America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 240, Page 239: The Eye Contact Between Two Film Queens

Paris, France.

This romantic city, which had not yet been occupied by blacks, was filled with marches and shouts for the French to get out of Paris.

The Pont d'Haccommod, one of two viaducts in Paris, connects the 15th and 16th arrondissements.

Based on the construction date, this year marks the 99th anniversary of the bridge, which has undergone numerous repairs, renovations, and reinforcements since then.

It is one of the tourist attractions in Paris. You can say that boats pass under the bridge, or that the subway passes over it, but the best way is to walk through the middle.

The film "Last Tango in Paris" was filmed here, and today it is also a filming location for "Inception".

MGM negotiated a contract with the Paris city government three months in advance. Generally speaking, major countries and cities welcome big-budget, well-known film crews to come and film on location.

Once the movie is released, it will greatly boost and promote the local tourism industry, and also generate rental fees, making it a highly profitable business.

For example, the sign for Zhangjiajie, the filming location for Avatar, is still hanging there after many years.

Inception perfectly meets the standards of a big-budget production, big-name directors, and a big crew.

So when they arrived in Paris, the local government readily gave them the green light, and the police station specially dispatched five police cars to block the area.

Makeup artists applied makeup to the actors, stylists coordinated the styles, and Eric toured the set.

As the assistant director, Neill Bromkamp was very excited and ran around much more enthusiastically than Eric.

If he can land this role and perform well, he'll be able to direct it independently. He's already read the script for "Chronicle".

Although it doesn't seem to use many large-scale scenes, which is a bit different from what I imagined a sci-fi movie to be, it wins because of its exciting story and well-developed conflicts, which he really likes.

After adjusting the camera position and exchanging a few words with the cameraman, Eric looked at Neil.

"You're getting too excited, young man. Tone it down a bit; too much of a good thing can be bad, you know?"

"Okay, director, I'll go get some water."

"Yes, you've worked with me on three films. People who work with me always improve the fastest. You already have enough experience to accumulate, so don't be nervous."

Neil touched his nose: "It's just the first time, I'll get back into shape right away."

At 9:30 a.m., all preparations were complete. Although the weather in March had already left the cold winter behind, there was still a cool breeze.

However, this is actually a good thing, because a thicker layer gives stylists more room for styling, and the effect presented to Eric right now is quite good.

Bale was dressed in a casual suit and leather shoes, unlike Batman who was always so formal and stiff; he seemed more relaxed and at ease in his everyday life.

Charlize Theron wore a cream-colored wool coat, with her curly hair flowing down her shoulders. The hair at the back of her head swayed in the wind, sometimes obscuring her eyes and sometimes revealing them, giving her a mysterious and dangerous look.

Neeko's look is somewhat the opposite of Theron's; she also wears a wool coat, but it's red.

The two goddesses are about the same height, around 180cm, and their outfits perfectly showcase their outstanding figures.

On the other hand, Bale is 183cm tall, so the difference isn't that big. To appear taller, one would need to use height-increasing insoles and camera techniques.

The storyline to be filmed revolves around the three of them.

After accepting Saito's task, Cobb decided to assemble a team. Due to the presence of Mel, he could not take on the role of the Dream Weaver and had to seek help in Paris.

An old acquaintance recommended a powerful dream architect to him—Ariel Ridene, played by Nicole Kidman.

But just to be on the safe side, Cobb needed to test the other party's strength first. He wanted to know just how powerful this so-called powerful dream architect really was.

Ariel Rendez-vous is no longer the naive female student played by Ellen Page in the original novel. She appears as a top expert who is no less skilled than Cobb, with an arrogant personality and naturally resentment towards Cobb.

So, with the help of an old acquaintance, the two began a contest, with Arielindney agreeing to help Cobb if he won.

The contest is between Heath Ledger's character Arthur, who is the dream master, and the two dream architects who enter Arthur's dream to compete.

The scene that takes place at Bill Hackham Bridge is one of the locations where the two characters clash.

The most exciting scene in the original version comes from this point; the folded city scene shocked countless viewers at the time.

Although Eric had been in the industry for several years, he had some experience.

But when I watched this scene in the movie theater, I was just like any other audience member, my heart pounding with excitement and amazement.

Later, when Doctor Strange was released, the battles between sorcerers also used the method of folded cities to showcase magnificent imagination. Its inspiration came from Inception, and many people immediately felt a sense of familiarity when they watched it.

Eric planned to film this dream battle in a way similar to the fighting style in "Doctor Strange," giving it a boost.

Dreams are inherently free and unrestrained, theoretically even more so than those of magicians.

