Finished makeup revealed a somewhat greasy face. This was to simulate sweating on Paul after he wakes up and realizes that he was kidnapped, not the real sweating. In reality, it was completely different from the needs of film shooting.
Heath Ledger sat quietly on the side of the set, alone, holding the script for the next scene to be filmed in his hand. He was not an actor who could quickly immerse himself in the emotions of a character. He knew what he needed and how to make up for it.
To play Paul well, he did a lot of research. He wrote character biographies, designed the character's habits and mannerisms. The script was filled with his annotations. In order to seek that feeling of darkness, he endured all the discomfort in his body and suffered in the bathroom all night until dawn when he was unable to simulate the scene any longer.
Although he was not yet the manic Joker of future generations, he was willing to endure hardships, put in effort, and contemplate the meaning of every emotional transformation. He studied method acting, so when he walked out of the bathroom after a night, he captured that feeling. That suffocating oppression. Heath Ledger slowly closed his eyes, emptied his mind, and welcomed the fear in the darkness...
"Lyman, are you ready?" René, who was sitting behind the director's camera, looked at Lyman and casually asked.
"Have everything set up as required?"
"Yes." René, who was in charge of the set and also worked as the script supervisor, had full authority over the operations of the film crew.
"We'll start in three minutes."
...
Three minutes passed in an instant.
With a wave of Lyman's hand, René held the clapperboard and officially called out, "Action!"
Inside the coffin emitting flames, silence surrounded the surroundings.
Cameraman Clément Sabot was lying on the pile of sand, his shoulders supporting the camera, capturing close-ups of the external perspective. Another camera mounted on Heath Ledger's waist focused on capturing close-ups of his face.
Under the orange glow, a man wearing a light green short-sleeved shirt looked disheveled and dirty. The camera lens captured his eyes, in a close-up shot.
Amidst the panic, his expressions revealed thoughts and memories. He was just an ordinary land contractor, also doing part-time transportation. In order to earn more money, he went to the Afghanistan region, where resources were scarce and it was easy to make a lot of money.
But why had he found himself in such a puzzling situation? Slowly, Paul pieced together the clues he knew, and he became increasingly uneasy and panicked. Anyone trapped in such a narrow and maddening space, without knowing the reason, would feel the same, especially since his phone had only a weak signal and the battery was running low.
He had to find a way!
In the scene, Heath Ledger began forcefully pounding the interior walls with his hands, even using his head to strike the top, creating sound. It was clearly real impact! His forehead had turned slightly blue, and the sudden pain made him lie flat in the coffin, breathing heavily.
Thomas, on the other end of the pile of sand, held a long pole in his hand with recording equipment suspended from it. He heard that sound clearly from outside, and secretly admired this tough guy. He didn't treat his body lightly. Even though a gentle tap would be enough to convey the feeling, he still insisted on authenticity.
So even though his posture was particularly strenuous and uncomfortable, and his hands were numb, he didn't let the front-end recording equipment shake to avoid imperfect sound effects. Sweat dripped one drop at a time, making his whole body sticky, but he dared not move. He was just an intern, willing to do any dirty and tiring work just to become a cameraman. He truly wanted to be in control of a camera like the cameraman Clément Sabot, which had been his aspiration for many years.
At noon, the sun outside continued to unleash its fiery magic, and everyone could see that Thomas's face was turning red, his teeth clenched, but his body remained motionless. Lyman also noticed, but he remained silent. Everyone on the set endured the ordeal, all for the sake of capturing each scene perfectly. If they were to shout "cut", all the work and perseverance of so many people in the scorching heat would be in vain. So, with a cold heart, he turned his head away, focusing on his directing work. With limited funds, there was nothing they could do about the challenging filming environment.
In the scene, Paul half-sat up again, and the lighter in his hand emitted a steady glow...
"Cut!" This sound was like heavenly music, and Thomas could finally move his stiff body a bit, but he remembered to secure the recording equipment.
René glanced at Lyman, confirming that there were no issues with the shot, and then hurriedly ran to the prop coffin to help actor Heath Ledger up. The makeup artist Katie, with her keen eye, took out pre-prepared dry towels and mineral water and handed them over.
