13-10-09 : The Blood Bond Saga (Part 8)

Wheels of fury

Note to all you writer/producers out there : be aware that what's easy to describe may be a challenge to shoot.

From the earliest drafts of the 'Blood Bond' screenplay, we had a car chase sequence scripted. Now, car stunts are not my forte, but, given that this is very much a road movie, I felt we needed to use 'planes, trains and automobiles to make it work.

As it stands, we have the 'plane' (if a chopper counts?) and we have the cars, but a lengthy action sequence set on a speeding locomotive had to be cut (from the shooting script) for budgetary and logistical considerations. (I'll get back to it another time for another movie!).

I knew we wouldn't be able to afford multiple car smash ups and other Hollywood style automotive fury. We have a fast-paced chase with a (I hope) original denouement. The end of the chase has always been an issue for our director, Michael Biehn. He felt it was too outrageous for the kind of film we were making. I believed it would work if we shot it as I envisaged. "Okay," he said, "you're the boss, you direct (the end of the scene)!"

Easier said than done. I slunk off to consult with one of our action directors, Ken Yip. "Ken, what do you think? Don't spare my feelings. If you don't like the gag, I'll drop it from the film."  Ken thought about it, and then said he thought we should keep it, and assured me he knew how to shoot it.

The buck safely passed, I came back to Michael. "I could direct that gag with my eyes closed!"

Of course, by the time Ken had finished working on it, he had reworked the stunt so that even Michael approved of it, feeling it now worked within the context established for the film.

The two of them repaired to the stone area outside our middle soundstage. MB drew out of the car chase location with chalk.

Then gathered the troops to review the scene.

He then used two cigarette packets to indicate the relative position of the vehicles concerned.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team threw in their opinions while our associate producer Oliver Williams took notes on what had been discussed and decided.

MB acted out the relative positions of the characters in the scene, while I just sat back and wondered how long we'd have to shoot it and how much it was going to cost!

Michael became so enthused by the chase and its location (a vast disused stone quarry), that it began to feel like we were making a car sequence with a film wrapped around it!

In the end, its better to have a director with too much passion rather than not enough, and you tend to end up with one or the other.

Lets see how what was planned on the lot ends up when we take it out on the track!

Next : Our greatest Fan!