Made in Hollywood

As a director, Duke’s knowledge of space will directly affect the final presentation of the film. He and his scientific advisers have always maintained close contact with the Aerospace Agency. During the entire preparatory period, Duke kept on cosmic scenes. Asked experts from the Space Agency, but as the exchanges deepened, he felt like a fool and didn’t know enough about space at all. If the film was filmed completely according to the reality of space, the film will be prepared until this time next year. It may not be able to boot.

After undergoing various painful revisions, Duke made a decision that the accuracy of this thing, as much as it can be done, will not be faulty.

Duke turned his main energies back to the design of special effects and the perfection of the "light box", the key prop for shooting gravity imbalance scenes.

The crew's simulation of space light effects needs to be unprecedentedly efficient and accurate, and the massive CG production of the film will inevitably bring about another problem, that is, how to make the real shot picture and the CG environment synthesize seamlessly.

The lighting of the actors during performances is usually different from the CG environment, and if the lighting is wrong, the synthesized effect will look unnatural. This requires finding a way to match the real shot lighting and the CG environment lighting.

Duke's director of photography John Schwarzman and visual effects director Tim Weber finally came up with a bold solution-making a fuss on the LED screen of the light box.

The four walls of the light box are all made up of LED screens. When shooting, videos or pictures that simulate the surrounding environment are played. The lens controlled by the robotic arm rotates flexibly in this space. The visual effects team is responsible for creating the pattern of the virtual scene on the LED screen. Match the subjective perspective of the actor...

In this way, the picture displayed on the LED screen will illuminate the actor and put the actor in the environment, which is like space revolving around the actor.

Duke originally planned that only half of the lens would be shot in the light box, and the other half would rely on mechanical movement for lighting, but in actual tests, the device has good effects, high efficiency, and good image quality. Completely solve the problem of lighting in space during shooting.

These LED screens can produce unprecedented realistic light effects. When Scarlett is doing test shooting in this space, he can get the reflective effect directly on the body, solving the problem of diffuse reflection and lighting on all clothes.

Want to get a shot of an astronaut spinning in space. It is very troublesome to arrange the lights under the conditions of green screen, but in the light box, you only need to adjust the content on the LED screen. Each pixel of the LED screen is a light, about 1.8 million. Each crew can be individually controlled.

However, everything has two sides. For post-production, it is more troublesome to key all these LED screens than the green screen keying.

In today’s Hollywood, it’s rare to produce so many large-scale CG scenes without using green screen shooting, but Duke still decided to use light box shooting for many shots. What’s better than green screen is that “light box” is created. Out of the environment. Be able to provide some assistance to the actors, let them know what the environment is at that time, and then make the corresponding performance.

"Gravity" is undoubtedly a very complicated project. It is necessary to integrate virtual and real images in a creative way, and the tight time has further increased its complexity.

Except for the contact between the professional team that focused on the formation and Lucasfilm, Duke threw all other work to Tina Fei, and transferred the remaining energy to the preparation of this film.

All kinds of jobs are waiting for him.

Duke worked with the Industrial Light and Magic team to develop the motion trajectory above the earth in the film, which will determine the appearance of the earth in the film; and John Schwarzman and a team of animators made a low-resolution video animation preview Version to determine the motion trajectory of the virtual camera; also design the lighting effects of each virtual scene in the film together with a set of technical guidance. Let the existing CG assets are optimized so that the finished shot can be quickly rendered and feedback when shooting.

In addition to these, Duke also has to communicate with the two actors, which is the only thing he is grateful for. The film does not require a huge cast of actors like Inception. There are only three actors who actually appear. He will make a guest appearance in one of them. Scarlett Johansson, who has played the most role since the original Cannes Film Festival, actually I started to prepare for this film since last year, and I have a lot of exchanges with Duke.

To play the role of an astronaut. George Clooney, like Scarlett Johansson, is also practicing yoga in order to make his body more flexible.

"It's all worth it."

In the training hall of Warner Studios, George Clooney said to Duke, "Although my character died early..."

Duke did not answer him, but looked at Scarlett walking towards the locker room and asked, "I heard Scarlett say that you are going to invite her to an event?"

