Time flew by, and it was Thursday. All work was proceeding in an orderly fashion.
The only thing that annoyed Eric was that MJ's haters were still leaving abusive comments on MGM's official website.
Moreover, many classic films produced by MGM recently received malicious negative reviews, such as "gone with the wind," "ben-hur," and "tom and jerry."
Some local TV stations even received boycott letters when broadcasting these films.
It's a pity these uneducated individuals didn't understand the situation, because most of the boycotted films no longer belonged to MGM; they now belonged to Warner Bros., which was quite amusing.
Casting for the low-budget thriller "don't breathe" has been completed. The British Trio all participated in the auditions, trying out for two of the three male thief roles.
These two roles actually had no special characteristics; most young male actors could handle them.
There was no need to follow the original film's casting; if the character didn't fit the persona, they could simply change the persona.
These roles were not like hannibal, a high-IQ criminal, nor like the powerful robot T800; they were characters that wouldn't give the audience any psychological cues, and thus were not irreplaceable.
Finally, Tom Hardy, with his slightly thuggish, ruffian aura, successfully auditioned for Alex, the fawning thief among the three.
Michael Fassbender successfully auditioned for Mino, the somewhat reckless character who was the first to die.
The female thief, Rocky, was taken by Evangeline Lilly. She wasn't as famous now as she would be in the future; she still had over a decade to go before playing the Marvel superheroine Wasp. Currently, she was just a small-time actress who had just entered the industry.
She only started getting into the small screen last year, and on the big screen, she was just playing minor roles, though she did appear in a well-known film, "freddy vs. jason," playing a small-time character killed by Jason with one slash.
Securing the lead female role in "don't breathe" was enough to keep her excited for a long time.
All three had already signed four-picture deals with MGM.
Signing meant they were tied to MGM, and for these currently minor actors, having work was actually a good thing.
The most important role in "don't breathe," and the true male lead, the blind veteran, was taken by Dolph Lundgren.
Saying he 'took' it isn't quite accurate; actually, the production team sent Lundgren the script and an audition invitation, and the veteran tough guy ultimately accepted the role.
His salary was also the highest in the entire cast at 1.8 million US dollars, while Michael Fassbender and Tom Hardy each received 70,000 US dollars. Evangeline Lilly received even less, only 20,000 US dollars.
Some people might think that an old-school action star like Lundgren taking on such a low-budget horror film was too demeaning.
This shows a misunderstanding of the market situation. The era of tough-guy action films like Lundgren's had ended; the 1980s and 1990s were their golden age.
Currently, Lundgren is 46 years old, and the films he takes on don't even make it to the big screen; they are either TV movies or go straight to DVD.
Among that generation of tough guys, only a handful like Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone can still play lead roles in big-budget films.
Sir, times have changed!
As for the film's director, there were many candidates early on, with over a dozen new directors applying.
The producers also sent invitations to several established directors skilled in thrillers, but seeing the investment amount, they didn't reply.
Even 10 million US dollars in production costs wasn't enough; with that little money, they couldn't even scrape together any scraps.
As for dividends, someone would have to believe this film would become the next "the blair witch project" or "saw."
Compared to the time cost, it wasn't worth it.
The director finally confirmed was Tim Miller, who had just released his first short film last year.
Although he hasn't grown up yet, in the future he will become the director and producer of excellent works such as "Deadpool" and "Love, Death & Robots."
At the MGM studio, the crew of "blue is the warmest color" was filming the scene today where Emma and Adele first meet on the street.
Their fleeting glance is hailed as one of the classic moments in lesbian cinema, enough to immortalize them in film history.
This shot is very important, but not long. Closing the road for a real shoot would be too wasteful, so they simply rented a set at Universal Studios.
Although MGM has studios, it doesn't possess a filming base of the scale of a film city.
Andrea clapped her hands and surveyed the area, asking about each team's preparations. After a few days of adjustment, she had adapted to Eric's rhythm.
For half a day's worth of scenes, Eric even directly handed them over to her to direct. He then took a call, gave a few instructions, and left.
Andrea had never seen a general director like this before; it was quite an eye-opener for her.
