บท 50: Chapter 50 Who's Phone
"Hans, here's a segment I filmed."
Making a gesture to the other side, Sophia walked to the television at the front of the meeting room, inserted a tape into the VCR, and turned on the TV. Duke continued, "Let's watch the opening scene of a film…"
This was not a production made by Duke or Mike Dawson, but rather a rough cut of some footage Sophia had developed after printing some negatives. Although it was just a rough assembly of the filmed segments and not even a preliminary edit, it reflected Duke's perspective on the film and was perfect for today's discussion on the soundtrack.
The screen had no sound, yet it didn't hinder Hans Zimmer from watching intently from his seat. First, several soldiers appeared carrying a coffin, followed by a shot of an officer smoking. The visuals kept shifting between the officer and the soldiers, interspersed with a few explosion scenes.
Even without any embellishments, Hans Zimmer gleaned some information from the footage; the officer seemed poised for extraordinary actions, intermingled with a tragic sentiment. Furthermore, each shot was brief and constantly switching, suggesting a fast-paced final cut.
This opening scene was only a few minutes long, and after it ended, Hans Zimmer was unsure of what would happen next, but he sensed something.
At that moment, Hans Zimmer was just one of many top composers in Hollywood, yet to achieve the master status he would later attain. Duke replayed the opening scene and outlined his requirements for the score.
Scoring a film was not as simple as composing; it had to echo the film's themes, align with the mood of the scenes, and reflect the director's vision. Each classic score emerged from extensive communication among the director, composer, and various crew members.
"The film needs two different tonal scores."
After a brief exchange, Duke stated directly, "One is for heavier scenes like the opening. It should be low, profound, and tragic, evoking a slow, mournful, yet stable feeling that conveys the characters' deep emotions."
Hans Zimmer nodded and had his assistant note Duke's requirements.
"The other is for action and chase sequences," Duke continued. "I need a fast-paced, dynamic score that is intense, urgent, and even sharp…"
Duke was entirely unversed in music; he could only articulate his demands and leave it to the composer to create. The previous score had been classic, but he remembered too little and lacked the professional vocabulary to express it. Furthermore, composers often had different ideas at each stage, leaving it all to Hans Zimmer.
"Director Rosenberg…" Hans Zimmer said after reviewing his assistant's notes, "I hope to follow the crew for a while to gain a deeper understanding of this work. The final score will depend on your editing completion."
"Not a problem." Duke turned to Sophia. "If you need anything, you can contact Sophia."
Hans Zimmer and his team left the meeting room, and Duke's gaze shifted to the Warner Records people. According to the agreement with Warner, they were responsible for the film's theme song and had brought the singer who would perform it.
She was a young woman, about twenty-five, with brown hair cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders. Dressed in tight denim, her features were sharp, and even sitting silently on the couch, she radiated wildness and sensuality.
"This is the new talent that Warner Records will focus on next year."
After seeing off Hans Zimmer, Robin Grand returned to the meeting room and quietly informed Duke, "Warner clearly wants to use the film to promote her album next year."
Warner was adept at navigating relationships; if Duke was unsatisfied, they would not insist.
"Mis Twain."
In truth, Duke didn't care much about the theme song. In this film, the song would only appear during the end credits. Even if the song wasn't highly regarded, it wouldn't affect the film much. If it gained popularity, it might even boost box office sales.
"I'm not sure what type of music you excel at?" Duke asked as he returned to his seat.
"Country music."
The woman tossed her hair, a seemingly casual gesture that appeared particularly alluring. "You can call me Shania or Regina."
If it were a few years later, Duke would gladly have Shania Twain sing the film's theme song, but for now, it was better than nothing.
In many ways, Duke still relied on Warner's substantial support. Since they wanted to leverage the film to promote their newcomer, he wouldn't oppose them. After asking a few routine questions, he handed the matter over to Robin Grand, the production manager.
The score and theme song wouldn't be finalized until the film entered post-production. For now, it was merely preparatory work, and Duke redirected his energy back to filming.
