"Walt", Ronald arrived at a relatively remote editing room in West Hollywood, where Walter Murch was editing a new movie for Orion Pictures.
Murch had been working on this project for a long time, and Ronald estimated that he had almost finished editing it, so he came to ask for his help and asked Murch to continue editing the next movie for him.
With the help of this editing master on-site, Ronald can control the shooting time to be shorter. How certain shots should be processed and what kind of scenes are acceptable for editing. Murch can give opinions on-site.
This way Ronald doesn't have to take more insurance shots to match the editing.
"Ronald, you're here," Murch said under his new pair of glasses made in Japan. These glasses were made of lightweight alloy and were lighter than the heavy frames he originally wore.
.These two cooperations with Ronald have made his financial situation a lot better and he has changed a lot of clothes.
"I'm here to ask you for help... Oh, what is this? Tsk tsk."
Before Ronald could say what he meant, he saw a very sexy shot appear on the playback screen of the West German editing machine. Two beauties with good figures were holding cameras in a school.
In an old house, they chase each other naked and take photos of each other.
Ronald looked at Murch, why have you been making this kind of "I Love You for Nine and a Half Weeks" pornographic films these past few months?
No, Walter Murch was a very ambitious professional. His tape business paid good dividends, and he was paid a high salary to edit two movies for Ronald. After the filming of "Return to Oz" failed, he suffered a serious injury.
The economic difficulties have been greatly alleviated.
All three children have gone to good high schools, and their future college tuition fees have also been secured.
Murch is more of a hippie in character, but he still chooses to work in movies he likes, not all about the pay. What he said before was that he was editing a heavyweight adaptation of a famous book that was expected to be nominated for an Oscar.
"This has been my job these past few months, and it is very difficult. It is the most difficult and challenging job I have ever taken on."
As Walter Murch spoke, he turned the button on the console, and the screen quickly advanced to the screen 10 minutes later.
"Why are there still black and white shots?"
Ronald saw scenes of war appearing on the screen. What kind of movie was this? It was quite huge and complicated. There were also scenes of love between men and women, erotic scenes between women, and black and white scenes of war. What famous book could have such scenes?
kind of capacity?
Tolstoy's "War and Peace"? That's not right either. The weapons in the picture all look like modern warfare.
"What did you find?" Walter Murch still looked like a technical expert. He let Ronald watch the scene for a few minutes, and then a look appeared on his face, "Do you see where the difficulty is?"
smile.
"Huh?" Ronald looked at it for a while, "It seems like these are 16mm film. No, here is 8mm film, and then there is 35mm. These lenses are so complicated, and they look like amateur shots."
"By the way, this is the real footage of when the Soviet army entered Prague, Czechoslovakia." Walter Murch revealed the answer to the mystery.
"In this film, I found a lot of black and white on-site films taken by Western tourists with portable cameras. I wanted to edit them together with the images of professional photographers in the film to give the audience an immersive effect.
"
"This is quite difficult." Ronald turned the knob back and forth and carefully looked at the scenes of these few minutes. Various formats, various scenes, and various shots all had to be cut together so that the audience could not see the difference.
A flaw comes.
Especially the newly shot color images are very different from the black and white images of the year. The new film has very fine grains, while the old 8mm film has rough grains after being enlarged. When converting, the audience should not be surprised.
.It is a great test for editors.
"Do you know what's most troublesome?"
"Where?"
"Right here", Walter Murch tuned to the two beautiful heroines, the more beautiful one, she was holding a small Leica camera and was taking pictures. On the screen was her subjective shot. A Sewell officer said
Hold her and ask her to stop taking pictures.
"That's what the material was at that time, and it couldn't be picked up later. I almost contacted director Philip Kaufman to reshoot it."
"Then what did you do next?"
Ronald observed carefully that the very elegant and beautiful heroine and the male protagonist with a long face and a wretched look often appeared in black and white pictures.
If Ronald guessed correctly, these scenes were shot with current sets and extras. They were then deliberately made old-fashioned and edited together with the live footage from that year, deliberately creating an effect where the protagonist seemed to be at the historical scene.
.
If Ronald himself encountered this problem of lack of material, even if he spent money to rebuild the set and call back all the extras, he would still have to complete the shot. The movie cannot have such a beginningless and ending scene.
"Look," Walter Murch smiled and pressed the play button. The close-up of the actor playing the officer was frozen into a photo, and turned into black and white the next second. Then the camera pulled away, and it turned out to be the second photo.
A picture on the front page of a daily newspaper.
"You are really a genius." Ronald exclaimed. This is equivalent to filming a person running into a dead end. When he ran to the end, the audience was watching to see what tricks he could use to escape. As a result, he suddenly snapped his fingers and the camera
Then he flew up.
This is a special solution that only the film art has. Television can never be so precise, and it requires a very skilled editor to slowly polish it to achieve this kind of magic touch in editing.
"How long do you want to keep cutting?" Ronald pondered for a moment and then asked.
"It will take about 2-3 months. The black and white film gives me a headache. But that's not the worst. The heroine is the biggest trouble."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Why, I think she acted very well." Ronald pointed to the figure on the screen who looked a bit like the fox fairy in traditional Chinese novels, with a pointed chin.
