差不多整齣《三更之回家》在中環前已婚警察宿舍拍攝。Eric與家人住在南座一個單位，Leon與死去的妻子則住北座。數百米的平台是分隔又是維繫他們的空間。
當我們拍這部戲的時候，宿舍已人去樓空，準備發展成今日我們看得見的商場，成為了我們的片場，屬於我們的攝影棚。
我們沒有錢，又沒有特別的美術偏好，添置甚麼來改變這空間。但怎樣善用這裡？如何讓空間「有話說」？戲劇性和視覺震憾的地方在哪？由於空間是電影的主角，如何將它發揮得淋漓盡致，展現它與有生命又有呼吸的角色有何關係？
所以我們測試燈光，測試Leon 「治療」妻子的草本水顏色。我們又做出不同構圖，看如何拍好這偌大的空間，又不會讓演員湮沒其中（我們都想看到演員在做甚麼，也想大家感受演員感受到的空間）
在開拍前花點時間測試，不單止提供有用的資訊，同時也是好方法，凝聚團隊間的力量。助理不只是「助你」，他們也投入測試看是否可行。有句話是對的，花時間琢磨細節便會做出細節，玉不琢不成器。
Almost all of Three, Going Home takes place inside the PMQ compound in Central. Eric and his family have a flat in the Southern block. Leon and his dead wife live in the Northern block. A hundred square metres of courtyard are all that separates or perhaps joins them.
The married police had long gone when we shot the film, and it’s development into the shopping space it is now was some years away , so we had a ready made “ back lot ”. We had a studio of our own.
We had neither the money nor the intent “ art direct ” or add this or that
to change the space. But how best to use it? What is the space “saying” ? What is dramatic, or visually compelling? Since the space is a main character in the film, how to bring out the best in it, as one has to do with any of the living, breathing characters?
So we tested light, we tested the colour of the herbal waters Eric “cures” his wife with. We try to work out what frame presents enough of the space without the actors disappearing in the space ( we want to see what they are doing , but we also want to feel the space in which they do it ) ….
Taking the time to prepare a film like this is not just informative; it is a great way to focus a teams energies ; assistants are not just assisting they are engaged in how something works or not. And yes, taking the time to go into details helps make the details themselves have a potential they would otherwise not have.
影片來源Video:《三更之回家》 “Three, Going Home” (2002)
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#PMQ #HollywoodRoad #ThreeGoingHome #FruitChan