After five long days of waiting, the actors' guild concluded their investigation, determining that "The Rock" set had sufficient safety measures. The injury of a stunt performer was just an accident, and after negotiating a new compensation agreement with the injured party, the temporarily halted production could finally resume.
The injured stunt performer walked away with nearly $130,000 in compensation and was subsequently removed from the crew, landing on Warner Brothers' blacklist.
"The Rock" could resume filming, while "Interview with the Vampire" still faced an uncertain delay; the Child Protection Association was far more difficult to deal with than the actors' guild.
Five days wasn't a long time, but it genuinely disrupted Duke's shooting schedule, further intensifying his already anxious emotions due to pressure. During these five days, he and Sophia, along with Zack Snyder, adjusted the filming schedule, aiming to regain the lost time in subsequent shoots.
Once filming restarted, Hans Zimmer and Sennia Dunn appeared on set, clearly eager to learn more about "The Rock" and the future collaboration.
This five-day hiatus disrupted not just Duke's filming rhythm but also affected the state of the actors and other staff members. Issues arose with cinematography, lighting, performance, and props, creating a pervasive atmosphere of anxiety. In the first three days of resuming filming, the crew completed just one day's worth of planned shooting.
All of this increased Duke's pressure. Every time someone made a mistake, he felt his temper rising, and several times he had to force himself to suppress it.
"Cut!"
Duke's voice, tempered with suppressed anger, rang out again in the studio. He strode over to Nicolas Cage and Christopher Lee, jumping into the water tank they were standing in and pacing back and forth. Ignoring his soaked pants and shoes, he shouted, "Nicolas, Christopher, is the water too cold? Can't you hold steady?"
Nicolas Cage and Christopher Lee wisely kept silent.
Duke raised his voice a notch, "If you can't endure it, just tell me directly. I'll replace you with a stunt actor; don't waste time!"
After speaking, Duke exited the water tank, kicked off his waterlogged shoes, and walked barefoot to the monitor, shouting, "All departments prepare, we're reshooting!"
"Your manners!"
Sophia, who had just quietly reminded him, watched Duke turn around, and she obediently closed her mouth.
In fact, no one knew better than her that since the crew's halt, Duke had accumulated a lot of anger. She didn't want to be the target.
"John, adjust the camera position." Duke's voice was slightly hoarse as he continued, "Use the Steadicam to shoot underwater. Move the second camera to thirty degrees behind Nicolas. You have ten minutes to prepare!"
As Duke shouted like a drill sergeant, Sophia quietly stepped aside to grab a pair of slippers from the break room.
"Are all film directors so bad-tempered?"
A woman's voice came from beside her. Sophia turned to see Sennia Dunn, the singer who had visited the set for the second time. She shrugged and replied, "Anyone in that position will turn into a powder keg, no matter how good their temper is."
The woman pouted but said nothing more. Sophia returned to the monitor, tossing the slippers to Duke.
"Thanks!" Duke nodded at her and slipped them on.
After taking a few deep breaths, Duke temporarily suppressed his impatience, pressure, and frustration, realizing these feelings were unhelpful for filming. He raised the megaphone, "Scene 78, Take 12, start!"
The increasingly synchronized crew immediately sprang into action, and the right lighting, colors, sets, props, and performances almost perfectly presented themselves on Duke's monitor. He nodded slightly; the crew's condition was clearly improving.
In the set designed to resemble the underground passage of Devil's Island, Nicolas Cage raised his gun, aiming at the retreating John Mason.
The microphone for on-set recording slowly descended from above, and the entire studio fell silent.
"You want to play rough? Okay! FBI! Don't move, you bastard!"
"Nicolas seems to be back in form…"
Just as Duke was thinking this, a cellphone suddenly rang from the back, the sound not loud but shattering the silence in the studio, echoing in every corner.
John Schwartzman, holding the Steadicam, froze momentarily.
Nicolas Cage and Christopher Lee simultaneously paused their performance, smiles of helplessness appearing on their faces.
Sophia Coppola instinctively tried to block out her hearing; was a volcano about to erupt?
Duke slowly turned his head to look in the direction of the ringing.
"Whose phone is that?"
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