The actress with seductive eyes said. When she was chased by another heroine to take a photo, her shy mood was something that no ordinary actor could perform. It was very natural, and the audience would trust her and fall in love with her.
of her role.
"Look at this..." Murch wrote down the number, found it on the shelf behind him, and replaced it with another reel of film. Here was another identical shot taken by the heroine.
"Oh...how did she do it?" Ronald looked at this piece. The heroine had completely changed her acting method, which was completely different from the one just now.
"These are my favorite good actors. Every one of them brings infinite possibilities to the editor. I have to think about it for a long time before I can decide which one to cut and where to put it."
Ronald understood why Walter Murch valued this film so much. These edits cannot be completed by a skilled master. Artists all understand this mentality of chasing after what you want.
But in this case, Murchi would have no energy to help him make new movies.
Or should we find other directors to film? Should we step back behind the scenes and be the producer?
"Ronald, there are some things that I shouldn't say to you, but someone really needs to tell you. We knew each other when you were working for Roger Corman." Walter Murch handed him a glass.
Here comes the home-brewed honey water.
"Yes, if you hadn't been willing to teach me, I wouldn't have been able to enter this industry."
"But have you ever thought about it, are you just going to make Roger Corman movies for the rest of your life?"
"Huh?" Ronald turned his head and looked at Murch, what do you mean?
"Of course, I'm not saying that Roger's movies are not good. His movies have given many talented people in the industry the opportunity to debut, and their box office revenue has also been very good.
But a director who is recognized by time and remembered by the audience still has to produce a work that transcends ordinary stories."
Seeing that Ronald did not listen to the advice of a loser because the only movie he directed failed at the box office, Walter Murch continued.
"Of course many viewers will remember your 'Top Gun' and 'Dirty Dancing', but if they didn't mention it specifically, they wouldn't quote lines from the movie and imitate the clothes in the movie every day..."
"But it's just a movie, it's just a 90 or 120-minute dream. Can anyone really love movies to this extent?" Ronald said to Murch, he didn't believe it. He himself could make money from movies.
If you make a lot of money and the audience likes it, you are already very lucky.
Maybe there would have been movies like this before the 1950s? At that time, televisions were not widely available, and the main entertainment for many people was watching movies.
"Yes, Francis (Coppola)'s 'The Godfather' is an example." Walter Murch said seriously.
"That's true, but it's a great masterpiece that ordinary people can't photograph. Mr. Coppola will have a hard time photographing it again." Ronald thought to himself, you really think highly of me, I'll shoot it all
Exploitation films, you ask me for a film that must be in the top five in film history.
"Don't you want to leave your name in film history? Don't you want to conquer film critics? Don't you want American audiences to take the initiative to talk about your movies when they chat?"
"Hey, who doesn't want to make a movie..." Ronald thought to himself, I must have this luck too. This kind of movie cannot be made with hard work, just the right time, the right script, and the right casting.
Indispensable.
"But you have a good chance. Francis (Coppola) and I had a phone call some time ago. We talked about the future development of Hollywood, and we both agreed that you are the most promising young director to break through that ceiling.
Even when you choose a script, you can't all look at the box office prospects. Sometimes, the script of a movie moves you and gives you an impulse to create, so you have to choose it decisively instead of another movie that can bring you success.
More box office results to come.
Besides, with your current strength, scripts with box office potential can be directed by other directors while you monitor the quality in the editing room..."
Walter Murch said a lot, but Ronald didn't listen to a word. He only had one question in his mind: Do I really have the potential to make a movie that will leave a mark in history and will be mentioned constantly in the future?
ah?
"I know it's difficult, but you have to hold yourself to a higher standard. You have that chance, Ronald. When the time comes, I hope to be able to edit your masterpiece for you."
Because Ronald made easy and quick money, his fighting spirit seemed to be slack, and it was rekindled. Repeating some template-like stories every time lacked new excitement for Ronald. He hoped to find the third one.
The feeling that excites me when I shoot a movie.
Regardless of whether I can make a movie that will leave a mark in film history, I do have the capital to put forward higher requirements in terms of artistry and story quality.
While making the audience like it, it does not prevent me from making some challenging films that I also like.
"Thanks, Walter," Ronald said, having a better idea for the new film.
"We are all very optimistic about you, and that guy named Cameron. You might change something in Hollywood."
Ronald was a little embarrassed to be praised, "By the way, what's the name of this movie you edited?"
"Milan Kundera's 'Love in Prague', what, haven't you seen it?"
"No, I like to read suspense, detective, or romance novels." Ronald had no appetite for such literary novels or even movies.
"It's a very good novel. Take a copy and read it."
"Who is this heroine?"
"Is this one?" Murch looked back at the screen that Ronald was looking at, "That's the Chinese actress Juliette Binoche. She was nominated for the César Award for her two previous films. It's a rookie, Philippe Coulter."
Fuman is very satisfied with her performance."
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Oh", Ronald thought, no wonder, the temperament of the actresses from China is indeed different from those in Hollywood and Britain. It seems that just one stop there can
They convey the atmosphere of the story. They are different from Lu Shu and the British and American methods that focus on using stories to create characters. Even many movies cannot be said to have a complete story, but the atmosphere is intoxicating.
