The first thing - airplanes: "VoyenFilm" Igor Ugolnikov shoots a comedy about pilots
Producer Igor Ugolnikov and director Alexander Zhigalkin defined the genre of the new movie "There is only MiG" as a heroic comedy. The action unfolds in 1944. Some characters have real prototypes. "Izvestia" visited the site and learned how to shoot an air battle on the Yak-3 in pavilion conditions, why to fire LED screens, where to get a sight for "Messerschmitt" and why the main character of the crane.
Drama, love, death and comic situations
In the huge fourth pavilion is a makeshift airfield. Yak-3, MiG-3, "Messerschmitt-109" and more airplanes. The scene of the fight between our pilot and the German ace is filmed, while she commands other pilots.
The action unfolds in 1944. Ivan Polivanov in an air battle receives a burned eye and can no longer fly. After discharge from the hospital, he is appointed head of the airfield. But he does not know that this is a sham construction, which should distract the attention of the enemy.
The young idealist Polivanov establishes his own orders, builds local servants and improves model airplanes. Dreaming of returning to the skies, Ivan persuades Petty Officer Murashkin to secretly restore the downed MiG-3 fighter plane on which the petty officer's son crashed. Despite his poor eyesight, Ivan once again crushes the enemy in the sky. Unknown from where a white MiG with red lightning on board decides the outcome of the Soviet Army offensive.
- Usually the studio "VoenFilm" makes serious pictures, but here we decided to smile a little- says the producer of the project Igor Ugolnikov.
Producer Igor Ugolnikov on the set of the war movie "There is only MiG"
- At the same time we make movies about the Great Patriotic War - adds director Alexander Zhigalkin. - There is drama, love, death and comic situations. Funny and serious are always next to each other. Remember the movies made during the Great Patriotic War, they were all spirit-lifting. They had jokes, humor, music. In our picture, too, the heroes will sing.
Shaking and chattering are provided
But, as the creators of the project say, in general, "There is only MiG" - about the heroic feat of the Soviet people. And shoot this movie should be without giving in. Ivan Polivanov plays a young actor Daniel Popov. A charming guy with burning eyes. The director was looking for casting just such a one. The debut of the artist in the title role.
- This is my longtime dream - to sit at the helm of an airplane, - admitted "Izvestia" actor. - I even wanted to enter the flight school, but health did not work out. Now I sit in a mock-up MiG-3 and still do not leave the dream to someday try to control the fighter. When I watch videos of people climbing to the stratosphere, I feel white envy for the aces.
Actor Daniil Popov on the set of a war movie
And for the People's Artist of Russia Vladimir Ilyin scriptwriter Alexander Karpov specially wrote the role of Petty Officer Fyodor Murashkin. In the picture play and other recognized masters - Alexei Shevchenkov, Anton Batyrev and Svetlana Antonova.
At the airfield serve not only brave soldiers, but also desperate girls. The heroine of Svetlana Antonova - Guards Captain - has a real prototype.
- There was such a heroic woman Olga Yamshchikova, she was called "the grandmother of Soviet aviation" - shared with "Izvestia" actress. - She went through the entire war. She trained pilots. I am partly similar to Olga Nikolayevna. For me it is a great gift, shooting in such a picture. For a long time I dreamed of starring in a military uniform. Pilot I have not yet played, and the more on the set I have so many tricks.
Svetlana planted in the cockpit of the plane, which is at a height of 5 meters. As the actress admits, she does not even need to play anything, because the machine is moving, on the screen - video, which gives a sense of real flight.
Antonova admires the very fact that such a technique managed including women. According to her, she felt no fear during the shooting, except for the loud gunfire - it is impossible to get used to it.
The cameraman sits on the nose of the airplane, a crane holds him by a safety rope, and the same winch secures the camera, which is suspended by a hook.
Actress Svetlana Antonova during the shooting of a war movie
- I am also fastened inside the cabin, - adds Svetlana Antonova.
Meanwhile, the assistant director puts on the actress ammunition. Laryngophone to be able to talk to other pilots, leather helmet, glasses. The actress in comfortable shoes, not in kirzachi. She still needs to get on the elevator to the cockpit and with the help of technicians to climb into the plane. Ahead of shooting air combat. Shaking and chatter is ensured.
