Thursday, October 10th.

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

The scene of Laura's house leads the beginning of the three stories, which is especially important in the film, and the crew arranged for three full days to shoot this part of the shot, and today is the last day.

It was already past three o'clock in the afternoon.

In Laura's bedroom, there were seven or eight people crammed into a room of less than 20 square meters after the temporary transformation, and the small room was filled with cameras, fill lights, reflectors and other equipment, and some people could only stay outside.

However, the atmosphere in the room was quite quiet.

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

From the first day of filming, everyone found that Simon's directing style was very unusual, he didn't shout like some directors, and he didn't explain to the crew in great detail what kind of results he wanted.

More often than not, Simon is in a state of quiet, quietly looking at the scenery around him, quietly using the viewfinder to consider the upcoming shots, quietly holding the light meter to look at every corner...... Then, give the shots succinctly.

If that's all there is to it, people might enjoy the effortless shooting experience.

Compared to the countless rants and harsh criticisms experienced in many crews, who doesn't want a director who is quiet enough to be a little nervous.

However, after three days, most of the crew not only did not feel relaxed at all, but the pressure became more and more intense.

The young director of the crew is really too harsh.

On the first day of filming, Simon spent more than two hours on the lighting for the first shot.

As a typical backlit scene, it's understandable to spend a little more time on lighting.

However, this is not a big set in those high-budget films, just a simple close-up shot, which took more than two hours to set up, which is a bit too much anyway.

And, because of Simon's age, some of the crew members even began to wonder if the young man understood filmmaking, and some even felt that Simon was just showing his authority through this repeated toss.

All sorts of doubts and dissatisfaction accumulated for three days, and when Simon once again adjusted for more than half an hour for a shot of a phone drop that was less than a second, Josh Wickman, the lighting engineer of the crew, finally broke out.

Josh Wickman is Chinese New Year's Eve, and he has been a lighting engineer in Hollywood for seventeen years, starting as an apprentice at the age of sixteen. Although due to his ordinary qualifications and lack of opportunities, he has always been able to mix in the film set alone, but in any case, he is still an old qualification in this circle.

To be sure, Josh Wickman could vaguely sense the subtlety of some of Simon's tweaks most of the time, but he could hardly tolerate Simon's long and iterative deliberations.

At this time, Josh Wickman threw away the light meter that he had just held in his hand, raised his voice and said to the young man who seemed to have some doubts about his expression: "Simon, I think this set is already very good, you can't waste any more time." ”

With Josh Wickman's sudden outburst, everyone stopped their work and looked at it together.

After listening to Josh Wickman, Simon picked up the shooting schedule next to him and looked at it, and said, "I didn't waste time." The shooting schedule here was three days, and now there are only the last three shots left, and it's no problem to finish it before the end of work. ”

Hearing Simon say this, everyone was stunned.

After a little calculation in their hearts, everyone also found that although Simon was a little too harsh in many details, the filming progress did not slow down at all.

The young man always seemed to know very clearly what kind of effect he wanted. As a result, it is very rare to hesitate to re-adjust the shot or deliberately take a few more shots for backup. In most cases, everyone meticulously prepares a shot, then starts shooting, and as long as nothing else, there are usually only three or four, and then it ends. This kind of crispness and neatness invisibly accelerated the filming progress of the film.

However, perhaps this undelayed and compact speed of advancement has unconsciously put a lot of pressure on the staff.

So, when Joss Wickman heard Simon's explanation, he became more angry inexplicably, and said, "Anyway, you can't do this anymore." Or, you don't even know what you're doing, you little rookie. ”

Sensing 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 the more he talked, and immediately said with a bit of reprimand: "Josh, what's going on?"

"What's going on?" Josh Wickman felt Ron Macmillan's questioning, and became even more angry, and said loudly, "I've had enough," and Josh Wickman also tugged at the reflectors that had been placed around him, looked at Simon again, and said, "Boy, do you think you're Martin Scorsese? I'm telling you, I'm not doing it." ”

With that, Josh Wickman raised his foot again and kicked it on a reflector, then turned and walked out.

Ron Macmillan was a little stunned when he saw that the gaffer suddenly picked his son and left without saying a word.

How can this work?

It's just that Ron Macmillan just wanted to chase out, but was pulled by Simon.

Simon's expression also sank at this time, glanced around, and said, "Maybe I'm too strict with the requirements for shooting, but I don't plan to change this state in the future, so if you can't get used to it, you can leave now." ”

The crowd was silent.

In the past three days, Josh Wickman has indeed been tossed a little harder before he breaks out. Others, although they also have grievances, are far from the point of resignation and leaving. In Hollywood, the behind-the-scenes workers, like actors, are also unemployed in many cases, and it is not so easy to find a job.

