In the Nevada desert, Ryan Reynolds led a group of handsome male supporting actors, panting as they walked ahead, followed by dozens of American soldiers, all with expressions of having survived a disaster.
These soldiers were handpicked by Eric; the young men were very enthusiastic about acting, and their emotions and expressions were mostly on point, suitable for the camera.
Not far away, temporary houses and mud walls built by the prop team looked like they were inhabited, with dozens of Arab extras creating the appearance of daily life.
This group of people was all found by the union, and real money had to be spent on them every day.
Unlike the original, Eric didn't plan to actually go to Qatar to film; he didn't have the time. Going abroad required paperwork, and coordinating with the local government also required procedures.
The United States was still stirring up trouble in the Middle East; if they encountered extremists, there would be nowhere to cry. It was much safer domestically.
"transformers, Scene 15, Action!"
As Eric's voice fell, Ryan Reynolds and the others walked dejectedly for a while.
"Look, there are people ahead, we need a phone!" Tom Hardy said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
After walking a few steps, the group suddenly stopped.
"Do you feel the ground shaking?" Ryan Reynolds asked with a solemn expression.
Suddenly, Michael Fassbender's face changed drastically, and he pointed to an empty area, shouting, "Watch out!"
The group quickly scattered, as if attacked by some monster.
"Cut! Everyone's in great form, prepare for the next scene!" Eric made an OK gesture and shouted.
Director's Assistant Neill Blomkamp quickly jogged over to explain the next scene's filming to the soldiers.
"Don't worry, Director, we'll treat them as a hypothetical enemy. We have training for that!"
"Right, it's just that the target is now imaginary. We'll perform tactical movements like we normally would, correct?"
Neill Blomkamp gave a thumbs up; professional soldiers were indeed different. Besides needing guidance on expressions and positioning, they absolutely outclassed actors in other aspects.
He nodded at Eric.
"transformers, Scene 1"
After haggling with John Adams on the first day, Eric gave him 20W that evening, and with money paving the way, everything went smoothly.
The set was directly split into two teams: Eric led one, and Patty Jenkins led the other.
Because Eric had drawn extremely detailed storyboards and put a lot of effort into the script annotations, Patty Jenkins only needed to mechanically execute orders.
Don't innovate, don't try fancy tricks, and especially don't design special shots to highlight your artistic sense; that's a waste of time.
This is a commercial blockbuster; audiences buy tickets to see transformers, not these actors.
So, except for moments of emotional outburst that require close-up shots, the actors' performances are generally good enough to pass.
This was Eric's absolute advantage: not too many wasted shots. After filming, it would only take a short time to edit and splice them together to produce a rough cut.
Looking around the world, which director could achieve this? Besides him, no one.
However, while filming speed was guaranteed, there were also downsides. For example, when needing to cut some behind-the-scenes footage, there might be a lack of available material.
Under this filming style, progress was surprisingly fast. In just seven days, all the scenes of blackout destroying the military base and the desert battle with the scorpion were completed.
In the evening, Eric nodded as he reviewed the footage shot today.
"Most of it is fine, but this extra's expression isn't surprised enough, not shocked enough."
"Do we need to reshoot tomorrow?" Patty Jenkins asked.
Eric thought for a moment and decided to give up: "Forget it, he's just a small supporting character. It's fine."
Patty Jenkins pouted. A director who could make monster was somewhat obsessive-compulsive. Although she knew she was only the Associate Director, she couldn't help but suggest, "Isn't it a bit too hasty to let it pass like this? I think it would be better to reshoot."
Eric glanced at her: "Patty, don't judge a commercial film with the eyes of an art-house film. This movie is scheduled for November, and I only have nine months to make it good."
"If we reshoot, we'll need to re-set the scene, get the actors back into character, restart the machines. It could waste a whole day, but I don't have that much time."
"You have to understand, he's just a small supporting character with two lines. Perhaps when watching the movie, some viewers might feel his emotions aren't quite there, but they'll quickly be distracted by the Autobots and Decepticons."
"When the adrenaline is rampage, no one will pay attention to those details."
"But I'm worried about the critics…" Patty Jenkins hesitated.
"Critics? What are they? Am I going to win an Oscar for Best Director and Best Picture with transformers? Its goal is only one: box office, box office, and more box office!"
"All you need to do is film the tasks I've assigned according to the script. Don't worry, I'm the director. If critics are going to scold, they'll scold me. I understand your concerns, and it won't implicate you, nor will it implicate monster!"
After being thoroughly rebuked, Patty Jenkins threw up her hands in compromise: "Alright, you're the boss, you call the shots."
Eric then looked at his assistant: "Neil, how many scenes are left here?"
Neill Blomkamp checked the filming progress: "Only one scene left, blackout blowing up the tank."
"Good, that's the most difficult shot. We'll try to finish it tomorrow, then leave this desert."
Neill Blomkamp chuckled: "I've been wanting to say that for a long time. This place is like a big cage; no bars, no nightclubs, no supermarkets, no restaurants, nothing."
"Don't worry, after leaving here, we'll return to California Somano. You can relax after work."
Ring
As they spoke, Eric's phone rang. It was Judy. He hadn't contacted her in half a month since she went to the Sundance Film Festival.
But Judy had sharp insight. Every time she proactively contacted him, she always brought something good. The first time was James Wan's saw, the second time was Patty Jenkins and monster. He wondered what it would be this time.
The feeling of opening a blind box was really good!
"Hi, Judy, what's up?"
"Eric, I found an interesting project, so I plan to report it to you."
"Another script?"
"Not entirely. Someone is looking for investment in Hollywood, a Chinese person. Didn't you often say that China's film market has huge potential? So I met with them."
"A Chinese person? Coming to Hollywood for investment? Which company? What's its name?"
"Starry Sky Entertainment from Hong Kong, Stephen Chow!"