[Chapter 155: On Set]
"All groups, prepare!"
"Scene 3, Take 1, action!"
In Poughkeepsie, New York, a bright afternoon shone upon the set of Final Destination situated in a suburban area. The cast and crew bustled about, preparing for the filming.
Link sat behind the monitor, intently watching the shots relayed from the camera. After several rainy days in the southern part of New York, the heat began to rise. Wearing a baseball cap, a vest, and a long t-shirt, Link took a moment to sit in the tent, feeling the sweat bead on his skin.
"John, let's redo this shot. Don't shoot from too low; use an overhead angle to capture the Tod household scene. This perspective can be seen as a 'death's-eye view,' which will increase some psychological tension for the audience," Link said, moving next to the chief cinematographer, John Toll, gesturing how to frame the shots and design the movie's visuals.
John Toll had proactively approached Guess Pictures when they were hiring cinematographers. Link quickly recognized him after reviewing his resume and headshots. While John Toll lacked fame at present, having only worked on two documentaries, he would soon become an authority in his field. His notable works would eventually be Braveheart, Legends of the Fall, The Thin Red Line, Almost Famous, Cloud Atlas, and Vanilla Sky, earning him numerous Academy Award nominations and wins for Best Cinematography.
Having studied John Toll's films while preparing for this directing role, Link didn't hesitate to bring him aboard when he saw him applying. The crew now also included Sofia Coppola as the assistant director, Paul Thomas Anderson as the second director, sound engineer Andy Nelson, sound editor Per Hallberg, props master Eric Dawson, and others -- each one a rising star in the film industry. With such talent on board, Link was able to save a great deal of time and effort during filming.
"Got it, Director," John responded, nodding as he instructed a few assistants to adjust the camera setup.
...
After the camera crew was set, the Final Destination shoot continued. This thriller film, which would be released in 2000, had a budget of $23 million and grossed $113 million worldwide. Although it didn't outperform hits like Paranormal Activity or The Blair Witch Project, it garnered a considerable fan base globally, leading to successful sequels that would collectively exceed $700 million in box office revenue. This potential for profitability was one of the reasons Link chose Final Destination as his fourth film project.
Another reason was that the film's protagonist was a young man, with a straightforward plot and character relationships. This aligned well with Link's age and perspective, making it suitable for a novice director to hone his skills.
...
The first installment of Final Destination revolves around a high school class and their teacher preparing to fly to Paris. Just before boarding, high school student Alex Browning senses impending doom. Many subtle signs around him suggest that this trip is doomed. At the airport, Alex encounters someone handing out flyers, warning him that "death is not the end." As he goes through security, he watches the flight display board flicker, indicating delays -- foreshadowing trouble ahead.
Once on board, Alex drifts into a nightmare. In his dream, the plane shakes violently after takeoff, and within moments, the fuselage splits open, throwing many passengers out, followed by an explosion. When Alex wakes up, he discovers the plane has not yet taken off and quickly rushes to the front of the cabin to check. To his shock, the scene mirrors his nightmare.
He screams that the plane will explode, urging everyone to evacuate. However, nobody takes him seriously, leading to a heated confrontation with his hot-tempered classmate, Carter. Ultimately, Alex, along with teacher Valerie Lewton, best friend Tod Wagner, classmate Carter, Carter's girlfriend, and their large classmate Billy Hitchcock, gets kicked off the flight.
Female lead, Clear Rivers, possesses an uncanny ability to sense danger and, upon hearing Alex's outcry, decides to follow him off the plane. As the seven escapees return to the terminal, the plane ascends slowly, and shortly after, it explodes in a fiery spectacle before the eyes of everyone present. All 127 passengers, including 39 students and teachers from the school, perish.
Due to his erratic behavior before the crash, Alex comes under investigation and surveillance by the FBI. The seven survivors return home initially relieved but soon find themselves haunted by the specter of death.
...
As filming began, Link intended to shoot the individual scenes of the main cast first, mostly in indoor settings, while group scenes would follow later. This strategy helped control costs and kept them within budget. Plus, Link could provide guidance to the new actors during their personal scenes, enabling them to perform better in the group scenes.
Following this shooting strategy, the first scene filmed spotlighted Tod's character, portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix. Tod Wagner was a typical seventeen-year-old boy: blond hair, average looks, and a handle on the normal tumult of adolescence. He admired beautiful girls but often found himself overlooked by them. A lively kid, he shared a tight bond with the protagonist.
Before the explosion, Tod's older brother George noticed Alex's unusually tense demeanor and urged Tod to watch over him. This concern saved Tod's life, but George perished in the catastrophe.
Once home, Tod found solace in the bathroom as he prepared himself, cleaning his nose hairs. However, that was when death arrived, making him the first among the main cast to succumb to it.
...
"Scene 4, Take 1, action!"
The filming commenced.
Joaquin Phoenix stepped into the frame, wearing a checkered shirt, tiptoeing barefoot into the bathroom, and looking at himself in the mirror. Suddenly, a cool breeze rushed in through the window, causing the curtain to sway.
Todd moved to the window to close it.
...
"Cut!"
"Tod, when the wind comes in, turn around more slowly. There's no need for an overly dramatic reaction. Tod is a normal guy, not sensitive enough to sense death's presence, nor would he be startled by a breeze. Just follow the normal script flow, and I'll remind you of where to intensify your performance," Link instructed while standing to the right of the camera, directing Joaquin Phoenix.
As filming kicked off, Link mandated that all actors referred to their characters by name to enhance their immersion into those roles.
"Director, I understand," Joaquin replied, continuing his performance while the special effects team created a breeze from outside.
They had rehearsed how strong the wind should be and when it would blow multiple times, ensuring no slip-ups during filming.
Todd stood gazing at his reflection when the wind flowed in. After a few seconds, he turned to the window and walked over to shut it.
...
"Cut!"
Link returned to the director's area, reviewing the footage on the monitor.
"How did it look?" Sofia asked as she leaned in. Sofia handled scheduling for the crew and occasionally stood in for Link during exterior shoots, effectively acting as a co-director.
"Not good enough," Link said, calling Joaquin over. "When you look in the mirror, don't furrow your brow. You're admiring yourself; your mood should be light. A furrowed brow indicates internal conflict, which isn't necessary here."
"Director, my thinking was that Tod's brother just died, so he should reflect sadness," Joaquin questioned.
"Not at all. Earlier in school, during the memorial, Tod mentioned he had moved past his grief. He even invited Alex to drive to New York to watch a Yankees game. Tod's brother was always the golden child, bullying Tod and making his parents compare them constantly. Tod lived in his brother's shadow, and with that shadow gone, he wouldn't be too heartbroken," Link explained.
"Did you understand?" Sofia interjected with a tap on the table. "You're not focusing on the character and are trying to argue when I'm explaining the scene. If I were the director, I'd just hit you."
Joaquin instinctively stepped back; while Link never lost his temper, Sofia was known for her scathing comments.
"Joaquin, the atmosphere in this scene needs to be lighter. If the audience is engaged positively, they will have more emotional investment when surprises occur later. Death often comes unanticipated, like in fires or accidents -- many don't foresee tragedy until it's too late," Link explained.
"Got it. I'll nail this next time," Joaquin assured, grinning as he returned to the set to wait for his next cue.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.