The Greatest Showman #1103 - Special Equipment

Renly was lost in thought.

The words exchanged between Rooney, Alfonso, and himself collided in his mind, sparking countless ideas. Not only was Ryan Stone's character becoming more concrete, but the method and content of its presentation were also starting to take shape.

It was an intoxicating process, easy to get swept up in.

But soon, Renly realized they had been so absorbed in the character that they were overlooking the environment itself.

Looking at it from a purely environmental perspective, he could see many parallels between Gravity and Buried Alive in terms of emotional expression and transmission. But once he immersed himself in the thought process, Renly realized that separating the character from the environment was inherently flawed. The difference between the two settings was immense: one was suffocatingly narrow, and the other vast and all-encompassing. Psychologically, the two environments were worlds apart, and when combined with Ryan's psychological evolution, the gap grew wider. It wasn't just a difference—it was a transformation.

Renly raised his head and noticed the concern on Alfonso's face and the eager anticipation in Rooney's eyes. They were waiting for him to speak, but the room fell silent.

"What's wrong?" Renly asked, his eyes widening with curiosity.

Alfonso fidgeted, unsure of how to express his thoughts. Meanwhile, Rooney's eyes sparkled with excitement as she couldn't contain her enthusiasm.

"How's it going?" she asked eagerly. "Have you figured out the context yet? How will this scene play out? God, I can't even imagine how difficult the performance will be—this is bigger than I expected!"

Her vibrant energy was contagious, and Renly chuckled. "I've got some ideas, but it's not fully clear yet. I need to think it through a bit more. I don't want to rush into any conclusions."

He then turned to Alfonso. "When you were in London, you mentioned a new method of shooting to create a real weightless effect. Can I take a look at it?"

Shooting methods had a direct impact on how actors performed.

A prime example was green-screen acting, common in superhero films, where actors often perform in front of a blank green canvas. They have little idea of the scene's scale, the size of their opponents, or even their own character's placement within the scene. It's a challenging task, requiring immense imagination.

Renly had experienced different filming methods during Edge of Tomorrow and Fast and Furious 5. He'd learned a lot from those experiences, gaining a new understanding of how filming techniques could transform the industry. And now, with Gravity, he needed to immerse himself in the filming process once again to adjust his performance accordingly.

It reminded him of being "buried alive" for a scene—a concept he didn't mind revisiting if it was necessary.

"Of course, of course!" Alfonso snapped back into focus, nodding eagerly. He stood up, motioning for Renly to follow. "Let's go take a look."

Renly and Rooney followed Alfonso as he led them into the studio.

At first glance, the studio appeared unremarkable—a vast warehouse space filled with strange and unfamiliar equipment. Unlike other filming locations, which featured detailed set designs, this studio seemed sparse, with odd instruments and devices scattered about. If Renly had to guess, he'd say this was special equipment designed exclusively for a single movie—equipment that, once the film was finished, would be dismantled and discarded.

It reminded Renly of the scene in Inception where the rotating corridor fight was filmed. There was a similar feeling here, with the space filled with mechanical, almost surreal equipment. One piece, in particular, caught Renly's attention.

On the left, a peculiar machine stood out. It resembled an octopus mounted on a four-wheeled electric vehicle. At first glance, it seemed like an odd hybrid of a wheelchair and a robotic arm.

Upon closer inspection, Renly realized it was a highly specialized filming tool: a motorized lift table with robotic arms, one holding a camera, the other providing lighting. Wires and gears connected the machine, making it look like something straight out of a car repair shop, cobbled together from various parts.

"That was our first version of the filming tool," Alfonso explained, noting Renly's curiosity. "Originally, we planned to fix the actors to the operating table, then use the lift table and robotic arms to adjust the angle and speed to create a weightless effect. At the same time, the robotic arms would help with lighting to enhance the illusion of complete visual disorientation."

Renly tried to visualize the process, but it was hard to imagine how it would play out. He understood the concept, but the idea of performing in such a setup was still a bit beyond his grasp. It was clear that engineering and film production were very different worlds, even if he had experience in both.

"But?" Renly raised an eyebrow, noticing the hesitation in Alfonso's tone.

"However," Alfonso continued, "we scrapped this method after the test shoots. The setup was too bulky, and the robotic arms weren't flexible enough. The weightlessness effect wasn't convincing, and the lighting was too rigid. It was a disaster for the actors' performances. Plus, we had to speed up the film's pace, which made it even worse. It just didn't work."

Alfonso gestured broadly as he spoke, a little lost in the technical details. "So, after more testing, we came up with the light box."

As Alfonso led the group to the right, he called out, "Tim! Tim! Renly's here. We're ready for the theoretical demo. Let's try it out, see how the shooting effect looks."

A middle-aged man emerged from the shadows. With a beer belly, a receding hairline, and messy curly hair, he didn't look like someone you'd expect to meet on a Hollywood set. He was dressed casually, but there was something about him that radiated competence. Despite his disheveled appearance, he was no ordinary technician.

Timothy-Ebber, the visual effects supervisor behind iconic films like Avatar, Children of Men, The Dark Knight, and Harry Potter, was well-respected in the industry. He had worked alongside industry giants like James Cameron and George Lucas.

Timothy glanced up, rolled up his sleeves, and nonchalantly said, "Test now? Or do you just want to take a tour? If it's just a tour, we can do it with the regular lights."

Renly responded before Alfonso could. "Let's test it. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to sit on the machine and feel the effect. Maybe we can try a short shot to check the setup."

Despite it being the first day on set, Renly was in great spirits. After a long journey, he was eager to dive into the work and see how things felt.

Timothy shrugged. "As you wish." He turned to the crew. "Ben, Matt, fire up the light box. We're testing the real shooting effect now."

As the group approached, the studio lights flickered on. It was as if millions of stars had suddenly gathered to form a sun, shining brilliantly in close range.