Simon waited for a moment and said again: "Only this time, leaving now, we can terminate the contract very peacefully." But in the next shooting, if anyone strikes suddenly, the crew will also investigate to the end. ”

With that, Simon glanced around until everyone nodded yes, then he leaned over and picked up the reflector that Josh Wickman had kicked on the ground and said, "Okay, keep shooting." ”

The gaffers are gone, and no one sets up the lighting, how can you shoot?

This doubt popped up in everyone's minds.

During the filming process, other tasks may be able to make a little cameo appearance with each other, but the requirements for professional skills of the gaffer are very high. The assistant assigned to Josh Wickman by the crew stayed, but it was obvious that he was not up to the job.

Simon ignored the crowd and instructed the young assistant gaffer to put the lighting equipment back together.

Ron Macmillan looked at the situation in front of him, a little 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's side, and whispered, "Simon, why don't you get here today?"

"It's okay, Catherine, trust me," Simon gave the woman a reassuring look and pointed to the fill light next to him, "Can you turn that off for me first?"

Catherine saw Simon's insistence, so she nodded and began to help.

Ron Macmillan saw that the venue was busy again, so he had to leave the room, hurried to the next door, and picked up the phone to help the crew contact another gaffer as soon as possible to save the scene.

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

After a moment's hesitation, Ron Macmillan sighed and also rushed to the scene to help.

It's so busy, and it's time to get off work soon.

While some time was wasted on the camera where the phone fell, the next few shots went very smoothly.

So, everyone unconsciously discovered that without a lighting engineer, the last few remaining shots were all completed, and the young director seemed to be no worse than a professional lighting engineer in terms of lighting.

Although it is not known how effective it is.

But.

Consider Simon also working as a photographer himself, well, that seems to be barely explaining.

Photographers definitely need to know a little bit about lighting.

But.

It's still quite unusual for a young man in his twenties to be the cinematographer of a movie himself.

Some people can't help but wonder if they had just left like Josh Wackman, would the young director take his own job together?

It can't be!

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

As a producer, Ron Macmillan was not at ease, and he was also a little skeptical that the last few shots of the day would be usable. In fact, Ron Macmillan was even a little worried about whether the footage of the three days would be usable.

In any case, Simon is still too young.

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

That's what worries Ron the most.

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

Since it was at the same time as "The Butterfly Effect", Brian De Palma provided Simon with the convenience that the film shot by the "Lola Run" crew could be sent to the post-production center of Fox Studios to be processed with the film of "The Butterfly Effect".

Of course, you still have to pay for the printing fee.

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

Therefore, this is also a big favor.

"I asked the Fox Post Center yesterday to print a sample of the negatives shot two days ago, and I can see the results today," Ron Macmillan took the initiative to explain to Catherine the intention of calling her together, "If, Katherine, if the effect of the dailies is not satisfactory, perhaps, the follow-up director should be up to you." That's a $650,000 investment, after all. ”

Catherine shook her head slightly and said, "Ron, you should have a little more faith in Simon." ”

"I, of course, I'm still very optimistic about Simon, if he can experience a few years," the conspiracy behind the scenes to drive the director down is not glorious after all, Ron Macmillan's expression was a little more embarrassed, but he still said: "However, he is still too young after all, and besides, you have seen the situation in the past few days." ”

Catherine smiled and said nothing more.

When the two arrived at the post-production center, Ron Macmillan was registering the crew's filming for today's film to the staff, and David Giller, Brian de Palma and several others happened to walk in with a smile.

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

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

So, after chatting with each other, David and Brian became interested when they learned that Ron and Catherine were going to see the sample footage Simon had taken two days earlier.

Brian de Palma said: "It's just right, we're going to see the samples that we've been shooting in the past few days, let's do it together." I'm really looking forward to Simon's film. ”

Ron and Catherine couldn't help but glance at each other when they heard Brian de Palma say this.

Simon, Simon, you have to be a normal shot.

Otherwise.

That's miserable.

Secretly praying for someone, David Giller gave a few words to the staff, and everyone walked to the sample screening room in the post-production center.

When I came to the screening room, there happened to be someone inside, but it was another veteran Hollywood actor, Robert Redford, and several other staff members, a film produced by Robert Redford was recently in post-production, so it appeared here.

After greeting each other, Robert Redford was about to leave, but when he heard David Giller say a few words, he suddenly became interested and said, "David, is it the young man who broke someone else's five legs?"

David Giller nodded, "Of course, by the way, Simon also hopes that his film will be at the Sundance Film Festival." So, you might be able to take a look at how the young man was doing. ”

"Of course," Robert Redford nodded suddenly, but still said: "However, I'm more interested in how that little guy broke other people's five legs, one hit five, very powerful, did he learn kung fu like Bruce Lee back then?"

David Giller laughed, "Well, you can ask him in person when the time comes." ”

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

Laughing at this, the staff quickly sent over a few samples.

Brian De Palma skipped "The Butterfly Effect" and motioned directly to the crew to show Simon's "Lola Run" sample first.