As the preparations for "Fury" got on track, many things required the director's personal involvement. Exhausted from the busy daytime work, Lyman would fall into a deep sleep at night, only to wake up the next day as an energetic man, and then be drained again...
This repeated day after day, week after week.
After July, the weather in Los Angeles began to get hot. Lyman, René, Thomas, the set designers, location scouts, and Jonathan Gavin, the representative of the guarantor, all traveled together by car to a wilderness area on the border of California and Nevada, to scout for the exterior locations needed for the first phase of shooting.
Two business cars stopped on a half-slope. Lyman got off and walked to the top of the slope, taking a look at the vast wilderness field not far away, and then looked around. The extra weeds and such had been cleared away long ago.
"Edward." Lyman beckoned the leader of the set design team to come over and pointed to the slightly low-lying field in the western direction. "Can we arrange the Allied camp in that location?"
"Setting up the scene won't be a problem. We have cleared the area around here, and when the time comes, we can create some tire tracks in advance, sprinkle some water, and set up some tents manually." Edward said confidently.
"That's good."
There were several major outdoor scenes in "Fury": the battlefields where the Allied and German forces had multiple confrontations, their logistical bases, the small town hit by artillery fire, and the streets and alley fights. There was no need to worry too much about the latter scenes because they were scheduled to be shot in the UK and Australia in about a month. The main focus now was to film the dialogue scenes and the story that took place in the first half of the march.
Next, the group of people discussed the specific arrangements for the Allied camp and its surroundings, such as the direction of the camp's entrance, the area's layout, and the arrangement of the soldiers' rest tents. These were all highly precise and professional knowledge, which Lyman, an outsider, didn't understand. The set designers and props team didn't understand either, so they needed the guidance of a military advisor on-site.
While portraying a war-themed movie, even though the content was fictional, Lyman didn't want the film to have glaring errors in set design and props that would invite ridicule. He wanted to faithfully recreate the entire battlefield situation at that time. In short, the more realistic the portrayal, the better. That was what Lyman desired.
When the sun began to descend in the west, the on-site inspection was almost complete, and the relevant requirements had been properly communicated. Lyman and his group of people divided into two business cars and hurried back to Warner Studios in Los Angeles. While passing through the studio gate, Lyman suddenly saw a familiar face.
"Hey, Eva, what brings you here?"
"I came to try on costumes, to see if they fit." Eva Green's eyes lit up with joy when she saw Lyman. She had just finished trying on the costumes and was thinking of finding him. She didn't expect to run into him as she was leaving.
"Thank you, Lyman, for giving me this opportunity to perform." Eva sincerely said.
"Oh... no need to thank me." It was just a minor role with a visible face, slightly better than an extra. If Eva hadn't come today, Lyman would have forgotten about arranging it casually during the audition.
After all, "Fury" was a true masculine drama, and there were no significant female characters, let alone supporting roles with substance. The role Eva Green got was one of the few characters among the masses of people who fled after the war with a close-up shot. The other one was a baby, serving only to convey the cruelty.
In war, whether you're a woman or a child, everyone is treated equally.
But Eva Green didn't see it that way; she was genuinely grateful. On that night, she had wanted to show closeness, thinking that it might be helpful when she returned to her country. But she didn't expect the opportunity to come so quickly and unexpectedly. Even though it was just a small role, it was still a role in a film with a budget of $50M, which was unimaginable for her.
"Would you like to come to my place for a cup of coffee? It's almost evening." Eva invited proactively.
Hey, why are you talking nonsense, saying it's almost evening when it's only a little past 4 o'clock? The crew members haven't even finished work yet. Where does "almost evening" come from?
"Sorry," Lyman naturally knew what awaited him if he agreed. He wasn't dumb; he could clearly sense the implied meaning. Although he was somewhat tempted, he shook his head firmly. "I have something to attend to later. I still need to finalize the shooting plan. Maybe next time."
A hint of disappointment flashed through Eva's eyes, but she still smiled and said, "No problem, we can arrange it next time." After speaking, she politely turned around and left Warner Bros. Studios.
