"Do we need to keep him restrained like this?"
"Yes, he just escaped from a high-security prison."
On set, inside a dilapidated spaceship cabin, Richard was shackled to an iron pole with his hands cuffed behind his back. Chains bound both his hands and feet, his eyes were covered with a blindfold, and his mouth was gagged.
Behind him, the pilot, played by Naomi Watts as Caroline, and the bounty hunter, William (played by Cole Hauser), were discussing him.
"Cut! That's a wrap for this shot."
"Richard, are you ready? Do you need to stretch your arms a bit?" Director David Twohy asked as he approached, removing the gag from Richard's mouth.
"No problem, I'm ready," Richard replied, rolling his neck.
"The last time you demonstrated the dislocation stunt, you made it look effortless. But during the actual shoot, it shouldn't seem too easy; we need a bit more of a struggle, a bit more grimacing," Director Twohy advised.
"I understand!"
"Okay, everyone get ready. We're about to start filming."
Director Twohy returned to the director's area. Two makeup artists came over to check Richard's gear, re-gagged his mouth, and sprayed some water on him to simulate sweat. Since the planet in the movie had three suns, the environment was supposed to be stiflingly hot, causing characters to sweat. However, the dry conditions in Coober Pedy meant that any sweat would dry up almost instantly.
Once the makeup and props were set, and the sound, camera, and lighting crews were in position, the director called out:
"Scene 12, Take 2, Action!"
The filming resumed. Richard exhaled slowly, then began to twist his neck. Through the blindfold, he glanced at the iron pole behind him, about two meters off the ground, noting a visible break—a potential escape route.
He stood up on his tiptoes, slowly raising his shackled arms upward. On camera, his left shoulder's bones and muscles visibly twisted, producing a sound of bones grinding together. He gasped sharply before continuing to lift his arms, twisting them half a turn, and raising his shackled hands above his head, allowing him to break free from the pole.
"Wow, that's incredible!" Naomi whispered in amazement from the sidelines.
"It really is. He's the world boxing champion, but who knew he could pull off a stunt like that," Cole Hauser remarked in admiration.
"Cut!"
Director Twohy reviewed the footage. It was a long take, capturing Richard's entire movement from standing up to breaking free in one continuous shot—a challenging sequence. Richard's performance was unexpectedly impressive. Apart from a few minor issues with his expressions, everything else was spot on. The slight imperfections could be corrected in reshoots, which wouldn't be a big deal.
"Richard, you can get up now," Twohy said.
"Director, how was that take?" Richard asked as he walked over.
"It was great. Take a look," Director Twohy replied.
Richard watched the footage and noticed the issues: his expressions weren't intense enough, lacking the depth and emotional impact that his acting coaches had emphasized.
"Director, can we do another take? I can do better this time," Richard suggested after some thought.
"Another take? There's no need. We can fix the expressions during reshoots," Director Twohy said.
"But can reshoots really match the impact of a continuous shot?" Richard asked, determined to get it right. Director David Doucy frowned. For the sake of realism, a one-shot take would be best.
"Richard, can your arm handle another take?"
"No problem!" Richard gritted his teeth as he spoke.
Although using jiu-jitsu for the scene wasn't as painful as a dislocation, he rarely performed this move. Doing it suddenly caused his shoulder muscles to experience waves of tearing pain, almost as bad as being shot.
"Alright, let's do it again!" Director Doucy patted his arm and told the crew to get ready.
Richard rubbed his shoulder and walked under the metal bar.
The prop team locked his hands and feet with chains again, blindfolded him, and gagged him.
"Richard, are you ready?"
"Second take, action!"
The second take began. Richard slowly stood up. As he rose onto his tiptoes, his calves trembled slightly, and his balance wavered.
"Hmm? Not bad!" Director Doucy nodded in approval. Compared to the first take, his performance was more nuanced.