Moreover, since the two were in Arthur's dream and not on an important mission, the duel between the two powerful dream architects should have been spectacular and exciting, aiming to give this year's audience a sneak peek.

"Director, wouldn't it be better to use special effects for this scene?" Neil asked, pointing to the storyboard.

"Yes, let's shoot all the scenes that can be filmed live first, and then add special effects in the studio later."

"What about this scene? Arthur's spinning fight with the enemy? Wouldn't that be easier to achieve with special effects?"

Eric made a final adjustment to the lens to make sure everything was correct.

"Neil, I know it would be easier to use special effects, but there's one more compelling reason to shoot live than with special effects."

"What?"

"save money!"

"Uh, I get it!"

Eric patted him on the shoulder: "When you actually become a director or a producer, you'll think about these things. Would you choose to make the actors work harder but save them tens of millions of dollars, or make their lives easier but cost a lot more?"

"I choose to save money," Neil said without hesitation.

Although he didn't know the exact cost of Inception, he could foresee that it would be higher than that of Transformers.

When filming "Transformers," MGM belonged to Eric K., and he didn't receive a single penny throughout the entire process.

Now that the company has been relisted, he must keep his personal and professional life separate. As the producer, screenwriter, and director, his salary will definitely not be less than $2000 million, and may also include a share of the box office revenue.

The actors were even more extravagant. Chris Evans, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds were only paid a few dollars back then. The entire cast and crew could be satisfied with just $200 million.

What about Inception?

Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman both received $1000 million per film, a standard for Oscar-winning actresses.

Although Christian Bale is not an Oscar winner, his acting skills are undeniable. He has been nominated for numerous international awards and earns a base salary of $500 million per film.

Heath Ledger, a rising Australian star who has made rapid progress in recent years, has considerable appeal among young people and has won several film festival awards. His salary is around $400 million per film.

Although the salaries of actors such as Tom Hardy, Maurice Chestnut, and Daniel Brühl were not high, they still amounted to several million dollars in total.

The film's budget alone, including actor salaries, will exceed $3000 million, dozens of times that of Transformers.

This filming also lacked military support, did not provide free soldiers, and involved shooting in several countries, so the total personnel costs will exceed ten million US dollars.

In addition, there are various expenses such as background music, theme song, mixing, and editing.

After factoring everything in, we still have to add the huge expense of special effects. If we were to spend over 1 million on special effects like in "Transformers," Eric simply couldn't afford it.

Because MGM has so many projects this year, even though they made a lot of money last year, they can't spend money recklessly and have to be more frugal.

What's more, the props department employs hundreds of people, including many experienced prop masters. Their overall capabilities are number one in Hollywood, or more accurately, number one in the world. Why not use them?

"Inception, Scene 35, Act 1, Action!"

At Eric's command, four cameras sped up, capturing footage from various angles.

Heading towards the bridge, Bell jogged to the bridgehead, his face showing vigilance and caution, glancing left and right as he slowed his pace.

As Bell moved forward, the cameraman carried the camera and retreated step by step, while Eric and Neil stood behind the cameraman watching the recorded footage.

In areas out of camera range, the sound engineer held the equipment high, suspending the microphone above Bale's head to record his lines.

When he reached the first step, Bell's raised foot paused in mid-air before falling back to the ground.

His scrutinizing gaze intensified, as if his intuition told him that this must be Ariradine's hiding place, and that he was about to find her.

Behind the camera, Eric nodded. Good actors will study the character themselves and add various details to enrich the character's personality and make the character seem more real.

Eric's storyboard was already very detailed, but it was impossible to cover everything.

All I can say is that if you film according to his script, there won't be any mistakes, and you can capture some of the essence of the story.

However, many of the brilliant moments and famous lines still require improvisation on the spot, and Bale clearly did his homework well, adding more details for Cobb.

"You have exceptional intuition; you're an excellent dream architect. Why would you need to find another one?"

Off-camera, Nicole's voice rang out, but she was only heard, not seen, even though she was actually standing right next to Bell.

Upon hearing the sound, Bell began to pretend to search, becoming more cautious.

Pretending to be blind when someone is right in front of you seems ridiculous, but that's how movies are made.

When this scene is finally shown on the big screen, it will become something like the effect of a telepathic message in a martial arts movie, where I am not physically present, but my presence is felt all around me.

"Ariredney, you're here after all. I'm going to catch you," Bell said, looking around.

"No, I can leave anytime, but the game gets boring if it's played like this. Cobb, you haven't answered the question yet: why do we need two Dream Weavers?"