Lyman watched her figure and shook his head, staying firm in his own determination. He was exhausted to the point of death, and he still had to work at night. Even if he had ten kidneys, it wouldn't be enough. In life, when you're young, you don't pay attention, and when you're old, all you can do is look back with regret.
Remember, remember!
Having had the experience and starting anew, Lyman quickly and decisively joined the crew's work. As for minor roles like this, he really didn't care. Apart from guarding against CAA wanting to intervene and reduce his power and influence in the crew, the rest was basically arranged based on similar circumstances.
What's wrong with reasonably utilizing resources for people he's close to? It's Hollywood—no, it's the entertainment industry worldwide. Lyman didn't mind this at all. For example, casting Heath Ledger as Private Norman—same reasoning.
If you have a familiar face and can handle the role, why not? If it weren't for the significant difference in appearance with Aamir Khan, Lyman would have considered giving him an important role as well.
As a director, who doesn't have their own regular crew? Even the crew members can have long-term collaborations. For these roles that are not important but still get screen time, handing them out as favors is simply appropriate.
In life, who doesn't have personal connections? Just like Lyman and Eva Green, some roles also have personal relationships involved. For example, the selection of the German commander was recommended by Sandy, while the Allied commander was chosen by George and a French actor. It was a tacit understanding among them.
Although it's like this, there's a rule that everyone voluntarily follows: no matter which actor enters the crew through someone's connections, they must meet the basic requirements and fit the character's image and temperament. If a beautiful actress lacks acting skills and doesn't fit the character's description, no matter how hard she tries, it will be of no use. Even if she manages to squeeze in, the director or producer will replace her temporarily.
That's the reality. Are there hidden rules? Which industry doesn't have them? It's just more prevalent in the entertainment industry. But these transactions based on personal relationships are conducted within the implicitly agreed-upon rules. Furthermore, if it's not suitable, forcing it in will result in more losses than gains.
A production project with a budget of $50M cannot afford significant flaws in its cast or, worse, failure caused by such flaws. Not everyone can bear that responsibility. If you don't carefully consider it, you probably won't last long in this industry. The audition results for those roles were all approved by Lyman, George, Sandy, and even Jonathan Gavin, the representative of the guarantor.
You won't know if you're capable unless you try for real. Even in the case of the specially approved Heath Ledger, he had also undergone costume fittings, scene tests, and performance assessments.
As for actors who relied on connections, they have also gone through scrutiny. In fact, when Lyman made an effort to invite Nicolas Cage, it was also because he valued his abilities and his over ten years of experience in filmmaking, especially in war-themed films. For the role of "Wardaddy", he was more than capable.
Newcomers can be used, but it depends on the specific circumstances.
Take Eva Green, for example. She had a raw talent, but it hadn't reached the breathtaking level she would achieve later in "The Dreamers". She just missed a few years of polishing, but it already created a considerable gap. This showed that honing one's skills is indispensable.
Entering the set, the heads of various departments were busy. When the actors who had been sent for Marine Corps training finished their training, the pre-production work had to be completed without fail. Otherwise, it would delay the shooting schedule and might even disrupt the plans.
If you want the filming to go smoothly, the pre-production work must not be taken lightly. The more effort you put into it, the better the results will be.
After finishing the discussion with René and Sandy, Lyman went to check on the work of the costume department, gave some instructions, and requested that they meet the shooting requirements as soon as possible. Then he went to see the progress of the props team.
Dud rounds, tracer rounds, gunpowder, and several well-made tank components were neatly stacked, waiting for the start of filming.
"When will their tanks, weapons, and equipment arrive?" They were naturally referring to the military side.
"Some of them have already been transported to the nearby military base. We just need to communicate in advance when the shooting requires them, and they will be delivered."
"Keep in touch with them. Don't delay. The crew will soon have demands, so make sure they are prepared as soon as possible."
"Alright, I will supervise the progress."
"That's good."
"..."
As night fell, after the crew members finished their day's work, they began to leave Warner Bros. Studios.
After giving some final instructions to the heads of relevant departments, Lyman also turned back and returned to the hotel. He took a hot bath and then laid down on the comfortable bed. Before long, he drifted off to sleep. He was truly exhausted and wanted to rest.
Oh, goodnight...