"Very good, the big ship has passed through the Panama Canal, and we've finished filming this section. The people on the high-speed boat, there was no problem with the filming of this section, they did a good job, this section was passed. ”

Standing on the shore and watching the completion of another important shot of his film, Levi breathed a sigh of relief and felt a lot more relieved all over his body.

The filming of this movie was really troublesome. It's already November, and their Panama Canal shot has just been completed, so it's really difficult to complete the pre-shooting of the movie this year.

I didn't think that I had so much time to give, and I was still a little nervous.

Levy has a lot of CGI lenses on promotional websites now, but Levy knows very well that CGI lenses can be used for promotional purposes, but if you want to shoot movies, it is better to use such lenses as little as possible.

There is no other reason for this, because although such shots are dazzling, they lack some realism. There are so many such shots in a movie that it's easy to give a false feeling. If you really want to shoot good special effects shots, it is better to use more real scenes, and it is better to combine model CGI.

The reason why Levy knows this aspect can be said to be a matter of experience: among the movies released in 02, there are two of them, both of which are worth learning from. The positive example is Lord of the Rings, there are almost no pure CGI pictures in the whole film, most of them are combined, which gives people a pretty good impression, and in the Star Wars prequel movies, there are a lot of show-off parts, and the reviews are not very good. Levy knew what to say about it in the future, and of course he had to learn from the good ones.

It's easy to learn this, but it's more difficult to shoot, for example, it's a headache to shoot this scene of cutting a big ship.

Filming the scene of the nanowire cutting through the big ship, if you follow the previous experience of Hollywood. Build a model boat, then set up a similar studio, and you're ready to shoot. In the 80s, before special effects, there was only one way to shoot sci-fi films. The scene shot in this way is rough, but it was a classic in its era.

Now, the situation is different, because there is enough good technology, so it needs to be more well-made to be able to satisfy the audience. After that, the model is drawn into the computer for animation, and then composited with the real scene, so as to form a good enough picture feeling.

It seems simple, but when compositing them, the lighting and the coherence of the characters' movements are perfectly matched in both the model and the live action - this is also the most difficult part, compared to scenes such as three-day volleys that can be done entirely with CGI technology.

And what Levy wants is the most realistic picture. Therefore, when he was filming the Panama Canal, he also rented a cruise ship and filmed it passing through the Panama Canal. Then, he combined this set of shots with the scene of the nanofilament cutting the big ship that he simulated through the model, and used the animation to achieve consistency. Then through the editing, people can't see the flaws, and this set of shots can be considered complete.

But the process was really tiring: I wanted to shoot a movie on the Panama Canal, among other things. The formalities are enough to annoy people, not to mention setting up the camera booths, setting up temporary studios to shoot the actors' conversations on the shore, plus the capture of light and the simulation of the hydrological environment, this part can be considered a headache.

Fortunately, this set of shots is finally completed.

"When the model ship is cut, the camera movements of the people in the port have to be processed. This place requires more effort to be able to make it well, and it is most important not to cut corners in this regard. ”

Although Levy wanted the film to be made faster, he also knew that the process was impatient - the final installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was an example. The production of this movie is the same as the first two, but because there are too many special effects shots that need to be processed, although the movie still maintains a good level, it is still inferior to the first two.

Therefore, after the filming of this part, he also handed over this part to the special effects department most solemnly.

Levy has always been a cautious man, and he has always been a cautious man, and he has always tried to use the best experience in all aspects of his work.

"The more I watched these shoots, the more difficult it became for me to make films. In the past, as long as there were people and cameras, you could basically start shooting, but now, with so much technical equipment, it is becoming more and more difficult to make a good movie. ”

Looking at Levy's instructions to the technicians, Washington also sighed on the sidelines.

He didn't have this part of the scene, but when he was filming this movie, he began to become more and more curious about this story. Therefore, when Levy led the team to shoot the movie, he also came to visit with Levy.

He also has some thoughts of his own: he has now won the actor, and he has also had some thoughts about trying what it is like to be a director. It may not be a good thing to follow the big director and learn how others do it, but watching this commercial film require so many steps and work to be filmed well, he was shocked in his heart, and at the same time, the idea of being a director has also weakened a lot.