"Yes, I have similar ideas to her." George Clooney also looked over there.

Duke knew very well that George Clooney was talking about political ideas. After thinking about it, he said, "The White House wants to invite me to an official dinner next year, but I don't have time. I recommended you to them.

"Recommended me?" George Clooney was surprised at first, then smiled. Such an opportunity is what he dreamed of. "Thank you, Duke, I really don't know what to say."

"You're welcome." Duke just smiled.

George Clooney had always wanted to copy Ronald Reagan's life trajectory, and his mind was exquisite enough, and then he said, "If you need help, just speak up."

Duke stretched out his hand and patted his arm lightly. "I will call you if necessary."

The sound of high heels falling on the floor sounded, Scarlett Johansson walked over, looking at Duke and George Clooney who were smiling tacitly, and couldn’t help asking, “What are you talking about? It seems very speculative. ."

Before George Clooney could speak, Duke said, "I just told George that if he runs in the presidential election, I will vote for him."

George Clooney couldn't help but laugh. If there is one day, he will also need the support of people like Duke.

The three joked and left the Warner Studios one after another. Duke and Scarlett returned to their home in Malibu. They just walked into the lobby of the eye-shaped villa. Scarlett turned on the stereo, and the entire living room There was peaceful classical music.

This is a habit that Scarlett has forced herself to develop since the establishment of the "Gravity" project. Her role needs to erupt in silence, and her performance needs to match the unusually quiet atmosphere of outer space.

In fact, Duke knows very well that although Scarlett’s personality has changed a lot after the great changes in the family, she is not a person who likes quiet at the root. Like all young girls, she is full of enthusiasm.

Listening to classical music is a way for Scarlett to adjust herself.

In addition, she is still practicing some slow dancing as an amateur relaxation. Scarlett is originally a person who thinks of where to do it. In her words, these can make her more relaxed and closer to the state of an astronaut. .

In fact, even though Duke never said it, Scarlett knew very well that she would go through an extremely difficult filming process. She knew that Duke would be very strict and even harsh on her.

But she has confidence in herself and is sure that she will not lose to anyone, even if that person is the best acting Natalie Portman among the actors born after the 1980s recognized by the inside and outside the circle!

The other party’s "Black Swan" is going to be unveiled at the upcoming Venice Film Festival. It is aimed at Oscar. Although influenced by Duke, she is not too fancy about Oscar, let alone Leonardo DiCap. Leo is a crazy demon like Leo, but he seems to be the first queen after the 80s.

And she also heard Tina Fey talk about what this actress, also from New York, did against Duke at the Cannes Film Festival, Duke’s enemy, that is her Scarlett Johansson’s enemy.

Scarlett asked Tina Fei to find out that Natalie Portman had gone to Venice.

Venice in August has not yet reached the time for the opening of the film festival, but many filmmakers from all over the world have come here. Natalie Portman and her mother Shelly came to Venice even earlier. The movie "Swan" has brought together her countless efforts, and it is also her hope for achieving a major goal in life.

The film has previously been screened in a very small area in Los Angeles. Her performance has been praised by many people with heavyweight voices in the academy. According to her mother's statement and the consensus within the Hollywood Jewish Club, as long as the timing and work are right, What belongs to her will definitely fall on her head.

But sitting on the balcony of the hotel, Natalie Portman looked at the waterscape of Venice's streets, her thick eyebrows were always slightly frowned, she didn't seem to be happy because of these, on the contrary, she was not very emotional.

"Dear……"

Mother Shelly walked onto the balcony and put a glass of juice in front of her, "Come from the airport, you haven't eaten anything, so quickly drank this glass."

Holding up the cup, Natalie just took a sip, then put the cup back on the table in front of her, leaning against the wicker chair, looking absent-minded.

Before rushing over from New York, she had been notified by her agent Martin Miller that Duke Rosenberg’s new film was almost finished, and filming was about to begin, and there was wind in the circle. This is a highly prepared film. , Is likely to help Scarlett Johansson hit the best actress Oscar.

After hearing the news, Natalie Portman's heart sank. With her cleverness, she could naturally think of something.

Natalie knew very well that she had to do more if she wanted to win the Oscar. (To be continued.)

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