[Shout out to KrOn and Simonki!]
Hollywood What If Chapter 91
Within three months of preparation, Kazir's crew finished the pre-production work.
The people under the props team started to choose the actors' appearances(costume design). This movie was a little different from the original Taken. Kazir added some easter eggs for the next movies. Especially for Enzo Park who was the ninja in this movie.
Enzo only had one scene in the movie, but his appearance was supposed to be remarkable. So that the audience would remember him.
While the props team was busy creating fashion for the roles, the camera department focused on their work.
The camera department, especially Rector who was the cinematographer, had the job of going over every possible shot and scene they were going to do. Rector even went to France for a week to check out the locations.
The crew already got approval from France to make the movie. But they didn't get any tax incentives. First of all, Grey Pictures was an unknown studio. Also, the film was about human trafficking in France. It was actually a miracle that the government agreed.
'Well, we cast two French actors, so the film industry in this country gave us some leeway.'
The so-called art film center of Europe. Paris, France. The country where the first movie was made.
The Lumière brothers were the first to present projected moving pictures to a paying audience in December 1895 in Paris, France. They used a homemade device called the Cinématographe, which was a camera, projector, and film printer all in one. (Credits to Google.)
The first movie.
That was the reason why many film directors in France had this arrogant attitude. They thought they were the center of art film.
But most of their "art films" are nothing but borderline pornography. The plots are dark and sometimes depressing. They are also very long.
Combined with these factors, the European film industry slowly lost its vitality. In the end, Hollywood overtook it.
'That is not my problem. I'm satisfied that they let me shoot the movie in the country.'
He had a plan B in case the government didn't give him permission. He would shoot the movie in the US. He would just take shots of relevant scenes from France and put them in the movie.
Many studios did this to reduce their costs.
But since they got the permission, Grey Pictures decided to shoot most of the relevant scenes in the movie. Like running on the highway. For this sequence alone, Liam Neeson practiced running without getting tired.
Three months was a short time, but Liam Neeson was strict about his work. He made sure his physique fit the role of Bryan Mills. A retired dangerous agent.
"Director, we already blocked the road."
Assistant Director Fremont Smith told Kazir, who was sitting in the chair.
"Good. We only have three hours to shoot this scene. Make sure we get as many good shots as possible."
Kazir raised his megaphone and gave the go signal. This was not the studio, and his voice was hard to hear even when he shouted. So carrying a megaphone was the right decision. Besides, Kazir would never use the megaphone for useless things.
There were directors who would use a megaphone every damn time, unreasonably. As if they wanted to show that they were in control.
"Okay, let's start filming."
His voice resounded.
There was a rule in the show business. Never film a passerby. Or you would get sued. Every passerby, every car, every person the camera caught was hired by the production crew. These people signed a contract to be in the movie, even if they were just extras.
So yes, Grey Pictures hired all the people who would appear on screen. None of them were real passers-by. In fact, even the prank videos on YouTube were mostly staged. So yeah, don't believe those prank videos.
In this scene, Liam Neeson had to run a few meters to catch the handsome person who was related to the disappearance of Kim (Bryan Mills' daughter) and her friend.
"Impressive, Liam Neeson is not out of breath."
Kazir was pleased. Unlike the original version where Liam Neeson was older, the current Liam had a better physique.
'I decided to make Bryan Mills stronger and faster in this version because the Continental Cinematic Universe is a replica of superhero movies.'
The John Wick and Fast and the Furious franchises were basically superhero movies. Yes. Especially the latter of the two. Nobody could change that opinion because it was the truth. These movies had the same formula as superhero movies.
'The first three Fast and the Furious movies were realistic... But the sequels after that turned the franchise into a hodgepodge.'
As for John Wick, the first movie already had the formula of being a superhero, but a bit mild. The sequels gradually turned into one.
Anyway, on the screen, Kazir Grey watched Liam Neeson run like a cheetah.
He just sat in his chair while Fremont Smith ordered people around. Fremont was responsible for making sure that the filming of this particular scene went smoothly.
Fortunately, the three hours ended peacefully. Kazir and the film crew packed up, cleaned up and left. They got enough shots.
"D- Director Grey, a French director has invited you to his party tomorrow."
Kazir Grey still couldn't find an assistant, so one of the interns temporarily took over as his personal assistant. The intern was nervous and stammered.
"Hm? Who is this?"
Kazir knew a few French directors, since the film industry was still quite strong in the United States. He watched many films by European directors.
"I- It says here that the director's name is Roman Polanski."
The intern said.
"..."
Kazir became silent. Roman Polanski was in fact a famous director. He was the director of The Pianist. The Oscar-winning film, The Pianist.
But Roman Polanski was also famous for something else... He was a known rapist/pedophile.