"Quiet! Quiet!" the big-bearded man shouted into a megaphone, "Everyone, be quiet!"
There were hundreds of extras here, and if a riot broke out, the consequences would be quite serious. Crew members immediately stepped forward to maintain order, and the chaotic line gradually calmed down.
During this time, Matthew had already squeezed to the front, standing diagonally opposite the big-bearded man, Helen Herman, and Ridley Scott. Michael Sheen, next to him, was staring intently at Ridley Scott, looking as if he wanted to devour him whole.
This was a Hollywood A-List project, and everyone wanted to show their face in the film. Not to mention people with strong ambitions like Matthew, even those who treated extra work as a hobby were no exception.
The hundreds of extras gathered here mainly came from three groups: first, people like Matthew and Michael Sheen who dreamed of becoming stars; second, pure movie fans who treated it as a hobby; and third, some residents of the small town.
The first two types of people were the main ones pushing to the front.
The big-bearded man, an executive producer, came to the edge of the woods, raised his megaphone, and shouted, "I am now adjusting the lineup! Anyone who doesn't follow instructions will be removed!"
He started from the very front, pointing at a burly man with a beard like a bird's nest, and said, "You, move forward!"
Then, he said to a person next to him, who was noticeably shorter, "You, go to the back."
Walking through the front of the line, the big-bearded man sent many people who had pushed to the front to the back, and called some people from the back to the front.
"Will we be sent to the back?" Michael Sheen asked, very worried.
Matthew had been watching the big-bearded man and shook his head, "Don't worry, we won't!"
Michael Sheen didn't understand where his confidence came from and asked, "Why not?"
"Didn't you notice?" Matthew gestured with his eyes, "The big-bearded man is calling all the tall and strong people to the front. All the skinny guys are being sent to the back."
Michael Sheen looked carefully and found that it was indeed true.
"You observe so carefully," he thought with some admiration, "I didn't even notice."
Matthew smiled and said nothing more, his eyes instead turning to Helen Herman diagonally opposite him. She was talking to Ridley Scott, with no hint of flattery on her face, seemingly very familiar with the old man.
Her ability to secure these roles for Angel Agency was definitely not as simple as mere good luck, as she had claimed.
"You, step back!" The big-bearded man came next to Matthew and Michael Sheen, pointing at a short man to their left, "You, step back too!"
He glanced at Matthew and Michael Sheen and walked away.
Michael Sheen looked at Matthew, who shrugged, "Being strong is also a kind of capital."
With the big-bearded executive producer personally handling it, the array of extras playing barbarians gradually became orderly. Ridley Scott stood on the sidelines the whole time, showing no intention of interfering.
After the big-bearded man's reorganization, the extra lineup was adjusted. All those standing in front, directly visible to the camera, were burly men over 1.8 meters tall, each carrying weapons and looking fierce.
Subsequently, Ridley Scott personally took charge of directing the filming.
"Remember!"
As filming was about to begin, the big-bearded man gave his final instruction, "Show me the same energy you had during rehearsal, and shout your hearts out!"
The content filmed by the extras was not complicated; they just stood at the edge of the woods, roaring angrily at the open space on the other side, demonstrating against the Roman legion.
Barbarians, of course, were different from regular armies; their way of demonstrating was primitive and simple.
The big-bearded man retreated outside the set, raised his megaphone, and after Ridley Scott nodded, he shouted, "Action!"
Matthew gripped his battle-axe with both hands, raising it above his head, his mouth wide open, his face slightly contorted, looking ferocious.
"Oh—ah—oh—wah—"
He let out various deafening strange cries, so loud that they drowned out Michael Sheen's shouts next to him.
"Whoa—"
All the extras raised their weapons and let out various strange cries!
For a moment, the set was like a gathering of lunatics, all of them severe cases.
The camera on the slider glided from the front, and this group, especially those in the front row, shouted even louder and more excitedly.
Matthew put down his axe, changed his posture, pointed the axe blade forward, and made a few chopping motions. Michael Sheen next to him took off the shield on his back, drew the sharp sword from his waist, and began to forcefully strike the shield... Everyone with a shield also started striking their shields with their weapons!
This Germanic barbarian unit was full of momentum.
"Cut!" Ridley Scott's voice suddenly rang out, "Good! Well done!"
The big-bearded man immediately smiled. This shot was done in one take, which showed that his rehearsal work had been good.
Matthew put down his weapon and cleared his throat. He had shouted so loudly just now that his throat felt a bit uncomfortable.
