Capítulo 316: Chapter 316: The Best Cinematography of the Next Fifteen Years
Temporarily halting the shoot, Murphy gathered key members of the production team—Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Paul Wilson, Kara Faith, Phil Leach, Helena Espola—and the leading actors, James Franco and Charlize Theron, in the center of the set to discuss how the scene should be redesigned.
"Nick and Amy's reunion, where they just exchange a few sarcastic remarks and then head back inside the house, is too bland," Murphy said, standing in the middle of the group, gesturing as he spoke. "I want this scene to be more impactful, to leave a more profound impression! The reunion of the lead characters isn't just a meeting; it's a performance for the media by Amy, a display of her supposedly deep affection for Nick Dunne and this family."
The initially designed scene was indeed too subdued.
Murphy looked around at the group. "Let's all think, any better ideas?"
He had identified the problem but might not immediately solve it. Collective brainstorming was often more effective than solitary contemplation.
"Could we do this?" Jonah Hill, always an active participant, was the first to speak up. "Amy and Nick Dunne have a deep kiss, and the camera does a 360-degree spin around them..."
"No good!" Seth Rogen shook his head. "This isn't a romantic film. A 360-degree shot doesn't fit."
Jonah scratched his head, reconsidering. "Hmm... yeah, not great."
"Moving shots don't meet the filming requirements," Murphy also dismissed the idea. "It's more suitable for a romantic comedy, not a drama."
The set fell into silence for a moment as no immediate better ideas came to mind.
"Murphy, how about this?" James Franco suddenly spoke up. "The reunion between Nick and Amy needs to be impactful. Amy wants to send a particular message to the media, showing her deep affection for Nick. Could we perhaps borrow a classic element?"
"Go on," Murphy prompted.
Everyone's attention turned to James Franco, who had a reputation for creative ideas among those who knew him well like Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen.
"Have you all seen the classic poster for 'Gone with the Wind'?" Everyone present was an industry veteran and knew exactly which poster James was referring to; they all nodded. James walked over to Charlize Theron and continued, "After Amy appears on the scene, she walks up to me, collapses into my arms, and then we strike a pose like that from 'Gone with the Wind'..."
As he spoke, James Franco demonstrated the pose. "I want her to collapse backward after saying, 'You damn bitch,' then I catch her, and we give the media an unforgettable snapshot."
Charlize Theron, resting her chin in her hand, said, "I think it's great."
Seeing the Oscar-winning actress's approval, James Franco became visibly animated. "I think this shot could be 'People' magazine's best photography for the next fifteen years."
Both leads looked at Murphy, who had the final say.
After only ten seconds of consideration, Murphy nodded, "Alright, let's do it. Let's try shooting it once."
The others dispersed while he stayed back to discuss the specifics with James Franco and Charlize Theron.
Ten minutes later, the crew conducted a rehearsal. When Charlize Theron leaned back and James Franco caught her, Murphy finally found the feel he wanted. However, a standard ground-level shot didn't achieve the best visual effect.
He then called over the director of photography, Phil Leach.
"Phil," Murphy said directly, "set up the crane with a 21mm lens suspended beneath it."
Preparing the crane, finding the right angle, and another test shoot took a considerable amount of time, but it was all worth it.
When the official shooting began, Charlize Theron leaned back amid the heightened drama, and then the camera captured a high-angle close-up of her and James Franco from above—perfect.
When Murphy showed the footage to Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen, their reaction was one of astonishment, as if asking, "What is this shot? What happened?"
It was a mesmerizing moment, revealing how psychologically intricate this third act of the film was, and it was an eye-opener for others when Murphy showed them the segment. They immediately realized what effect he was aiming for.
Having nailed the toughest shot, the exterior shooting in the town became smoother. Although the streets were occasionally filled with Murphy's amplified voice through a loudspeaker, the shooting progressed as planned.