Watch on REN TV
At the director's command, the wind generator in the pavilion started to work, and the LED screen showed a picture of the approaching Messerschmitt. The airplane's hull rocked back and forth, synchronously with the sound of tracer bullets on board flashed burning dots. The pyrotechnics are working.
- You see, it is shot, and the movements of the aircraft and the image of the traces of shots "Messerschmitt" synchronized - explains the producer of the picture Igor Ugolnikov. - There are in the park "VoenFilm" in Medyn real airplanes, but they are like museum pieces. In the movie - models created by our masters. I've already lost count of how many bombers, fighters and other equipment we have in the park. All stunts with planes here we shoot with the help of giant gimbals (stabilizer, holding the plane. - Ed.).
Svetlana is filmed on one mockup Yak-3, and then reinstall the airplane on another gimbal. If the first one rocks the machine back and forth, the second one can rock the wings to the right and left. And there is another unit - under the rotation of the airplane around its axis. In general, here not only everything is as authentic as possible, but also technologically - all for the sake of emotions of viewers who will watch the movie. A giant LED screen was used in the filming.
- It's a much more advanced and expensive technology than chromakey," says the director.- We can put on the screen everything we need: the sky, a view of the forest from above, an aerial battle, and so on. Not after shooting to paint the background with computer graphics, but immediately.
After shooting the scene, a team of technicians, as at a real airfield, rolls aside the Yak-3 model and prepares the next board. There is also a huge table with wrenches, drills, screwdrivers, spare parts.
- We repair airplanes, helm wheels, propellers in case of their breakage, - shared engineer-technician Roman Abakumov. - A lot of spare parts are taken from real airplanes. The dashboard, altimeter, steering wheels, even the wheels are original. And most of them were created by us, by hand. For example, the rudder of the airplane is an exact copy.
The real working sight from "Messerschmitt" shows the head of the technical group Kirill Yushenkov.
- I built these airplanes myself, except for the German, it was made by my friend Theodore, - he said. - We build machines from drawings, photos, if there are drawings, we use them. Yak-3 was filmed in the movie "Air". And MiG-3 in white winter color with a red stripe on the board made specifically for this picture.
Kirill and his team also build tanks, cannons and even submarines for the film studio VoenFilm.
- What is good our new-model transportation? It can be blown up, smashed, because it does not represent any historical value, - jokes Yushenkov. - By the way, for safety on the site, too, I watch. This on the set is the most expensive of all.
Olga Sukhareva plays Zoya, her heroine on the jacket wears an order. Father actress - military pilot.
- I asked my father the nuances of management of old airplanes, interested in what the pilot feels at the helm, - says Olga. - It seems to me that pilots are people who are not of this world. They love the sky so much that for them it is not a job, but a life. That's why they fight desperately to stay in the air force.
Olga Sukhareva waited 15 years for her role. This is her first movie work in military uniform after receiving a diploma from the Moscow Art Theater School. The actress is very enthusiastic and is ready to endure even unpleasant dental procedures for authenticity. She gets alcohol on her teeth, and then makeup, making her smile not so snow-white.
- There is practically no makeup, freckles and a little soot on the face, you can not even wash in the morning, coming to the set, and do not use cream, - says the actress. - The director gave the makeup artists the task of making all the characters look as natural as possible. There is honesty in that. Girls in the war had no time for makeup and permanent makeup.
All the clothes are sewn according to the era.
Actress Olga Sukhareva during the shooting of a war movie
- Obligatorily the costume must be alive, and for this purpose it is necessary to "texture", - shares the artist Elena Sadovskaya. - Different methods are used. It can be paint, sandpaper and even a burner. We use them to age modern fabric. We choose cotton, because synthetics will simply melt from such treatment.
Paraphernalia, such as orders, artists buy from a company specializing in the manufacture of military costumes for the movie. New, burning gold metal parts of the form "muffled" paint to remove unnecessary shine from the frame.
The work of all workshops coordinated, colleagues are burning picture. On the set everything works like clockwork.The premiere of the film "There is only MiG" is scheduled for late fall 2025. This will be engaged in "NMG-KINOPROKAT". TV version of the picture will be shown on the channel REN TV.