"Don't relax, everyone!" the big-bearded man's voice rang out again, "We're moving on to the next shot!"
The second shot was similar to the first; the only difference was that besides howling, they had to slowly advance towards the Roman legion.
All of this had been rehearsed before, so as long as order was maintained, filming wasn't too much trouble.
According to what Matthew understood, these were long shots, basically quick flashes. Coupled with the big-bearded man's efficient directing, three shots were filmed in just one hour.
An hour of filming wasn't particularly tiring; the filming itself was less physically demanding than the waiting beforehand. However, Matthew's throat felt uncomfortable after shouting intermittently for so long. Fortunately, the crew was rich, and someone had already brought over a dozen cases of bottled mineral water.
From after breakfast until now, Matthew and the other extras had basically not had any water. He walked to the water station, took a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, and carefully took several big gulps, so as not to ruin his makeup. The cold water entering his throat gradually made the previous burning sensation disappear, and he felt revitalized.
After drinking water, Matthew suddenly saw Helen Herman leaning against a tree not far diagonally opposite him, taking notes in a small notebook.
"She hasn't had any water all morning, has she?"
Matthew took another bottle of mineral water, grabbed the prop axe, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and walked towards Helen Herman.
"What are you busy with?" He handed a bottle of mineral water to Helen Herman, "Have some water."
Helen Herman looked up at Matthew, put away her notebook, took the mineral water, and nodded slightly, "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Matthew smiled, shouldered the axe, and left again.
Unscrewing the mineral water, Helen Herman took a sip, looking at Matthew's back. His information flashed through her mind. He was one of the few extras registered with her Angel Company who had played roles with lines.
Matthew returned to the middle of the extras with his battle-axe, and Michael Sheen leaned in again, "Matthew, you're not really trying to hit on her, are you?"
"Get lost." Matthew shook his head, "Didn't I tell you already?"
Michael Sheen didn't believe him, "If you're not trying to hit on her, why do you keep running over to her?"
"It's simple, to make myself known!" Matthew stood next to Michael Sheen, looking at Helen Herman, who was still drinking water, "This company just started, and she must be unfamiliar with the actors. If you often go and say hello to her, when she has a suitable job or role, she might think of you first."
"That's right!" Michael Sheen suddenly understood, "Why didn't I think of that?"
He immediately wanted to go over there, "I'll go say hello to her now."
"Gather! Gather!"
Before Michael Sheen could move, a crew member shouted loudly, "Put all the water bottles back! Don't leave them on set! Everyone, gather immediately!"
A few minutes later, filming began again, but the person directing on set was no longer Ridley Scott; it was a younger assistant director.
Taking advantage of the free time before filming started, Matthew specifically looked around and found Helen Herman had joined Ridley Scott again.
"How is your father?" Ridley Scott was very familiar with Helen Herman, "is he in Los Angeles now?"
"He's on vacation in New Zealand," Helen Herman said with a smile, "He likes summer."
Ridley Scott nodded, "Still the same as before."
Helen Herman looked back at the Roman army formation and asked curiously, "Are they not starting to film over there yet?"
"Probably not until after noon." A hint of displeasure flashed across Ridley Scott's face, "These stars nowadays earn more money and have more influence than before, but their professional ethics are getting worse and worse."
Helen Herman knew who he was talking about, "is Russell Crowe difficult to work with?"
"Hmm." Ridley Scott didn't deny it, "He's a good actor when filming, but when not filming, he's a..."
He shook his head, seemingly not wanting to talk about Russell Crowe anymore, and proactively changed the subject, "Why did you start a small agency?"
Helen Herman turned back, "I want to try it myself, and it's also a way to gain experience. I just came out of the mailroom, and I don't have any clients yet. Rather than waiting to accumulate seniority, it's better to go out and try. Even if I fail, it's valuable experience."
Ridley Scott seemed to appreciate Helen Herman very much, "Not many young people are as pragmatic as you these days."
He and Helen's father were old friends. After thinking for a moment, he said, "An actor for a small role in the crew temporarily had an issue, and I'm planning to replace him. Do you have anyone suitable?"
Helen Herman immediately understood that Ridley Scott was trying to help her. A figure who often appeared in front of her flashed through her mind, and relevant information followed. An actor who had acted with Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder, and even had two lines of dialogue, would certainly not have a problem handling the small role Ridley Scott mentioned.
"Yes." She quickly said, "When?"
Ridley Scott looked at his watch and said, "I should go back; Russell Crowe should be arriving soon. How about this, we'll have lunch together at noon, and we can discuss it then."