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From J.J. Harris's perspective as an observer, Henry Brown was not merely a movie buff, nor could he simply be described as a professional film critic. The way he dissected the entire film felt more like director Woody Allen himself stepping forward to explain every bit of creative intent.
Although Henry did not dwell much on cinematography techniques, whenever it came to character construction, he would explain the effect each shot created.
Then there were the subtle expressions and eye movements—analyzed like a psychologist laying a character bare, turning the person into an open book right before their eyes.
It had to be said: having someone explain a movie beside you seriously affected the viewing experience!
But if the goal was to truly understand a film and learn from it, then what Henry said was immensely valuable for an actor.
When they reached the imitation stage, they selected several highlight scenes of the female lead. Charlize would first spend some time memorizing the lines, then step in front of the digital camera and perform with imaginary props.
No costume changes, no makeup adjustments. If a prop was needed, she would just grab something vaguely similar and perform with that.
The first run-through was based entirely on Charlize's own understanding. They would immediately review the footage recorded by the camera.
At that point, Henry would adjust the projection so that Charlize's performance played side by side with the original movie clip.
The purpose wasn't to have her match the timing and delivery exactly, nor to reproduce the same performance frame by frame.
Rather, it was to compare the dramatic tension between Charlize Theron and the original actress. From expressions and movements to diction and line delivery, Henry would help Charlize conduct a full post-mortem review.
He didn't focus on where Charlize fell short of the original actress. Instead, he compared the differences between the two performances—how each felt to the audience, and which approach was more suitable for the film.
What he emphasized most was how to perform in front of the camera—not just acting in general. How to understand the director's camera movement, and how to present the most beautiful or most fitting side of oneself on screen. In other words, camera sense.
After the review, they would perform and record the same scene again, followed by a second review.
Sometimes they would review it a third time; sometimes they wouldn't, moving straight on to the next scene. On occasion, Henry would turn it into something like an exam, asking Charlize to perform the same scene with a completely different feel.
At that point, Charlize had to think for herself—how to use a different accent, different movements, to construct a different persona and give the audience a different sensory experience.
Throughout this process, J.J. Harris witnessed the many possibilities in Charlize Theron's acting. Some interpretations were still a bit rough, but with careful polishing, they could certainly reach near-perfection.
As Henry had said, he wasn't trying to train Charlize to act exactly like Diane Keaton, or to replicate Annie Hall. The goal was simply to learn and refine techniques.
Including the viewing session, the entire acting lesson usually lasted three to four hours, ending before midnight.
The process was extremely intensive. Charlize could only sneak a sip of water or sit down briefly while Henry operated the equipment and played clips. The two of them often stood in front of the projected image, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of a particular performance segment.
But today, Charlize Theron and J.J. Harris had spent the entire day running around for auditions. With a guest present, Henry wasn't about to push on until eleven or twelve at night. Feeling that things had reached a good stopping point, he ended the practice early.
Henry thoughtfully handed Charlize a glass of vegetable-and-fruit juice. Unlike ordinary vegetable juice with its peculiar taste, he had carefully researched the recipe to create something both nutritious and refreshing.
Since J.J. Harris still needed to drive home afterward, Henry didn't offer her any alcohol. After asking, he gave her the same vegetable juice.
J.J. Harris, however, didn't even comment on the taste. Instead, she asked,
"Henry, have you ever considered taking on more students?"
Henry, sipping his own juice, froze for a moment, then smiled and asked back,
"Then how much do you think I should charge for tuition?"
Caught off guard, J.J. Harris suddenly remembered his identity as the CEO of Stark Pictures. His annual salary was at least in the millions—possibly even tens of millions, on par with executives at the major studios, depending on whether Tony Stark was willing to pay.
Before tax season, unless he disclosed it himself, no one could verify the exact figure.
To ask someone like that to teach ordinary actors how to perform—using the same equipment, the same methods, and the same amount of time…
Frankly speaking, if Charlize Theron weren't his girlfriend, it was hard to say whether she would receive this kind of treatment.
"No wonder Charlize says she doesn't need to attend a formal acting school—training with you is enough," J.J. Harris sighed.
"Very few acting schools let students actually see their own performances on camera."
Henry smiled.
"To be fair, if they wanted to, they could set up a V8 camera and a TV and do it too. But with too many students, a two-hour class might not even get through a full round. So it's understandable why they don't."
Charlize suddenly asked,
"Henry, I have a question. Sometimes you have me practice male roles, and I don't mind that at all. But it seems like you never pick action movies for practice?"
"Well, you said it yourself—action movies," Henry replied as he put away the videotape, holding the case up and giving it a shake.
"If you want to do action films, you only need about one-tenth of the acting ability required for a drama.
"The rest is about delivering clean, good-looking moves that make you look cool and powerful. Then the director throws in big explosions, and if you're brave enough to do most of the shots yourself, you're probably good to go.
"Compared to acting, action films require more physical conditioning and systematic body training, so you can execute more and better-looking movements. Facial expressions and acting aren't the priority—as long as they're not terrible, it's fine.
"Of course, there's one more crucial thing: knowing how to protect yourself. Being able to do most of the performance yourself is great, but if you get injured and slow down the entire shoot, it's not worth it.
"As for the tricks and balance involved, it's hard to explain without being on set. There are many things you won't truly understand unless you've seen or experienced them yourself. For now, just focus on building up your physical conditioning."
"I see…" Charlize said softly—whether it was disappointment or something else was hard to tell—as she turned to look at her agent.
J.J. Harris, surprised by the look, asked,
"Action films? You want to do those too?"
Charlize nodded firmly.
"I want to try many different directions, not be locked into a single image. And of course, having more opportunities would be good."
"Ms. Harris," Henry began.
He was immediately interrupted.
"Mr. Brown, please—just call me Jane, like Charlize does."
"Alright. Then please call me Henry as well," he replied.
"What I want to say is, don't limit Charlize's development. I believe you can see it too—she has tremendous potential. Let's work together to help a girl with limitless potential fulfill her dream of becoming a big star."
At that moment, Katie on the cat tree let out a thunderous roar. It nearly scared J.J. Harris half to death—but it also carried an undeniable air of kingly authority.
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