Chapter 281 Uninvited Guest
The next day, early morning.
The crew of "Spider-Man" is still busy early. Fortunately, today's scenes are not shot on the street, but at the famous Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. They are shot indoors and do not need to be exposed to wind or sun.
Of course, this does not mean that the work is easy. After all, hospital filming is also full of difficulties. The crew needs to avoid affecting other patients as much as possible. Therefore, the crew is still busy from early in the morning.
Including the actors.
Sam Raimi was a little hesitant -
The scene to be shot today is actually close to the third act of the movie, skipping a series of scenes that require going to the studio to shoot, and cutting directly to Peter Parker and Mary -A turning point where Jane’s emotions heat up.
Sam is not worried about Anson or Kristen, but he is worried about the emotional spark between the two actors.
This scene is not a thunderous scene in traditional love movies, but a kind of "When Harry Met Sally" and "In the Mood for Love" style that is subtle, reserved but undercurrent. The surging changes, delicate and rich emotions, place very high demands on the chemical reaction between the actors.
Anson and Kristen still spend too little time together.
Sam was thinking about how to shoot this scene. The standard way is to shoot front and back, that is, shoot Kristen's lines from behind Anson's shoulders, and then shoot Anson's lines from behind Kristen's shoulders, one after another. Back.
But to be honest, Sam doesn't like forward-reverse play -
It's too rigid, too rigid, too structured and too stupid.
This kind of shooting method, if used occasionally, can enrich the position of the lens; but if used for a long time, it will be very lazy, without any ideas of the director's own, just like a wage earner, rushing to deal with the work.
Recall Sam's first film "The Evil Dead". He is obviously not a director who likes to shoot in a disciplined manner; but because of the special nature of "Spider-Man", it is a commercial blockbuster and has two young actors. It’s the first time I’ve taken the leading role on my own, so a more conventional shooting technique like front-reverse shooting might be more appropriate.
The reason is that front-reverse action does not require coordination between actors. When filming Anson, Kristen only needs to turn her back to the camera to help with the scene; and vice versa.
To a large extent, in dialogue scenes between pros and cons, the actors can complete the performance independently, and the audience's understanding of the emotions of the entire scene is often fragmentary, regular, and rigid.
For actors, it is relatively easy.
Originally, Sam had decided to use front-reverse shooting, but deep down he was still reluctant.
Sam also has another complicated shooting idea, using an oblique forty-five-degree angle of view to capture the emotional flow between Peter Parker and Mary Jane, and to show the emotional bond between the two characters. time.
The change in Peter Parker's eyes when Mary Jane spoke.
The change in Mary Jane's expression when Peter Parker spoke.
Back and forth, their eyes collided, and there was a bond, communication, and connection between the two people. This became the moment when Mary Jane truly fell in love with Peter Parker.
However, this kind of shooting method places higher demands on actors.
What really makes Sam unable to give up is that he has higher expectations for Anson and Kristen. This is also an important scene that he continues to rehearse in his mind after confirming the cast.
When things came to a close, Sam was worried that his greed might destroy the rhythm of the movie and make things self-defeating and superfluous. Maybe he should be more conservative?
"Director?" A voice came from the front. Sam raised his head and happened to see Anson who had finished putting on makeup. He looked up and down. His thoughts paused for a moment in his mind. The doubts he was swaying about had already fallen into the adventure. side.
Anson watched Sam standing in front of the RV, neither coming in nor leaving, taking the initiative to say hello, and then saw Sam's eyes light up.
The eyes like copper bells were completely widened, which was really scary.
Sam looked at Anson, "For this next scene, let's try different shooting methods first. Don't be mentally burdened. I just want to see how it feels to shoot the entire scene in one go, capturing Peter and Mary. -The emotions between Jane."
"A complete context?" Anson understood immediately.
Sam nodded gently, "Yes, a complete context, what do you think?"
"No problem, I will discuss it with Kristen before we start shooting. Let’s take a look at each other’s status and find a suitable position.” Anson didn’t know Sam’s dilemma, but he understood the director’s considerations.
I once saw such a discussion in my previous life, why the same emotional scene can be presented so differently by different directors. Ang Lee is one of the representatives. His shots can always convey the tenderness between the characters. Show your emotions vividly?
Some people think that it is the actor's performance. Of course, this is a very important part of the reason; but in addition, the director's control of the camera is also one of them.
Ang Lee rarely uses front-and-reverse shots, because front-and-reverse shots continue to interrupt emotional communication; he often likes to use profile shots to capture the character's own personality from the actor's eyes or other positions. Emotional changes, and then capture the emotional changes of the opposite actor in the eyes of the character.
Conversation needs to flow.
At the same time, whether the camera is looking from the bottom up, looking at the past from a backlit position, or looking at it from a distance, the position and space itself already represent the emotional relationship, and then through the eyes of both parties in the same conversation and the Expressions to show each other’s position in the scene.
This is also the reason why Ang Lee particularly likes to admire Ingmar-Bergman. The character relationships in Bergman's shots often have strong psychological implications and are cut in quietly. emotional state.
However, how to measure it is another important point.
According to the historical trajectory, the fundamental reason why Ang Lee's subsequent filming of "The Hulk" in 2003 suffered a disastrous box office and word-of-mouth failure was that he failed to find a balance between commercial needs and self-expression.
You can tell from Sam’s words that the director also has his own considerations. If Anson remembers correctly, in the previous life, Sam should have used forward and reverse fighting; but now Sam has changed his mind and raised more challenges. , but I don’t know whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.
No matter what, Ansen was vaguely looking forward to it.
When Sam saw Anson agreeing simply and neatly, he looked forward to it a little bit. Then he and Anson stood there and began to discuss the emotional context of the scene. Then Kristen also joined, and the three of them were in full swing. After communicating for a while, Sam turned around and left with satisfaction.
Anson and Kristen exchanged glances, and Kristen laughed, "Just in time, what we discussed can be put to use now, and Mary Jane's status became clear immediately."
Anson nodded in agreement.
Kristen, "Jack?"
Anson was confused, "What's wrong with Jack?"
Kristen nodded and waved her hand, and finally signaled to Anson. Behind——
As soon as you turn around, you can see Jake Gyllenhaal handing out donuts along the way, smiling and friendly, like a goodwill ambassador at a global beauty pageant.
(End of this chapter)