Big Scene development post 9: The completed Salt Mine fight sequence --> And what's next?

Woo hoo! The scene that's been in my mind ever since I started this project has now been fully animated and a rough edit assembled. 

The climactic Bond V Blofeld fight, playing to a John Barry track that was only briefly heard in the climax of On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969).

Although I wanted to make it more fast paced, in the vein of the Bond VS 006 fight in Goldeneye (1995), I feel was able to make it work enough as a suitable climax to the film (and Bond's multiple films arc of fighting SPECTRE and its criminal leader).

In the end, it was another case of having to deal with the limitations of the Moviestorm animation software to produce a satisfying sequence.

I suppose in a sense the pace works for two reasons.

1. Both Bond and Blofeld are probably exhausted from the earlier chase (see my last post for that sequence). 

So while they're trying to throw themselves at each other in animalistic fashion, they don't have the energy to keep up the pace at every second.

2. I don't personally see Blofeld as much of a physical fighter, despite the physicality that Telly Savalas had in the role for OHMSS. 

His main focus is just to escape and outwit his opponent, and for the most part he's only fighting Bond when he feels he's cornered or sees a good opportunity.

Now, I should admit that a bit of artistic licence was used in this scene. Obviously there likely aren't multiple set of salt mounds at the real location, nor is there an incomplete footbridge towering above a salt granulator.

However, for the sake of increasing the dramatic potential of the scene, I thought having the fight take place high up to end with Blofeld properly falling into the crusher works nicely.

The reaction from Bond after he has finally killed Blofeld was partly inspired by a similar scene in Licence to Kill (1989). 

After Bond sets Sanchez alight and the villain is consumed in the explosions of the oil tanker, Timothy Dalton chose to play this moment with sincerity; as if Bond is totally exhausted but also relieved since a huge weight has been removed from his shoulders.

If you've just defeated your arch-nemesis, who took so much away from you, and you've been ruthlessly engaging in a no-holds-barred beatdown with them, then a reaction like this makes total sense.

Another thing to add, is that the final shots of Bond looking up to see Felix Leiter and Marc Ange Draco arriving in a Huey Helicopter was actually a last minute addition. As I originally wrote the scene, it just cuts off after Bond observes the bloodied mound of salt below him that Blofeld has been reduced to.

However, in Tom Mankiewicz's original script for Diamonds Are Forever, Blofeld's death in the crusher was in fact followed by a short scene of Willard Whyte landing his helicopter next to Bond, with this dialogue:

Whyte: Where is that bastard, Blofeld?
Bond: Bastard? He is the salt of the earth.

For those of you who don't know, this one-liner is a pun on the phrase 'to be the salt of the earth', which means to be a very good and honest person. 

I didn't think this joke would work well for Bond in Diamonds Reimagined, since Bond is hardly likely to compliment the man who killed his wife, deceased or otherwise.

However, I thought it a decent gag nonethless, so I've saved it for a separate epilogue scene where a different character says it in more jovial circumstances.

Either way, clearly Mankiewicz thought it wouldn't be right just to cut away without giving some indication as to how Bond was able to make his way back to the US from this Mexican salt works. 

It's a fair point, which is why I altered my script to include the Unione Corse Helicopter flying overhead.

So what's next for the project?

With the salt mine climax in the can, I intend to carry a long series of re-shoots of previously finished scenes. 

Though I may have been satisfied with some of them at the time, I've learnt a lot of new ways of animating and set-building within the Moviestorm software over time.

The Las Vegas Country Club sequence for example, which replaces the Circus Circus scene in the original film, used very small sets and backdrops to bring the location to life. Looking back at it, I find that it struggles to convince because of this. 

The heavy use of greenscreen to add more characters and the geography of the action just look cheap, so I essentially have to redo most of it from scratch.

Still, as soon as all the re-shoots have been completed I can get straight back to work on new scenes! This will include scenes set in Willard Whyte's Penthouse, of which I have partially completed re-creating the Ken Adam set for.

Then with most of the sequences set in America finished, I'll begin working on new material for the pre-credits sequence...

