Chapter 328: Visiting the Set
Chapter 328: Visiting the Set
This scene involved Willie Lopez, the secondary antagonist who killed Sam. After being frightened by Sam’s ghost, he fled the Oda Mae apartment in panic and was accidentally struck and killed on the street.
For such a minor role, Eric naturally had no intention of searching for the original actor. Instead, the casting director selected a Latino actor in his thirties named Philip Reed.
The shot where Willie was sent flying after being hit by the truck was also fairly dangerous. Therefore, even though Philip Reed only played a small role, a stunt double still had to be used. Otherwise, if Philip Reed were accidentally injured, the crew would have no choice but to recast the role temporarily.
“Stan, everything ready?” Eric walked over and asked.
“Of course. I guarantee nothing will go wrong. Let’s shoot,” Stan Winston said with a ready gesture.
Eric returned behind the monitor and inspected the surroundings once more. After confirming there would be no problems, he finally called for action.
A red sedan and a truck drove toward each other. In the shot, Willie, played by Philip Reed, wore a terrified expression yet forgot to dodge. On another monitor, the two vehicles crashed together with a loud bang.
“Good, one take. Effects crew, get ready. Hey, you two, help Mr. Reed over there to rest,” Eric said with relief. No accidents. Very good.
Philip Reed, standing beside the two crashed vehicles, had already gone weak with fear and was helped away by two crew members. Although the stunt team had repeatedly guaranteed there would be no danger, and Philip Reed’s position had posed no actual risk, watching two vehicles collide right beside him still naturally frightened him. However, it was impossible to use a stunt double for this frontal shot.
Once Philip Reed left, preparations were quickly made, and a stunt performer dressed exactly like Philip Reed stepped out. Standing in the gap between the two vehicles, wires attached to his body, he prepared to film the shot where Willie was thrown through the air.
This shot was actually quite difficult. To avoid exposing the trick, after flying through the air, the stuntman had to land face-first. Therefore, he also wore protective gear over his face.
Although the stunt team from Stan Winston Studio was highly experienced, this shot still required seven or eight attempts before succeeding. The stuntman endured being slammed to the ground seven or eight times in succession. After all, accurately landing face-first was no easy task.
After completing these two shots, filming afterward proceeded much more smoothly, including the scene where Willie’s soul was dragged away by the Grim Reapers. In reality, it was simply the previously prepared extras in blue skintight suits dragging the screaming Willie into a corner. During post-production, these people would be digitally transformed into the desired Grim Reaper appearance.
Although these scenes sounded simple, after filming them one after another, it was already past eleven at night before anyone realized it. By the time the crew wrapped for the day and Eric returned to the hotel where the production team was staying, it was already after twelve-thirty in the morning.
“Eric, I had the kitchen prepare a late-night meal.”
Joanna Pakula, who had just finished showering and had been sitting in the living room watching television out of boredom, immediately stood up when Eric came out from his own shower.
Eric stepped forward and kissed the woman on the cheek. “Didn’t I tell you? If we wrap too late, you should just rest first.”
The woman took the towel from Eric’s hands and carefully dried his wet hair as she said, “It’s fine. Didn’t you make me your personal assistant? Then of course I should do the job properly.”
Eric grinned mischievously and wrapped an arm around her waist. “You’re this obedient? Does that mean you’ll do anything I ask?”
Joanna Pakula struggled slightly, but failed to break free from the man’s embrace. She soon softened but still did not answer Eric’s question directly. Instead, she tossed the towel aside and complained, “You’ve been busy all day. Eat your supper and get some rest early. Anyway… there’s plenty of time in the future.”
“Then stay here tonight. I want to hold you while I sleep,” Eric said softly, breathing in the faint fragrance of her hair.
“Fine, fine. Ah, stop touching already. The food’s going cold. Hurry and eat.”
After fooling around affectionately for a while, Eric finally walked over to the dining table. While eating his late-night meal, he occasionally chatted with the woman leaning against the sofa watching him.
After that day, Eric had forcefully brought Joanna Pakula to New York. Joanna Pakula had not resisted, and after spending these days together, she had gradually developed a faint sense of dependence on Eric.
It took a full two weeks to complete all the special-effects-related scenes for Ghost. Only after thoroughly reviewing and confirming everything was correct did Eric hand the sample reels over to Stan Winston and the others to take back to Los Angeles for post-production.
The special effects used in Ghost were actually relatively simple, and there were not many effects shots. Some scenes could even be completed using nothing more than primitive film overlay techniques.
Therefore, even though Eric demanded very high-quality effects for certain shots, post-production still would not take more than a month. At most, everything would be completed by the end of May. By then, given Eric’s filming speed, the entire movie would not be far from wrapping.
After the special effects portion was completed, it was already May. Gradually, people began visiting the set. What surprised Eric most was that the first visitors were Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump.
It was noon. Since they were filming several outdoor scenes involving Sam accompanying Oda Mae to withdraw money from a bank, the crew had closed off a not-too-busy street in Manhattan.
“Eric, I really owe you an apology. I couldn’t help much with what happened before,” Donald Trump said as soon as he saw Eric.
Eric smiled. Donald Trump truly could not have helped with that matter. “It’s fine, Donald. Right, how are things on your side?”
At this question, Donald Trump revealed a smile. “Not bad. I finally managed to get through it. Thanks to your earlier reminder, after putting in some effort, the banks had no choice but to continue lending to me. The resort has now been fully completed, and part of it is already operating. At least I won’t go bankrupt anymore.”
After speaking, Donald Trump produced a card from his pocket as if performing a magic trick and handed it to Eric. “This is a membership card for my resort. Of course, it’s the highest-level one. If you have time, you should visit Atlantic City sometime.”
Eric accepted the membership card with a smile. After thinking for a moment, he recalled that Atlantic City should be in New Jersey. He had never been there before. Some time ago, he vaguely remembered seeing entertainment news about Michael Jackson attending the opening ceremony of Trump’s resort.
“If I get the chance, I’ll go take a look,” Eric said before turning toward the little girl carrying a stuffed toy and curiously wandering around nearby. “Ini, why aren’t you greeting me? You look so unhappy. Did someone bully you?”