And it was also her first time holding the director's megaphone for a feature film, which made her feel both nervous and excited.
After meticulously filming the storyboard according to the script, Eric fortunately gave his approval and praised her for the details she added through her subjective initiative.
Andrea Arnold, already in her early forties, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her age was clearly twice Eric's, but the disparity in their status and her experience in the entertainment industry still made this woman, with no background, always cautious.
After that successful shoot, she finally relaxed, and her work on set became even more comfortable.
"James, what have you been up to lately? Haven't heard from you," Eric asked.
James McAvoy pointed eastward: "Director, after my scenes in 'transformers' wrapped, I went back to England. Patty was directing then, and you weren't around, so I didn't bother you."
"After I went back, I rehearsed a play, but unfortunately, we performed it three times in a small theater, but hardly anyone watched."
James McAvoy said, lowering his head somewhat ashamed.
"It's okay. Theater is the best way to hone acting skills. The outcome might not be good, but at least this step is correct," Eric consoled him.
"Yes, I thought so too, Director. Does MGM have any new projects recently? Are there any roles suitable for me?"
"Actually, I don't necessarily have to act in movies; TV series are fine too. 'the walking dead' is very popular; I watched every episode without missing one."
McAvoy looked at Eric with some hope. He had already heard from Tom Hardy that he and Fassbender had signed contracts with MGM, so at least for now, they didn't have to worry about acting jobs and could get exposure.
Unfortunately, he didn't succeed in his audition. After his cameo in "blue is the warmest color" ended, he would only be able to return to England.
Perhaps after "transformers" is released at the end of the year, some production teams will look for him to act, but what about the next six months? Does he really have to stay in school and temporary theater troupes all the time?
James McAvoy understood that he probably only had two or three days. Whether he could get more opportunities all depended on this handsome young man in front of him.
Eric thought for a moment, but no suitable role for McAvoy came to mind.
The male lead in "happy death day" would have been fine, but it had already been taken by Benjamin McKenzie, and the contract was signed.
"Sorry, James, I can't think of a suitable role for you at the moment."
McAvoy was a bit disappointed: "It's nothing, Director. This is Hollywood; so many crews start work every day. I'll always find something suitable, and if not, I can go back to England and do theater."
Eric patted his shoulder: "If there's a suitable role, I'll save it for you."
"Thank you, Director."
Neill Blomkamp walked over: "Director, we can start."
James McAvoy consciously left and returned to his small stool.
"blue is the warmest color" Chapter
The previously still square suddenly came alive. Cars began to drive by one after another, and the extras really walked and talked like passersby.
At this time, Adele was in the stage of just awakening her sexual orientation, but she had been played by a female friend who toyed with her emotions.
Her heart was extremely empty, and her expression as she walked down the street was dazed.
The cameraman's lens followed Ashley as she emerged from a revolving door, carrying a common shoulder bag, and quickly walked into the distance.
In the close-up, the first shot was of her feet; her hurried pace showed Adele's impatience and rush at this moment.
Then the camera moved up to her face; she began to look left and right, appearing impatient.
"Cut! Ashley, your eyes are wrong. Break up the focus. I need a lost and helpless gaze. Yours is too sharp."
Ashley made an OK gesture, and the shot was re-taken.
On the monitor screen, this time Ashley's eyes were much more unfocused, as if she had just woken up, giving a sense of bewilderment.
"Cut! Too much again. You're just bewildered, not startled awake in the middle of sleep. Your current state looks too silly. Also, furrow your brows slightly; I need a hint of sorrow to show in your brow area."
The shot was re-taken again, and Ashley's expression changed, but she overdid it, making her look too sad.
"Cut! This take is okay, but try to rein in the expression a bit more. Also, what's with the makeup! Your hair is too neat; make it a bit messier."
"Mary, your hairstyle also needs to be tidied up; I need it to be more orderly."
"Messy and neat, this is the contrast of your living states, do you understand?"
Four people from the makeup team quickly ran over and fiddled with their hairstyles for a while. A few minutes later, this detail was perfected.
Art films are just this painstaking, completely different from commercial films. If it were "transformers," Eric wouldn't care about such minor issues.
