"Kid, if you've been on the set for eight or nine years like I have, you'll know that there are some things you don't need to know too clearly..."
"Um, Mr. Cundey. I didn't mean that. I just wanted to..."
"It doesn't matter. In this industry, everyone wants to be a professional. Being a professional means taking care of your job and not minding other people's business." The director of photography liked some of Ronald's little ideas very much, so he told him about his experience in the crew.
"On the entire set, there is only one person who needs to take care of everyone else's business, and that's the director. Because the director is responsible for the overall quality of the film, and the behavior of anyone in the crew will affect the quality of the film."
The director of photography looked at Ronald with a half-smile, "So, if you ask me as a director, I will tell you what I know."
Ronald realized that the director of photography was joking with him. He thought about it and asked:
"Director Allan should be alright, right? Joe didn't let me call an ambulance. Is there some trouble?"
"What kind of trouble could it be? It's the same old rock 'n' roll shit. Drunkenness, vandalism, fighting, drunk driving, drug abuse. The Ramones' manager has a way of dealing with that kind of thing."
"Allan used to work at Warner Records and knew the manager. The Ramones were signed to a subsidiary of Warner, and they went to the Roxy Bar for another night. I went home first and don't know what happened."
"OK, I understand." Ronald put away his gossiping thoughts. "So, as a director of photography, what do you think of the quality of the shots we shot this morning?"
"As a low-budget film, it's pretty good."
"I noticed that you always keep the camera moving and rarely keep it still."
The director of photography was a little surprised and looked at him deeply.
"You have some talent. The camera is the audience's eyes. And the human eye hates static images, so every few seconds, you have to find a way to make it move."
"So how did you first become a director of photography, Mr. Cundey?"
The two began to talk about photography. When he was not working, the director of photography was quite talkative. It turned out that Dean Cundy had served as the director of photography for 9 movies. He was also the director of photography for the last movie starring PJ Soules, "Halloween".
…
"Ring, ring, ring…"
The phone rang.
Ronald picked up the phone and said, "Hello."
"Is that Ronald? I'm Roger Corman."
"It's me, Mr. Corman. Director Alan has collapsed, and Joe has taken him to the hospital. We just finished shooting the magic light hour in the morning, and now we need a new director. The director of photography, Mr. Dean Cundy, is right next to me."
"Wait a moment, don't be nervous. I want to ask some details, and you answer them."
"Yes, Mr. Corman."
"Alan passed out, and Joe took him to the hospital?"
"Yes, Joe said he was sent to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills."
"Why don't you get someone to take Alan to the hospital? He wants to go by himself?"
"Mr. Corman, I asked Joe the same question, and he insisted on going."
"So how many shots did you take this morning?"
"We are shooting according to the storyboard, and now it is a little faster than expected."
"Storyboard? Was the entire film storyboarded?"
"Um... Mr. Corman, I drew it last night and wanted to learn from it. Joe looked at it and said it was usable, so he asked me to take a photo of it."
Ronald explained, "Mr. Corman, can you send another director over?"
"Damn it. I don't have any new directors to send to the set right now."
"Where's our second unit director Jerry Zucker? Can we have him come to shoot on-site?"
"I'm afraid not. He's taking the day off to talk to the people at Paramount about his new film."
"Well, can you come to the set? I know you are a great director. I guess Joe has already sent Alan to the hospital. We will contact the hospital later to see if Joe can return to the set this afternoon."
"It's 7 o'clock now. If I leave home now and run into the morning rush hour, I will probably arrive at the set after 9 o'clock."
Ronald's mind moved. This was an opportunity. He could refer to the image he dreamt of last night and shoot some more scenes. Maybe he could change his title from crew assistant to assistant director, or even assistant director...
"Excuse me, Mr. Corman. We still have 11 scenes to shoot today. Can we shoot some of them now while the sun is still low?"
There was no sound on the other end of the line.
"After Alan and Joe went to the hospital, I shot two shots, which the director of photography, Mr. Dean, approved."
Still no movement.
"Mr. Corman, if we wait until after 9 o'clock to resume filming, there is a high possibility that we won't be able to finish it today. If we postpone it to tomorrow, we will have to rent the venue, extras, and equipment again. The actors and staff will have to pay an extra day's salary, which will be very costly."
"Well, go on." Roger Corman finally responded.
"I can continue shooting according to the work log before you come to the set. If I feel that the sample is not good when I watch it tomorrow, I can arrange to reshoot it. If the effect is good, it means saving money."
Ronald expressed all his desires in one breath.
There was silence on the other end of the microphone for a while. Just when Ronald couldn't help but speak again, a voice came from the other end:
"Did you shoot all the shots this morning?"
"Yes, I drew today's storyboard last night. Except for the first line today, I drew all the others according to the storyboard."
"Well, Dean is right next to you, right? Give him the microphone and I'll talk to him for a few minutes."
"Okay." Ronald turned around and handed the microphone to the director of photography.
He stood up and went to get water from the water dispenser, giving his boss Roger and the director of photography a chance to communicate privately.
Of course, Ronald still pricked up his ears and listened to the words coming from the other side.
"Yeah, Roger, it's Dean. Joe shot the first take, and Ronnie shot the rest... He's got some street smarts... He knows how to position the camera and get the actors moving... He's got good communication skills... He solved a big problem with the shoot yesterday... The actors' performances were good... I think it's fine... OK... I'll watch him."
After Ronald finished drinking the water in the glass, Dean Cundey handed the receiver back to him.
"Ronnie, do you know the one-main-two-over-the-shoulder shot?" Roger Coleman's voice came from the receiver.
"Uh? Should we shoot a master shot first, and then two over-the-shoulder shots, positive and negative?"
"Yes, very good. It seems that you have learned how to be a director. Hahaha..."
Roger Corman made a joke. From the sound of it, the boss was in a good mood.
"Then you will be in charge of the filming before I arrive on the set."
"Thank you for your trust, Mr. Corman. Is there anything I should be aware of?"
"Communicate more with Dean, respect the actors' opinions on performance, remember to shoot enough takes, and finally, shoot faster."
"Okay, Mr. Corman. Then I'll discuss the shooting with Mr. Cundey. Before you come, according to the progress, it is expected that we can shoot 4-6 scenes."
"Very good. I will ask my assistant, Gail, to go to the crew as well. When I arrive at the scene, we will discuss what to do next. Go ahead, kid. I know you have talent, and you won't let me down."
"Thank you for your trust, Mr. Corman. Bye." Ronald was very happy that Roger Corman agreed to let him shoot.
It seems that the rumors about the boss being stingy are very accurate. As long as you prescribe the right remedy, you will be pleasantly surprised.
After hanging up the phone, "Okay, let's go back and continue shooting?" Ronald asked.
"You are the director, you have the final say."