MTL - Exploiting Hollywood 1980-Chapter 38 stunt model

  Chapter 38 Stunt Model

   Walking out of the New World office building, Ronald happened to see Gail, the assistant to the president, who was also competing with the car. After starting it several times, it just couldn't catch fire.

   "Gail, where are you going?" Ronald walked down the stairs, "What's wrong with your car? Seems like there's something wrong with the spark plugs."

   "Oh, Ronald." Gail simply gave up his efforts, got out of the car and grabbed Ronald "Can you take me to the stunt company? My car is broken and I can't find the driver"

   In 1979, American cars are still very easy to break down, and they often need to find a mechanic for maintenance. Otherwise, if you drive a long distance, it is easy to break down on the road, and you can only call for rescue and call for a tow truck. In contrast, the quality of German cars and Dongying cars is more stable.

  Ronald slammed open the car door, loaded Gale, and drove off to Cameron's New World Stunt work.

  New World Stunt Company is a new independent company established by Roger Coleman, specializing in the production and shooting of stunt model shots in preparation for the new film "Battle of the Stars".

  Roger Coleman heard that the production progress of the model was seriously behind, but he was out of control, so he called the assistant to the president, Gail, and asked her to inspect the site.

  It was the first time Ronald went to a stunt company. Gale pointed to the road. The stunt company was located in Santa Monica Beach, a little north of Venice, where Ronald lived.

   The car drove to New World Stunt's office, in an abandoned port cargo warehouse. When I entered the door, I saw all kinds of weird models, some were made of silicone, some were plaster, some were plastic, and some looked like metal.

  "Jim", Ronald glanced at Cameron who was working on a large workbench, "Look who's here?"

   "Gail, Ronald, are you here?" Cameron was very happy, took off his bib, wiped his hands with a rag, and shook hands with them.

   "What about the person in charge and the other employees here?" Gail asked when he came up.

"They held a meeting in the cubicle, saying that they wanted to find a way to solve the problem of the texture of the spaceship model." Cameron shrugged, "Actually, as long as the lens is well designed and the illusion of perspective is used, the fake can be real, just like in my short film. That way."

   "Really? Why didn't the stunt supervisor do that?"

   "He prefers to make a full-size model, one that people can enter. After it is done, the actors can perform directly, and the camera can shoot directly," Cameron explained.

   "It's too slow to do this, it would be much faster with a model."

  Gail looked at the unfinished models on the other workbenches, a table of various materials and molds. Only Cameron has a few finished models here, and an alien mask he's working on seems to be almost done.

   "Roger sent me to see why we're behind schedule." Gale asked Cameron.

"If you want me to say, it's the problem of the stunt director. He hasn't made a movie, he hasn't done it on set, and he doesn't know the magic of the camera. For example, when this monster talks, his head will split, we just need to take a close-up of the face first, and then Just cut to the other actors reacting to the scene, and then cut back to change a headgear with a split head. There's no need to make a mechanical model with a split head."

  Cameron talks eloquently.

   "The same is true for the spaceship model."

"There is absolutely no need to make a model that can really perform all functions. You see the robot R2D2 in 'Star Wars', and it is not necessary to make a dwarf, put on a robot shell and perform in it. A remote-controlled robot that slides on its own."

  Gail took out a small notebook and recorded the production progress of the model. Then I went to the VFX supervisor and other VFX workers who were in a meeting, got an explanation from the VFX supervisor, and conveyed Roger Coleman's concerns.

   The situation is indeed not optimistic, and the progress is greatly behind. The design and manufacture of the models is the hardest hit, and as Cameron complained, they don't quite understand that movies are an art of counterfeiting.

  When Gale was meeting with the special effects supervisor in the booth, Ronald and Cameron were chatting outside. Cameron had a long beard, messy hair, and a lot of paint and dirt.

   "Jim, looking at you, did your wife, Sharon, abandon you?"

"Hey, don't mention it. She disliked me working overtime for too long and told me not to go home and live. She didn't understand my commitment to the film, and sometimes she missed my days as a truck driver." Long complained a few words to an old friend.

"Actually, I have known Sharon since I graduated from high school. She was a restaurant waiter and encouraged me to pursue my dream of filming. But when I was working in the film industry, she felt that I was too devoted to her work and ignored her feelings. "

   "So you really didn't go back and live here?" Ronald didn't understand Cameron's thoughts and his obsession with movies.

