Chapter 45: The Story of the Past

Outside San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel, the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement. Under the white columns forming the grand entrance, the place was swarming with reporters. The production's press officer was holding a microphone, trying hard to maintain order, but the crowd remained chaotic.

Standing behind the three leading actors, Duke answered a few questions himself, but just as with his physical position, the media's attention was focused on the three in front. Duke deliberately pushed himself to the sidelines, already fully immersed in the filming process, not wanting to be distracted by the media.

Though he would have preferred to start filming quietly, like James Cameron, Duke still cooperated with Warner Bros. and the production's promotional plans, mindful of the need for publicity.

"You're unbelievable," a slightly nasal voice said behind him. "You're spacing out at an event like this!"

"I'm just thinking about the shooting plan for today and tomorrow," Duke said, his mind filled with the film. "I'm a director, not a star."

Seeing that the reporters' microphones and cameras were entirely focused on Ed Harris, Nicolas Cage, and Christopher Lee, Duke took a step back. This opening ceremony's press conference had gone on too long, and any further delay would impact his filming schedule.

"Director Rosenberg..." a reporter suddenly called out from the front, "This is your first time directing a major A-list production. Do you have confidence?"

"Of course I have confidence," Duke immediately flashed his brightest smile. "Next summer, you'll see a thrilling, action-packed blockbuster."

After speaking, he signaled to the production's press officer, who reluctantly announced the end of the press conference.

"Clear the area!"

Checking his watch, Duke realized they had only three hours left at the hotel. He turned to Sofia and said, "Tell everyone to speed up; we don't have much time."

A Hummer H1 pulled up at the hotel entrance. Duke assessed the positioning and then took a megaphone from another assistant director standing nearby.

"The vehicle needs to be directly aligned with the entrance!" He glanced up and said to Sofia, "Coordinate with the hotel to set up a camera on the third-floor terrace for a top-down shot."

After Sofia left, Duke walked over to the camera crew and asked, "John, is Camera One ready?"

"OK!" John Schwartzman handed off his current task to an assistant. "We've set up a track on the left, so Camera One can shoot in reverse."

"The street's too narrow..." Duke pointed at the hotel entrance. "Place Camera Two inside the hotel."

Turning around, Duke stepped behind one of the cameras, looking through the lens at the entrance before calling out, "Zack, the lighting's still a bit dim. I need it richer and brighter!"

Zack Snyder, in charge of lighting, gave Duke an 'OK' gesture.

"John, you'll handle the shooting."

For this scene, Duke wasn't using a director's camera. Instead, he would sit behind the monitor for the entire shoot. He returned to the hotel entrance, where Christopher Lee was standing.

Freshly made-up, Christopher Lee wore a crisp suit, his tall frame exuding an air of authority. Even at seventy, he still appeared sharp and formidable.

"Chris, the opening scene isn't long," Duke pointed to the hotel entrance. "You rush out from inside, ignore everyone trying to stop you, and head straight for that Hummer."

"I understand."

For an actor like Christopher Lee, this scene wasn't difficult.

"Channel that feeling of being a former special agent," Duke said, raising his index finger. The older man laughed heartily and gave Duke a thumbs-up in return.

Back at the monitor, Duke let the assistant director call the start after the extras were in position for a test shoot.

A white-haired man rushed out of the hotel's entrance, barely glancing around before heading straight for the Hummer parked at the door, pulling out the valet ready to park the car...

"Cut!" Duke called, then immediately said, "That's a take!"

Passing on the first try seemed to bode well for the shoot, especially given that Christopher Lee, being older and limited by his physical stamina, would benefit from fewer takes to maintain his energy. The shot captured the unique blend of urgency and toughness that only Lee, with his real-life experience as a former agent, could convey.

Watching the footage on the monitor, it was clear that Christopher Lee wasn't acting; he was drawing from a part of his life he would likely never forget. His performance was something no acting could replicate.

