Chapter 43: Location Scouting
Generally speaking, the Hollywood film production process is divided into five stages: development, pre-production, principal photography, post-production, and distribution. Heading into September, The Rock was still in the initial pre-production stage.
During this stage, Rock Studio needed to make extensive preparations for the actual shoot. Duke had to be involved in everything—hiring actors and crew members, building sets, and scouting locations.
It was simply impossible for a director to detach himself entirely from pre-production. Directors who handed all the prep work over to others while they gallivanted around the world only ever produced flops. There were absolutely no exceptions.
Fortunately, Duke now had assistants who shared his creative vision. He could delegate some tasks to his assistant director, Zack Snyder, and second assistant director, Sofia Coppola, who would then compile their work for his final review. Even so, the three of them inevitably experienced friction due to their differing ideas and mindsets, though they managed to keep their arguments strictly professional.
Reviewing Sofia's continuity logs and shooting schedules, as well as poring over Zack Snyder's set construction blueprints and storyboard illustrations, were tasks Duke had to squeeze into his already busy routine. On top of that, he had to evaluate filming locations with cinematographer John Schwartzman and discuss set designs with art director Hannah Selina.
He also had to participate in the auditions for several major roles. After locking in the three leading men—Ed Harris, Nicholas Cage, and Christopher Lee—Duke had to work with the casting director to communicate the character requirements to them...
In short, bolstered by Speed crossing the $300 million mark and continuing to soar at the global box office, Duke secured even more support from Warner Brothers. He wielded significantly more power than he had on his directorial debut, which in turn made him far busier.
"Lieutenant Colonel..."
Standing on the roof of a building near San Francisco Bay, Duke pointed toward the distant Golden Gate Bridge, shrouded in fog and clouds. "Could our F-18 Hornets fly under the bridge?"