….
[October 24, 2010]
….
The filming of [Death Note] had officially begun.
At the moment, Regal and the team are in the middle of their first schedule.
Presently, they are working on an indoor scene set in the main character's room - Light Turner's - where much of the film's starting scenes would unfold.
It was only the second day of filming, and the crew was gradually getting accustomed to each other's working methods.
…but if one were to notice, most of the faces here are the same ones who worked for the [Following]. Regal had made an attempt to once again bring the same team on board; unless they were not interested, he invited them with open arms.
So it was more like the newly joined members are getting used to the work, adjusting to the workings of this place.
The process was always a bit chaotic at the start, but since most of them are 'not noobs' - little by little, the rhythm was settling in.
One person who was quickly adapting was the Director of Photography (DP) - Mathew Hord.
Unlike most projects he had worked on, this one required him to align with Regal's highly meticulous, almost intrusive approach to direction.
For weeks and days, they had planned and discussed the shots for hours before rolling the cameras, but executing them firsthand was something else entirely.
During their discussions, to say Mathew was surprised by Regal's shot design would be an understatement.
Before coming on board, he had rewatched [Following] multiple times, his effort of trying to understand Regal's visual language.
From what he reviewed, it was evident that the young director had an exceptional eye for camera work. Sure, there were moments where Mathew thought a few shots could have been framed better, but he quickly dismissed it as nitpicking - self-reassurance at best.
In the end, there was no denying it. The film was too good, and it deserved every bit of success it received.
And now, seeing Regal in action, he found himself looking forward to working with him even more.
Not only was the script solid - though Mathew doesn't exactly have a good record as a script analyst - but Regal's ability to think outside the box was undeniable.
Take the current scene they were filming, for example -
Exactly 45 seconds long.
Nothing unusual about that, right?
Except those mere 45 seconds contained twelve cuts. And that didn't even include the aftereffects of the protagonist's doings, which will be shot later and added in post-production.
While watching [Following], Mathew recognized how the film relied on long takes and wide shots - to create a voyeuristic feel.
So if he were to compare [Following] to [Death Note], it would be a crime.
The few long takes that are present are mostly extreme close-ups, meant to capture the actors' expressions in painstaking detail while their internal monologues play out.
Mathew was especially eager to see how the leads would handle these sequences. Close-ups were the ultimate test for any actor.
There was no escape.
The lens would catch every micro-expression, every flicker of doubt, and every inconsistency in performance.
If they faltered, even for a second, the audience would see it. And if the audience could see it, the critics definitely would.
And the most brutal part?
Some of these crucial moments had no dialogue at all.
Just pure, unfiltered emotion.
For the actors, this won't just be a performance.
This was a trial by fire.
And, Mathew quite enjoys being behind the camera, to the point he didn't even want to imagine what it would be like in their shoes.
….
The indoor set was colder than usual.
It always was at this hour - just past midnight.
Still, the coldness washed over the crew as they prepared the first shot.
A single ARRI Alexa Plus was locked in place on the Sachtler Video 20 tripod, positioned for a medium-wide shot.
DP Mathew checked the monitor, adjusting focus while the lighting crew fine-tuned the contrast - one side of the room cast in soft shadows, the other illuminated by the cold, sterile glow of the desk lamp.
Regal stood near the monitor, headset resting around my neck, script in one hand, coffee in the other.
The pages were dog-eared, notes were scribbled in the margins, and timing adjustments were scratched over previous decisions. They had been blocking this scene for the past two hours, but now, everything was ready.
"Alright, places everyone!" - under his permission, the assistant director clapped his hands together.
His voice carried across the soundstage, echoing off the wooden flats of the bedroom set. The crew moved like clockwork - camera operators checking their rigs, gaffers making last-minute lighting tweaks, and sound teams setting their levels.
At the center of it all sat Stephen Jr., the lead actor playing Light Tuner.
He was already in position at the desk, fingertips tapping idly against the wood. His brows furrowed in focus, his lips moving as he muttered lines under his breath, rehearsing the microexpressions he wanted.
Regal approached him. "Steph. You ready?"
Stephen Jr. looked up, with focus. "I am good."
The touch up team tried to make his face look a little pale for the specific scene just to make sure it looks the right way. Stephen on the other hand already finished getting everything about the scene from Regal.
"Don't overthink it." Regal said simply. "You know what you are doing. Just keep going."
That was all Stephen needed to hear.
….
Immediately after, Regal turned to Mathew, the DP, who was already adjusting the camera mounted on a glide track.
The plan was simple: a slow, creeping push-in, like a devil closing in on its prey.
