[Chapter 342: Blowing Up the White House]
On the 28th, with Hillary staying behind at the hotel, Linton headed to Universal Studios. The crew of Independence Day was filming there. Being a sci-fi film, the majority of the scenes were shot on sets inside sound stages, with only a few using real locations. The production had rented two huge sound stages for building various scenes.
The crew had been filming for eight days. Nicole Kidman and Cristiana Reali had also been on set the whole time. Fortunately, Linton wasn't the absolute lead; he was one of the three male leads. His late arrival didn't disrupt the shooting schedule.
Though not the absolute star, Linton's involvement attracted generous sponsors: Pepsi, Mercedes-Benz, and IBM had each contributed six million dollars in product placement fees, and Ray-Ban had pitched in two million. Before filming even began, these major sponsors injected twenty million dollars in cold cash. This money came solely because of Linton's participation, which made Lou Wasserman and Levitt Gore from Universal Studios exclaim that the twenty million plus 10% of North American box office revenue was well spent.
However, after the box office success of The Man from Nowhere, the crew thought the advertising fees should have been even higher. With the shooting schedule adjusted, Michael Bay pushed Linton's scenes back, filming first the sequences without him. The shooting timeline was tight; the plan was to wrap by the end of January to prepare a spectacular 30-second teaser for the Super Bowl in mid-February.
Since the explosive success of The Rock's Super Bowl ad earlier that year, securing a Super Bowl commercial spot had become a battleground for blockbuster Hollywood movies. Independence Day, being a visual effects powerhouse, naturally couldn't miss this prime promotional opportunity.
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After a simple welcome ceremony, accompanied by Robert Lewis and Michael Bay, Linton toured the film sets. The first sound stage was dressed as Area 51's underground testing facility. The centerpiece was a giant blue circular spaceship on a high platform -- matching everyone's mental image of a UFO. Various mysterious labs were also set up, housing strange creature molds, sparking imaginations.
The second sound stage featured scaled-down models of iconic American landmarks: the Empire State Building in New York, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Washington Monument, and the Statue of Liberty in Manhattan. The biggest, most eye-catching model was the renowned white building -- the White House. These models would all be blown to smithereens by Michael Bay, transforming the destruction into breathtaking spectacle -- showing audiences what it truly meant to blow up California, the White House, America, and shock the world.
All explosion scenes were filmed on real sets, but obviously, they couldn't blow up the actual White House. Using scaled models was the best approach. After post-production and rendering, these would look even more realistic and impressive than practical or digital effects alone.
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After a day of filming, Nicole Kidman and Cristiana came over, wanting to accompany Linton back to the hotel. Despite having just hosted two unforgettable parties at the estate with a large number of guests, both actresses saw this as a precious chance to bond with Linton on set, hoping to engage in interactive games and subtly absorb magical energy.
But since Hillary was still waiting for him at the Hilton Hotel, Linton politely declined, telling them he had important affairs the next two nights and would only officially move into the hotel later.
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At the hotel, the dining room was filled with the aroma of a delicious dinner. Before Linton could sit, Hillary insisted on some fun first, joking that dinner wasn't as tempting as her.
After the workout, the dinner had cooled, but the executive suite came with a microwave, allowing them to reheat the meal nicely. Hillary then took out a bottle of Romanee-Conti -- a luxury wine not available at the hotel -- making Linton marvel at her extravagance. "You're on vacation and still carrying such high-end wine?"
Hillary savored a large sip, sat on Linton's lap, and passed the wine mouth-to-mouth, sharing the taste intimately. "Usually, I wouldn't, but since I'm here with you for vacation, preparations have to be thorough. Don't you like this setting?"
"I do. It's perfect."
"And I brought props, too."
"Is that so? Then I'm eager to try."
"Let's start."
Strange sounds and sweet, joyful singing filled the night... another sleepless night.
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The next morning, Linton returned to the set to continue filming. Today's scenes involved massive explosions -- blowing up the White House, the Capitol Building, the Empire State Building, and the Washington Monument. Tomorrow's schedule included blowing up the Golden Gate Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and the alien spaceship.
These landmarks had to be destroyed on camera early to allow Industrial Light & Magic enough time for post-production and effects, ensuring the teaser would be ready in time for the Super Bowl halftime show.
Inside the second sound stage, the white complex consisted of a main building and two wings with neoclassical architecture, topped by the waving Stars and Stripes, looking majestic and dignified. This was the political heart of the United States -- the famed White House.
Michael Bay was a veteran with explosion scenes, and his preparation was meticulous. For safety, Linton quietly sent out his spiritual awareness to check the area, finding no hazards.
"Three, two, one, detonating!" shouted the fireworks crew leader.
A bright fireball soared instantly. Not only was the White House model shattered into pieces, but the lawn in front cracked and erupted skyward. Flames quickly spread, engulfing the front and rear gardens and trees. America's political center was utterly obliterated by Michael Bay's direction.
Applause erupted on set. Hundreds of crew members celebrated the successful destruction of the White House -- a spectacle rarely witnessed.
"Moving the set!" Michael Bay shouted as firefighters doused the flames. "Next target, the Empire State Building."
Amidst the deafening explosions, the White House, Empire State Building, Capitol, and Washington Monument were successively blasted into fragments, completely destroyed.
*****
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