No matter the circle or the industry, most people understand that opportunity is incredibly important.
Saving Private Ryan is a film primarily about men, featuring several supporting characters with significant roles, making it an ensemble piece.
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Outside the audition hall, Vin Diesel was nervously awaiting his turn. He had recently signed with Super Artist Management and was recommended by Sheena Boone to the Saving Private Ryan production. Sheena Boone, being Gilbert's agent, ensured that all suitable actors under Super Artist Management got a chance to audition.
The initial and callback auditions were handled by assistant directors Annie Burton and Sofia Coppola, and Vin Diesel successfully passed both rounds, making it to the final audition.
Inside the audition hall, the auditions for several important roles were happening one by one. Jeremy Davies, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, and Giovanni Ribisi had all successfully passed their auditions.
The last role to be auditioned was Adrian Caparzo.
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During a break in the auditions, Gilbert was discussing upcoming work arrangements with Charles Roven and Kevin Waxman.
"After the auditions, Charles, hand these new recruits over to Captain Carter for training," Gilbert instructed. "They need to master weapon usage, tactical movements, and thoroughly study World War II history."
Charles Roven nodded. "Don't worry, they're all dedicated actors. Completing these specific training exercises won't be a problem."
Little Gilbert then turned to Kevin Waxman. "We're heading to Europe. The UK refused to provide troops for filming, but Ireland will send about 1,600 active soldiers to assist with the shoot. Selena has been in contact with the Irish government, and they're even willing to provide a location. We found a beach that looks a lot like Omaha Beach, so we need to go there for a site inspection..."
These tasks were all essential. As the director, Gilbert needed a comprehensive understanding of the film's pre-production. He had to personally oversee costume props and filming locations. Unlike The Rock, Saving Private Ryan is a film based on real historical events, demanding a high degree of realism to convince the audience.
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As they were discussing, the audition for the Caparzo role began. After a few more auditions, it was Vin Diesel's turn. He took a deep breath and entered the audition hall, immediately noticing the excessively young director sitting in the center.
Little Gilbert saw Vin Diesel, then looked at the audition list, feeling a bit surprised. He hadn't expected to meet a young version of the 'Family Man,' and for him to be auditioning for his film, no less.
Vin Diesel was also involved in the original film, though the character of Caparzo wasn't in the initial script. However, after Spielberg saw the film Strays, he was deeply impressed by Vin Diesel, so he specifically discussed with the screenwriter to create this role in the script. Gilbert hadn't made any changes and kept the Caparzo character. He never expected that after all the auditions, Vin Diesel would still end up trying out for the role.
The performance section went smoothly. Vin Diesel's acting wasn't outstanding, but the role itself perfectly suited his image. This kind of minor role wasn't worth Gilbert holding a special meeting about. After the audition, Gilbert made an on-the-spot decision, casting Vin Diesel in the film.
Vin Diesel was ecstatic to get the role. At this point, he was, at best, an ordinary minor actor, and securing this role held immense significance for him. Countless people yearned to participate in Gilbert's films, knowing it meant a major leap in their acting careers, and Vin Diesel was no exception.
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Seeing the young 'Family Man,' Gilbert thought of a film project: the famous Fast & Furious series from his previous life. It was a series that evolved from a small-to-medium budget B-movie into an A-list commercial blockbuster, truly becoming a super-franchise capable of anything. While it had many cringe-worthy and flawed moments, the fact that the series could produce eleven films proved its immense commercial profitability.
Little Gilbert had completely forgotten about this film series until he saw the young 'Family Man.' However, he wasn't planning on directing it himself. Perhaps Watermelon Studio could invest in it and co-produce the series with Warner Bros., Disney, or 20th Century Fox. If the series performed as well as it did in his previous life, it would become a key profit generator for Watermelon Studio.
The more Gilbert thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed. He planned to discuss it with Sheena Boone later, with the intention of pushing for the project's initiation in a few years.
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After the actor auditions concluded, all the main cast, including Tom Hanks, were sent to a training camp, with Marine Corps Captain Carter in charge of their instruction. During training, all the actors referred to each other by their characters' names and ranks to help them get into their roles.
For Leo DiCaprio, since he appears last, Gilbert had him train separately, not with the rescue squad. The purpose of this was to maintain the rescue squad's unfamiliarity with the James Ryan character, which would help the actors understand their roles and the plot better.
At the same time, they also had to learn how to use weapons, close combat skills, individual tactics, and the code words and hand signals used by armies during World War II.
