"Mr. Xiao, how are the special effects and conversion going?"
"It's going quite smoothly. It can be completed before December without any problem. Our three companies have hired several special effects teams to take charge of some simple areas. A total of 1,600 special effects personnel have been dispatched, 700 employees are responsible for 3D conversion, and 900 employees are responsible for
Special effects production.”
"We need to speed up the progress and try to complete it before November." Tang An frowned.
Compared with the high production costs, the time consumed is also a major part of a movie.
"Edge of Tomorrow" doesn't have many special effects shots and few CG shots. Because of this, the conversion is more time-consuming than many blockbusters.
This is why animated movies and movies with many CG shots are easier to convert and the effects are better.
Later, the 3D effects of many animated movies were better than those of live-action movies. That is because all the shots were made with CG and the original data was retained. As long as it is done again according to this data, it will be more realistic than the actual shooting of live-action movies.
"Edge of Tomorrow" has very few CG shots. If we simply copy the scenes, add depth, and match them, it will become a pseudo-3D movie.
There are not many CG shots in this movie. Although it will be more realistic, there is no specific data for each shot. Modeling must be done every second, rather than simple keying, in order to achieve a true 3D effect.
Most of the time is spent on calculations, and each frame must go through hundreds of calculations.
Xiao Yang also had a headache about the time issue. As the special effects director of the crew, he had to travel back and forth between the capital and the company at regular intervals, but there was nothing he could do.
"Director Tang, except for our three companies in China, the others either have business, or their hardware and software cannot keep up. There is really nothing we can do." Xiao Yang said distressedly.
"Then we can only ask everyone to work overtime."
Tang An sighed, there must be no shortage of people in China, but talent alone is not enough. The hardware and software cannot keep up and cannot perform complex calculations.
Nowadays, some movies are also being converted into 3D, and the more reliable special effects teams have business, while other small companies simply don’t have the money to buy equipment and software.
Software and hardware are worth tens of millions a year, and if a single business cannot make back its original investment, I don’t know whether it will survive in the future.
However, the characteristic of Chinese people is that they can endure hardships, and it is common for them to work overtime and so on.
Another week in April has passed. The second big scene is another location not far away, an abandoned town. Today we are shooting an emotional scene.
I arrived at the scene around 8 a.m. and saw that everything was almost ready at 9:30 a.m. Tang An took the walkie-talkie and asked each department, "Are you all ready?"
“Photography is OK!”
"The lighting is OK!"
"The props are ok!"
"Okay, all departments are ready, the actors are in place!"
"The fiftieth shot, once!"
"start!"
Liu Ye and Tang Yan reset it countless times and after all the hardships found a helicopter that had crashed here. Although the fuselage was slightly damaged, it could still start flying.
Tang Yan was already injured at this time, and Liu Ye bandaged the wound on his back in a half-ruined house.
"Even if we drive away the helicopter, there is no armor, no ammunition, and it will be dark soon, we might as well go back to the house just now, rest for the night, and come back early tomorrow morning."
As soon as Liu Ye finished speaking, Tang Yan smiled and said, "There is some food in that supermarket, and you can also open two bottles of wine. There is also a well-kept bed in the room with a soft mattress for a good sleep."
"Click!"
As soon as Tang Yan finished reading his lines, Tang An shouted stop for the first time.
"Don't laugh in the first half of the sentence. Relax your tone and the expression on your face. Then laugh in the second half of the sentence. Pull out the gun before finishing the last sentence."
"Director, I understand." Tang Yan quickly raised his hand to signal.
"Lao Zhang, pay attention to capturing close-ups of faces."
"The fiftieth shot, the second time!"
"start!"
The filming continued, and Tang Yan performed very well this time. In the first half, his tone was relaxed, as if he agreed with Liu Ye's idea, and then he smiled. He was laughing at Liu Ye and at himself for finding such a partner.
At this time, Liu Ye also showed a relaxed smile and successfully prevented Tang Yan from dying.
But then Tang Yan was stunned, and he pulled out his gun and pointed it at Liu Ye's head without any hesitation.
"Then I'd rather reset it once!"
"No, wait, that's a dead end." Liu Ye quickly reached out to block Tang Yan's hand.
