The Olympiastadion in
the morning of the 2nd underground shooting day-
with the artistic
modeled wood-stairs
and artificial turrets (click to view)
Two days,
I spent in the cellars of the "Olympiastadion", better- near the
Maifeld, which seemed not be touched since the last Olympiade in 1936.
Dust and moss-overgrown walls and floors, rusty torch holders- a
gloomy, surreal atmosphere, I felt myself transposed to an earlier
epoch.( After the "Wall" was smashed down, I've had similar feelings
like that in East Germany as a born "West German".) Here, the property
team changed it with love for the detail (and the corridor- only for
some seconds of film) into the rebel head office.
Olympiastadion with
view from east to northwest (click to view)
view to the
underground corridor from the tunnel gap side. left and right- the
underpass to the Olympiastadium. In the background the southern Maifeld
towers (click to view)
colonnade of the
Olympiastadion (click to view)
prep. an A cam
polygraph scene take with C.Bs. cam stand-in. Going- dir., behind him
with black
jacket- dir. of phot., in the foreground-
original mossy
floor (click to view)
In the
morning of the first day- after changing, styling and make up- we
extras were lead into the underground corridor, put into a row and
examined by the director and his crew. Received with an amused smiling,
we were sent back. Probably they didn't get pleasure from our faked
punky "Rumble in the Bronx" hairstyle. Saved with tons of spray again,
all heads were restored into their original state. The "Welcome to the
underground" scene was shot until afternoon. Then began the preparation
for the polygraph scene which was finished by lunch.
The second day I didn't forget my Lomo
camera, but to my
chagrin most photos were out of focus when I took pictures without
leaning somewhere. I was so impressed and excited because of the
extraordinary atmosphere. And I loved the American gentleness, the
quiet and sovereign way of work, the crew showed. I`d seen some German
TV-film crews in Hamburg, where I lived before, and I didn`t like the
way the directors were used to screaming around and so on. What a
difference here!
prep. polygraph scene
take. from right to left- dir., C.B., prop. manager, in the background-
A cam team, in the foreground- steadicam (click to view)
just before a
polygraph-scene take shooting. left- 2nd ass. A cam., right- make-up
artist brushes the very last dust particles from Prestons jacket (click
to view)
prep. polygraph scene
shooting. from left to right- 1st ass. A cam, dir. of phot., A cam
operator, property manager (click to view)
Polygraph scene.
right to left, Director, Chr. B., Dir. of photography., 1st. ass.dir.,
left- A cam operator (click to view)
When we as
"extras" weren't used or the shooting room was too full of people, the 1st assistant director ("I was a million
times in Germany") said: "ok, coffee time!" or, "ok (guys), thank you
very much, please take a cup of coffee"…, I loved that way of getting
kicked out. But I tried to find a place to observe the shooting. I like
that kind of work climate with concentration and silence without many
words. Christian Bale, whom I didn`t know before from cinema sat very
alone and quiet ( in his character of movie ) in a cellar room with a
gas oven in the times the next takes were prepared. William Fichtner (I
didn't know him) drank coffee with us or better, sat around and talked
with us in the corridor or at the freshly prepared set buffet in a next
room. (cut fruit, sandwiches, hot drinks- because it was kind of cold
there ) We were then invited to lunch at the parking place in front of
the stadium. For resting there were also some comfortable double beds
in the corridor, one guy of us slept the whole day in silence.
view through the
underground entrance- near the southern Maifeld turrets- not used since
3rd Reich (click to view)
Olympiastadion and
northern Maifeld towers from south direction during lunch time (click
to view)
returning to the set
after lunch. right to left, 2nd.ass. dir., 1st ass. dir., property
manager- with T-shirt (click to view)
Olympiastadion with
view from its south to west after lunch (click to view)
A- camera operator
takes a break in the "Underground" corridor . Original torchlight
holders were prepared with megaphones (click to view)
When I talked with German crew members about the
friendly atmosphere of the Hollywood team, one said something like:
"Right, but as well you must think about: This is a high budged film-
highly professional, and you must know that there is a strong
hierarchy. Each member has its own special job and has to do only that
perfect."
The A cam
operator was obviously under high pressure. When the director gave the
signal- or only a whispered sign to his 1st assistant
dir.("...aaand action")- to begin the shooting, sometimes he wasn't
ready at all, for example because of some details in his camera view.
But it seemed to me that the director was so involved and concentrated
on his scenes, that he didn't realize that.
preparing
polygraph-scene. sitting- dir. of phot., front view- director, right-
lightning manager (click to view)
Underground floor-
left to right, dir.of phot., property manager, 1st ass. dir., 2nd ass
dir., A cam. operator (click to view)
Video control during
a shooting of the desk scene (click to view)
1st ass. A cam
measures up distances of Fichtners walk for desk-scene take. (click to
view)
The next
two days I was involved, the shooting took place in front of the
stadium entrance. My part: standing praetorian.
