Made In Hollywood

Throughout September, the filming of The Matrix wrapped up all the action scenes and shifted focus to the dialogue-driven portions. The action team from Hong Kong also completed their work and left the Fox studios. While Duke took control of the set, he entrusted some of the shots to Zack Snyder, both to hone his actual directing skills and to familiarize him with the series.

The filming proceeded faster than expected, and while the dialogue scenes weren't too difficult except for some of the mystic elements, the most challenging shot left was the bullet time.

As planned, Duke left the filming of the bullet time scenes for the end. John Schwartzman and the Industrial Light and Magic special effects team had already done extensive experiments, integrating Duke's ideas to develop a viable shooting technique.

However, before that, there were still plenty of dialogue-driven scenes to film.

"I want the simplest setup!"

Standing on the green-screen set, Duke instructed the set designer, "Remove everything else, just keep two chairs and a television."

After the set designer nodded, Duke turned to Schwartzman, "John, make sure to get close-ups of the television and the brand logo!"

The television in the scene wasn't an antique or a futuristic model but one of the sponsor's newly released products, perfectly reflecting the aesthetic of the era for the average public.

Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne walked over. Duke gave a few final instructions before heading to the director's monitor.

"Scene 172, take 113…" the script supervisor placed the slate in front of the camera. "Action!"

"…Is it really that unbelievable?"

Laurence Fishburne, dressed in a black suit and sunglasses, walked up to the chair and asked Keanu Reeves, who looked at him curiously, "Your clothes have been changed, and the plug on your arm is gone."

Reeves looked down at his body, and Fishburne continued to explain the difference between his reality and this one.

Duke watched Keanu Reeves' performance on the monitor. Honestly, his career had been on the decline in recent years, and it wasn't without reason. It had been six years since Speed, and although Reeves' acting had improved, it was only marginally. He lacked the distinctive style of future stars like Johnny Depp, Will Smith, and now Tom Cruise. Without strong acting to back him, his career couldn't remain at the same level for long.

There were also rumors about his personality not being suited for this celebrity-driven world.

"Is this real?"

Keanu Reeves walked to the chair, feeling it and trying to look confused.

"What's real?"

After more than a month of shooting, Laurence Fishburne had completely mastered the essence of "cool." With an air of coolness, he replied, "How do you define real?"

"If you say reality is what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste, then that 'real' is just the electronic signals your brain sends. The world you know is just like that…"

Laurence Fishburne picked up the remote control. John Schwartzman's main camera slid to one side, and another cameraman, holding a Steadicam, moved in to shoot from behind the two actors.

Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne sat on the sofa, continuing their conversation, "This is the world at the end of the 20th century…"

"Cut!"

The long take ended. Although Keanu Reeves' performance was rather ordinary, it met Duke's expectations. "That's a wrap, clear the set!"

The set was quickly rearranged for the next scene, continuing the discussion between Neo and Morpheus on the nature of reality. The crew moved the television and one chair, placing another chair against the green screen, and filming began again.

Laurence Fishburne continued to embody the "cool" persona, while Keanu Reeves showed no sign of improving in his acting. Duke's demands weren't overly strict, but even if they were, Reeves wouldn't necessarily be able to meet them.

For three consecutive days, Duke filmed the scenes between Neo and Morpheus. The exterior shots were entirely handled by Zack Snyder. The film didn't require many exterior scenes, and Snyder, having been deeply influenced by Duke's style over the years, shared similar philosophies and techniques. Duke didn't have to worry too much.

And besides, Duke would review all of Snyder's footage.

Compared to the grueling filming of Chicago, the crew was highly accustomed to the pace and style of sci-fi film production. Everyone was in great shape, and the team's efficiency was excellent. With Duke and Snyder working simultaneously, they were progressing far ahead of schedule.

The most difficult scenes were the large-scale explosions, but since they had to represent the difference between the virtual world and the real world, most of the explosions would be CGI-generated. The only real explosion shot was the one during Neo and Trinity's rescue of Morpheus.

Industrial Light and Magic had already prepared the models, and Joss Whedon led a team of assistants to Sydney from Los Angeles. They had communicated extensively beforehand, and the work quickly got underway.

"It's been a while since we worked together!"

Seeing Duke again, Joss Whedon seemed a bit excited. "Last year when you were shooting Chicago, I took another project, but that director was nothing like you. He didn't understand explosions at all, just wanted to make the biggest explosion possible without realizing that not all explosions are the same. There are many techniques involved…"

He shook his head. "Working with him was a disaster. Duke, I hope you keep blowing stuff up…"

He suddenly stopped and sighed. "I almost forgot, your next films are The Lord of the Rings trilogy, so I won't get to work with you again."

"Didn't you have good communication with Zack too?" Duke patted his shoulder. "If the film does well and spawns sequels, you might get a chance to work with him."

"That would be great!"

In Hollywood, not only do directors work with familiar crews, but other members of the team also prefer to collaborate with directors they know well.

"Joss, it's your turn now."

Duke trusted these long-term collaborators, so after saying that, he returned to the monitor.

Joss Whedon began wiring the miniature model, making final checks. Half an hour later, he informed Duke that everything was ready.

"Finally, an explosion!"

There weren't many explosions in this film, and Duke sighed inwardly. He raised the megaphone and called, "Clear the set! Five minutes left, clear the set! Everyone move 50 feet away!"

Even though it had been almost two years since they had filmed explosions, the crew worked smoothly, efficiently clearing the area and taking their positions.

"Joss!"

When the time came, Duke called out. "Countdown to detonation!"

"10, 9, 8…" The countdown echoed through the set as Joss Whedon's voice carried. "3, 2, 1, detonate!"

"Boom!"

A massive explosion erupted, and a blast of heat shot from the model skyscraper, followed by a deafening noise. Thick smoke billowed into the air like a sandstorm, and vibrant red flames blossomed like brilliant flowers.

The explosion continued with successive shocks as support pillars collapsed one after another. Shattered steel beams and concrete rained down like a meteor shower, hitting the smooth marble floor and shattering the glass windows, which then flew out and scattered across the road. Glass from the toy cars shattered into the air, creating an unusual glass rain.

The model building teetered, and the explosion's light seemed to tear through the sky…

The long-awaited explosion!

John Schwartzman, capturing the fiery explosion on camera, had the same thought.

The long-awaited explosion! Compared to the grueling work on Chicago, this explosion felt like nothing.

Watching the flames on the monitor, Duke felt his blood begin to boil—a long-lost feeling, almost instinctive.

"Great!" Duke shouted loudly. "Fantastic!"

He stood up from the monitor, looking at the model set reduced to rubble. He exhaled deeply, though the real explosion scenes in the film were limited, and this was all for now.

Grabbing the megaphone, Duke shouted, "Let's move to Stage 7!"

Turning, he told the assistant, "Go notify the actors to get ready!"

The next scene was already prepared. The moment the explosion was completed, they would begin shooting. A second assistant director oversaw the cleanup of equipment, and Duke made his way back to the studio.

An hour and a half later, filming resumed.

With thunderous music playing, Charlize Theron found Keanu Reeves.

"I'm Trinity." She took off her sunglasses, revealing a cold and glamorous face. "I'm the one looking for you, Neo!"

Keanu Reeves leaned against the wall. "How do you know my name?"

"Your name is just the beginning…"

This was an ordinary dialogue scene, but per Duke's request, Schwartzman's camera would occasionally focus on Charlize Theron's chest, highlighting her cleavage…

Filming continued smoothly, Duke's attention unwavering, until mid-October when news of Titanic reached North America.

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