"I'm tired, I'm in pain, but I'd rather do it all over again."
Tang Yan was injured, his body was a little weak, and his voice was very deep, but his expression was very serious. He stared at Liu Ye closely and spoke word by word.
Coupled with the four or five bruises and bloodstains on his face, there were stains all over his face and forehead, his hair was messy, and the wounds on his shoulders were wrapped with gauze.
The image of a resolute revolutionary warrior who is not afraid of suffering emerges.
"Then let's eat something first. I'll look for the key."
"10 minutes."
"good."
"Then I kill you."
"good."
Liu Ye found tea and instant coffee in the cabinet nearby and asked back.
"Coffee or tea?"
Before Tang Yan could speak, he suddenly said, "You like coffee."
The water has been boiled. I washed the cup and made a cup of instant coffee for Tangyan.
Tang Yan picked up the cup and shook his head, "You can actually find coffee."
Liu Ye smiled and took out a few more packets of sugar and poured one packet for Tang Yan.
"Thanks."
"By the way, you usually add two packets of sugar."
Liu Ye tore open a bag of sugar again and poured it in.
Doing all this skillfully, the smile on Liu Ye's face became more and more relaxed and happy.
But Tang Yan noticed the clue and stared at him coldly.
Liu Ye held the packaging bag in his hand and did not dare to look at her. He stood up and walked to the other side.
"There's a shirt over there that you should be able to wear."
Without looking twice, I found a long-sleeved shirt.
The camera showed Tang Yan's front face, her face changed again and again, she stood up and looked around.
"How many times have we come?"
"How many times have you come?"
"Where's the key?"
"Give."
"You know how to drive it, have you ever driven it?"
"I can only take off, but I haven't learned how to land yet."
"Then what are you still doing here? It's a waste of time!"
With an angry look on his face, Tang Yan grabbed his coat and threw it casually around his body, and walked outside.
"You will die as soon as you start the engine." Liu Ye helplessly called her from behind.
"You can only live so long!"
"No matter what I do, you will die here!"
"Pass!"
A perfect scene, the two protagonists have completely integrated into their roles.
I don't know how long this state will last. Tang An didn't stay long and immediately continued to the next game.
The camera pans to the outside of the house, where Tang Yan rushes out of the house, followed closely by Liu Ye.
"There is a mimic lurking 20 meters away. As soon as you start the engine, it will rush out and attack you."
Tang Yan was unmoved, "Take your weapons and get on the helicopter!"
Liu Ye emphasized, "There are more ahead, and only one of us can survive."
Tang Yan had already boarded the plane, turned around and glanced at him, "Come on!"
"The only possibility is that you go to the supermarket and hide there, where there is food and drink, and wait there for me to come back."
"I am a neighborhood soldier and I am ready to sacrifice at any time!"
"But you will die, die here!"
"I can't save you. If I kill Ω, your death will become a fait accompli. I can't save you."
"Does it matter what I look like?"
Liu Ye looked at Tang Yan sadly and kept shaking his head, "I wish I had never seen you, but I can't help it."
For Tang Yan, they had only met for one day, but Liu Ye had spent countless days with her.
Women are sensitive after all, and she has seen her lover die in front of her more than 300 times, and has experienced this feeling.
"After the war started and I was selected as a special forces member, my name has been War Rose. Haven't you always wanted to know my original name?"
"My name is Tang Tang. Others used to call me Tangtang."
After saying this, Tang Yan resolutely started the helicopter engine.
"Pass!"
"Very good." Tang An praised without hesitation.
After this exterior scene ended, there were only two exterior scenes left.
The original dam scene was changed to the Yellow Crane Tower, and the Louvre was changed to the Three Gorges Dam. In comparison, the latter was even more spectacular.
There are only a few exterior scenes at the Yellow Crane Tower, and the interior scenes have been filmed before.
The Three Gorges Dam set up an exterior scene on a riverside where the water flow was not too fast. Of course, it was the Three Gorges Dam that was bombed into ruins.
In mid-May, the crew completed the last scene at the Department of Defense, and "Edge of Tomorrow" officially wrapped!
After five and a half months, the filming of this sci-fi blockbuster finally ended.