The next day, the crew flew to Paris.
They had already secured a commercial street in Paris as the filming location, intending to complete a controlled explosion there—one of the most iconic scenes in the movie: the collapse of Paris.
However, as soon as the crew arrived, Ethan received bad news.
The Paris city government refused to allow the explosion on the street, arguing that it would affect the city's appearance.
"Bullshit about the city's appearance," Carl, who had arrived with the crew, couldn't help but curse as he recalled the various urine stains he had seen on the streets the day before.
"This only means the money hasn't been placed in the right hands yet." Ethan instructed producer Emma to negotiate with the Paris city officials again. If necessary, they could offer additional incentives.
In every country, money always opened doors.
Since the street location hadn't been settled, Ethan and the team decided to start filming the mirrored world under the Paris bridge first.
This scene didn't require too much complex preparation—just a mirror.
However, because the setup was so simple, once the massive 1.5-ton mirror was installed under the bridge, a question arose in many people's minds.
"What about the reflections in the mirror?" Nolan stroked his chin as he asked. "Should we use tilt-shift photography?"
Tilt-shift photography wasn't commonly used in film cinematography, but it was frequently applied in miniature photography.
Using a tilt-shift lens could change the focal plane and eliminate certain distracting images. It was often used in architectural photography because tall buildings appear larger at the bottom and taper toward the top. With a tilt-shift lens, the top and bottom could be kept proportional.
However, in film, tilt-shift photography wasn't so straightforward—especially in this scene.
Ethan shook his head. "Tilt-shift effects would look fake, so I'm not considering it."
"Hmm, then what's your plan? Post-production VFX?"
"Exactly. Chris, what do you think?" Ethan turned to the VFX supervisor, Chris, who had already finished on-site measurements with his team.
"No problem, Ethan. We'll capture everything that appears in the mirror and then rebuild it in post-production."
"Rebuild it?" Nolan spread his hands. "That's a massive project."
"But it's the only way to make it look real, isn't it?" Ethan smiled and explained, "To enhance realism, we'll introduce all sorts of distortions based on the mirror's surface."
He walked up to the mirror, and Nolan followed.
Ethan pointed at a warped reflection in the mirror. "Look here—this is the detail we need. It will make the audience question whether it's real or CGI."
One glance was enough for Nolan to understand Ethan's point, and he couldn't help but admire it. "Brilliant."
Ethan's approach was to replace the real reflections with CGI but mimic all distortions, warps, and imperfections exactly as they appeared in reality. This way, the illusion would be indistinguishable from reality.
As for the filming process…
Ethan stood with the camera team beside Leonardo, watching him and Ellen Page deliver their lines.
"Perfect, just like that."
In just half a day, the mirror-world scene under the bridge was wrapped. The custom-built 1.5-ton mirror was dismantled and removed.
However, the negotiations for the street explosion were still unresolved. The Paris officials remained firm and refused to approve it.
Emma had no choice but to call the investors. At this point, only the influence of major companies could push things through.
While waiting, the crew didn't waste time. They moved to an abandoned gaming company building to film the forced-perspective stairwell scene.
In the movie, this triangular staircase was an infinite loop, but creating such an illusion in reality was a major challenge.
"When Ethan first mentioned this effect, I agreed right away," Chris said with a wry smile as he watched the crew setting up the stairs. "But I didn't expect it to be this difficult."
A crew member documenting behind-the-scenes footage moved the camera closer. This was another one of Ethan's ideas. Inception was bound to spark widespread global discussion, and all related materials—storyboards, documentaries—would attract great interest.
Whether it was sketches or behind-the-scenes footage, these materials could likely sell well once the movie was released.
So, everyone needed to cooperate with the behind-the-scenes filming.
Nolan, fascinated by the setup, asked, "I love this. What's the main challenge?"
"There are plenty," Chris explained. "For example, ensuring the illusion works flawlessly within the camera's frame, determining the staircase's exact dimensions, and selecting the right wood material."
"We ran multiple simulations on the computer, finalized a model, and then built six different physical prototypes to compare." Ethan added, "Once we determined the best model, we ran lighting and camera simulations to find the perfect angle so the shot looks seamless."
"I have to say, I'm impressed," Nolan admitted. He hadn't expected the film's production to be this intricate. Even a few seconds of footage required so much planning and problem-solving.
"So, our final solution is to use a crane, positioning the camera to shoot from above," Chris gestured while explaining. "Even the angle is precisely calculated."
"Exactly."
As the group chatted, the crew had finished their preparations, and the scene officially began filming.
Heath Ledger and Ellen Page walked up the stairs, talking as they moved toward the edge.
"In dreams, you can design architecture into impossible shapes, creating a closed loop—like the Penrose stairs, an endless staircase."
As the female lead, played by Ellen Page, listened to the man's voice, she realized she was in an infinite loop of stairs.
Just as she started to feel puzzled, the man stopped walking, and both of them looked down.
The camera, originally positioned high, quickly moved downward. The staircase, which visually seemed connected, suddenly split into two halves, revealing the empty space in between.
"Cut!"
"Great," Ethan nodded in approval after checking the monitor, passing the shot.
They then proceeded to film the rest of the scene from different angles.
Before getting permission from the Paris city government, Ethan and the crew first went to a warehouse.
They planned to test the visual effects for the Paris collapse sequence in advance.
For the past few days, Nolan and Chris had been refining this shot, adding more details to make the scene even more impactful.
But with these changes, they needed to do a test run.
Inside the warehouse, they had already set up a café-like scene. A round table with two mannequins was placed in front of an air cannon, with a parked car positioned on the side.
