"Kid, when you've spent eight or nine years crawling around sets like I have, you learn that some things don't need to be known too clearly…"
"Uh, Mr. Cundey, I didn't mean to pry, I just wanted to...."
"No worries. In this business, everyone wants to be a pro. Being a pro means minding your own job and nobody else's."
Dean Cundey, the Director of Photography, rather liked some of Ronald's ideas, so he took the chance to share a bit of set wisdom.
"On the whole set, there's only one person who has to worry about everyone: the director. The director is responsible for the overall quality of the film, and anything anyone on the crew does can affect that quality."
Cundey looked at Ronald with a half-smile. "So, if you're asking me as a director, I'll tell you what I know."
Ronald realized the DP was teasing him about his sudden promotion. He hesitated, then asked, "Allen isn't seriously hurt, is he? Joe wouldn't let me call an ambulance, was there some kind of trouble?"
"What trouble? Just the usual rock 'n' roll mess: trashing hotel rooms, fights, DUIs, pills… The Ramones' manager knows how to handle that stuff."
Cundey lowered his voice slightly. "Allen used to work for the Fillmore East and knows the scene. The Ramones are signed to Sire, a Warner subsidiary. They all went to The Roxy for another round last night. I went home early, so I don't know what happened after, but Joe is doing damage control."
"Okay, got it." Ronald dropped the gossip. "So, strictly as a DP, how do you rate the footage we shot this morning?"
"For a low-budget picture? Pretty good."
"I noticed you almost never lock the camera off.....you keep it moving."
Cundey was surprised and gave him a long look.
"You've got an eye. The camera is the audience's eye, and the human eye hates a static image. So, every few seconds, you have to make it move. A pan, a dolly, a zoom, keep it alive."
"How did you first become a Director of Photography, Mr. Cundey?"
The two started chatting about cinematography. Off the clock, the usually stoic DP was quite talkative. It turned out Dean Cundey had already shot nine features. His last one, starring P.J. Soles, was a little horror flick called Halloween...
Ring-ring-ring-ring…...
The heavy rotary phone on the principal's desk rang.
Ronald snatched the receiver. "Hello?"
"Is that Ronald? This is Roger Corman."
"Yes, Mr. Corman. Director Allen fainted; Joe took him to the hospital. We just wrapped the magic-hour shots. We need a new director. Dean Cundey is right next to me."
"Hold on, don't panic. I'll ask questions, you answer."
"Yes, Mr. Corman."
"Allen fainted and Joe took him to Cedars-Sinai?"
"Right. Joe insisted on driving him personally."
"Why didn't someone else take Allen? Why did Joe have to go? He's the co-director."
"I asked Joe the same thing, Mr. Corman, but he was adamant. He wouldn't leave Allen's side."
Corman grunted. "How much did we get this morning?"
"We shot the storyboards. We're actually a bit ahead of schedule."
"Storyboards? Since when does this picture have full storyboards?"
"Uh… I drew them last night, just to study. Joe saw them, said they'd work, and told me to shoot to them."
"Mr. Corman, could you send another director over?"
"Damn it, I don't have a spare director on hand right now."
"What about our Second Unit Director, Jerry Zucker? Could he come shoot?"
"Afraid not, he's off today talking to Paramount about that airplane movie of his."
"Um, could you come to set? I know you're a great director yourself. I guess Joe's got Allen to the hospital by now. We can call later to see if Joe can get back this afternoon."
"It's 7:00 AM. If I leave the Palisades now, I'll hit rush hour. I won't be there until after nine."
Ronald's heart skipped. This was the opening. He could shoot more shots like those he'd dreamed of. He could move his credit from Production Assistant to Assistant Director or better.
He took a breath and played his ace card: Money.
"Forgive me, Mr. Corman. We have eleven more scenes today. Could we grab some while the light is still good?"
Silence on the line.
"After Allen and Joe left, I shot two setups. Dean Cundey approved them both."
Still nothing.
"Mr. Corman, if we wait until after nine, we may not finish the day's pages. That pushes us to tomorrow. We'd have to re-rent the location, re-hire the extras, keep the gear another day. The costs will jump significantly."
"Mm-hmm," Roger Corman finally spoke. The mention of budget overruns had his attention. "Keep talking."
"I can keep shooting from the log before you arrive. If tomorrow's dailies stink, we'll reshoot. If they're fine, we save a full day of production costs."
Ronald spilled every ounce of ambition in one breath.
Silence stretched over the line. Just as Ronald couldn't stand it any longer, the voice returned.
"You shot everything this morning?"
"Yes. I storyboarded last night. Except for the first take today, I shot the rest to the boards."
"All right. Dean is next to you? Put him on. I'll have a word."
"Sure." Ronald handed the receiver to the DP.
He stood up to get water from the cooler, giving the boss and the DP a semblance of privacy. Of course, Ronald's ears were pricked for any scrap of conversation.
"Yeah, Roger, it's Dean. Joe got the first take, then Ronny took over… He's got street smarts… Knows blocking, gets performances… Communicates well… Solved a lighting issue with P.J. yesterday… Actors look good… I'm fine with it… Sure… I'll watch him."
When Ronald finished his cup of water, Dean Cundey handed the handset back.
"Ronny? You know the Master Scene Method?" Roger Corman's voice returned.
"Uh—shoot a wide Master, then two Over-the-Shoulders, then Close-ups?"
"Exactly. It's the only way to edit quickly. Looks like you've learned a thing or two." Corman chuckled, sounding in a decent mood now that his budget was safe.
"Then you're in charge of shooting until I get there."
"Thank you for the trust, Mr. Corman. Anything I should watch out for?"
"Talk with Dean. Respect the actors on performance, get plenty of coveragenand shoot fast."
"Got it, Mr. Corman. Dean and I will run it. Before you arrive, we should manage four to six scenes."
"Excellent. I'll have my assistant, Gale, come over to supervise. When I hit the set, we'll figure out the rest. Go on, kid, I know you've got talent; don't let me down."
"Thanks for the trust, Mr. Corman. Bye."
Ronald hung up, thrilled. Roger Corman had actually said yes. The stories about the boss being cheap were spot-on, hit the right nerve, save him a dollar, and you get a promotion.
"All right," Ronald said, turning to Dean Cundey. "Let's get back to shooting?"
Cundey smirked. "You're the director. You call it."
Authors Note:-
Well that's chapter 8
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