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Chapter 46: How to Show Tension
🕑 Added 2024-10-03 09:37:23 +0000 UTCThe burning cigarette emitted thin wisps of smoke, faintly obscuring Ed Harris's figure. In the mirror, his determined face was filled with anger...
"Cut!"
Watching the scene on the monitor, Duke called for a stop, then turned to the other side and said, "Dim the lights a bit more. I want to show the dark heaviness of the human heart. Yes! The lighting should bring a sense of oppression to the camera."
After speaking, Duke stopped paying attention to the lighting technician adjusting the lights and walked directly over to Ed Harris, who was surrounded by cameras.
"Ed..." He thought for a moment about his wording, "Don't show the anger. At this moment, General Hummel is indeed very angry, but as a soldier who has been tested on the battlefield, he can suppress this anger within himself. His decision is carefully thought out, and his expression should be calm."
"Then..." Ed Harris frowned, "There should be some action or something else to show his emotions."
"Your eyes, use your eyes." Duke pointed to his own eyes. "I'll give you a close-up of your eyes. Use your sharpest gaze."
"Like this?" Ed Harris slightly widened his eyes, and his whole demeanor changed. His expressionless face could no longer suppress his inner anger, but this anger wasn't shown on his face; instead, it conveyed an indescribable feeling.
"Keep that state." Duke gave him a thumbs-up and returned behind the monitor.
These veteran actors' performances were never a problem. After Duke communicated his intentions through words and actions, they could always adjust appropriately.
Compared to *Speed*, which only needed two characters with good looks, this film had higher demands for its three protagonists.
"John, use a soft focus." Duke called to the camera team, "Capture a close-up of Ed's eyes."
Then, he picked up the loudspeaker, tapped it lightly, and said seriously, "All departments, take note: no more mistakes, or I'll cancel lunch!"
"Scene 1, Take 2, start!" He personally called out.
The cigarette burned again, and Ed Harris's figure became blurred, yet it still conveyed a feeling of heaviness...
Staring closely at the monitor, Duke focused mainly on the eye close-up. When Ed Harris stood in front of the mirror, John Schwartzman immediately captured his eyes. That sharp gaze perfectly highlighted General Hummel's aura and the oppressive environment around him.
"Cut!" Duke nodded with satisfaction, "That's a wrap, let's move to the next shot!"
The elaborate and time-consuming set in the studio was often just for filming a few minutes or even seconds of footage. After Duke gave the order, the crew moved to the other side of the studio to shoot Christopher Lee's scene.
The set was designed as a prison, and Christopher Lee, already in makeup and wearing a wig, was informed by an assistant and promptly came to the set.
After giving a few brief instructions, the departments—camera, lighting, and so on—began their busy work as planned. Zack Snyder was temporarily in charge of these tasks, while Duke took the time to speak with Christopher Lee.
"Although Mason has been imprisoned for a long time..." Duke said succinctly, "He's still a lion."
"I understand." The old man nodded.
"Bring out the feeling you had when you were a secret agent."
After saying that, Duke walked into the set and began assessing the scenery. He opened the door to Mason's 'prison' and, after seeing two books placed inside, immediately frowned.
"Wood..." He had barely called out when the props supervisor quickly walked over.
"Director..."
Before he could ask, Duke pointed to one of the books. "Is this the *Art of War* you prepared?"
He picked up the book and tossed it to him. "Mason is a British agent, a man who has been imprisoned for thirty years. Do you think he can read Chinese? I want the English version!"
"Sorry..." Wood Ward hurriedly said, "I'll take care of it right away."
With *Speed* under his belt, the support of Warner Brothers, and being one of the film's investors himself, Duke's actual authority on set was now incomparable to his previous project. With the two production managers staying professionally behind the scenes, he was the person with the most power on set. Even if others had thoughts, they would never openly challenge him like Cornett did before.
The English version of *The Art of War* wasn't readily available on short notice, so the props team simply made a new cover, avoiding any delays in Duke's filming schedule.
Heavy footsteps echoed as Christopher Lee, his white wig covering most of his face, entered. The handcuffs and shackles on him signaled his plight, but the old agent wasn't broken by his years in captivity. Instead, he displayed the fierce aura of someone who had seen battle and spilled blood.