If it could be said that the crew members were enduring high temperatures, the environment Heath Ledger was in was undoubtedly worse. In order to create the dark atmosphere underground, his coffin had a small hidden vent for breathing, but the long wooden box outside was tightly sealed to block out the light. So, in just a short while, his body was soaked in sweat. His face looked slightly better due to the makeup, but it was still extremely difficult to endure.
One could only imagine - a sealed space with no sunlight, and the outside temperature was unusually high. In addition, the physical exertion required to pound the coffin. As soon as Heath Ledger came out, he quickly took the mineral water from Katie and drank almost half of it.
"Wipe yourself." Katie handed the towel in her hand to Heath Ledger and continued, "In the next scene, you'll have bloodstains on your forehead. We'll use a tighter material to stick it there to prevent sweat from washing away the fake wound. Be careful and avoid touching it with your hands."
"Yeah, I got it." Heath Ledger responded silently while wiping away sweat.
In order to better portray the anxiety and madness of the protagonist Paul being trapped underground, as well as to achieve better visual effects, Heath Ledger's previous impact was actually not strong enough. At least blood had to flow. Of course, the makeup artist could take care of that. If they really wanted to produce blood through impact, they might have to take him to the hospital, maybe even for a concussion.
"Director, is the shot okay?" After Thomas finished arranging the recording equipment, he also wanted to know the outcome of his efforts.
"It's great, the effect is very good." Lyman smiled and gave a thumbs-up.
"Phew, that's good." Thomas's tone was hopeful. He had really worked hard just now, and he hoped his efforts wouldn't go to waste.
"Can I see the footage from that shot?"
"Of course."
While Thomas was watching the footage, René came over. "It's lunchtime, let's continue filming after we eat."
"Okay." Lyman was satisfied with the morning's progress.
Rome wasn't built in a day. Take it slow.
After informing the crew members, they tidied up the filming equipment and props, locked the warehouse door, and everyone went out together to have lunch. Working on an empty stomach would definitely affect the filming progress, but there was no rush at the moment.
Lunch was eaten at a nearby small restaurant. René had already made arrangements with the restaurant owner, and they were prepared when they arrived. The filming budget was limited, so they had to be thrifty, and naturally, the meal wouldn't be luxurious. However, it was enough to fill their stomachs.
There were generous portions of toasted bread slices, accompanied by jam and butter. There were also chocolate pastries resembling doughnuts, and the restaurant had prepared plenty of them. Each of the nine people received a large platter, more than enough to eat. As for common meats and vegetable salads, they didn't dare serve them to save money. If all nine of them ate those, it would cost too much.
But nobody complained. After today's filming, they all understood the actual situation of the production team. It was clear that they weren't well off. Otherwise, they wouldn't be shooting in a rundown warehouse. At the very least, they would have filmed in a studio. The scene design and environment there would have been much better than this almost outdoor setting.
"Are you okay with the food?" Sitting at a small table, Lyman ate his lunchtime bread alongside Heath Ledger, who was enjoying the same. "There's no choice. The budget is tight, and the conditions aren't great."
Heath Ledger looked at the large pieces of toasted bread on his plate without raising his head. "As long as it fills me up, it's fine. Honestly, my life in Australia was no better than this."
"Aren't you American?" Lyman was surprised.
"No, I was born in Australia. Later, I went to the United States to seek better opportunities as an actor. There are more opportunities there, much better than my hometown."
"Oh, I see." Lyman really didn't know this. The resume he received was labeled with the Screen Actors Guild, so he thought Heath Ledger was born and raised in the United States.
"But how did you end up coming to France? I mean, the distance between France and the United States is quite far. How did you think of coming here to participate in our film project?"
A bitter smile appeared on the corner of Heath Ledger's lips. "For actors like me, in the United States, if not a hundred thousand, there would still be eighty thousand lining up. You know, before I got this film project from you, I hadn't had any definite work for several months. I love acting, so when I saw the information at the guild, I came over with the idea of taking a chance."
Lyman was even more surprised after hearing this. Such a talented and hardworking actor couldn't secure roles? Was the competition in Hollywood really that intense?
"I think you're great, and you'll definitely succeed in the future."
"I hope so."
Heath Ledger's confidence was not as strong as the perception Lyman, an outsider, had of him.
Gradually, silence fell between the two, occasionally broken by a few polite words. Lyman admired him, that was for sure. But he himself didn't know what his own future held, let alone make any promises. That would be irresponsible. He quietly made a mental note of this person, Heath Ledger.