Behind-the-scenes production of the rescued girl

This story about boys and girls is written and directed by Whit Stillman, who is a very realistic filmmaker. "The Girl to Be Saved" shows us a university campus life dominated by men, and the repressed girls are bound to break free and seek ultimate liberation ... It has been 13 years since steelman's last work "The Last Days of disco", and the reason why he decided to focus on controversial topics such as male chauvinism, female rights and gender discrimination of college students this time stems from some insights he got when he went back to his alma mater to visit his old friends. Steelman recalled: "I believe that everyone's memory is full of nostalgia for their college days, and such a group of girls often come to mind. Their existence can be said to have a revolutionary impact on the social life in the school-they are always dressed up and wearing refreshing perfume, which directly changes the monotonous and harsh social concept of our generation. "

In fact, at first, Whit Stillman, who had been silent in this industry for too long, just tried to submit an application to the film company, hoping to get the corresponding approval to make a comedy focusing on college life. Steelman said, "Personally, I didn't actually have any specific concepts and plans in my mind at first, because I didn't have the opportunity to meet such a girl. I knew nothing about their unusual infidelity ... but then I found out that if I went back to the initial stage of coeducation, almost every university would have similar small groups-suddenly, I knew what kind of story I should describe in the latest movie. " Coeducation began to prevail in American universities, almost from the late 1960s, especially in the early 1970s, and it has spread to almost everywhere. Whit Stillman explained, "Even so, after several years or even decades, there is still a very obvious male-dominated general atmosphere in some universities. It is difficult for women to find a comfortable and suitable position here-according to this situation, I created a very dramatic movie story, showing a relatively extreme university environment. Although coeducation has developed for decades, it is still in a state of blind worship for the barbaric and primitive male status here. "

Soon, the idea of this film conceived by Whit Stillman was widely recognized and affirmed, especially in Barcelona and disco, where there were very happy partners and partners in the last days. Steelman said, "After more than 65,438+00 years, we can re-establish this pleasant working relationship with our old friends. This is really a very lucky thing ... I still remember that it was the end of 20 10 1. It took me almost a month to submit the first draft of the script, and then I waited for another month. I finally got the phone call I had been waiting for-with a little polishing and modification, this story can be put on the big screen. " For Whit Stillman, the most critical period in the whole process is spring, and they discuss how to raise money for the rescued maid. As for such an independent film, it will never be possible unless the budget is in place. Steelman described: "Usually, the obstacles we need to face actually come from all aspects, from casting to overseas pre-sale to how to calculate the appropriate budget range. The most important thing is how to find a publisher in China who really appreciates us ... Before that, I witnessed two excellent works mired in similar problems, so I have been thinking about how to effectively avoid possible situations-our first film "Metropolis" has made a very good start, no matter what resources or materials we have.

Basically, if what we are completing is a film with a relatively small coverage, then the investment from individuals becomes the most feasible and effective scheme. What we pursue is really a small cost in a sense, so we can only compress the whole production process of the film as much as possible and make it have a concise and compact cycle as much as possible. Relatively young cast Because The Saved Girl is mainly about campus life, it is understandable that this film needs a cast of young actors. Whit Stillman said: "When I first came to Los Angeles, I started a series of auditions with two casting directors, Amy McWhon Britt and Anya Croft ... and we soon found three young actresses who met our requirements. They are Annalei Tipton, who plays Lily, Aubrey Plaza, who plays Debbie, and Megalin Edchikunwalker, who plays Ruth. Perhaps because I have lived overseas for a long time, most people's reaction to my name is blank. After all, this film needs to follow a storytelling style similar to' Whispering Core', describing an independent film type that pays attention to the emotional life of young people around the age of 20, with great improvisation. Although I often hear about it, I have never tried it. Later, I met greta gerwig, a highly recommended blonde ... At first, she came for the role of Lily, but slowly, she got more * * * songs from violette West. Fortunately, West is not the kind of actor who sticks to the rules. She likes challenges and changes more, so she naturally accepted my suggestion and shifted the direction of audition to violette, including the scenes of singing and tap dancing that this role needs to complete, which she can't beat. After we left L.A., we went to new york to continue our casting work. Here, the other two casting directors, paul schneider and Kerry Baden, gave us great help, and Baden had already assembled a lineup for The Last Days of Disco, which made the whole process look very smooth. "

Among many auditions, Whit Stillman was most impressed by an actress named Lena Dunham, who came to audition for Cecil. Steelman described: "I still remember that it was a very depressing and depressing morning. The Dunham we interviewed gave people a completely different feeling from Cecil, and I even began to become desperate and discouraged ... But all of a sudden, this actor who I didn't think was suitable at first brought me a completely different feeling. It was also at that time that I began to realize that I had unconsciously entered the category of' whispering core'-even a really good actor should be appreciated by a director with a unique vision, so we could see Dunham. In this crucial meeting, although I know that Dunham is not suitable to play the role of Cecil, we have become good friends who have known each other for a long time. It was with her help that we had the opportunity to meet Alicia Van Cornwalling and Cecilia Kate Locke. Finally, they all joined our film production as producers, which played an absolutely vital role, because they were very experienced filmmakers and brought us a lot of valuable things.

When Whit Stillman returned to new york with a growing team, he continued to choose actors, and he soon chose three actors, which added a huge comedy atmosphere to the film and also represented the "supreme" male class in the school. They play Frank's Ryan Mikav, billy magnussen's role is Thor, and adam brody and Charlie are quite smooth actors, who * * * perfected this youthful performance system. Steelman said, "That feeling is still quite strange, as if every face in the camera is not over 25 years old and not in college. I just walked out of the campus ... that kind of immature and green, which can't be concealed, gives the "Saved Girl" a very strong realistic color, and combined with the corresponding music score, it is really delicious. " Except for the indoor scenes that need to be completed in the studio, and it only takes one day before and after, almost all the rescued girls were filmed in the ice-free port of Staten Island and its surrounding areas. Although it is a legal part of new york, it has far-reaching ties with the mid-Atlantic region in terms of geographical environment and culture. Whit Stillman admitted: "After many investigations and field exploration, we all think that we have found the most likely site. The ice-free port is also known as the ice-free port cultural center and botanical garden. The buildings here are quite representative in the19th century. It used to be the home of old sailors in their old age, but now it has developed into a beautiful city park, including 26 buildings with Greek Renaissance, fine arts, Italian and Victorian styles. Whit Stillman said: "It is possible to shoot this film live in an ice-free port. This means a lot to us. It represents an unparalleled relic of new york's sailing career in the19th century, and gives the rescued girl an irreplaceable historical flavor. "