America: Child stars start with The Shining

Hollywood, the cast and crew of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial".

Charles and several other young actors were huddled around a machine, watching the images on the screen and occasionally letting out gasps of amazement.

This scene is definitely a classic shot that will go down in film history.

Under the cover of night, the boy rode his bicycle, carrying ET, and gently lifted them into the air, soaring over the treetops and flying towards the huge, bright moon.

This effect was certainly not achieved by Charles himself riding a bicycle into the sky; he didn't have that ability. Even with wire work, it would be difficult to capture this feeling.

In fact, the entire image was pieced together using a variety of special techniques.

After repeated discussions among the production team, it was finally decided to use a miniature model to shoot this crucial silhouette shot.

The bicycles and figures in the picture are actually meticulously crafted dolls made to scale, which were then gradually completed using stop-motion photography and post-production special effects.

This is precisely why the flight attitude can be controlled so precisely, making it look like someone is actually riding a bicycle in the night sky.

The moon in the background was taken by the crew's photographer on location.

Finally, they optically composited the image of the miniature model with the moon, repeatedly adjusting the contrast and brightness to create the miraculous scene before us.

Jennifer covered her mouth and said in surprise:

"My God, Ciel, this shot is so cool!"

"This isn't me..."

Charles opened his mouth, but before he could finish speaking, he saw several children beside him turn around and look at him intently.

"Ciel, are you afraid when you fly?"

"..."

Charles sighed helplessly.

Kids really have a hard time understanding what post-production special effects are.

This is similar to explaining to them that the story in Star Wars is entirely fictional; to children of this age, everything on the screen is real.

Moreover, this was in the 1980s, and many adults, let alone children, firmly believed in aliens and UFOs.

Charles paused for two seconds, then finally decided to go along with what they were saying.

He began vaguely:

"It's alright, um, it's just... the wind is a bit strong."

"I knew it!"

One of the little boys immediately clapped his hands excitedly and said:

"I told you Ciel really did fly! You wouldn't believe me!"

Jennifer immediately retorted, sounding annoyed:

"Idiot, of course it really flew! What's in a movie can't be fake, right?"

The children immediately started discussing it amongst themselves, creating a lively scene. Charles quietly walked away from the group.

Filming for "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" has entered its later stages, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, the film will officially wrap up soon.

As for the Young Artist Award nomination that Ovitz mentioned to him earlier, the award ceremony will not be held until around the end of the year, so there is no rush for now.

His most pressing task right now is to finish filming "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" and then resolve the custody issue as soon as possible.

Today, we're going to film a stunt scene.

Not far away, Spielberg was standing with the stunt coordinator, discussing the filming plan in hushed tones.

In this scene, several children ride bicycles at high speed ahead, while police detectives chase closely behind in a car.

The visuals needed to maintain speed while also conveying a sense of suspense, and several special stunts were even designed specifically for the scene.

If we let the young actors like Ciel do the stunts themselves, it would be difficult to film some of the special effects scenes, and it would be too dangerous.

The problem is that if the entire performance is done by a stunt double, it won't look realistic enough.

Therefore, Spielberg is having a bit of a headache right now.

Charles walked over slowly. There were some bicycles used for stunts placed next to him, one of which had a faint glow on its surface.

【Title: Stuntman's Bicycle (Fine)】

[Source: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]

[Attributes: Agility +15%, Camera Performance +10%]

[Entry: Special Move (Passive)]

[Effect Description: After equipping the device, users experience a significant improvement in the execution of stunts. In stunt filming environments, it enhances movement stability and camera presence, making it easier to execute fluid movements that are both visually appealing and have strong cinematic impact.]

Charles subtly touched the bicycle, then walked up to Spielberg and said:

"Director, why don't you let me try this scene first? If the effect isn't good, we can always replace the stuntman."

Several people turned their heads at the same time to look at Charles.

The stunt coordinator frowned and spoke first, offering a reminder:

"Charles, this isn't just ordinary cycling footage. It involves sharp turns, dodging, and being followed by a car. Do you know what that means?"

Charles nodded:

"Of course I know, that's why I said let's try it first, maybe we can try a slightly safer shot..."

He tried to argue his case again, and finally, Spielberg looked at him for a few seconds before speaking:

"Let's try the simplest shots first, make sure the safety measures are in place, and let Ciel do it alone for now. The other roles will still be done by stunt doubles."

Soon, a small filming location was set up.

Today's scene is an outdoor shoot; large-scale special effects cannot be completed in a studio.

The route was marked on the ground with tape, and some boxes and props were placed on both sides as obstacles. A car was parked in the distance, ready to follow and film.

Charles took a deep breath, pushed the bicycle to the starting point, followed by a group of stunt performers.

"Action!"

As the script supervisor's voice faded, he flipped himself onto the bike, gripped the handlebars with both hands, and with a sudden push of the pedals, he shot off at great speed.

Behind them, sirens blared, and several cars followed.

Soon, at the first turn, Charles made almost no unnecessary movements, just slightly leaned his body forward, and the car cut along the curve, the tires drawing a beautiful trajectory along the ground.

The stunt coordinator, standing next to the monitor, raised an eyebrow.

This little guy actually perfectly recreated the play he had just described, and his movements were very crisp and clean.

Next, there is a sloping section of road.

Charles slightly lifted the front wheel, using the slope to leap lightly into the air, drawing a clean arc in the air. Upon landing, the vehicle only shuddered slightly before immediately regaining its balance.

The action was perfectly timed, and Charles's route cleverly left half a car body to the outside, giving the camera enough space to capture the shot.

He completed the final drift and decelerated, bringing the car to a steady stop.

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Even the noisiest child actors were now staring blankly at Charles in the center of the arena, mouths agape.

The stunt coordinator was the first to recover and couldn't help but swear:

"Holy shit..."

Is this the kind of performance a seven-year-old could produce?!