Mysterious Assistant of the Washed-Up Queen-Chapter 530 - 340: New Book Confirmed, Difficulties in Later Stages_2
So if there were issues with some shots, there was still a chance to modify, adjust, or even reshoot.
But if the crew disbanded and the post-production wasn’t up to par, requiring a reshoot, recalling everyone would then be troublesome.
Chu Tian considered this and realized it was indeed the case, so he decided to go and take a look.
After making arrangements with Hou Yichuan, and since Xu Qingqiu wasn’t around, he could only give her a call. Then, he went home to pack some luggage before setting off again.
"President Chu, look, these are the materials we shot earlier, already categorized according to the script and the storyboard."
"I’ve specifically picked out some of the fighting scenes and Flying Sword scenes. Could you check if there’s anything wrong with them?"
The filming of "Immortal Sword" wasn’t done in one place; it also moved across many locations, including the dense forests of Jiangnan and the northwest Gobi.
The wrap-up took place in a village in the southwest. As soon as Chu Tian arrived, Cao Zheng pulled him into the DIT room of the hotel.
DIT, standing for Digital Imaging Technician, is a very professional role within a film crew. This position basically spans the early, middle, and late stages of a film or television production. Of course, not all crews have a DIT, but any professional crew definitely will.
So, what does a DIT do? To put it simply, cameras are made by various brands worldwide, and each brand has different internal designs. Adjustments are needed to shoot well, and most experienced photographers can manage these on their own. But sometimes, DITs are needed for parameter tweaks, such as for specific filming requirements like high-speed shooting for slow motion, simulating night scenes, or 3D shooting. The main role of photographers is still controlling the aesthetic aspects of the footage; they might not know the highly technical details. It’s not practical to expect them to learn how to use every type of camera. So, part of the DIT’s function is to adjust camera settings, but that aspect is not the most important one.
The most important task for a DIT is to ensure the safety and integrity of the data. Typically, on a film set, the DIT must start collecting data immediately. As soon as shooting wraps up in one area, the data backup process has already begun. Whether you’re using mechanical hard drives or solid-state drives, making one backup or ten, or using both physical and cloud backups simultaneously or just one method—in any case, you need to ensure the safety of the footage. If there’s an issue with the footage, such as loss or damage requiring a reshoot, then the DIT is in trouble. This is considered dereliction of duty, and they will be held responsible.
Additionally, a project can yield hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of hours of footage. It’s absolutely impossible to just pile it all together after shooting. Thus, the DIT needs to meticulously categorize the shot footage. This makes it easier for post-production to access and also allows directors to review the footage in detail at night. Beyond these tasks, the DIT must remain involved from the completion of editing through the end of post-production, right up until the final product is released. Ensuring the final product isn’t leaked is also part of the DIT’s responsibilities.
Inside the crew’s DIT room, four monitors were lined up, and the technicians were hard at work. When Chu Tian and Cao Zheng entered, the technicians greeted them and perceptively made space by vacating two seats.
Cao Zheng pulled up the meticulously organized footage and, as he opened it, said to Chu Tian, "These first few shots were filmed when we were still finding our footing, so we shot them multiple times. Look here. After filming this one, I felt it had too much of a Martial World feel, so I later switched to this approach."
"Later, we gradually found the right feel, which led to these shooting approaches. However, I’m not sure if they’re correct. Could you take a look?"
Chu Tian listened as Cao Zheng explained, slowly watching the footage.
Just as Cao Zheng said, in the early stages, the entire shooting rhythm was still confined by the conventions of the Martial World genre. Wirework was used, but very rigidly. Based on what he saw, Chu Tian could summarize it in one sentence: the protagonist’s feet never left the ground.
Later, it was unclear whether Cao Zheng had a stroke of genius, a moment of enlightenment, or some other form of inspiration, but he finally managed to get the protagonist airborne. But new problems arose. On the ground, actors could at least adjust their posture. Once airborne and completely suspended, however, it was a different story. A slight mishap could result in a tumble or going off-kilter, making it very difficult to control.
It was indeed like that at the beginning. He could see a lot of discarded footage; the take numbers on the clapperboard for a single shot rarely fell below double digits. Most shots had thirty or forty takes, some even a hundred. This also showed how much hardship the actors endured; the filming must have been incredibly tough.
Don’t forget, being suspended by wires isn’t like walking. A wire harness cinched around the body for extended periods can chafe the skin raw.
Spending all day being hoisted up and down was both uncomfortable and painful. Add to that the hot weather, and the salt from sweat seeping into the raw skin—the sting was exceptionally harsh.
This wasn’t Chu Tian’s imagination; it was based on his own real experiences. His first time in a wire harness had been a near-unbearable ordeal, and he had only persevered by gritting his teeth.
The reason he dwelled on this so much was because the female lead in this production was Xu Ruyan—his own sister-in-law.
"How are the actors holding up? It must have been tough filming so many takes. Did any of them get temperamental?"
At the mention of this, Cao Zheng’s eyes instantly lit up.
"Actually, President Chu, these actors are really good. Countless issues arose during the shoot—even a wire snapped once—but fortunately, no one was injured."