Leo's costume fitting photos looked a bit too handsome, and Gilbert felt it was inappropriate. He instructed the makeup artist, "Make him look a bit uglier. I need an ordinary soldier, not a movie star on the battlefield."
Leo DiCaprio chimed in at the right moment, "Whoa, Gilbert, are you trying to ruin my handsome face?"
Little Gilbert chuckled, "Yeah, I also want you to fight a North American grizzly bear. How do you feel about that?"
"Are there North American grizzly bears in Europe?" Leo asked, curious about the detail.
Little Gilbert spread his hands, indicating he didn't know. "Who knows? You'd have to ask a zoologist about that."
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While the production didn't have a zoologist, they did have several historians. After the actors immersed themselves in training, Gilbert took his staff and the historians to Ireland for a scouting trip.
The Irish government offered a place called Curracloe Beach for filming. This beach is located in the small Irish town of Wexford, a city with pleasant scenery. Every year, it hosts an opera festival, attracting many tourists. It also boasts the Hook Lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse in the world, over eight hundred years old and still operational. The lighthouse boasts a magnificent architectural structure and is surrounded by picturesque scenery, making it a popular tourist attraction. Climbing the 115 steps to the top is the most worthwhile experience at the Hook Lighthouse, and if you're lucky, you might even spot whales and dolphins jumping out of the sea.
When Gilbert visited, he was very lucky. While standing on Hook Lighthouse, gazing at the sea, he encountered a pod of dolphins.
"Looking at the distant sea, it's truly refreshing!" Gilbert cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted towards the ocean.
Sofia urged him, "Little Gilbert, our time is tight. You can enjoy the scenery another time; right now, we need to focus on work."
Little Gilbert pouted at the mood-killing Sofia. "Sofia, you really know how to spoil the fun."
Sofia paid no mind to Gilbert's complaints. She said, "We need to scout the beach, and then we have to check out a few other outdoor locations in Northern Ireland and England. Let's go!"
Little Gilbert sighed, resigned. Sofia, when in work mode, was a bit of a workaholic, even more diligent than him. Of course, this didn't mean Gilbert wasn't serious; he just sometimes slacked off, and he was grateful to have Sofia by his side to constantly remind him.
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The two joined the rest of the crew and several historical experts at Curracloe Beach. The beach had excellent sand, reflecting the golden color of the seawater, and was backed by steep cliffs, all quite similar to the environment of Omaha Beach in Normandy.
"Omaha Beach has become a historical memorial site, so we couldn't get filming permission. That's why we're setting the filming location here," Gilbert explained simply. He then turned to the local Irish official, "We need to do extensive construction on the beach. Is the government okay with that?"
The local official replied, "As long as the crew can restore the beach to its original condition after filming, there's no problem."
Hearing this, Gilbert felt relieved. He told Sofia, "I need to transform this beach into a realistic battlefield, building fortifications, bunkers, and foxholes. We'll set up barbed wire and anti-tank traps on the beach. You can coordinate with the experts on this to recreate the true battlefield appearance as much as possible."
"According to your plan, it'll take at least two or three months to complete, Gilbert," Sofia reminded him.
"No problem," Gilbert said. "We can film other scenes first and shoot this big battle last. We still have plenty of time."
Since Gilbert already had a plan, Sofia said no more.
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The film also features numerous dramatic scenes, with much of the journey taking place through picturesque countryside, showcasing beautiful pastoral scenery. Although the story in the film is set in France, the actual filming location was Thame Park in Oxfordshire, Southern England, which boasts 455 acres of idyllic landscape.
Even though the British government refused to provide troops for filming, forcing the crew to choose Ireland for the opening battle scene, most of the film's other scenes were shot in England and Northern Ireland.
Later, the crew found an abandoned airbase in Hatfield, less than twenty miles from London. Gilbert requested that this abandoned airbase be transformed into a war-torn, ruined French village. Set designer Tom Sanders took on this task.
Tom Sanders first created a 3D model of the small town. Then, he used carving knives to cut and hack at the model until it was riddled with holes. This destroyed model was then scaled up to create the actual physical structures. Using the blueprints of the 2D model, Tom Sanders also designed hidden passages and hiding spots. These were then built exactly as designed in the actual set, allowing for combat scenes inside and on the streets to be filmed from various angles from these concealed locations.
"These designs were quite challenging," Tom Sanders said. "For this, I had to consult military history experts to design a filming location that met the director's requirements."
After Gilbert reviewed the entire designed scene, he praised, "Tom did an excellent job. It's these details that make this film incredibly real and believable on the big screen."
Of course, the work the crew did extended far beyond just these details.
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