I'll coordinate with the airport and the pilot. We probably only have one chance to shoot." Ronald nodded to Watkin, and then walked to discuss the details of the takeoff with the Saab manager.

After a long time, Saab finally confirmed the take-off time. David Watkin led the photography team and set up a camera platform at the end of the runway. Alai's camera was equipped with an extra-large long Telephoto lens.

"There is no problem in terms of safety. Do you think the picture can produce the desired effect on the Thor fighter jet?"

"Of course, come and take a look." David Watkin stood up and asked Ronald to confirm through the viewfinder.

In the distance between the camera lenses, a new Saab car was parked. As much space as possible was left above the car to accommodate the Thor fighter jet that took off.

The afternoon sun caused the hot air on the ground to rise, causing the air to distort in the telephoto lens. The lens formed by the hot air on the car was a little distorted in the image, like a mirage. Ronald felt hot all over when he looked at the lens.

"This is the effect we want." Ronald took out the walkie-talkie, "Attention, all departments, officially shooting!"

In the camera lens, Saab began to slowly emerge from the horizon, and the roar at the scene became louder and louder, deafening.

Suddenly, a huge nose appeared on the horizon, and a Saab Thor fighter jet emerged from the back of the car.

The perfect deformation of the telephoto lens made the people shooting on the runway lens see that the fighter jet seemed to be behind the car.

With a loud bang, the pilot started the engine afterburner, and the Thor fighter jet began to take off. The two wheels of the fighter jet in the camera seemed to be just above the roof of the Saab car, lightly brushing the car and pulling it up.

"Cut!" Ronald took out the electric speaker and started shouting. After shouting several times, everyone heard the command.

"I heard that you made exploitation films in Hollywood, but today your several shot designs are full of beauty, as if you were making an author's film, full of artistic energy." David Watkin asked Ronald gently after everyone applauded to celebrate the completion of the filming.

"This is an advertisement. It doesn't tell a story, but only talks about beauty. I also recently watched a movie that only pays attention to beauty and not stories, and then I came up with this way of shooting. Sometimes the audience really doesn't need a story, but only a feeling. Their imagination will automatically complete what I want to express."

"Very good, if you have the opportunity in the future, when you shoot this kind of movie, you can find my agent."

"What? Do you think my directing prospects are good?" Ronald was complacent.

"No, movies that don't tell stories are generally very bad big productions, and they pay very quickly."

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