Hollywood Road

Back in the Los Angeles studio, the shooting was entirely centered around the character of Superman, played by Chris Evans. Notably, Superman lacked his red cape during all the previous shoots. This absence was due to the practical complications a cape introduces in real-life shooting. Murphy decided it was easier for the visual effects team to add it in post-production.

Moreover, the film also explained why Superman needed such a broad red cape—it wasn't for show but to aid balance during flight.

Most of the studio filming took place in front of a green screen. There were many times Chris Evans could not grasp the specific intent behind the actions Murphy asked him to perform. However, Murphy did not require his understanding; it sufficed that he, the director, and the visual effects artists from Industrial Light & Magic knew how these actions would correspond with the digital effects.

The footage shot could be described as very rough initial products, with a completion rate of barely ten percent. The remaining ninety percent depended largely on post-production visual effects.

This was Murphy's most CGI and digital effects-heavy film to date.

During the December filming, Murphy led the crew's morning and afternoon shoots and spent time until midnight with the Industrial Light & Magic visual effects artists. Although he wasn't knowledgeable about the specifics of CGI and digital technology, this arrangement allowed for immediate communication, facilitating the rapid achievement of his desired results.

Transforming a series of green-screen shots into the final cinematic effects was challenging.

For the action sequences, Murphy abandoned the mixed pacing of shots used in "Deadpool" in favor of entirely real-time combat. He insisted that the visual effects team ensure clarity in every action and cut, a challenging standard to meet.

Especially during the climactic battle scene being filmed against the green screen, after Gal Gadot joined Chris Evans and the motion-capture actor playing the Russian antagonist, it turned into a veritable brawl.

In such brawls, Hollywood typically makes characters distinctively colored to help audiences distinguish each one. As absurd as it sounds, it's an effective strategy, as seen in Murphy's many viewings of "Transformers" and "The Avengers."

In "Man of Steel," though the colors of Superman and the antagonists' outfits were dark, rapid combat made it crucial that the audience could differentiate characters without visual confusion. The shots completed so far managed to avoid such issues, thanks to the tracking shots Murphy used.

From the start, Murphy rarely used aerial or handheld shots typical of blockbuster films, preferring highly smooth footage over shaky visuals. He frequently utilized rail and Steadicam shots, allowing for stable close-ups and frequent cutting during post-production.

Ultimately, this enabled a macro view of the fight scenes, developing the layers of the entire battle from these close-ups.

Another notable aspect of Murphy's filming was Phil Lacher's frequent use of zoom lenses for automatic focusing, a technique common in news events that significantly enhances the realism of the film.

Murphy described the method in "Man of Steel" as meticulous, resembling on-the-spot news coverage, using wide angles to capture the entire scene before swiftly zooming in on key details. This method ensured that the film's action scenes were permeated with such dynamics.

His approach aimed to strip the "Superman" character, an inherently unbelievable comic book hero, from his pedestal and bring him down to earth.

With the film scheduled for release next summer, there was considerable pressure on the visual effects production. After completing the climactic battle scene, Murphy paused the shooting to focus with Jody Griffiths and the Industrial Light & Magic team on the early addition of effects to these scenes.

After adding effects, the completion of these shots reached about sixty to seventy percent, but there was still a long way to go. Those with a basic understanding of visual effects knew that the initial eighty percent of effects took only twenty percent of the time and budget, while the remaining twenty percent would consume the rest.

Many low-budget films with poor effects typically complete the initial eighty percent without concerning themselves with the final twenty percent, resulting in visibly poor effects.

The final battle scene, even at sixty to seventy percent completion, did not impress, and some at Warner Bros. criticized the action choreography for deviating from the martial arts-based action style developed in North America and Hollywood, which they believed clashed with mainstream aesthetic preferences.

However, with full control and support from the Warner Bros. board, Murphy stood by his approach.

Just as originally designed, treating a character like Superman with conventional flashy combat would insult the audience's intelligence, though Murphy did incorporate some appropriate flairs to emphasize destructive power.

Murphy's action sequences, criticized by some at Warner, particularly for the destructive power of Superman and Wonder Woman.

Despite the shots' relatively low completion rate, their remarkable destructive power was undeniably displayed, both in feel and visual impact.

For instance, Wayne Enterprises' Metropolis building would collapse like cardboard during the clash between Superman and the antagonist, along with many other buildings destroyed by the three powerful characters.

Murphy intentionally pursued this

 effect, aiming to break the conventional "moral bottom line" of Hollywood hero movies with the action scenes in "Man of Steel."

In the studio, several people took a coffee break and discussed the mainstream commercial cinema's notion of a "moral bottom line" in action scenes, which Gal Gadot, new to Hollywood, questioned.

"Yes," replied Nicolas Cage, with a responsible tone, "It's true. Even the R-rated action films I've done had a moral bottom line in action scenes."

Chris Evans, knowing Cage's deeper understanding of the industry, asked for specifics.

"Well," Cage gestured, "think about the destruction scenes in many major productions. Although they're impressive, they rarely show direct harm to bystanders. Any exploded vehicles are over seas or wastelands, and imperiled bystanders always get rescued. The targets of destruction are carefully chosen to avoid implying the presence of people."

Gal Gadot, having seen fewer films, was still recalling as Chris Evans began to nod in agreement.

Cage continued, "These are what we call the moral bottom lines of action scenes, but our film…"

He shook his head, "Murphy has broken all these rules."

The script explicitly included numerous scenes involving innocent bystanders.

As Gal Gadot was about to express her thoughts, an assistant director suddenly informed them that due to Murphy's urgent consultation with the visual effects department at Industrial Light & Magic about a new issue, filming for the day was concluded, and they could clock out.

While changing clothes in the makeup trailer, Gal Gadot texted Murphy, who replied advising her not to wait up as he was unsure when he would return.

Knowing Murphy's commitment to the special effects department meant he would be working late into the night, Gal Gadot left the Warner Bros. studio.

Murphy's discussion with the effects department was about a new issue: "Man of Steel" had many special effects shots, but they needed to be used with restraint to avoid turning into a Michael Bay-style overt display of technical prowess.

Not that such flamboyance was bad, but it did not align with the film's theme and atmosphere.

Many Hollywood directors have a penchant for showing off in this manner, and Murphy felt that many underwent a phase of growth similar to that of a nouveau riche—suddenly having money to spend after wanting it for so long, they tend to indulge themselves. This is reflected in the effects work, where they demonstrate to audiences and studio executives that they have indeed spent the budget well. After this phase, they generally learn how to utilize effects more effectively.

However, those who were "born with money," like a few directors including Spielberg, did not go through this phase.

In "Man of Steel," the effects were divided into those involving lifelike creatures and those serving as inanimate background props.

For the inanimate effects, Murphy did not plan to use any breakthrough technologies, sticking to basic rigid body collisions, particle systems, and compositing.

But in the highly dynamic action scenes, these effects had little room to shine, whether involving Superman or Wonder Woman, whose speeds were too fast. Plus, Murphy did not intend to use high-speed slow-motion, resulting in the visuals keeping pace with Superman's rapid movements.

This marked a significant departure from previous action movie effects.

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