James Franco had significantly improved over the years. He was like an endless tube of toothpaste; just when you thought it was squeezed to its limit, Murphy would apply pressure again, and out would come more.
This oddball's acting was as good as any Oscar-level male actor.
As for Charlize Theron, her makeup and transformation played a huge part in her winning the Oscar for Best Actress, but her skills had long surpassed being just a pretty face. The exceedingly beautiful character could easily have been reduced to a mere decorative role, but she portrayed an elegant yet psychotically scheming woman to perfection.
Even if the leads sometimes performed below expectations, Murphy was able to provide adequate direction.
Having directed numerous films, he had accumulated a wealth of practical experience. He might not qualify to teach specific acting techniques, but guiding actors into the state he needed was not a challenge.
Of course, Murphy knew he was no Sunglass King. He was aware that a director's influence on set performance was relatively limited; more often, everything needed was discussed with James Franco and Charlize Theron during the preliminary rehearsals.
His guidance was mainly about two things: addressing any deviations between the actors' performances and his desired effect, and like with "A Bloody Reunion," reshaping scenes when struck by inspiration.
In most cases, a director's on-set guidance must give way to spontaneity.
On set, Murphy acted more like a coach, making adjustments on the fly.
After rehearsals and extensive shooting, the entire crew was now in their best form. Not everyone could be the Sunglass King, and after repeating a scene three to five times, actors' attention could begin to wander. Murphy tried to move on to new content before they grew tired.
The thorough early rehearsals saved the crew a lot of trouble later.
Impromptu performances on set were highly subjective, and those parts belonging to the actors could instantly make them shine—seeing the lighting effects, props, and cinematography, Murphy had to find beautiful inspiration from the actors immersed in it.
Apart from shooting, Murphy also made sure to create personal spaces for actors like James Franco and Charlize Theron.
A good director always considers how to provide as much personal space for actors as possible—it's a box where they can enclose themselves to build character and strengthen belief.
Ensuring actors are undisturbed during breaks or when they hit a "character wall" is crucial.
In addition to the crew, Murphy restricted the movement of actors' personnel within the set.
Moving lighting equipment, chaotic transitions, and noise could distract actors. The set was always filled with idle staff, assistants, or agents who, during any break, would swarm around chitchatting, inadvertently pulling the actors into unnecessary engagements that neither rested nor maintained focus on their roles.
Murphy's voice would then echo around, usually misunderstood by many, but he indeed
needed to create that box for the actors. Whether they entered it or not was their business, but the crew needed to place that box there.
Another point Murphy stressed was maintaining the actors' condition. Since the shoot began, both James Franco and Charlize Theron's performances had continuously improved, and their emotions fully met the characters' demands. He needed to sustain that emotional continuity.
Partly, it depended on the actors themselves, and partly on the director's filming schedule.
During rushed schedules, many crews focused on shooting one character's scenes in bulk, thereby disrupting the emotional continuity—crying in one scene and laughing in the next is a normal but challenging emotional transition for actors in a short span.
Even Oscar-winning actors are merely human, not emotion-expression machines.
Unless absolutely necessary, Murphy would not disrupt an actor's coherent state within a scene.
For a fast-paced film like "Deadpool," where explosive acting wasn't necessary, it didn't matter, but for "Gone Girl," even slight differences in performance could affect the entire shot's impact.
In actual filming, even if it slowed down the overall progress, Murphy would accommodate the shooting sequence of related scenes. If such disruptive continuity was unavoidable—like needing to shoot all single shots of a character in one room before moving on—he would ensure that the actors had about ten minutes of personal time between scenes.
Throughout January 2005, the crew stayed in the small town in Orange County. The town's residents were cooperative, signing Paul Wilson's agreement, which meant their images could freely appear in the future movie, saving the crew a significant amount in hiring extras.
As the shoot progressed, more actors joined the crew, including Amanda Seyfried, who played Nick Dunne's student lover, arriving in town.
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