Finally, after constant cuts and retakes, Ashley shot a walking scene 19 times before Eric finally let her pass.
"Alright, break for five minutes."
Instantly, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Ashley rubbed her face: "This guy seems especially serious today. My facial muscles are almost cramping."
"Is it because you acted too poorly? We just had professional coaching for these things not long ago," Mary teased with a smile.
Ashley glared at her sister: "Is that so? Well, I'll have to see your performance next."
Just then, Judy appeared out of nowhere: "Ashley, are your facial muscles a bit sore? Let me help you relax them. I've studied professional nursing massage."
Ashley quickly stepped back: "No need, I can do it myself."
She had already learned about Judy's hobbies from the staff and finally understood why the other person always looked at her with strange eyes.
"It's okay, let me help you."
Judy said, already pressing on the other's cheek, gently rubbing with both hands.
"I told you I was right, I'm a professional. I used to work at a gym, this is my main business."
Ashley narrowed her eyes. It really was quite comfortable. Letting the other person help her relax seemed pretty good too.
"Mm-hmm."
Five minutes quickly passed, and filming resumed.
"'blue is the warmest color,' Scene 10, action!"
As Ashley walked to the edge of the road, a blue-haired girl on the opposite side caught her attention, because the other girl was openly embracing another girl, and the position of their hands and their expressions clearly indicated they were lovers.
The camera zoomed in. Mary first whispered a few words to an extra, then looked up and revealed a brilliant smile.
"Good, that's the smile I want. Let's do another take, this time with an even warmer smile."
On the second take, Mary smiled even more freely and relaxed. Her blue short hair and blue jacket highlighted a smile full of sunshine and confidence.
The camera turned to Ashley, who showed a slightly surprised expression, as if contemplating why the other person dared to be so bold as to display her sexual orientation in public.
"Good performance, that's a pass. Next shot!"
Completed in two takes, Mary couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.
"It's not that big a deal, Ashley actually shot it 19 times. Just watching it made me tired."
Next was the classic Look back (húitóu) — turning back to look — as the two passed each other, with multiple cameras surrounding them.
The prop team controlled the green light to turn on. The two walked towards each other, but after only a few steps, before they even turned to look back, Eric called a halt.
"Mary, your expression and action are key in this scene. Don't just walk; give me a hair-tossing motion."
On the second take, Mary, as instructed, walked and brushed her hair back behind her ear, revealing her smooth, pointed chin.
"Cut! No, no, there's a problem with your face."
Again, before even getting to the Look back (húitóu) shot, it was called to a halt.
Mary looked at Eric somewhat confused: "Director, what's the problem?"
Eric stared at the monitor for a while and then said: "Change the earring. You are playing the active role in love. This earring is too gentle. Give her a sharper one."
The prop team quickly rushed forward and, under the joint selection of Eric, Andrea, and others, replaced it with a new earring.
Is such a shot important? Actually, in an art film, it's not necessary to be so demanding.
For example, in the dining scenes and school scenes, Eric's demands weren't as high as today.
The main reason is that this image is too iconic; if he didn't nitpick, he wouldn't be able to get past his own internal standards, paying attention to what's important and what's not.
Of course, he wouldn't go as crazy as Wes Anderson; "The Grand Budapest Hotel" was truly torturous.
Mary put on the new earring, and filming resumed.
This time, they finally filmed the moment of the glance back, and then, without surprise, it was called to a halt again.
"Mary, your eyes, your eyes lack seduction. You've already discovered that Adele is the same kind of person as you."
"Mary, put your hands in your pockets, be cool."
"Mary, take your hands out of your pockets, be dashing."
"Mary, make the glance back a bit longer, your movement is too fast!"
"Mary, where's your expression? Give me a curve at the corner of your mouth, but not too big, I want the curve of a faint smile."
"Mary, are your eyes going to devour the other person? Tone it down."
"Mary"
"Mary"
"Mary"
When this shot reached its 25th take, Andrea reminded him: "Director, let's take a break. Let everyone get back into their state."
Eric looked at the monitor. Mary's cheek was already twitching uncontrollably. He knew she was pretty much at her limit.
"Ten-minute break!"