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• The Good Guy - Day 3 Production - Night at the Restaurant

  2011-07-29 4:06AM / 標準BLOG / 會員可以看
  
    
  Charles (Charles Edwards) gets mic'd up by his co-actor/assistant director Francis Chan
  
  
    This was the first scene I ever wrote for The Good Guy and originally it took place outside of the Hong Kong Jockey Clubs, particularly the one I saw in Cheung Sha Wan.  Lots of men, would have their newspapers ready, listening to the race on the radio, I thought what a great visual.  All these grown men, desperate to make some money to turn their lives around. I thought for my main character Charles, putting all his hope on ever turning his life around from the life he used to live based on one night's bet was very possible.  I didn't shoot it on the street like I had planned, because of all the cops and people who I knew would hastle us, but we got a great restaurant for our opening and it just happened the race was on the night we were filming, so we used this to our advantage.
  
  
  
   I remember calling Charles the day before the shoot telling him how I felt something was missing from the opening.  I felt that I needed to show who his character was and I only had a small time frame to show it in before the action in the story truly takes place. We talked and I asked him for his thoughts about it.  I wanted to show how he's made poor decisions and tonight he tries to redeem himself but I didn't know how.  That's when Charles suggested the phone call to his wife or the mother of his daughter.  Even up to the point before we rolled camera Charles and I were tweaking the dialogue, but one thing that is great about working with a professional, he knows how to show up!
  
  
  
  
  
    Benny Wong was the third and final Director of Photographer on TGG and he was the one I originally had approached to helm this project.  We had worked together on some freelance gigs with Patrick Kong, my brother in law and became good friends. I always admired his work and really saw it for TGG.  Due to some unfinished editing projects he had going on he couldn't dedicate all three days, but loaned us all his equipment at no charge and finally got out on our last day of the shoot, we were more then happy to welcome him to our production.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    All and all it was a real fun shoot.  I was worried that all the food everybody was eating was going to charge my wife and me an arm and maybe a leg. I always joked that I'd be out back doing the dishes for Peter, the owner but hey anything for the movie...right? 
  
  
  
  
  I'm learning sometimes when you make your movie, things happen and just go with it, because it could turn to a great surprise.  Like when Peter who was selling these great fine red wines from France offered to open up a few bottles for our movie!  I was excited!  My wife and I love wine and to see it put in our movie for him...heck why not!  This is why I love making movies! Doing something you love and having lots of fun while doing it!
  
  
  
  We finished up that night with the shots of Charles walking out of the restaurant and onto the streets.  Oh boy!  This was my dream come to life, shooting a film on the real streets of Hong Kong, the energy, all the people!  I'll never forget this production, it was my signature before departing Hong Kong and returning back to the US! 
  
  
  
  
  

  We had such good people who i had always wanted to work with just needed the right project to do it. TGG was that. Thanks to everyone! We never could have made this without you!