This thing really isn't ticket-playable.

"There is no way around this, and it is an irreversible problem for the film to develop towards more and more emphasis on special effects in the future. After all, the means of watching movies are becoming more and more developed, and many movies can be watched at home, and there is no need to go to the cinema to watch the movie, if you want to let the actors enter the cinema, you must let them see things that they can't see at home. ”

Levy sighed, he was just as helpless about it. With the advancement of technology, it is true that movies can get better and better, but people can also sit at home and enjoy the fun of watching movies. General drama movies, even if they sit at home and watch them, do not affect people's viewing experience, so the number of people who are willing to go to the cinema will naturally decrease.

Washington nodded, although he didn't quite understand, but he wouldn't be wrong to agree with the director, "Yes, you have to give the audience some uncomfortable scenes on the small screen to attract the audience to come out." For example, the shot we shot in the cornfield a few days ago is definitely not as enjoyable as the big screen when watching it on TV. ”

What Washington is saying is that at the end of the movie, the main characters look at the locusts together and come to the conclusion that the insects cannot be easily destroyed. This shot, when filming, Levy also made people directly in a small field, directly put in an excess of locusts, and shoot a real shot. After all, it's okay to simulate human beings with scientific and technological means, but it's difficult to simulate large-scale insect plagues, and such shots still have to be based on real shots.

And the cost of shooting this shot is naturally not small, but when the camera is taken, looking at the overwhelming locust swarm in the shot, it also makes Washington realize that the movie really has to shoot such a picture to be good.

Some things are just grandiose to play.

Thinking of the scenes that have been filmed in the movie, Denzel Washington does have some emotion: in the studio in Canada, the film completed the framing of scenes such as ancient Greece, ancient Rome, and ancient Egypt, and in terms of exterior locations, the crew also completed the framing of New York, the desert, and the Panama Canal. Not to mention the rest of the movie, these shots alone are enough to make people feel fascinated, and big movies do have unique benefits.

It's just that although the big scene is good, there is still a problem here, which also makes him a little worried.

"It seems that it is a little difficult to complete the pre-shooting of this film this year, right? It's December soon, and there are still a lot of shots that haven't been filmed, can the movie still catch up with the summer file in May? ”

After echoing a few words, Washington also mentioned one of the most important issues.

As an actor, he is also very concerned about the filming time of the film. December is coming soon, and many people in the crew want to go home for Christmas and New Year's Day.

The holiday is still important for Americans, especially for a big star like him. At this time, you have to show your face on TV shows, otherwise, how can you keep the audience's memory of yourself?

However, if I go to Christmas now, will it affect the filming of the movie? If the movie can't be released in May next year, the loss will not be made up for by a Christmas.

How to weigh the pros and cons is also a question. He couldn't make up his mind whether he should leave or stay.

"It's okay, don't worry too much. The desert shots were shot in Nevada, and the shots of ancient Rome and ancient Greece were all filmed, and after this set of shots was completed, the rest of the part was to go to China to shoot a large-scale group gymnastics performance, and then return to the United States to shoot some shots, and the early shooting was successful. ”

Levy was prepared for this, "If you want to go back to the United States for the New Year, then you can go back." Anyway, the next step is to go to China to shoot the rest of the film. This part, even during Christmas, will not delay the work. ”

Unlike the American entertainment industry, which attaches great importance to Christmas, New Year and other activities, in China, especially at this time in 2002, they do not attach much importance to Christmas. Levy believes that he can continue to shoot over there during this time, and this movie can definitely be shot very well.

As a director, you have to do a good job in the arrangement of the shooting time. Coordinating the overall situation is one of the director's jobs, and it is also the most important part.

"If that's the case, I'll go back to the U.S. and I'll be involved in a promotional event to promote your film."

Washington stopped Levy's words, nodded his head, and did not forget to add something he wanted to do.

"Then please. Denzel, let's work together, and believe me, the film will definitely be a success. (To be continued......)