In the Nevada desert, Ryan Reynolds, leading a group of men exhausted from battle, walked at the front, followed by dozens of American soldiers. They all looked as if they had narrowly escaped death.
Eric had carefully selected these soldiers. The young men were eager to be in the movie, and their emotions and facial expressions were quite fitting for the camera.
Nearby was a temporary camp with houses and earthen walls constructed by the prop team, creating the illusion of an inhabited place. Several dozen Arab extras were portraying everyday life.
These extras were hired through a union and demanded a considerable amount of money for their work each day.
Unlike in the original version, Eric had no intention of traveling to Qatar for filming. It would have required too much time and involved complicated visa procedures and coordination with local authorities.
The U.S. was still involved in Middle Eastern affairs, and if they encountered extremists, it would be too late to cry. Filming in the U.S. seemed like a safer option.
"Transformers, scene 15, action!" Eric commanded.
With these words, Ryan Reynolds and the others lowered their heads and moved forward.
"Look, there's someone over there. We need a phone!" Tom Hardy said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
After a few steps, the group suddenly stopped.
"Do you feel the ground shaking?" Ryan Reynolds asked with a serious expression.
Suddenly, Michael Fassbender's face changed, and he pointed to an empty space, shouting, "Watch out!"
Everyone immediately scattered as if attacked by an invisible monster.
"Cut! That was great, let's prepare for the next scene!" Eric gave an "OK" sign.
Assistant director Neill Blomkamp hurried over to the soldiers to explain the next scene to them.
"Don't worry, director, we'll treat this like a training exercise against a simulated enemy. We've had similar training tasks before!"
"That's right, we'll just replace the targets with imaginary ones. We'll act as if it's a tactical exercise, right?"
Neill Blomkamp gave a thumbs-up. Professional soldiers really stood out: they only needed guidance on emotions and positions; the rest they handled much better than actors.
He nodded to Eric. "Transformers, scene 16, action!"
After a disagreement with John Adams, Eric immediately offered him $200,000, and everything went smoothly from there.
The filming site was divided into two groups: one led by Eric, the other by Patty Jenkins.
Eric had managed to create detailed storyboards and annotations for the script, so Patty only needed to mechanically follow instructions.
No innovations, no artistic flourishes—just stick to the script. It saved time.
"We're shooting a commercial blockbuster; the audience buys tickets to see the Transformers, not the actors."
So, apart from close-ups for emotional scenes, the actors' performances in other shots could be just acceptable.
This was Eric's absolute advantage. Without unnecessary takes and scenes, editing and assembling the film took minimal time, allowing him to quickly create a rough cut.
There wasn't a single director in the world who could achieve what he had. No one but him.
Although such a shooting speed was undoubtedly impressive, it had its downsides. For example, when it came to cutting material for behind-the-scenes reels, there were often not enough suitable shots.
With this shooting method, progress was surprisingly fast. Within just seven days, the scenes with the destruction of the military base and the battle with Scorponok in the desert were filmed.
In the evening, as he reviewed the footage shot during the day, Eric nodded in approval.
"Most of the shots are good, but the expression on that extra's face isn't shocked enough. It's missing a sense of amazement."
"Should we reshoot tomorrow?" Patty asked.
Eric thought for a moment and decided against it: "Never mind, it's just a secondary character. It'll do."
Patty Jenkins, known for her perfectionism, couldn't resist suggesting, "This approach is too hasty. I think it's better to reshoot."
Eric glanced at her. "Patty, you shouldn't look at commercial films from an artistic perspective. The film's release is scheduled for November; I only have nine months to finish it."
"If we reshoot, we'll have to recreate the sets, get the actors back into character, and restart the cameras. That could take an entire day, and I don't have that much time."
"You see, it's just a secondary character with two lines. Maybe some viewers will notice the lack of emotion, but they'll quickly focus on the Autobots and Decepticons."
"When the adrenaline is pumping, no one will pay attention to those small details."
"But I'm worried about the critics..." Patty began, but Eric interrupted her.
"Critics? Who cares? Am I aiming to win an Oscar for Best Picture or Best Director with Transformers? We have one goal—box office success, and nothing else!"
"Your job is to film according to the script as I instructed. Don't worry, I'm the lead director; the critics will criticize me. I understand your concerns, but this won't affect you or Monster."
After such a monologue, Patty Jenkins raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, you're the boss; it's your call."
Eric turned to his assistant. "Neill, how many scenes are left?"
Neill Blomkamp looked at the shooting schedule. "Only one left—the scene with Blackout destroying the tank."
"Great, that's the most challenging scene. Let's try to shoot it tomorrow and get out of this desert."
Neill Blomkamp smiled. "I've been meaning to say that. It's just like being in prison here—no bars, no clubs, no shops, no restaurants."
"Don't worry, after this, we'll head back to Sonoma, California. You can relax after work."
The phone rang. Eric saw that it was Judy calling. They hadn't spoken in half a month since he had gone to the Sundance Film Festival.
But Judy always brought good news. The first time, she introduced him to James Wan and his project Saw; the second time, it was Patty Jenkins and her film Monster. He wondered what it would be this time.
Eric felt a wave of anticipation wash over him.
"Hello, Judy. What's up?"
"Eric, I've found an interesting project and wanted to discuss it with you."
"Another script?"
"Not exactly. Someone's looking for investments in Hollywood. The Chinese. You always said the Chinese film market has huge potential, so I met with them."
"Chinese? They came to Hollywood for investments? Which company? What's their name?"
"Star Overseas and Stephen Chow!"
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