Ch 10. Explosion is an Art!

Hollywood: King of the Commercial Films

Ch 10. Explosion is an Art!

"Prepare Camera 4 for capturing aerial shots!"

The set was buzzing with activity but maintained order. Holding up the loudspeaker, Duke persistently gave orders. "Cruz, the scene needs adjusting, reworking the white balance. Hey, you lot in the third group, just fix your eyes on the heroine!"

Duke, tossing the loudspeaker to Sofia Coppola beside him, strode into the meticulously crafted bus set. He exchanged nods with the actors who warmly welcomed him before making a beeline for the driver's seat.

"Uma, you're having trouble with the trial shooting as well."

A blonde woman who is 5ft 10 inches tall is seated in the driver's seat. She, like most actresses in Hollywood, has a very slender figure. While it may not be entirely accurate to say she's skinny, she's pretty close.

"You were too anxious just now." Duke reminded her, "Dont frown and relax your eyebrows. This is an extremely unhealthy habit. Your facial lines are already strong, so don't keep staring or it'll look bad."

Turning around, Duke looked at Keanu Reeves again. It's possible that he had been socializing with Johnny Depp and River Phoenix, and their influence on him was constant. Keanu was still far away from becoming the selfless person he had been in his past life.

"Keanu, please stop showing your sour face! You're the only one who needs to show a little expression! Give us your best serious face."

"I understand."

Keanu Reeves casually waved his hand, showing a hint of skepticism towards Duke's statement.

Duke looked at him once more before turning and entering the rear compartment. Keanu Reeves has been like this ever since he became part of the crew. He should be glad that the other party didn't take drugs. If he's been doing drugs, we can't shoot right now.

"And you!"

The bus was filled with a vibrant mix of actors from different backgrounds, including Asians, Russians, Africans, Latinos, and white individuals. Among them was the talented Naomi Watts.

One by one, Duke's eyes carefully assessed each individual, emphasizing, "You are not mere objects for display. Your facial expressions will affect everyone in the audience, both guys and girls. Don't be dumb in front of me again! Otherwise I will replace you!"

After hopping off the temporary bus, Duke went back to his spot, got the departments ready, and soon after giving the green light, the shooting started again.

The requirements for the actors in this kind of film are not particularly strict, so Duke doesn't need to worry about complex shots.

The crew's efficiency has improved somewhat after more than ten days of shooting, although they had to make frequent camera position adjustments in many scenes.

Although there were mistakes caused by inexperience, the shooting is generally smoother now compared to the first week, with fewer retakes needed.

Even now, the effects of his meticulous research from previous lives can still be seen.

Duke's plan for the film includes keeping the final release version between ninety to one hundred minutes, ensuring that only essential shots are taken to minimize film and funding consumption.

While money is not an issue, Duke faces the challenge of working with a modest $15 million budget for the film's production, requiring careful planning.

But when it comes to spending money, Duke is never shy, just like the filming of explosive scenes.

Duke didn't have lunch because of the shooting. They had a bunch of teams, like photography and special effects, and they all drove from Universal Studios to a small town on the east side of LA. The crew made it to that place a few days ago.

A soon-to-be demolished independent house, with its cinematic potential, was up for grabs.

As they hurried along the road, he casually purchased hamburgers and cola, a quick and common lunch for the busy crew.

"Not your cup of tea?""

Duke spotted Sofia Coppola in the back of the pickup truck, not even taking a bite of her burger.

"This thing is a woman's worst enemy." She didn't even bother to check out the burger, even though it smelled so good.

Duke remembered that Sofia used to act, and she's still pretty thin.

Duke didn't have much of an appetite. He ate part of the burger and then ditched it. He's not into carbonated drinks like Coke.

He just closed his eyes, enjoying his rare free time. Overwhelmed by mental stress, he found solace and drifted off to sleep in the comfort of his car. As Sofia Coppola woke him, the car had already driven into the small town, the sound of its tires crunching on gravel filling the air.

"Thanks!" Pulling off the blanket covering his body, Duke said to the side.

Sofia casually responded, "No problem."

The crew of the 'Speed' meandered through the town, reaching the far east where they encountered a fork in the road. They continued driving for approximately five minutes until they eventually halted in front of a quaint white wooden house.

The house was small, appearing to be only a few hundred square feet in size. Because the crew renovated the house a few days ago, it doesn't look dilapidated from the outside.

One notable aspect is that the house is situated at a significant distance from the neighboring houses. Even if there is an explosion as powerful as a Tomahawk missile, it will not harm or disturb anyone else nearby.

Once all the formalities were done, Duke and the others wasted no time and immediately got to work after stepping out of the car.

Duke takes charge, directing the camera team to rearrange the seats, while the special effects and pyrotechnic teams work diligently in the background.

This is a live field shoot. Once he shouts 'cut', there's no turning back. The only thing to be thankful for is that he had experience shooting explosion shots independently in the past.

"Cruz, position Unit 1 and Unit 2 at the front."

Standing on the lush green lawn in front of the house, Duke leaned in and whispered to the Cameraman Cruz, "These two cameras capture the entire scene with their wide-angle lenses. The third and fourth cameras are positioned diagonally at a forty-five-degree angle, poised to capture the explosive scene from up close. How about that wireless high-speed camera I've been asking?"

"It's ready." Cruz told Duke to check out the camera they set up.