His demeanor was fierce and cold, with none of the gentlemanly grace of a typical Englishman.
This change was something Duke had made to align with Christopher Lee's real-life experience. John Mason was no longer a refined elderly gentleman on the surface; his aura and actions were now more intense.
In fact, the original John Mason character design had partially catered to Sean Connery, but the problem was evident: A secret agent who had been imprisoned for decades would either fall into despair or become more aggressive. Remaining refined and gentlemanly? That's James Bond, not John Mason!
This was no longer a James Bond-style British agent.
As Christopher Lee continued forward, John Schwartzman used the Steadicam to capture him from the front, until Duke called for a stop.
Since filming began, Duke rarely got involved in the actual shooting; the majority of it was handled by the cinematography team led by John Schwartzman. Duke focused more on overseeing the entire production.
Additionally, the footage was immediately fed back to the director's monitor, allowing Duke to make judgments in real time.
Although he was quite satisfied with the initial take, this shot was meant to showcase John Mason's characteristics, so Duke filmed several more takes to have more options during post-production.
Next came the setup for Nicolas Cage's scene. Both he and Naomi Watts, who played his fiancée, were prepared in advance, so after a brief setup, shooting began.
These scenes weren't particularly challenging overall. Though the three leads often had to redo scenes, and Duke sometimes had to adjust the setting or camera angles, or even make slight script changes when inspiration struck, the filming went smoothly. The advantage of using experienced actors like Ed Harris, Nicolas Cage, and Christopher Lee for action films became clear. Their performances far surpassed those of traditional action stars with stiff expressions.
Especially Nicolas Cage—he wasn't lacking in the toughness of an action star, but he also had the acting skills that Stallone and Schwarzenegger couldn't match. It's no wonder he became an icon of 90s action films.
But he had his obvious issues too.
Cage was like a distinctive but inconsistent soccer player, with performances that could range from brilliant to terrible. Sometimes, even within the same film, his acting could vary greatly.
Because Duke had encountered a problem with the set design, the break between shoots had dragged on too long. As a result, Cage, who had been in good form when filming with Naomi Watts earlier, inexplicably lost his rhythm after resuming shooting.
"Goodspeed is a nerd, not an artsy type."
After five consecutive NGs, Duke stood in front of the helicopter model, his voice raised slightly. "Nicolas, Goodspeed is about to go on a mission. The fate of San Francisco is in his hands. At this moment, he shouldn't be excited, but nervous!"
"Nervous, understand?"
Duke was like a high-powered fan, completely different from his usual calm demeanor. "Nicolas, don't tell me you don't know how to show nervousness!"
"Give me five minutes." Cage knew the problem lay with himself.
Duke nodded and went back behind the monitor. But five minutes later, as soon as they started shooting, he called a stop again!
"Nicolas, tell me, where did your focus go?"
Taking a deep breath, Duke suppressed his urge to explode. This wasn't something anger could fix. He walked over to the helicopter model, pacing back and forth. After signaling to Sofia, who had come over with water, he finally said, "First, this is my fault. I interrupted the filming for too long, and you lost your rhythm..."
"Duke..." Cage, feeling a bit embarrassed, understood that he and Sofia had a decent relationship.
"Here's what we'll do, Nicolas." Duke came up to him, ignoring the curious looks from the SEAL actors, and said, "Your eyes should be constantly scanning the surroundings. Keep your legs in the cabin moving slightly. Also..."
Duke turned to Christopher Lee. "Chris, tell him a few fitting jokes. Nicolas, after hearing the jokes, force a smile, got it?"
Restlessly scanning eyes, legs subtly moving in the cabin, forcing a smile while with Mason—these elements, combined with Cage's lack of rhythm, could help portray his character's nervousness.
Whether it was Duke's method or Cage getting back into the groove, the following takes showed clear improvement. On the sixth retake, Duke finally called it a wrap with satisfaction.
"Thanks."
When he saw the coffee on the table, Duke didn't look up and instinctively said, "Sofia, make a few adjustments to this afternoon's shooting plan..."
"Miss Coppola is going to get you lunch." The familiar female voice came without any nasal tone.
Before Duke looked up, he felt a humid breath blowing past his ears and was kissed gently on the face.
