Chapter 183: The Typhoon Arrives

Chapter 183: Chapter 183: The Typhoon Arrives

They had assumed it was a simple malfunction, so they didn’t bother calling for another speedboat. The repairs ended up taking two hours, and all three scenes scheduled for the day were delayed.

The crew’s morale dipped. The prop master jogged over to Irene and said, "Director, should we reschedule for tomorrow? Nothing is going right today."

Irene shook her head. "No. Tomorrow’s schedule is already full. If we want to stay on track, we cannot afford any more delays. Tell the technical team to work faster on the repairs. We’ll shoot the indoor scenes at the dock first and get the actors’ close-ups."

The indoor scenes went relatively smoothly. The main cast had undergone a month of closed-door training, so their chemistry was solid. But the moment they returned outdoors, new trouble started.

The hem of Keira Knightley’s costume caught on the iron chain of the ship’s anchor in the sea breeze. It tore a hole straight through the fabric.

The wardrobe team quickly brought a backup costume, but between changing and touching up her makeup, another half hour was lost. Keira looked at the torn hem and said, feeling embarrassed, "Sorry. I wasted everyone’s time."

Irene patted her shoulder. "It’s fine. Filming by the sea is always like this. Accidents are inevitable."

It wasn’t until evening that the speedboat was fixed, and the long shot of the Black Pearl was finally completed. Irene reviewed the footage on the monitor and let out a long sigh of relief.

By the end of the day, most of their energy had been spent dealing with unexpected situations. They had planned to shoot five scenes but only managed to complete three.

When they wrapped, Henry rubbed his sore legs. "On-location shooting is really not easy. It’s much harder than auditions."

Johnny Depp handed him a bottle of water. "This is just the beginning. Filming at sea means weather, equipment, personnel. Anything can go wrong. You’ll get used to it."

Irene looked at her exhausted team and said loudly, "Everyone worked hard today. Let’s start earlier tomorrow to make up for the progress we lost. Prop team, check all equipment tonight. Wardrobe team, prepare a couple of extra backup costumes. Let’s aim for a smooth day tomorrow."

Early the next morning, Irene thought her prayers had been answered. Port Royal Bay was under a clear, cloudless sky. The sun baked the beach until it was hot, and the sea breeze had softened considerably.

The crew was determined to make up for yesterday’s lost progress. The prop team finished checking the equipment early, the wardrobe team laid out the backup costumes neatly, and the actors arrived at the set half an hour early for makeup.

Irene had just finished confirming the shooting order with the assistant director against the call sheet and was preparing to shoot the scene on the deck of the Black Pearl when reality proved her wrong. The sky suddenly changed.

The originally clear blue sky was quickly covered by spreading dark clouds. In less than half an hour, the entire bay grew as gloomy as dusk. The sea breeze turned wild, making the canvas at the dock rustle loudly.

"Where is the weather monitoring team?" Irene grabbed the walkie-talkie and shouted.

A reply came quickly. "Director, the clouds are moving too fast. There will be heavy to torrential rain in half an hour, and the rainfall won’t be light."

Irene looked up at the pitch-black sky and gritted her teeth. "Everyone, switch to indoor shooting. Camera crew, move the equipment to the warehouse set immediately. Actors, change your costumes. We’ll shoot Will’s scenes in the blacksmith shop first."

There was a flurry of activity. Just as they finished moving the equipment and props into place, the rain came pattering down. The outside world instantly turned into a curtain of rain.

Irene stood in the lobby of the island’s only hotel, watching waves roar in from the distant sea, driven by the wind. This did not feel as simple as just rain.

Just then, her phone rang.

"Hello." Irene had a bad feeling.

"Director, I have some bad news. The weather monitoring team just detected that a typhoon might make landfall this evening, at least a Category 7. The local meteorological bureau advises us to cancel all outdoor activities for the next two days to avoid casualties," Vera Cecil said cautiously on the other end of the line.

"Shit. Why wasn’t the typhoon activity detected earlier?" Irene could not control herself for a moment.

"I’m very sorry, Director, but our equipment can only do so much. Do you think we need to organize a meeting to reschedule the upcoming shooting plan?" Vera Cecil suggested.

Irene took a deep breath. She had forgotten that it was only 2001. Typhoon monitoring was far less efficient than in her previous life. This was not anyone’s fault, and getting angry would not change anything. "Notify everyone. The priority now is to move all equipment indoors. The dock and ships must be reinforced, or it will be dangerous. Then, have all department heads attend an emergency meeting in half an hour to reschedule the shooting plan for the next three days."

The meeting was held in the hotel lobby, and the heads of each department arrived with their notebooks. Irene sat at the table and got straight to the point. "A typhoon is coming, so all outdoor scenes are suspended. For the next three days, focus on shooting indoor and studio scenes. The prop team will take the lead, working with logistics to reinforce the dock and secure the ships. Ensuring the safety of the equipment and ships is the top priority."

The prop master nodded immediately. "We’ll arrange it right away. We’ll furl all the sails of the Black Pearl and secure her with steel cables. The wooden crates and props on the dock will also be properly stowed away."

"Wardrobe and makeup teams," Irene continued, "use these three days to finalize the styling for all the actors’ close-ups and indoor scenes. Especially the scenes with Elizabeth in the pirate ship’s jail, as well as the scenes where Jack and the crew are plotting. These can all be completed on the indoor set."

"Camera and lighting teams, coordinate well," she turned to the technical departments. "The lighting for the warehouse set needs to be adjusted perfectly. The fire effects in the blacksmith shop and the gloomy feel of the jail cell must be tested in advance. Don’t let anything go wrong when we’re filming."

Johnny Depp sat nearby and added with a smile, "Actually, the scenes of Captain Jack in the tavern can also be filmed early. The indoor set is complete enough, and it’s a good chance to polish the details over these next few days."

Henry and Keira nodded as well. "We have no problem with that. We can shoot indoor scenes at any time."

Irene looked at everyone. "Put the scenes with extras on hold for now. Focus on the main actors’ scenes and close-ups. These require fewer people and are easier to push forward. In addition, the screenwriting team should further refine the script segments to be filmed over these three days. If there are any parts that need adjustment, communicate in time."

She paused, her tone softening slightly. "Don’t rush during the typhoon. Safety comes first. Take these three days as an opportunity to polish the details of the indoor scenes. Once the weather improves, we’ll focus on shooting the large-scale outdoor scenes."

The heads of each department quickly took notes. No one had any objections. In the face of a natural disaster, adjusting the plan was the safest choice.

After the meeting, everyone immediately sprang into action. The prop and logistics teams carried their tools toward the dock to reinforce the facilities. The camera and lighting teams were busy testing the equipment for the indoor sets, while the actors gathered together to study the script and work through the scenes they were about to shoot.