"Mathew, all set?" Regal asked.
Mathew gave a quick nod, his hands steady on the rig. "Yeah. Slow as possible."
Regal turned to his focus puller, giving a quick command as the Zeiss 35mm lens was adjusted with precision.
Meanwhile, the gaffer repositioned the 650W tungsten key light, tilting it just enough to carve sharper shadows under Stephen Jr.'s jawline, subtle, but it made his features appear sharper, more defined - colder.
Regal gives the signal.
"Roll sound."
The boom operator adjusted his stance, keeping the mic just outside the frame.
"Speed."
Regal turned back. "Camera?"
"Rolling."(Mathew)
The clapperboard snapped into place.
"Scene 48, Shot 1, Take 1."
"And… action."(Regal)
….
Stephen Jr.'s fingers flexed slightly on the notebook.
His eyes, half-hidden by the angle of the light, stared forward, unfocused. His breath slowed, his jaw tensed, and his pupils barely contracted, as if processing something dark, something powerful.
His thumb traced the edge of the page.
Then, slowly, he opened the book titled - Death Note.
The camera inched more forward, the glide track making almost no sound, while capturing Light's gaze locked onto the notebook - his feelings were completely unknown.
Tension built in the room.
"Cut!"
Yep, that's it - that's the two second shot design.
Regal moved to check the monitor. Light's way and decision to open the [Death Note], knowing full well of its power - it was captured perfectly, and the moment didn't lose the drip with intensity.
He nodded and informed the team. "That is a keeper. Moving on."
…..
The first shot was locked - Light opening the Death Note, the weight of the moment settling over him.
Moving on, the crew repositioned.
The ARRI Alexa Plus was moved closer, switching to a 50mm lens for a tight medium shot. The tripod was adjusted for a slightly lower angle, subtly emphasizing Light's dominance over the page.
Just for this shot, two cameras were placed additionally.
Camera A: 50mm lens, low angle medium shot, capturing Stephen Jr.'s face and upper torso. The lens - a tight 85mm prime - was chosen specifically to capture the finest details, like the small flow of ink, the flicker of recognition and the madness reflecting in his pupils.
Camera B: Sony FX7, mounted on a robotic arm for an overhead shot of the Death Note.
However, even after twenty minutes and three takes, Regal wasn't satisfied with the shot.
"Scene 48, Shot 2, Take 4."
It was the close-up of Light's eyes - the windows into his transformation.
Regal advised. "Steph, this is all in your eyes now. I want to see the moment the idea takes hold."
He nodded, inhaling deeply.
"Lights down by 10%." - the gaffer called.
The desk lamp dimmed slightly, reducing glare and deepening the shadows. The room felt smaller, more intimate.
"Rolling."
"And… action."
The moment played again.
For a long second, Stephen Jr., didn't move.
But this time, the hesitation wasn't just acting - it felt like calculation.
His gaze stayed on the page, pupils locked in place, as if his mind was running through the consequences.
Then, his right hand lifted.
The pen hovered over the lined paper. His breathing shifted - a deeper inhale, his jaw setting just slightly.
He wrote the first stroke.
The pen scratched softly, ink sinking into the paper like a spell being cast.
Stephen Jr.'s Adam's apple moved - a dry swallow. The fingers holding the pen tightened, just enough to make his knuckles show faintly white. The name was formed in smooth, deliberate strokes.
Then it was done.
One kill.
A single moment of stillness. The camera held on him.
His fingers stayed clenched around the pen. His eyes, though unmoving, were seeing something beyond the page.
"Cut!"
Regal smiled, and seeing it, a collective nod appeared on the face of the crew.
Still, he made sure to play back the footage. That was the shot.
….
After a few minutes, the time clocked into [1:00] midnight, but the filming continued - it was now the fourth shot.
Regal switched to the Arriflex 435, rolling at 120fps slow motion.
"Steph, this is where it gets desperate. You're not in control anymore - the need to write is controlling you."
Stephen nodded, shaking out his hands. He was getting into the rhythm now, letting the exhaustion, the obsession, seep in.
The camera was handheld this time, shifting in unsteady, chaotic bursts, breathing with him, moving with him.
Regal was about to call it - Then, he hesitated.
….
•-----[SKILL SLOTS]-----•
» [Slot-1:] Director (Rank – World-Class) [Active]
•------------------------•
For a brief moment, his eyes flicked to the blue screen that appeared before him. The words glowed faintly in his vision.
Then, just as quickly, he dismissed it. Focus.
Whatever this was… It wasn't interfering. And right now, that was all that mattered.
His grip tightened on the mic. "Action!"
.
….
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
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