Till then!

- The Retro Captain

Many thanks again to the commander007.net website for their analysis of Mankiewicz's original script for DAF at https://www.commander007.net/2016/diamants-eternels-scripts-originaux/

Big Scene development post 8: Salt Mine chase sequence completed & animation of the climatic fight has begun!

The project is now at the crossroads folks! With the chase sequence completed, the suspense built up, and it must now come to a climax. James Bond must avenge Tracy by killing his nemesis Blofeld in hand-to-hand combat!

The fight is fully scripted, and it will be my biggest challenge yet to animate and edit it convincingly.

Now, I'm no stunt choreographer like Bob Simmons or George Leech, but I can certainly take inspiration from their style. 

Do I think I'll create a fight that rivals From Russia With Love's famous train fight? Or the selection of excellent brawls and punch-ups in OHMSS? 

Probably not, though I'll do my best to make this one brutal and memorable.

Here's an excerpt from the script I've written of the beginning of the fight;

The fight will eventually move to a high-up footbridge (that is still under construction), where the pair will continue to engage in fist-cuffs until Blofeld is knocked into a salt granulator below.

It's fair to say old Ernst has lost his marbles, so to speak...

One thing you can probably tell from the production stills above is that I am adding facial scars, bruises and blood to Bond and Blofeld's faces. In the early Connery films you do sometimes see a little bit of blood. 

Something like the fight in From Russia With Love does show a bit of blood, particularly on Bond's hand towards the end. 

So I intend to emulate a little of that, with a little more brutality similar to what's seen with Bond's injuries in films like Casino Royale and Licence to Kill.

And finally, the small but important touch I hope to add to this fight will be its animalistic nature, particularly from Blofeld. 

If you are to treat You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Diamonds Reimagined as a trilogy, then this fight will feel like a culmination of a years long struggle between two bitter enemies. 

So it deserves to have a certain visceral quality to it, as Bond and Blofeld will no doubt pull no punches in a fight to the death.

To close this post off, I present you with a rough edit of the foot chase leading up to the fight. The audio is not final, and in one shot you can even hear a shout of "action!" by Guy Hamilton from a behind the scenes clip. 

I put that there partly as a joke, but also to give me an authentic feeling during the editing process. Enjoy!

Big Scene development post 7: Salt Mine chase sequence preview

Before the fight, there is the chase. I now present a short preview of the chase sequence currently being animated for the climax of Diamonds Re-Imagined. This scene features a vengeance seeking Bond chasing an animalistically determined Blofeld through a salt mine in Mexico (of which in my last post I showed off screenshots of the finished exterior sets).

So far it is has ended up being one of my most successful action sequences animated for this project. It's all about the direction, editing and a suitable John Barry score (the one in the clip will not be used in the final edit). It's a sequence largely made in the edit, allowing me to give it the frantic pace that I hope viewers will enjoy. I wanted to emphasise the emotions running through Bond's mind as he pursues his arch-nemesis in anticipation of the final confrontation.

The fight itself shall be worked on later, but all the build-up to Bond finally getting revenge for the murder of his wife Tracy is absolutely neccessary here. Most of the sequence is unscripted, and is largely being constructed in the edit. But now I do have a set timeline of events to occur:

1. Bond & Blofeld arrive at the beach, where pursuit starts. Blofeld dives over some small salt mounds and heads towards the salt works.

2. Bond pursues Blofeld around the industrial area of the salt mine and narrowly avoids getting shot by Blofeld, who uses up his last bullet.

3. Blofeld climbs up a conveyor belt tower and leaps onto a salt hill. Bond does the same.

4. Both men pursue each other on the salt hills, jumping from one mound to another.

5. Bond uses his last bullet to shoot at Blofeld, but misses. The bullet only knocks Blofeld off his feet and sends him tumbling down into a ditch.

6. Blofeld gets up, and runs to hide so that when Bond comes nearby, he can leap out of nowhere and ambush him.

This then leads into the fist-fight.

More will revealed in good time, as animation of this sequence progresses. Till then!