Chapter 25

Kaminsky's eyes lit up, "Great idea! If I process the film negatives with special treatment to fade the colors, it will meet the director's needs. I happen to have the equipment with me, let's give it a try."

The experiment was very successful. The cold, muted colors were not as bright as modern film, but they gave a more cold and realistic feel. After the fading treatment, it would definitely meet the standards. Spielberg was very satisfied, and everyone else breathed a sigh of relief.

But at this moment, everyone seemed to have overlooked Chen Tian's contribution, choosing to remain silent. Only Toby patted Chen Tian's shoulder as an encouragement. Chen Tian shrugged, indicating it was no big deal.

Spielberg suddenly said, "The next scene is the assault on the enemy's heavily fortified high ground. Captain Miller sends the sniper Jackson to break through the encirclement. Do you understand the plot, Christmas?"

Chen Tian was taken aback, "Yes, Director."

"Then go and prepare. We'll shoot that scene tomorrow."

Everyone was stunned. Captain Miller and the sniper Jackson were the main characters in the main plot. Such shooting arrangements were usually personally supervised by Spielberg. Spielberg was undoubtedly a genius, and geniuses have few friends. He didn't trust many others in filming. Now, he was entrusting such an important scene to Christmas. Why?

Adam, who had just scolded Chen Tian, showed a flash of resentment and jealousy in his eyes.

"Alright, I'll go."

Chen Tian chose to ignore everyone's gazes and walked away without hesitation.

He understood that not drawing envy meant being mediocre, and this was not China. Playing it safe wouldn't work; the more talented you were, the more respect you would earn. Besides, his eagerness to join the team wasn't just for learning, which would be too childish. He needed DreamWorks to invest in his directorial debut. The better he performed, the more convincing he would be.

Although he was confident in the script, the key was who he collaborated with. Collaborating with an exclusive, unfamiliar major player or a familiar big boss? The choice was clear.

Chen Tian had to build some credentials. Otherwise, as an outsider suddenly breaking into Hollywood, even if the movie was a success, he would get very little profit. If he could build a good relationship with DreamWorks, showing his capital and potential, it would be easier to discuss the next steps.

Negotiations between unequal parties are never fair.

After Chen Tian left, Spielberg immediately instructed, "Keep this set of shots. Edit the five shots before and after, remove the continuity errors, and don't cut a second more. Show me the edited version."

"Ah, oh, okay," the editor Michael Kahn responded.

Now they were using a digital editing system, which was quick and convenient, but Spielberg required the use of traditional hand-cutting methods for this film, which made his job more difficult.

Seeing that a few people were still dazed, Spielberg shouted, "Don't you understand? I want to realistically depict the cruelty of war. It's not just about the main actors' performances; that's not enough. Sometimes, the side effects are more direct. These shots meet my requirements and are the only ones that can be used directly after a week of shooting. Get your act together, I need you to discard any distractions and fully commit to the work."

The director's outburst startled everyone, and they quickly returned to their work.

The next day, when they shot the scene of the assault on the high ground, everyone understood why Spielberg made such an arrangement.

"Christmas, I see you're always around here. Are you in charge of today's scene?" Tom Hanks waved to him. His face was smeared with dirt, looking like he had just rolled out of the battlefield.

Chen Tian smiled and walked over, "Yes, idol. The director asked me to prepare today's scene. Your face looks bad, did you sleep well last night?"

Tom Hanks twisted his waist, "Not really, it feels like it's about to break."

"I know some massage techniques, can I take a look?"

"Come on, mysterious Chinese massage," Tom Hanks teased.

Chen Tian bent down and lightly pressed a few times, making Tom Hanks frown but not cry out. He noticed this and frowned, "Idol, is your bed too soft?"

"How did you know? The hotel bed is quite comfortable."

Chen Tian said seriously, "It seems you have a twisted waist. I'll call the doctor to check you. Also, idol, it's best to sleep on the floor for the next few nights. After a long day of work and a sudden change in environment, you might feel some discomfort."

Hearing Chen Tian's serious tone, even the sniper Barry Pepper was worried, "Do you know medicine?"

"Not really, let the doctor check you," Chen Tian turned and called the doctor over.

It was less than a month into the filming, and the lead actor was injured. Even Spielberg came over, "How is it?"

The doctor said, "A sudden change in sleep habits, some strain on the waist. I need to bandage him."

Tom Hanks, clearly knowing everyone's biggest concern, said, "It's fine, not serious. The shooting can continue."

"Tom, take a break first," Spielberg advised.

"I'm fine, Director. Is today's scene all set? Don't waste time, let's start."

Spielberg, who had worked with Tom Hanks for many years, clearly understood him and looked at Chen Tian with a serious expression, "Christmas, how's the preparation?"

Chen Tian said, "Director, just give the signal to start."

"Oh?" The entire director's team stared at him, this braggart.

Spielberg was also surprised but didn't say much. He walked behind the camera and waved to start.

"Attention, all departments. Action... Ready, action..."

Gunfire erupted immediately. Barry Pepper, playing the sniper Daniel Jackson, shouted as he rushed into the scene, "Jackson reporting, sir."

"He's injured." "Oh, God." "Ah, I'm deaf, I can't hear anything." "Get him out, quickly." Captain Miller's shouts echoed, and the entire battlefield was a cacophony of sounds.

"Bang" Suddenly, a cold shot rang out, and a soldier who had just taken off his helmet was shot through the back of his head, blood spraying a foot away, and he fell with his mouth open. The director's team and the production team were all shocked by this insane scene.

But the most striking part was the reaction of the others in the trench. No one paid any more attention to the comrade whose head had been shot through, as death was always chasing them, and people were dying all around. There was no time to notice the dead.

The cruelty and coldness of war were vividly portrayed through this small arrangement.

The gunfire gradually faded, and Captain Miller extended a small mirror from behind the obstacle to check the enemy situation.

"Jackson."

"Here."

"Charge, I'll cover you. Take out that machine gunner."

The camera panned to the machine gun positions on the high ground. Barry Pepper zigzagged through the gunfire, rolling as he went, successfully reaching the cover and setting up his sniper rifle. He prayed as he sniped, "Lord, please don't leave me, bang~"

"My savior, please come to my aid, bang~" Two shots, and it was done.

"Good!"

The director finally called cut, and applause broke out around. The extras were all stunned. When had there ever been applause on the set?

The following few shots were also excellent. Captain Miller's performance was good, but the sniper Jackson's acting was very vivid. The transitions between close and wide shots were very natural, especially the close-up of his eyes when he shot, which was fantastic!

"Great job, one take!"

There was no need to watch it again; Spielberg directly approved it.

Toby Hawkins patted Chen Tian's shoulder, "Good job, buddy."

"No, it's not my credit, the actors performed well, the idol and Barry."

"Cut it out, how did you come up with such a shot arrangement? The sniper's movements were very cool," Toby asked, and others were also very interested in this question.

"Nothing much, the director asked me to do it yesterday, and I had nothing else to do, so I rehearsed it over and over. Luckily, everyone was very cooperative."

He made it sound simple, but the key was how to rehearse it over and over. Otherwise, Spielberg wouldn't have to personally supervise the main shots.

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