On the table were a coffee cup and a water glass.
Chris planned to test the air cannon's range first to ensure the actors and the table wouldn't be hit.
"3, 2, 1, fire!"
"Boom!"
With a loud muffled bang, two blasts of air shot out from the cannon, carrying a large amount of feathers and shredded paper. The nearby car flipped over once from the impact before coming to a stop further away.
Ethan, Chris, and Nolan immediately stepped forward to inspect the scene.
"The table is fine, and the coffee cup and water glass are unaffected," Nolan nodded, pleased with the air cannon's effectiveness.
It was both safe and created a great explosion effect.
However, Ethan touched the chair and noticed something. "There's some paper debris here. Chris, you need to adjust it by one or two degrees."
"No problem," Chris and the special effects team remeasured the safe distance before running another test.
"Boom!"
This time, the table and chairs remained completely untouched, while only the car and the market stalls on either side were pushed back.
"Alright, now let's do a live test with real people."
Chris sat at the round table with a petite woman, pretending to be actors.
Then, the air cannon fired!
"Boom!"
"How does it feel?" Ethan asked as he approached afterward.
Chris shook his head. "Nothing at all, just a slight airflow."
"Good, then we'll stick with this setup."
Meanwhile, under Sony's influence, the Paris city government finally approved Inception's filming request, granting them an entire street.
With permission for the explosion scene secured, Ethan and his team seized the opportunity. The night they received the news, they immediately blocked off the road and began preparations.
After working through the night, the actors took their places at dawn.
Leonardo and Ellen Page sat at the café's round table. The sunlight was strong, causing both of them to squint involuntarily.
"Hang a five-meter-wide sunshade above them," Ethan immediately ordered the lighting team.
Soon, a large curtain was set up, casting a shadow over the table.
As the crew adjusted the air cannon, Ethan walked over to the two actors.
"How are you feeling?" he asked Ellen Page.
"No problem," she smiled.
Leonardo interjected, "So, there will be two air cannons going off near us?"
"That's right," Ethan gestured to indicate their positions. "But don't worry, we've tested the safe distance. You won't be affected."
"Good to know," Leonardo said, sitting back in his chair and continuing to read his script.
"Camera team, make sure to capture the actors' positioning and angles. Script supervisors, take note of their movement continuity."
"Copy that."
"Got it."
In the original movie, this scene had a continuity error.
During the conversation, Leonardo had his arms crossed in one shot, but in the next, he was leaning forward without a transition.
This was likely due to rushed filming at the time.
Ethan faced the same issue now. The Paris city government had approved their shoot, but only for a single day.
They had to complete this scene as quickly as possible.
"Alright, time waits for no one. Let's film everything before the air cannon sequence first!"
"Okay, all departments, get ready!"
Ethan sat behind the monitor, prepared to handle any issues.
And problems arose quickly.
"Ellen! Stop hesitating! You believe you're in the real world, not a dream!"
"Leonardo, too many unnecessary gestures! The cuts won't match!"
"Lighting team, there's a shadow on their faces! Fix it now!"
"This is the second time! FXXK! Do you have a brain? I told you to use a foam board! Get someone else to handle this!"
"Camera! Why did your shot shake just now? You have five minutes to fix everything!"
The tighter the schedule, the more issues popped up. A crew that usually worked well together was suddenly struggling under the time constraint.
Fortunately, Ethan had a sharp eye, spotting each problem immediately, preventing larger mistakes.
After spending the entire morning, they finally finished filming the dialogue scenes. Ethan even double-checked for continuity errors.
Next came the explosion sequence.
"Remember, all actors must stay in their designated safe spots. Do not move. These air cannons are harmless and won't affect you."
The actors nodded and positioned themselves accordingly.
Once everything was set, Ethan focused on the monitor.
"Explosion team, get ready!"
"3, 2, 1, action!"
"Boom!" The first blast went off, blowing apart a fruit stand.
"Boom!" The second blast followed, shattering a newspaper kiosk.
"Boom!" The third blast fired—
"Cut!" Ethan shouted abruptly, stopping the shoot.
"Stop! Stop now!" Chris quickly signaled the explosion team to halt.
Ethan stood up furiously and marched over to an extra, grabbing him by the collar. "FXXK! YOU! What the hell are you doing?!"
"What's going on?" The crew rushed over, blocking journalists from seeing the scene.
"What the hell were you doing in the shot?! You flipped me off! FXXK!" Ethan yelled.
"What?!" The crew was stunned.
"I didn't! You're slandering me!" The white actor with a hooked nose struggled, shouting, "The director is assaulting me! The Inception director is hitting people!"
"Let go of him, Ethan!" Chris and Nolan quickly pulled Ethan away.
Ethan released his grip, adjusted his clothes, and sneered at the actor. "You thought you could get away with it? Thought I wouldn't notice?"
"I didn't do anything!" the man protested.
"Alright, then let me show you the evidence."
Ethan had the monitor brought over, and they replayed the footage.
Sure enough, in the middle of the explosion, the actor's left hand—hidden behind the smoke—had flashed a very recognizable hand gesture.
The move was subtle, nearly impossible to catch without sharp eyes.
"This isn't real! It was just an instinctive reaction!" The actor kept arguing.
"Get him out of here," Ethan had no interest in further debate and ordered the crew to remove him.
Then, he had Carl investigate the man's background.
That afternoon, the crew reshot the scene.
After wrapping up the explosion sequence, Carl returned with new information.
And to Ethan's surprise, the actor's appearance turned out to be a complete coincidence—nothing more than an unfortunate accident.
.....
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