"Help!"
On set, during filming, a little girl from the group of survivors was being attacked by a monster.
Due to budget constraints, the special effects were kept minimal. The "monster" was merely a prop model, with a prop master continuously shaking it to simulate the attack on the little girl.
"Let her go!"
Caroline, holding a torch, kept driving the monster away, as the creatures on this planet were afraid of light.
Nearby, Richard removed his sunglasses and breathing apparatus, shouting as he charged forward.
A movable green screen frame was pushed over, with a pair of plaster horns attached, representing the monster's head.
Richard grabbed the horns and, as the frame moved, he roared and wrestled with the "monster," his arm muscles bulging, veins popping on his forehead and neck, making him look like a beast himself.
"Cut! Props, spray some water!"
Director David Twohy called out.
A crew member with a spray bottle misted Richard's forehead, neck, shoulders, and back, making the sweat look more realistic.
Richard continued wrestling with the monster, his face red and neck bulging.
"That's good. Next step!"
Director Twohy called.
Richard suddenly let go, sliding forward on his knees, ending up under the frame.
As the monster lunged forward, he pulled out a knife, pivoting on his toes as he spun rapidly, slashing at the monster's imagined abdomen with the knife.
To master this move, Richard had practiced knife techniques with Graham for a long time. Though Graham's knife skills were average, he knew the right approach.
Following his method, Richard practiced for over half a month, gradually becoming proficient. As he spun, the knife kept slicing and stabbing.
"Cut! Richard, do it again in slow motion."
"Got it!"
Richard spun slowly again.
"Cut! Richard, pay attention to your expression—this is a close-up."
Director Twohy called out.
Richard nodded, tensing his face as he spun, slashing fiercely at the "monster's" abdomen with the knife, thrusting repeatedly.
A crew member with another spray bottle stood above him, sprinkling some blue liquid—meant to be the monster's blood.
"Special effects, the frame can fall now."
Director Twohy instructed.
With a crash, the frame slowly toppled backward.
Richard rushed up again, grabbing the frame and twisting it violently, snapping the monster's neck.
"You won't know how tough I am until you're dead."
Richard gripped the knife, panting heavily. The camera operator crouched, filming him from below, making him appear even more powerful and imposing.
"Cut!"
With that shot finished, the key crew members sat down to review the footage. They analyzed the scenes, examining the shots, performances, and composition for any issues.
As an actor, Richard focused on his performance. Watching himself wrestle with a frame felt a bit embarrassing, though he hadn't felt that way while acting.
After over an hour of discussion, the crew resumed shooting. This scene had taken half a month to prepare and two days to shoot successfully.
Only one complex special effects scene remained: Riddick's battle with two monsters. Richard and Graham had been preparing for this scene for some time.
But when it came time to shoot, Director David Twohy regretfully said, "This scene needs to be cut down. We can't shoot it as originally planned."
"Why?" Richard asked, puzzled.
"No money."
Director Twohy scratched his head. "Special effects are expensive. Each minute of action costs millions. With the three-minute scene as planned, we simply don't have the budget. We'll have to cut some of it."
"Can't we request more funding from the studio?" Graham asked, looking at producer Ted Field.
"The production department lacks confidence in this project. They're worried it won't make back its money at the box office, so they denied our request for additional funds," Ted Field explained, shrugging.
"Let's figure out how to shoot the trimmed-down version," Director Twohy suggested.
"Alright."
The core team sat down to discuss further.
Richard was helpless. The final scene was a grand one, and it would have been amazing if done right. But with no budget left, cutting it down was necessary. Even if he wanted to invest now, it was too late.
After half a day of discussion, the final scene was significantly altered.
Originally, Riddick was supposed to fight two monsters, and after an intense battle showcasing some cool moves, he would kill both monsters and return to the spaceship wounded. This scene was expected to last over three minutes.
The simplified version was only one minute long. Riddick encounters one monster, uses its visual blind spots to jump onto its back and kill it, but is then ambushed by another monster, leaving him severely injured.
The scene then cuts to Caroline and the other two survivors, who think Riddick won't return, only for him to crawl back from around a corner, covered in wounds.
The simplified version cut out the second monster fight, losing some of the spectacle.
This scene took three days to shoot, finally completing the last of the filming.
On October 2, the Australian scenes for Pitch Black wrapped successfully. The remaining scenes would be shot in a green screen studio in Los Angeles.
Reflecting on this shoot, Richard had a lot of thoughts.
His first time as an action lead, he put in a lot of effort and passion, treating it like a real career.
He spent time on set learning acting from Naomi, constantly studying his character, and working with Director Twohy and Graham, contributing to the film's creative process.
The thought of his contributions appearing on the big screen was a great feeling.
The only regret was that the final scene couldn't be filmed as initially planned, leaving the ending less perfect.
"Richard, let's have a drink. We had a great time working together, didn't we?"
Stunt coordinator Graham came over, holding a beer.
"Yes, except for those two times we almost fought, everything else was great."
Richard smiled and clinked glasses.
"Haha, that's just normal, right? A stunt coordinator has to spar a bit."
Graham laughed.
"You're right!"
Richard chuckled, taking a few sips of beer.
"Richard, you have a week left to shoot in Los Angeles. I heard you're preparing for a competition, so make sure to manage your time well."
Director Twohy came over and advised.
"Will do. I've got it under control."
Richard clinked his glass with the director's.
Director Twohy smiled and suddenly looked at him, saying, "Richard, you're a good actor. You're dedicated, passionate, and I hope you continue down this path."
"I will!" Richard replied with a smile.
With the scenes in Coober Pedy wrapped up, the crew held a wrap party in the underground city. The next day, the team began leaving Australia in groups.
Richard, along with Mike, Naomi, and her assistant, spent two days exploring the surrounding areas before flying back to Los Angeles on October 5th.
——
(End of Chapter)