"This is the fifth spot." Duke glanced at the dummy in the police uniform, positioned on the side, and instructed, "Place the camera on it."

Duke's obviously gonna use it to film explosions from the inside.

Just as Cruz was about to leave, Duke's hand shot out and grabbed his arm, his voice urgent as he reminded, "Remember, the camera needs to be placed two hundred feet away!"

Duke cherished this filming project deeply, but he was determined to avoid any tragic outcomes.

Once he explained, he went back in and headed straight to a bedroom. With great attention to detail, the prop group was reconstructing the scene of the studio, where the initial explosion had taken place.

Duke's hands began to itch as he saw the pyrotechnic group concealing explosives beneath the house's support point. In his previous life, he excelled in that field within the industry, but now won't take anyone's job. For him, capturing the deafening booms and fiery bursts in the camera is more valuable than causing the actual explosion.

Outside the house, they had installed four cameras on the front, while a camera in dummy had been added. Duke walked across the well-manicured lawn, feeling the soft blades of grass beneath his feet, before positioning himself behind the cameras to meticulously assess the shooting angles.

Once he confirmed that everything was in order, he made his way back to the area where the first Bomb was placed.

"Why bother with wire for a bomb?"

Curiously, Sophia Coppola asked him about the people wiring in the distance, "Wouldn't wireless remote activation be more convenient?"

"Seriously? You don't know?," Duke quickly explained a few words when he saw her confusion.

When shooting, it is mandatory for the crew to follow the wire-control explosion rule. According to popular belief, the explosion was orchestrated by a pyrotechnician using a remote control. In fact, it is quite the opposite. The excessive number of communication tools makes it susceptible to signal interference, potentially leading to dangerous explosions. Everything was done with the utmost concern for safety.

Hollywood movies play a significant role in perpetuating this kind of misunderstanding. The characters in the movie press the button with finesse, causing vehicles or buildings to explode in a fiery spectacle, but they never bother to turn around and witness the aftermath.

Under regular conditions, the crew's explosives for filming are entirely distinct from those found in military or mining operations.

The principle of the latter is that solids undergo an instantaneous transformation into gas, resulting in a massive release of explosive energy.

When it comes to filming, specialized soft explosives are utilized, as they generate pressure through combustion. Compared to before, the explosion was significantly less destructive.

In certain shots of bomb explosions, the weak force of the soft explosives is clearly inadequate, resulting in unsatisfactory shooting effects. It is indeed a simple problem to solve. By adding a layer of artificial dust inside the bomb, the explosion will be intensified, creating a larger impact.

If your goal is to obliterate a ship, a large car, or a house with a single shot, military explosives are your only option.

The pyrotechnics group is in charge of handling military-grade explosives.

In order to meet Duke's requirements for the explosion scene of the building, a substantial amount of explosives is needed. The pyrotechnic group strategically positioned almost 30 pounds of explosives throughout the house, ready to ignite.

Obviously, the force of the explosion is not just enough to blow the house; it is enough to blow it sky high, sending debris flying in all directions.

You can capture everything from a local helicopter.

"Wait, are you trying to say..."

Duke's words hung in the air, and Sofia's mouth opened slowly as she asked, "Are you seriously using military explosives? And thirty pounds at that?" she exclaimed, disbelief clear in her voice.

"Because what I need is an earth-shattering explosion!"

With his arms folded, Duke calmly looked at the house in front of him that was about to disappear into the horizon in a few hours.

"You're out of your mind!" Sophia barely managed to say the words.

"I want the visual effects to be of the highest quality."

Duke's was brimming with enthusiasm, as if there was an infectious spirit in the air.

"Robin didn't stop you?" Sofia questioned, his voice filled with disbelief.

"The movie doesn't have any famous actors, and the director is just some nobody like me," Duke managed to calm himself down and feel peaceful once more. "Thrilling scenes are what will attract the audience."

It took a whole three hours for the site layout to be done. All the cars drove off into the distance. Duke positioned himself behind Camera 1, gripping the loudspeaker tightly in his hand.

"Is anyone still here?"

"The area is clear!"

"Camera Staff?"

"Ready!"

Following the routine questioning, Duke signaled the firework crew with a raised thumb, prompting an immediate "ok" gesture in response, while another person loudly shouted the countdown.

"10, 9, 8, 7... 3, 2, 1!"

"Detonate!"

Suddenly, the invisible electric current set off the detonation, resulting in a deafening explosion and a rush of orange-red fire that soared about fifty feet into the air.

In an instant, the white wooden house collapsed, sending fragments flying in all directions while a scorching gust of wind rolled in like a tidal wave.

In front of them, a large quantity of debris plummeted within a distance of less than fifty feet. As a result, a frantic blast of air blew everyone's hair backwards, causing a buzzing sensation in their ears, even though they had earplugs on. Furthermore, the ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble.

Nothing can divert Duke's attention. He's all caught up in messing with the camera, like some crazy religious guy, using the lens to worship the explosion!

"Oh My God!"

Sophia Coppola shook her head in disbelief and removed her earplugs. She then rested her hands on her thighs and directed her gaze towards the man operating the camera.

For the last two weeks, she and Duke have been working together on the set.

She knows him well. In stark contrast to Duke's calm and indifferent demeanor during that time, the person here seemed like an absolute lunatic.

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[~2126 Words]