"This is Daniel Day-Lewis. Philip Kaufman also likes him very much and says he has the potential to be an actor... Hey, Ronald, are you leaving? This is honey made by my wife. She specially asked me
I want to give it to you."
"Ah, thank you. I relied on it to moisturize my throat when I was filming. Yes, I have an appointment with other people, so I have to leave first. By the way, my aunt asked me to bring you some baked cookies. I'll give them to you later.
Little Bud brings it to you."
"Really, the leading actor has such a frustrated donkey face. What's the use of good acting skills? I have no interest in directing him." Ronald felt that Murch recommended the wrong person, but it was the hairy man named Binoche.
Beauty, she is really photogenic..."
…
The next night, in Joel Silver's office, he looked at Ronald and said, "What are you willing to give for Sybil Shepherd?"
"It's you who negotiated the terms with her, not me, Joel. But I can tell you a piece of news, free of charge. I heard that she really wants to return to the film industry." Ronald smiled, and Silver also felt sorry for him.
To contribute to new projects, you cannot rely solely on your own connections and commitments.
"Okay, hey," Joel Silver was like that person who always takes advantage first.
"I've talked to her, and she does want to come back to movies. 'Blue Moonlight,' whether she makes it to the end of the season or not, the audience is starting to get a little tired of her.
Last year she also won the Emmy Award for Best Actress for this role. People's ambitions always grow with success."
Ronald thought, this evaluation makes sense.
"Do you have any projects for her? Or is it suitable for her to star in?" Ronald looked at Silver who was very proud and wondered if he was trying to get benefits from both sides again.
"Fox has a lot of female-themed movies in development. Sybil will be renewed for at least one season next year, and she will need time to get back in shape after giving birth. In short, as long as we can make this movie successfully, we can get it
Greater power."
"Joel, I have new considerations today. I will not direct this movie."
"What?" Joel Silver jumped up from the sofa.
"Don't worry, I will still serve as the producer and will be responsible for the overall quality of the movie."
"Can you join me and watch the daily samples as much as possible?" Joel Silver understood that Ronald was not planning to withdraw funds, and he was already relieved.
A successful director like Ronald will have such a day sooner or later. Spielberg and Lucas have many projects and will find other directors who are capable but have no chance to take charge of them.
Anyway, in this kind of commercial film project, the most important thing is the script and casting. What is needed is the kind of director who can complete daily shooting work according to quality and schedule. Finally, in the editing room, the producer also enjoys greater power
.
"I'll try my best to come when I'm here, but I also have promotional work for my new film 'Moonlight'."
"That's no problem, hehe. In fact, I have several director candidates here. You and I can interview them together."
"Okay, while I'm here. You'd better focus on the leading actor. Bruce Willis should sign the contract as soon as possible. If you have any questions, remember to come to me. I have a special channel of influence on Bruce."
"Great, ready to work!"
Joel Silver made a dirty pose with his crotch thrust out. Very excited to get the project off the ground.
"Want a glass of wine? Where's your good wine?" Ronald started looking in Silver's cabinet.
"I'll do it, I'll do it." Silver rushed into the desk and bent down to touch the good wine in the wine cabinet.
Ronald picked up the TV remote control on the table and turned on the TV.
"Next is local news, briefings."
What popped up on Silver's TV was Local Channel 5, with a young female anchor speaking a text message.
"Famous Hollywood actress Sybil Shepard, the heroine of Blue Moonlight, gave birth to twins in childbirth!"
"Boom...ah ow..." Joel Silver heard the news and hit his head on the corner of the table when he stood up quickly.
"This evening Pacific time, Sybil Shepherd, who plays Maddie Hayes on TV's "Blue Moonlight" series, gave birth to a boy and a girl, her publicist said.
very good.
Sister Ariel Shepard Oppenheimer, weighing 4 pounds, 11 ounces, was born at 1:06 p.m. Eight minutes later, brother Zachariah was born, weighing 5 pounds, 2 ounces...
Shepard won widespread praise for her outstanding performance in her debut film "The Last Picture Show"... Now the audience is even more impressed by her TV series..."
"Both mother and baby are very happy and healthy," Oppenheimer, who was hospitalized with Shepard, appeared on the television. "The baby's lungs are fine, they're healthy."
"What the hell, why did this happen today?" Joel Silver's tears were so painful that he cried out. I don't know whether the impact on his head hurt more, or because he regretted paying Shepard to stop filming the TV series.
cost
"What's going on? She's not full term yet, right?" Ronald was also surprised. Demi found out that Sybil was pregnant after filming started this spring. This is considered a premature baby.
"You don't have children, Ronald. It's very common for twins to be under one month old." Silver touched his belly, which was not small either.
"I didn't expect it to be twins, so Sybil would need more time to cultivate and get back in shape. Hey, what if he was born yesterday? Wouldn't we have to pay nothing in exchange?"
"Forget it, who knows?" Joel Silver also gave up. Anyway, it was a promise for the future. This kind of thing can change easily.