Crack! The sound of bones cracking came through the headset, making everyone cringe. Director Doucy rested his chin in his hand, watching Richard's performance intently.
When Richard raised his arms for the second time, he held his breath, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
As the chains were lifted above his head, he let out a few muffled grunts and then collapsed onto the ground.
It looked incredibly strenuous and powerful, and it was also very compelling, making the onlookers clench their fists unconsciously.
Clap, clap, clap! When he finished, someone on set started clapping.
"Cut!" Director Doucy exhaled, checked the second camera angle, and slowly smiled.
He hadn't wanted to cast Richard as the lead for three reasons.
First, he had more faith in Vin Diesel's action scenes, fearing Richard couldn't measure up.
Second, he worried Richard might act like a diva. Richard was a world champion boxer, earning millions per match. He was wealthy and famous, with a reputation for being reckless in his youth. If he caused trouble on set, it would be a nightmare.
Third, he doubted Richard's acting skills, as most of the reviews of his previous films were negative.
All things considered, he preferred Vin Diesel, but the producers favored Richard, so he reluctantly accepted.
After a few days of working together, he was pleasantly surprised to find that Richard was a serious and grounded young man, not nearly as volatile as the media portrayed.
And his acting wasn't as wooden as the critics claimed. The performance just now was very moving, on par with seasoned actors.
"Director, how was it?" Richard asked, rubbing his shoulder as he approached.
"Great! I'd give you 90 points," Director Doucy said with a smile.
"Only 90? Can I take a look?" Richard frowned.
"Haha, 90 is already excellent. If I gave you 100, you might get complacent," Director Doucy said, replaying the footage.
Richard stroked his chin as he watched. "David, how about we do it again?"
"Again? No need. That take was almost perfect. I'm very satisfied."
"David, wouldn't it be better if I could do it even better?" Richard smiled.
"Are you sure?"
"I want to try again."
"Alright!"
Richard returned to the set, preparing for another take.
The crew began filming for the third time.
Director Doucy watched Richard's performance quietly. When he finished, there was even more applause from the crew, but the director remained silent.
"Director, how was it this time?" Richard asked.
Director Doucy hesitated. "This time, your performance was more polished and detailed. If someone else were evaluating, they might rate it higher than 90, but I still prefer your second take."
"Why?"
"In my understanding of acting, there's no such thing as a 100% perfect performance. There are only actors who push their limits and performances that fit the scene's needs.
A romance film needs to be moving, a thriller needs to be terrifying, and an action film needs to be exhilarating.
While your third take was more refined with fewer issues, it wasn't as thrilling as the second. The second take better suited the movie's needs. Do you understand?"
Richard nodded.
"Richard, you've done very well. Don't stress yourself too much," Director Doucy said with a smile.
"Alright!" Richard smiled. He had indeed felt some pressure lately. This was his first leading role in an action film, and many in the entertainment industry were watching closely. If he messed up, his future prospects would narrow.
So he needed to seize this opportunity and do his best.
"Hey, Richard, you were amazing just now," Naomi said, approaching with a smile.
"Naomi, thank you. You deserve some credit too," Richard replied with a smile.
Naomi smiled slightly. "How's your arm?"
"No big deal, just a bit of muscle strain."
Richard sat in a chair, resting his arm on the armrest. During the shoot, he hadn't noticed, but now the pain was intensifying. It was likely from doing the move too many times, straining his muscles and joints.
Mike brought over a bottle of safflower oil, which he'd gotten from Old Tang, specifically for treating bruises and sprains. He poured some on Richard's shoulder and began massaging it.
But Mike was clumsy, causing Richard to break out in a cold sweat from the pain.
"Mike, let me do it!" Naomi smiled, taking the oil from Mike and starting to massage Richard. But his arm was too thick and muscular, so she had to use some force.
"Richard, how's the pressure?"
"Just right, thank you."
"You're welcome," Naomi smiled.
After a short rest, the crew resumed filming. (End of the chapter)