Perhaps the decision to cast him had been the right one! Duke was starting to feel optimistic. After all, Sean Connery was a thing of the past, and Duke wasn't about to bring in someone who would overshadow him.

Though the scene had just wrapped, the shutters of reporters' and onlookers' cameras continued to click away—a common occurrence when filming on location. As long as they didn't interfere with the production, Duke usually didn't mind; it also helped with publicity for the film.

After filming scenes with Nicolas Cage running out of the hotel and two stunt drivers speeding away, the first day of shooting came to an end.

The shots today weren't particularly challenging. Duke had already discussed them thoroughly with Zack Snyder and John Schwartzman, and his experience from *Speed* made the first day of filming relatively smooth.

The crew was soon ready to head back to Burbank to prepare for the next day's shoot at Warner Bros. Studios.

The decision to film on location in San Francisco for the first day was partly for promotional reasons and partly due to sponsor requirements.

Yes, the film had secured several sponsors. Duke, having been through the highly commercialized Hollywood system, didn't mind product placement. As long as sponsors didn't demand placement in illogical scenes, he usually had no objections.

Hummer, Ferrari, and several other brands brought in $3.5 million in sponsorships. Had Duke's name been more prominent, with another film grossing over $100 million in North America, Robin Grand and Charles Roven were confident they could have doubled the advertising fees.

Unlike Warner Bros.' exclusive tax credits, these sponsorships were counted as part of the film's revenue, and since Duke was one of the investors, he had no reason to refuse.

As Duke watched the crew pack up, Christopher Lee, now out of makeup, suddenly walked over.

"Duke, I've heard something," he said. "Is it true the production was considering Sean Connery for this role?"

Duke furrowed his brow slightly but then smiled. With CAA's influence, it wouldn't have been hard for them to get this information to Christopher Lee, likely in an attempt to affect his performance.

"I did consider Sean Connery."

Some things Duke could say without a second thought. "But after hearing about your experiences, I felt you were a better fit for this role than Connery."

Hearing this, Christopher Lee smiled. Duke knew that such flattery wouldn't fool someone as seasoned as Lee.

"Chris…"

If the behind-the-scenes clips from *The Lord of the Rings* were to be believed, Christopher Lee was a man of considerable pride despite his age. So Duke said, "Are you worried that after the film is released, everyone will compare you to that has-been 007?"

"007? What's 007?" Christopher Lee's face lit up with a dismissive smile. "Duke, I think you don't know that Fleming was my cousin. We fought side by side in the British non-gentlemen's war division. 007 was based on his experiences and ours. How could fictional characters compare to what we went through?"

"Oh..." Duke's interest was piqued. "Can you tell me more?"

This "Jack Su" was full of surprises. On the way back, Duke gathered Robin Grand, Charles Roven, the production's press officer, and Christopher Lee into a large van to listen to Lee recount stories from his past…

These would make for great publicity material!

Promotional work for the film was naturally handled by professionals. Duke only paid slight attention to it before immersing himself back into the filming. November was already halfway through, and if the film was to be released in next summer's blockbuster season, he had a lot of work ahead.

One film a year was already considered highly productive for a Hollywood director. As for those who could churn out three or more multimillion-dollar films a year, all of which were critically acclaimed and box-office hits, there wasn't a single person on the planet who could manage that.

Even if there were such a director, Hollywood's current system wouldn't allow it. A film is the result of teamwork, not solely the director's creation. Even if a director had boundless energy, what about the rest of the team? If you swapped out teams, how would you find time to develop the necessary chemistry?

Duke, Snyder, and Schwartzman had already had plenty of discussions during pre-production, and even though Duke had worked with Sofia Coppola and Robin Grand on a previous film, there were still issues with coordination and cooperation during the early stages of filming *The Rock*.

There were no shortcuts to resolving these issues; it required time and experience gained from actual shooting. People aren't machines you can just assemble and expect to function smoothly.

"John…"

On set, Duke called for a stop and walked over to the main camera. "Switch to the out-of-focus lens for a close-up of Ed!"