Blackjack, the second project from Alliance Communications and director John Woo, is in production in the gta this month. The series pilot is being shot feature film-style on 35mm and using between four and seven cameras per scene. The action-heavy drama will incorporate zero computerized special effects, as per the mindset of Woo (Face/Off, Broken Arrow, Once a Thief), who isn’t particularly fond of the digital domain when it comes to blowing things up.

What began as a $7-million to $8-million production budget is up over $10 million. The pilot stars Dolph Lundgren as an ex-u.s. Marshall who is responsible for protecting citizens enrolled in the Witness Protection Program.

Alliance, which owns worldwide rights, will distribute a video title first in North America. A network sale is already inked with USA Network. No official announcement yet, but ctv is reportedly in for Canada and rumblings exist that the film could be released theatrically in foreign (non-North American) markets.

The following is a brief interview with Woo on the cel between takes.

Playback: What would inspire you after completing Face/Off and Broken Arrow to come to Canada to shoot a pilot in Hamilton, Ont. in November?

Woo: For myself, I’ve never cared about big budgets just so long as I have strong interest in the project. But I come to just try to relax a little bit too. In Hollywood, there’s so much frustration, so much pressure, it almost drives me crazy, so it’s good for me to go away for a while and do something smaller and refresh myself.

I like to work with Dolph and the other actors. The smaller projects are good training for me. I need to know how to work faster, think faster, work smarter, which is necessary with the shooting schedule.

Also, I like everything simple. I like to work in an independent way. For a tv thing, there are no politics, no games or anything. Everything is pleasant here and they try to make everything work.

I really like working with the Canadian crew. They work hard and they’re so talented and dedicated. I like to work with a team as a family who cares about each other and their work. In Hollywood, they have a lot of great talent but a lot of politics too.

Playback: Why don’t you rely on digital effects?

Woo: Because it never looks real to me. It looks fake. The digital effects look so cold. There’s no life. I like real drama. That’s what’s going to move and touch me in a good-looking piece of work.

Playback: The Once a Thief prototype – feature film pilot generating into a tv series – didn’t work so well in Canada. Is it possible to sustain the caliber of production values generated in the pilot in a 13- or 22-episode tv series?

Woo: I think it’s possible with a little more budget and a little more time. The schedules for Once a Thief were tight. In Blackjack, we have a little more time to play with the action and we already have a complete script for a series. This time, I think it’s more about a character, more human.

Playback: Do you watch tv?

Woo: No. I’m not a tv fan. I only watched in the ’60s and the ’70s. I’ve never had enough patience to watch tv shows. I only watch the news, sometimes maybe a comedy thing or education channel.

I always feel that all the tv shows are like a formula, all pretty much the same and never feel like a movie. I see Once a Thief and Blackjack as a movie. I try to give the audience a very special feeling that goes with movies.

Playback: Are you going to cut Blackjack yourself? How many days did it take you to cut Face/Off?

Woo: I’ll cut Blackjack. We have a very good editor named Ron Wiseman so I have no worry.

I’ll tell you the days for Face/Off but you won’t believe me. It was 11 days. Mostly because I shoot and cut the same day. (I get just four or five hours sleep. I love to work.)

Cutting the same day is best because you will know how the scene works very fast. Also you will know how the movie goes, then you can simplify the other scenes and you won’t waste money.

I also like to do it for my actors. In Hollywood they never show any cuts to the actors, but I think it’s good to let them know how their work looks. It gives a clearer sense of where they’re going.