Since Philippe LaSalle would be back soon, Murphy decided not to hire a replacement cinematographer. Instead, he adjusted the shooting schedule to minimize the impact of Philippe's absence by shifting action scenes to be filmed under the direction of the stunt team. Murphy himself would handle some of the typical long-shot scenes.
On set, six people stood in front of a green screen, facing off against Henry Cavill, who was dressed in black. Liam Neeson, in high boots, stayed on the outskirts, shouting commands.
Murphy sat behind the director's monitor, watching the transmitted footage, leaving the on-site direction to the stunt coordinator.
To gain immense strength, one must endure hellish training, and Henry Cavill's character was no exception.
The action scenes were filmed in short segments, with the longest shot not exceeding twenty seconds. This was Murphy's preference, as short segments facilitate post-production editing and enhance the film's overall pacing. Murphy believed that Michael Bay's shooting and editing techniques for action scenes were worth emulating, albeit with modifications to suit his film's style.
By noon, Murphy had completed filming Henry Cavill's training scenes. The set, which was due for demolition, had one final scene left: a conversation between Henry Cavill's character and Liam Neeson's mentor character.
Before the afternoon shoot began, Murphy called Henry Cavill and Liam Neeson over.
"This scene marks the beginning of your ideological conflict," Murphy said seriously. "Henry, Chris starts off as a lost child. Raynor helped him find his way."
Turning to Liam Neeson, Murphy continued, "Liam, your goal isn't to set Chris on the right path but to lead him down a path you firmly believe in."
Liam Neeson nodded. "I understand. My character isn't inherently evil."
He paused, tapping his head. "The evil lies in the ideologies ingrained here, the unchangeable beliefs."
Murphy gave him a thumbs-up. "Exactly!"
The protagonists and antagonists, who were once almost like father and son, ultimately become enemies due to differing ideologies.
Chris Dane, played by Henry Cavill, had been influenced by many and had grown up in a complete family, making him complex despite his extreme actions due to setbacks. Even with Raynor's mentor-like influence, Chris remained a multifaceted character.
Raynor, portrayed by Liam Neeson, aimed to have Chris inherit his lifelong beliefs, creating a single-minded individual to lead his organization. This ideological clash with Chris, who partially accepted Raynor's views but rejected the exclusionary and destructive aspects, was inevitable.
The shoot began, with Henry Cavill and Liam Neeson standing in the dim lighting in front of the green screen.
"Your greatest fear lies within the darkness," Liam Neeson said loudly to the visibly uneasy Henry Cavill. "But darkness is not our enemy. It is our greatest ally, providing us with cover…"
Murphy didn't need exceptional performances for these scenes, just competent acting. He slowly pulled back the main camera on a track.
"To overcome fear," Liam Neeson's voice was clearly captured by the recording equipment, "the best way is to become fear!"
"Cut!" Murphy called out, pausing the shoot. "Liam, Henry, your expressions aren't quite there."
As the actors adjusted, Murphy told the crew to reset everything and take five minutes.
While everyone else made adjustments, Murphy remained at the camera, having had an idea to use a long shot during filming.
Murphy made necessary adjustments to the camera within the five minutes. The next shoot went smoothly, with Murphy capturing the desired shot on the first take. To ensure different perspectives, he switched angles and filmed four more takes.
The best take met all his requirements.
Long shots provide a broad view, commonly used to show time, environment, scale, and atmosphere, such as expansive landscapes or crowd scenes. Murphy used it here not for these reasons, but to illustrate character traits and their transformations.
Typically, cinematographers don't use long shots to convey character traits, but Murphy wanted to experiment. He planned to present the characters from head to toe within the long shot.
Film production isn't about simple copying and pasting. By wisely utilizing such techniques, the film can gain more depth and variation.
In Murphy's most satisfying long shot, Liam Neeson's character stood heroically tall, while Henry Cavill's character appeared disadvantaged and helpless, fitting his storyline situation perfectly.
This made the long shot multifaceted, adding new meanings. It emphasized Henry Cavill's character's weakness and a subtle, pressured situation, creating a nuanced tension.
Moreover, the starkly different character portrayals in the shot helped build conflict.
Beauty lies in conflict, and Murphy relished it, no matter how ambiguous.
Such long shots also effectively captured the dialogue between the actors. Murphy interspersed these shots with two mid-shots and two close-ups, immersing the audience in the scene as if they were witnessing the conversation firsthand.
After a day's shoot, Murphy didn't immediately wrap up. He returned to the temporary screening room on set to review all the footage, focusing particularly on the long shots to identify any flaws needing reshooting.
While reviewing, Gal Gadot, having finished her tasks, joined him.
She silently pulled up a chair and sat beside Murphy, watching the footage with him.
Though she was ostensibly watching the footage, she was actually observing Murphy's process.
Watching Murphy's serious demeanor, Gal Gadot recalled a conversation they had about filmmaking: "Filmmaking is about exploration and discovery. It's about seeing the world with a child's eyes, drawing inspiration from everything in life. As a visual storyteller, you learn to observe people's motivations and the underlying factors. Or simply put, when driving past a field, whether it's natural or artificial light, you learn to feel and study the light there. This approach makes you feel like you're filming 24/7!"
Undoubtedly, Murphy dedicated immense energy to his films.
Sometimes, Gal Gadot felt that in Murphy's eyes, films came first, with her taking a backseat.
But she wasn't upset. A career-driven man was more attractive, wasn't he?
Sneaking a glance at Murphy's face, Gal Gadot sighed inwardly. "You should focus on your films. Stay away from the chaos."
Despite knowing some things were hard to avoid, she still tried to persuade him. Murphy attending Ross's trial would certainly cause a stir.
Gal Gadot didn't rush to speak, waiting until Murphy finished reviewing the footage and turned off the monitor. "We're behind schedule today. Philippe will be back tomorrow. Should we reshoot the scenes we missed?"
"Tomorrow?" Murphy shook his head. "You'll be in charge tomorrow…"
Gal Gadot frowned.
"As expected," Murphy continued, "we'll pause filming tomorrow to let Philippe rest. Also, Ross has his final hearing tomorrow. Robert said there might be a verdict, and I need to be there."
"Murphy!" Gal Gadot couldn't hold back. "Is it appropriate for you to attend? You won't help, and it could drag you into a media storm!"
She crossed her arms, looking at Murphy. "Have you thought this through?"
Murphy saw her genuine concern and gently squeezed her shoulder. "Darling, I know you're worried, but some things can't be judged rationally."
Gal Gadot rarely showed temper, but she turned away, not looking at Murphy or speaking.
"Ross is my friend." Murphy understood it was hard to grasp without his past experiences, but he explained, "We supported each other in prison. He helped me through the toughest times."
Gal Gadot sighed deeply, biting her lip. "I'll call Bill. We need to be prepared."
Murphy took her hand, leading her outside. "Let's wait until we get home. I'll call him then."
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