[Chapter 163: Acceleration]
The protagonist, Alex, along with Tod and Tod's older brother George, entered the cabin. As they passed through the back section, they heard a baby crying.
Matt Damon, playing George, patted Ryan Phillippe's shoulder and said, "Good sign. Younger the better. It would be a fucked-up God to take down this plane."
As they arrived in the front section, a young man with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) on a respirator gasped for air and greeted them, looking half-alive. This character, played by Link, was intended to increase participation.
"A REALLY fucked-up God," George remarked.
...
"Cut!" Sophia shouted. "That's a wrap for this scene! Next!"
Matt Damon leaned back in his seat and asked, "It looks easy to film. Why do you all say Link is such a perfectionist, making you retake the same scene over and over? Sometimes we do a take dozens of times."
Joaquin Phoenix replied, "That's because we performed better, and he couldn't find any flaws. In the first few weeks of filming, we were all nearly run ragged by Link. Just ask Ryan or Edward."
Ryan Phillippe shrugged. "I used to wake up screaming from nightmares about monsters. Now I often dream of Link yelling, 'No, do it again!' I find myself rehearsing in my sleep and can't wake up. That's scarier than the monsters."
Laughter erupted, but everyone worried about being overheard by Link. Except for Matt Damon, the others instinctively lowered their voices.
Matt Damon shot them an incredulous look. "You're really exaggerating. When I worked with Link, he wasn't that severe."
Ben Affleck chimed in, "While filming The Blair Witch Project, Link was more concerned about authenticity and didn't demand much from the performances. We had more freedom. But on the Final Destination set, every expectation he had skyrocketed. Liv was brought to tears a few times from the pressure."
"Shut it!" Liv Tyler shot him an annoyed glare, her cheeks reddening.
Angelina Jolie chuckled, her red lips curving in a smile.
"Is Link really that intimidating? He seems so gentle and gentlemanly," Jennifer Aniston, playing Christa, remarked with a laugh.
"When he isn't filming, he's fine. But once the cameras roll, he wears a serious face, cold and expressionless. It's intense talking to him," Ryan pointed out.
"That's true; just look at Edward," Joaquin added, wrapping an arm around Edward Norton, who played Carter. "He used to be so easygoing, bashful around girls. Now, he's easily agitated; just a slight provocation can set him off."
"I'm not! My character is aggressive; I just have to play that up. I'm really not angry at all. What the heck, Joaquin?"
As he spoke, Joaquin playfully slapped Edward on the back, causing Edward to react in surprise, pushing him away with an annoyed expression.
"See? I wasn't wrong!" Joaquin laughed, falling back into his seat.
Edward regained his composure, a look of embarrassment washing over him as he stepped away.
"Link may be harsh, but everyone's acting skills have improved tremendously, right?" Angelina said with a smile, arms crossed.
"That's for sure. Link knows how to guide us," Ryan replied.
"All groups, prepare!" came the shout from the stage manager. "Actors, back to your places, and move quickly!"
Hearing the call, the actors hurried back to their starting positions, eager to avoid Link's ire.
...
"Scene 1, Take 4, action!"
This scene involved two female classmates attempting to switch seats with Tod. When Tod refused, the two found the protagonist Alex in the back to ask him instead.
"Alex?" Jennifer Aniston and Naomi Watts, playing the two classmates, greeted.
They were dressed in form-fitting tees that showcased their curves and slim waists -- one blonde and one brunette, each beautiful in their own way.
His character was the type who didn't attract girls and struggled to interact with them.
"Could you trade seats with Blake so she and I can sit together? I asked Tod, but he says he's got some medical thing?" Jennifer, playing Christa, asked.
Alex sneaked a quick check with Tod. Tod shook his head. "No! No! Don't do it."
Alex shrugs, "Sure." In front of him Tod throws up his arms, disgusted.
"You're so sweet. Thanks, Alex."
"Fag!" Tod muttered as Alex joined him with an annoyed look.
"C'mon, man, like you really thought you were gonna tittie fuck 'em over Greenland, or something?" Alex remarked as he settled in.
"Because of you, I gotta sit here and watch fuckin' Pulp Fiction." Tod complained.
In the director's area, Link watched the actors' performances on the screen, nodding in approval.
After more than two months of training, the leads had fully hit their stride; the dialogue and interactions flowed smoothly. Many scenes needed only one take.
That was precisely why he had been stringent with the actors at the start of filming. It's always the beginning that's hard; if they addressed issues early on, subsequent filming would go more smoothly, speeding up as they progressed.
...
"Cut!"
"Next!"
...
As Alex settled in, he noticed a problem with the small table in front of him. He planned to flag down a flight attendant, but she ignored him.
The cabin door closed, and the plane began to roll down the runway.
Once airborne, the cabin started to shake, and the lights flickered. During this scene, the actors were inside a cabin model, and the shaking and lighting effects were fully controlled by the effects team, mimicking a real airplane cabin almost perfectly.
The dialogue was minimal in this segment; the performance relied heavily on expressions and body language.
For instance, when the plane jolted unexpectedly, some showed terror, others squeezed their eyes shut, some gasped for breath, and a few appeared unaffected.
This kind of scene was both simple and complex: if the actors all performed well, just a few takes would suffice. But if anyone faltered, they had to be corrected one by one to avoid any obvious flaws.
...
"Cut!"
Link called the stage manager over, pointing out issues with specific actors on camera. He instructed him to communicate corrections needed, preferring not to speak directly to the extras.
After the stage manager spoke with the actors, filming resumed. Every take was reviewed; if there were issues, they would retake the scene, and if not, they moved on to the next one.
...
After the plane took off, the cabin experienced severe turbulence. Moments later, it stabilized.
Just as everyone began to relax, the shaking intensified, causing the plane to sway left and right like a roller coaster, prompting many passengers to scream.
The turbulence escalated further, with luggage and a respirator spilling out, and an explosion ignited from the left-side door, one person falling through the opening as chaos erupted in the cabin with shouts of panic.
This scene was the film's first major climax and crucial to the story, where both the special effects and performances couldn't afford to falter.
Link focused intently on every detail, filming the scene anew for three consecutive days before finalizing it.
"Cut!"
"One-hour break; we'll continue in the afternoon."
As lunchtime approached, the crew finally got to rest.
*****
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