   "Of course not, I have already apologized to her and asked for her forgiveness and understanding. It was just yesterday to catch up." Cameron pointed to his hair.

   "By the way, why are you free to come to me today?"

   "I'm here to help you", Ronald took out a typed letter and asked Cameron to sign it.

   "I hereby certify that Ronald V. Lee, working as a second-team director on the Rock High School crew, has shown qualified competitiveness..."

   "Did you get the application from the director's union?" Cameron happily signed it and handed it to Ronald, "Don't forget to go to the court or bank and ask a notary to notarize it."

  "Thank you", Ronald took the supporting documents and handed another envelope, "This is for you." "I was admitted to New York University. I am a first-generation college student in my family. I will give you a gift as usual."

   "Wow", Cameron took a look, "Thanks, Ronnie."

   Inside are 10 McDonald's gift coupons from Ronald, and a large book of coupons.

   Cameron turned out to be living off McDonald's coupons, just like Ronald, so he was polite and put away the gifts.

   "You still seem to be a little slow here?" Ronald asked, looking at the mess of models on the table, silicone, paint, pouring molds, dirty rags, and a box of McDonald's fries that hadn't been thrown away.

   "On the contrary, it's almost finished." Cameron said proudly, pointing to various models and introducing them to Ronald. Basically there are only one or two steps left.

  Ronald's intuition was wrong, but he couldn't say exactly what was wrong.

   "Why did I think you were slow when I came in?"

   "Maybe I put some materials and tools on the same table?"

  Ronald thought about it for a while, that's the truth. If you clean up a table and put all the models on that table, the look and feel will be much better.

   "You should do this...Jim. If the boss, Mr. Coleman, comes to inspect, and I feel the same way..."

   "OhShxt, you're right, I'll prepare a table display model." Cameron reacted and invited the employees to work with him to clear a table dedicated to the display for the boss to watch the results.

  …

   Here, Gail has quietly finished understanding the situation, and Ronald prepares to report back to the company. In the parking lot, she also gave Cameron a few words alone.

  Ronald drove Gale back to New World Productions' office. On the way Gale asked:

   "Ronald, what do you think of Cameron's stunt model skills?"

   "I don't know about stunt model making, but I think Jim is right. There's no need to make a real full-scale fully functional model, we can use photography to cooperate."

   "Do you think Jim can do the modeling?" Gail asked.

   Ronald felt that Gale had the idea to recommend a coaching change to Roger Coleman and let Cameron take charge of all model making.

   His intuition is a bit wrong. Cameron works much harder than others. Let him lead a group of people with more seniority than him... Maybe they will fight.

   After thinking for a moment, Ronald said:

   "Of course, Jim has a genius idea and the ability to realize it. I believe he can guarantee the completion of the model on time. However, special effects photography is not only about the model. If it is shot according to Jim's idea, it requires close cooperation between the model and the photographer."

  Ronald took the principle that the whole is greater than the part, which he learned in the editing, and learned it and applied it.

  Gail nodded after hearing this, Ronald continued:

   "The model director's concerns are not completely unreasonable. If there is no director of photography familiar with special effects, then the best way may be to make a full-featured, full-size model, so that the photographer will not wear anything."

   "The progress cannot be kept up now. If you use Jim's method, you need to maintain excellent communication between the photography department and the special effects department, so that the style of the shots can be consistent."

   "Parts must be in harmony with the whole. If the coordination is not good, the things that can be photographed may not be as good as the original stunt guide idea."

   Ronald concluded with the principles he had just learned.

  Gail thought for a moment and agreed, "I'll report to Roger."

  Send Gale back to the company, Ronald took three letters of certification, went to the Los Angeles County Court, found a clerk with a notary's license, and notarized. $5 per letter in exchange for a notary stamp.

   wrote a $750 entry fee check, and a $50 annual fee check, and couriered them to the Film Directors Guild along with the application materials.

  Fill out the Confirmation of Admission, attach a check for the $200 deposit, and send it to NYU.

   But two big things happened.

   The two major events that started the director's career, Ronald can be regarded as complete. Get a director's union card, and you can have more opportunities in the industry in the future. A film department at a well-known university, laying a solid knowledge base.

  I, Ronald, the new generation of Hollywood directors, here we come!

   The rest of the time in Los Angeles was freer. Ronald plans to go with Mara to see all the sights around Los Angeles. By the way, waiting to see the preview of "High School of Rock",

   It’s still early for the fall semester, so I still have plenty of time.

   (end of this chapter)