Chapter 7: Asking the Boss for Instructions

New World Production is a company that specializes in low-budget films. The official shooting time for the 90-minute *Rock High School* was only three weeks, and excluding Sunday breaks, that amounted to just 18 days. 

So, it was all about how quickly you could shoot as many scenes as possible. To save time, no one had time to rest after finishing a take—they immediately started preparing for the next one. 

The entire crew consisted of veterans, well-accustomed to the fast-paced rhythm of New World Productions. 

Without waiting for Ronald's instructions, the three strong men from the camera team began removing the camera from the crane arm and moving it to the front. The red-haired first assistant cameraman started setting up the gimbal, and together they all mounted the camera on it. 

Meanwhile, the wardrobe and makeup crew quickly touched up Dai Yang's makeup, with the powder puff flying. 

Soon, Ronald picked up the bullhorn and gave another command, completing another scene successfully. 

The next scene featured the protagonist PJ Soles. She played Liv Randall, who puts Ramones records on the playground's turntable, while Kate Lambeau, the top student, plugs the cable into the school's stereo system. 

As soon as the switch was flipped, all the speakers, both inside and outside the school, began blasting punk rock music by the Ramones. 

Shooting this scene required a reset. Jim began directing several crew assistants to move the props. "Place the turntable here. The cable that Dai Yang needs to connect goes here." The sound department began connecting the playground speakers to a tape recorder that would play the song for real. 

Leaving the scene preparation to Jim, Ronald went over to discuss the day's first scene with PJ Soles. 

PJ Soles was a slender beauty. She wore a red top with black-and-white polka-dotted trim, which was very eye-catching. She also had on leather pants and Converse canvas shoes—popular punk rock attire for girls in 1978. 

"You look amazing! So cool today, PJ." 

"Hey Ronnie, how does it feel to be the director?" 

"Well, maybe I'll take a photo with you later as a memento of my directing career." 

"Haha, no problem. You're doing great, Ronnie." 

"This is your debut scene. Have you figured out how to grab the audience's attention?" 

"Oh, yeah. I plan to give the audience the impression of a very energetic girl, jumping up and down..." 

Ronald's skills and experience in directing were far from enough to guide someone like PJ Soles. Seeing that her plan aligned with the vision from his dream, he pretended to appreciate it greatly and nodded frequently. 

"Perfect, let's go with that." 

At that moment, Jim came over to report that the props and set were ready. 

"Please..." Ronald gestured, guiding the two leading ladies onto the set. 

This was a long shot, and Ronald discussed the use of hyperfocal distance with the cinematographer. 

The red-haired assistant cameraman checked the aperture and, after some calculations, said, "Five meters. At five meters from the camera lens, we have the hyperfocal distance." This meant that everything in the shot would be in focus without adjusting. 

Ronald had seen this hyperfocal technique used several times on the *Rock and Roll High School* set and knew it had an impressive aesthetic effect. However, to him, the most important thing was saving time and getting more shots. 

Stepping away from the camera, Ronald walked seven paces forward and still wasn't close to the actors. He gave a reassuring gesture to Jim to proceed. 

Jim blew the whistle three times to signal the start. 

"Attention, everyone. We're officially filming..." 

"Scene 128, high school life, wide shot, first line." 

The scene began with PJ Soles placing a vinyl record on the turntable and pressing play. 

The camera then moved to Dai Yang, who pretended to connect two exposed copper wires. 

Ronald signaled the sound team to start the music. The Ramones' *Do You Wanna Dance?* began playing, with the prelude ringing out, "Didi, Didi, Didi, Didi..." 

"Cut!" 

Ronald felt like a bystander, leaving the acting to veteran PJ and the photography to cinematographer Mr. Candy. His only task was ensuring the result matched the vision from his dream—reduced to calling out "Action" and "Cut." 

"Alright. Anyway, I'm just the temporary director, and I don't know much." 

