Chapter 9: Hollywood Construction Methods 

Back at the scene, Ronald found Jim: "The boss will come running and take 2 hours. Until then, we'll continue filming." 

"Wow, so you'll still be the director?" 

"Yes, when the boss takes over, he and his assistant Gale will arrive on set. We need to hurry. What's the next scene? You'll be in charge of positioning." 

"The next scene is where the good girl Kate strikes up a conversation with the handsome Tom." Jim took the storyboard and handed it to Ronald. "Congratulations, Ronnie. You deserve this." 

… 

Ronald found the actor playing the handsome Tom, Vincent Van Patten. At first glance, he looked strong, blond, and wore a green and white school uniform. He was exactly what American high school girls would dream of. 

Vincent was a typical American heartthrob. He wasn't like the old nerd Tom from the script but rather a cheerful, athletic guy. 

Ronald recalled the image from his dream: a boring, honest mama's boy that didn't match Vincent's demeanor. 

But if he can act in a movie, he must have good acting skills, so the problem lies in... 

"Clothes, where are the clothes?" 

"Here," said Linda, the chubby wardrobe assistant, raising her hand. 

Ronald pointed at Vincent's chest. "Add a tie and let's see. I want him to look like he was raised in a very strict, puritanical family." 

"Alright, I'm ready. I'll bring them for you to choose." Linda took two ties—one with blue and green stripes, the other dark red. 

"This one," Ronald pointed at the striped one. "It matches the green and white school uniform." 

… 

After arranging the actors, Ronald went to the camera crew and gave orders: "We need a long take for this one, 10 seconds. Tom comes out of the room in his school uniform and tie, greets some male classmates, and finally sits down here to have breakfast. A crane shot will capture it from above." 

Roger indicated the camera's position and pointed at the school building: "The male protagonist comes out with a novel that no one else is reading, out of sync with the people happily dancing around him." 

Ronald described the scene from his dream and asked, "Mr. Candy, what do you think?" 

"Did you hear that?" The cinematographer turned and shouted to the assistants, "Get to work!" 

The red-haired Daisuke looked at Ronald, somewhat surprised that these words came from him, as if he carried the authority of a seasoned director with decades in the industry. 

"How do you capture the feeling of being out of place?" asked cinematographer Dean Candy. "Tell me how to move the camera." 

"No, it's not about camera movement," Ronald explained. "In this scene, the frame will fit about three people from left to right. Keep the camera following Vincent, always centered." 

Ronald gestured toward the cinematographer: "When others greet him, they'll move at a normal pace, but Tom will slow down by half a beat to convey the sense of being out of sync." 

"Got it," the cinematographer nodded. "Go and organize the actors for rehearsal, leave the rest to me." 

"Thank you, Mr. Candy." 

After thanking him, Ronald rushed to brief the actors on the scene. 

"Hey, this is your first scene, right?" Ronald asked Vincent, who was now wearing the tie and looked a bit rustic and boring. 

"Yes, how's my look?" Vincent replied. 

"I'll have the camera follow you the entire time, so the audience gets a strong impression. Come out of the room, introduce yourself here, then grab the book, walk over there, greet some guys, and finally sit down for breakfast. Then wait for Kate to come over and chat." 

Ronald demonstrated the blocking. "How does that sound?" 

Vincent mimicked the sequence: "Come out... grab the book... walk... greet... sit down." 

"Perfect. What do you think of shooting it this way?" Ronald asked. 

Vincent seemed pleased. "No problem, I think it's good." He looked quite satisfied with his screen time. 

Ronald gave him a thumbs-up. "Just pay attention to the pace—move half a beat slower." 

"Got it. Leave it to me." Vincent brushed back his hair. 

"Oh, you messed up your hair. Gigi, fix his hair!" Ronnie called the makeup and hair stylist. 

Acting is a tricky job—if makeup or hairstyles are slightly off, the camera will magnify the flaws. That's why you need to check and retouch after every take. 

Ronald returned to the cinematographer: "How are things coming along?" 

"No problem. I'll get good coverage with a 20mm lens. Just stop down the aperture a bit to match the brightness with the other lens." 

Ronald glanced at the sky. The sun was up, and the school wall blocked most of the direct light, but the overall brightness had increased. The cinematographer needed to make technical adjustments to maintain consistent lighting throughout the scene, avoiding any jarring differences for the audience. 

Filming with natural light is tricky, but thankfully, I have an experienced cinematographer. 

Ronald and Jim whispered, preparing for the official shoot. 

The plot: Kate sees Tom, puts on a flirty expression, and takes the initiative to sit next to him and strike up a conversation. Tom isn't interested in the good girl; he prefers the cheerleader Liv Randall. He responds coldly with "Hi" and turns away to read his book. The camera ends on Kate's embarrassed face. 

"Action!" 

The take goes smoothly from start to finish. 

"Cut!" 

Next up is the dialogue. 

The camera switches to a medium shot, focusing on Vincent. Dai Yang sits across from him, with only her shoulder visible in the frame. They act out the scene again. 

"Cut, good." 

Then the camera moves behind Vincent, focusing on the good girl played by Dai Yang, with Vincent's shoulder in the frame this time. They repeat the scene a third time. 

After wrapping these shots, the cinematographer checks to confirm everything is good. In film production, unlike TV shows, you rely on real-time review to ensure the shots meet the director's vision. 

"All set." 

Now, they shoot reaction shots. 

The red-haired assistant switches to a 100mm close-up lens, carefully zooming in on the actor's face. 

The cinematographer checks the lighting and shakes his head. "The light's a bit harsh now. Shadows on the face are too strong. Use a reflector." 

An assistant kneels on the ground, holding a foam reflector to bounce sunlight onto the actor's face, softening the shadows. He also makes sure his hand stays out of the shot. 

"Give me a shy smile," Ronald instructed. 

"Okay! Action!" 

Vincent stands behind the camera as they capture Dai Yang's face. It's printed onto the film, waiting to be developed, enlarged, and projected on the big screen—where it'll become the dream of thousands of kids. 

"Cut!" 

This shooting method is what Roger Corman described: "One master, two shoulders, three reactions." It's a standard Hollywood technique—start with a wide shot, follow with over-the-shoulder shots, and finish with close-up reactions. 

The advantage is speed. 

Filming takes time. Each setup requires reorganization—actors need touch-ups, and indoor scenes take even longer. 

The low-budget *Rock and Roll High School* was shot quickly using Hollywood methods. It took over an hour. 

After dismissing the actors, they prepared for the dance scene. Rock music played, and students danced energetically. 

This shot doesn't advance the plot—it mainly conveys a rock-and-roll atmosphere. 

More importantly, some beautiful girls in revealing outfits would perform stunning dance moves, offering eye candy for the audience. Such dance sequences are a hallmark of low-budget youth exploitation films. 

The dance choreography was handled by Siana, a Polish choreographer with a thick Eastern European accent. 

"Ronaldo, though the Ramones sing about rock, I'll have the students dance disco." 

Ronald was stunned for a moment, realizing that "Ronaldo" referred to him. "Okay, what's the reason for that?" 

"Disco works better." 

There were no skilled dancers among the cast, and most extras could only perform popular moves. Disco was easier than traditional swing dancing. 

Disco was in vogue—Saturday Night Fever and Grease had set off a national disco craze. Both films starred John Travolta, who became a national icon and the new dance king of Hollywood. 

"You've got two beauties with stunning figures. They should dance more in front of the camera," Siana suggested. 

"Oh? Who are they?" 

End of chapter