"The Dark Knight Rises Battle Begins: On-Set and Behind-the-Scenes Revealed!"
Just as October began, messages like this flooded the internet, reminding fans that Duke's new project had officially entered the filming stage.
Websites such as Yahoo Entertainment and Instant Share also received many details voluntarily leaked by Warner Brothers.
"Duke Rosenberg's production team is now in Los Angeles for a two-week shoot. So, the paparazzi in the City of Angels are fully primed, and you can expect a daily flood of new updates to assault your visual senses."
The next day, the Los Angeles Times reported, "According to the latest insider information, a major supporting character in The Dark Knight Rises will die, directly leading the film in an unpredictable direction."
Soon after, Yahoo Entertainment published photos of Cillian Murphy entering Hughes Aircraft Factory, titled "The Scarecrow Returns."
"The Scarecrow, played by Cillian Murphy, appeared in Duke's previous two Batman films, and this time he returns! In The Dark Knight Rises, his apparent identity is Gotham City's new judge! Once in office, he will sentence wealthy elites and social figures to death or exile, possibly triggering chaos in Gotham as a result."
These were deliberately released updates by the crew, which avoided spoilers while still attracting public attention.
The Hughes Aircraft Factory, where Duke had commenced filming, was off-limits to journalists. The crew was busy shooting intense, complex action sequences and had no time to entertain the media.
Duke began by filming the aerial action sequences, where Bane orchestrates and carries out a deadly hijacking, triggering chaos.
These scenes were mostly shot in the vast hangars of Hughes Aircraft Factory, with Anna leading a team to capture exterior footage that would later be replaced with real scenes using CGI.
Inside the studio, a massive C-130 Hercules transport plane and a small business jet model were already constructed. With the assistance of over ten crane rigs, "flight" was simulated in midair.
Stunt performers, suspended by wires, executed the hijacking from one plane to another in front of green screens, looking dangerous but actually safe.
Duke, seated behind monitors, focused intently on the live feed.
The massive C-130 model was hoisted toward the hijacked plane. Four stunt actors playing terrorists were strapped to cables, leaping from the cargo bay to land on the CIA jet's wing, immediately firing into the cockpit windows.
Then, the out-of-control jet was tethered to the Hercules transport plane.
Duke's directing style was never to risk real-world shooting when post-production could be used. Therefore, most of this opening aerial sequence was completed in front of green screens inside the studio.
Even so, the action remained highly difficult and dangerous. From start to finish, it relied entirely on precise coordination among departments according to timing and accuracy.
To safely shoot this high-altitude opening sequence, the crew had begun preparations months in advance, breaking some traditions and challenging historical records. Yet, Duke remained extremely cautious, believing all protective measures were necessary.
Before filming, the visual effects team from Industrial Light & Magic created a low-resolution animated preview with sound to allow each department to anticipate potential problems.
Through this preview, the stunt, special effects, and visual effects teams could clearly understand which parts of the live-action shoot they would be responsible for, greatly aiding their performance.
Before shooting the sequence where hijackers leap from the C-130 to the CIA jet, stunt coordinator Jimmy Carter conducted extensive preparations to maximize the performers' safety.
Although it involved just four people each holding a rope and leaping from one plane to another, coordinating with filming was not easy, especially regarding safety, which the crew had to prioritize.
Before using real actors, Duke had Jimmy Carter perform countless simulations with dummies and equipment, implementing emergency measures such as quick-release ropes and double-safety wires.
Fortunately, to this point, these measures had not been needed.
Because the CIA jet is scripted to eventually crash, ground preparations could not be sloppy. The entire studio was thoroughly cleared before filming. Even a model plane falling from above could not be underestimated.
Once everything was ready, Duke and cinematographer John Schwartzman used an open lift to capture all the shots from the air. Extensive preparation and extreme professionalism ensured efficiency and precision. The aerial sequence, originally scheduled for nine days, was completed in just two.
For the deadly fight inside the cabin, Duke moved the shoot to Hughes Aircraft Factory's airship hangar. Hannah Serlina and her team built a balance rig that could invert and tilt freely, thoroughly testing the balance of everyone on set.
"I don't know why, on Duke's sets, actors always have to tumble, or else be turned completely upside down," cinematographer John Schwartzman recalled, clearly remembering filming Gravity. "It's very laborious and difficult, but the result on the big screen is spectacular."
His comment offered some comfort to Dwayne Johnson and others while being flipped around chaotically.
The opening action sequences were entirely shot using IMAX cameras. Throughout production, IMAX cameras would remain the centerpiece, capturing most of the action sequences.
Regarding the collaboration with IMAX, Duke told the media during visits to Hughes Aircraft Factory:
"I am particularly passionate about shooting with IMAX cameras."
Duke emphasized to the reporters' recorders, "because they can expand and broaden the frame, maximizing scale and proportion. In the previous The Dark Knight and other films, I have already experienced their extraordinary capabilities. Through continuous study and research, our techniques have become increasingly mature. Exposure indices and other aspects now better serve the film. Constant technological updates have continuously elevated our filming standards."
Nowadays, extensive use of IMAX cameras in a film has become a selling point, and Duke's remarks also served promotional purposes.
John Schwartzman, interviewed alongside Duke, fully agreed, "In terms of image and sound quality, IMAX provides an immersive viewing experience. The format and clarity of the picture create a vast, in-the-moment sensation for the audience. Coupled with high-fidelity surround sound, it's unforgettable. We spent three months working with Panasonic and IMAX to redesign the camera viewfinders and improve the lenses. As a result, even in dim lighting, we can capture extremely high-quality images. All of these improvements allow us to achieve many details that were impossible in our previous two films."
However, during filming, the bulky cameras caused significant trouble for John Schwartzman and his cinematography team. Simply mounting these heavy units onto the lifts used for filming was challenging; the crew had to re-cut and weld the lifts to secure these massive cameras more firmly.
For ground scenes, the crew placed thick aluminum plates on miniature tracks to create a horizontal working platform for the cameras.
For all scenes shot with IMAX cameras, Duke required dual-camera setups. Three technicians assigned by IMAX had to ensure that at least one person assisted John Schwartzman's team on set, handling difficult shots and performing temporary repairs to keep production running smoothly.
Overall, in terms of loading film, running footage, and operation, the cameras were similar to other cameras. However, during film changes, unexpected issues could arise, causing card malfunctions. If the problems were severe, the camera would have to be temporarily removed and sent to IMAX's Los Angeles branch for professional disassembly and repair.
To some extent, these heavy cameras were more delicate than standard cameras, and the total number of IMAX cameras worldwide is extremely limited. If three cameras failed simultaneously, Duke would have no choice but to either pause filming or switch to conventional digital cameras.
In Duke's hands, the cameras were primarily used for action sequences, panoramas, and impactful shots, while ordinary shots were mostly captured with standard digital cameras.
Even today, IMAX camera costs remain high. Using them exclusively throughout filming is inconvenient and overly extravagant.
This is the third installment in the series. The crew's spending on cast and crew salaries alone approaches $100 million. Duke also had to ensure post-production costs were covered. Although the film's projected budget is $250 million, the funds allocated specifically for filming were not particularly large.
After completing the opening sequence, Duke led the crew back to Warner Studios, and the most mysterious Margot Robbie also appeared on set, ready to shoot her scenes.
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