Ronald consoled himself. 

"How was it?" 

Dean Condie confirmed that the take was good. 

"Do you want to shoot a safety take?" 

"You're the director!" 

"Alright, let's shoot one more for safety." 

After capturing that shot, the sun was rising, and the magic hour light would soon fade. 

Ronald checked the shot list—there was still a wide shot of students fleeing after the principal arrived on the playground to lecture them and threaten punishment. 

"Alright, let's shoot that scene, then take a break." 

After discussing with the cinematographer, Ronald led the crew to the center of the playground. 

"Mr. Candy, do we have enough people?" 

"There's still some space, and it doesn't look crowded enough on camera." 

"Alright, let's go. All crew members—wardrobe, makeup, and extras without specific duties—please join the last row!" 

Ronald gathered about 20 crew members into the last row of the playground, standing among them. No one paid attention to their clothes or age. 

"Rolling... Camera..." 

"Action!" 

"One, two, three—run!" Ronald shouted, and the extras began running. 

"Cut, cut." 

Ronald quickly stopped them. "Were they running too fast? Mr. Candy, what do you think?" 

"Yes, and all the extras ran off-screen too quickly. The shot only lasted less than two seconds, which wasn't enough." 

Jim suddenly interjected, "Can we shoot it in undercrank?" 

The cinematographer gave a rare reply: "You want to undercrank the camera?" 

"Yes," Jim explained quietly to Ronald, who didn't quite understand. "Undercranking means shooting at a lower frame rate, so when projected at the normal 24 frames per second, it looks fast—like in old silent films, creating a comedic effect." 

"Director, what do you decide?" asked cinematographer Dean Candy. 

"Alright, let's shoot it undercranked," Ronald said, heading over to the extras. "We still need to solve the timing issue." Thinking about the scene from his dream, an idea came to him. 

"Everyone, let's change things up. With me as the center line, everyone to my left, run to the right; everyone to my right, run to the left." 

"Back to your starting positions—let's begin!" Ronald turned to the camera team. 

"No rehearsal?" Jim asked. 

"No, I want this to be spontaneous—catch genuine reactions." 

... 

"One, two, three... run!" Ronald shouted a few minutes later. This time, the extras ran in opposite directions, colliding, dodging, and screaming, making the scene last longer. 

"Cut!" Ronald turned to the cinematographer. "Mr. Candy, should we call the boss, Mr. Coleman, now?" 

The cinematographer looked at the fading magic hour light and agreed. "Alright, let's go." 

"Okay, the crew gets a 30-minute break." Jim announced the break over the bullhorn and started preparing the next scene. 

Ronald and Dean Candy headed to the office to call New World Productions. 

Using an old rotary phone, Ronald carefully rehearsed his words for his boss, Roger Coleman. 

"Beep... Beep..." After waiting several rings, someone finally answered. 

"Good morning, New World Production Company." 

A pleasant, soft voice came from the other end. 

"Is that Gail? It's Ronald, an assistant on *Rock of Ages*." 

"Oh, Ronnie! Calling so early? If I hadn't come in early today, no one would've answered. What's going on?" 

"Well, I was worried about calling too early. Is Mr. Coleman in the office? We have an emergency—Dean Condie, the cinematographer, is here with me. Director Allen fainted on set, and Joe took him to the hospital. We need a new director." 

The person on the line was Gail, Roger Corman's assistant. She wasn't like assistants at big studios—Roger Corman, a stingy boss, worked his employees relentlessly. In addition to office duties, Gail often traveled, staying as busy as a real estate agent. 

"Don't panic. I'll call Roger right away and get back to you. What's your number? (818) 778-6801? Got it. Stay by the phone; I'll call back shortly." 

Ronald hung up and looked at Dean Candy beside him. 

"So, Mr. Candy, what do you think happened to the director? Why didn't they let me take him to the hospital so Joe could stay and keep directing?" 

End of Chapter