"Cut! That was a good cut!"

After Eric finished speaking, Nicole left her spot and walked onto the bridge to stand in place, and a group of staff members repositioned themselves.

"Inception, Scene 35, Act 2, Action!"

Bell turned around abruptly and saw Nico standing not far away as if she had appeared out of thin air.

He stepped onto the stairs with a solemn expression, and the distance between the two gradually closed.

They looked at each other in silence, neither of them uttering a word.

A breeze blew across the river, and Nicole's hair moved with it.

Eric snapped his fingers, a signal to them that would be erased later.

Upon hearing the snap of their fingers, the two simultaneously waved their arms and stared sharply at each other, as if casting a spell.

Nico then leaned against a bridge pillar, while Bell stumbled back several steps as if she had suddenly lost her balance.

"OMG! If I had to do that, I'd be so embarrassed I'd want to crawl into the ground."

"It really looks ridiculous, even more ridiculous than before. If this part were released, people would definitely think that two lunatics had gone on a rampage."

"Hehehe, I wonder what it will look like with special effects added?"

"What if it's really cool? It feels like something out of an anime."

"Mr. Watanabe, I didn't expect you to have such a childlike heart."

Watching Neeko and Bell's comical antics, Theron, Heath Ledger, Ken Watanabe, and others laughed and whispered among themselves.

"Cut! Do it again! Bell, your movements are a bit stiff, relax a bit."

Bale nodded: "It's not very convenient to do the action in a suit, Director. Let me take off my jacket, it should be much better."

"Okay, let's see how it goes."

As he spoke, he walked over to Nicole and noticed that during the filming, he realized that her movements weren't graceful enough and she couldn't bring the images in his mind to life.

The action director also rushed over, and the three of them discussed it for a while and redesigned some of the movements.

The stand-in also crammed in at the last minute, and if Neeko couldn't do it well, the stand-in would be used if necessary.

Sometimes using a stunt double isn't necessarily a sign of unprofessionalism on the part of the actor. When an actor is genuinely unable to perform a scene, using a stunt double is perfectly acceptable in order to maintain the aesthetic appeal of the scene and avoid wasting too much filming time.

Of course, using stunt doubles extensively is definitely unprofessional, especially for dramatic scenes.

Doesn't he know how to use his hands, or even his mouth?

Filming resumed after about ten minutes, and the two performed several more comical action scenes before Eric finally called it a day.

"Inception, Scene 36, Act 1, Action!"

The contest between the two ended in a draw.

The scene changes, and Nicole stands on a high place, looking at Bell a few meters away.

"Cobb, I admit your abilities are outstanding, but that only makes me more puzzled. Why do we need two Dream Weavers?"

Bell blinked a few times. For the sake of the mission, he pondered for a few seconds and seemed to decide to tell the other party. He took a deep breath and was about to speak.

Boom

Suddenly, an engine roared.

Suddenly, a Hummer came hurtling towards Bell at high speed.

In the footage, Charlize Theron can be seen driving through the windshield.

"Cut! That's a good shot! Change players!"

At Eric's command, Theron got out of the car, and the professional stuntman took the driver's seat.

"Bell, let's use a stunt double," Nils Bromkamp advised.

Bell, however, insisted, "I can do it. Don't worry, there won't be any problems. Besides, isn't there insurance?"

"Don't mention insurance; the more you mention it, the more likely something bad will happen!"

The scene involves Mel suddenly appearing and running over Cobb. Even with a professional stunt actor, Eric decided to use a stunt double just in case.

But Bell insisted on doing it himself, and Eric couldn't persuade him otherwise, so he decided to give him a chance.

But only once; if it fails, you must immediately find another person.

"Inception, Scene 36, Act 2, Action!"

Boom

The Hummer sped toward Bell, who turned around sharply upon hearing the sound.

Clang!

Just then, the pressure restraints on his body were immediately pulled, and Bell was sent flying backward, landing precisely at the predetermined landing point, which had been covered with thick foam boards.

Seeing that nothing unexpected had happened, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Cut! Fantastic!"

Eric went over and helped Bell up: "How are you? Are you feeling unwell?"

Bell smiled and said, "That's wonderful."

Eric laughed heartily and looked at everyone, saying, "See? Such an excellent actor, I'm sure he can win an Oscar."

Everyone applauded and gave a thumbs up.

Charlize Theron then replaced the stunt performer and got back into the car.

"Inception, Scene 36, Act 3, Action!"

In the shot, Neeko and Theron are looking at each other, their eyes conveying a mysterious message.

"So this is why you need two Dream Builders!"

(End of this chapter)