novellhall Chapter 136 This is the Peeta I wanted! [5000]
Chapter 136 This is the Peeta I wanted! [5000]
Chapter 136 This is the Peeta I wanted! [5000]
Chen Xun arrived at the filming location early every day.
Wrapped in the thick coat provided by the production crew, holding a cup of hot coffee, I found a spot where I could see the monitor and the performance area without getting in the way.
Jennifer is usually very easygoing, but she completely changes the moment the camera is on her.
Her performances are natural and full of emotion, often prompting her co-stars and extras to quickly get into character.
Katniss's resilience and protectiveness towards her sister are conveyed through her eyes and expressions.
Extremely infectious!
Filming the scene where Katniss sets a trap in the woods.
There are no lines in this scene.
Jennifer simply set up the traps skillfully.
She knelt on the damp, fallen leaves, her fingers deftly manipulating the rope and branches, her eyes focused and calm, occasionally scanning her surroundings quickly, her ears seemingly listening to any sounds from afar.
He is simply a hunter who has honed his survival instincts in order to survive.
Just as she finished the last knot, a purple attribute orb fell from her body:
[Detail realism +7]
Chen Xun's heart stirred, but he remained expressionless. Under the guise of drinking coffee, he subtly absorbed the attribute ball.
A sense of understanding about how to portray a character through extremely subtle body language and breathing rhythm flowed into my consciousness.
nice one!
It has to be admitted that Jennifer has a great talent for acting!
Chen Xun was greatly inspired.
Thor's brother, Liam, has a different style of performance.
Gale's role wasn't very prominent in the early stages, but he was Katniss's only spiritual ally and emotional support in District 12.
Gale and Peeta, one is a childhood friend and the other is someone who suddenly appears out of nowhere!
To be honest, Thor's family genes are really good!
Liam fully utilized his slightly rugged appearance to perfectly portray the image of a young man who grew up in the mining area.
When he and Jennifer worked together, their collaboration was exquisite.
Liam's reaction was spot-on when Jennifer uttered those desperate words.
He lowered his head and scratched the ground with a twig, his profile tense, his Adam's apple bobbing, before finally raising his eyes.
Those blue eyes held both tenderness and weariness.
At that moment, Gale's feelings for Katniss were clearly visible.
At the same time, a purple attribute orb fell from his body:
[Silent Expression of Emotion +5]
Chen Xun accepted it again with a smile!
This enhanced his understanding of how to convey relationships and inner worlds of characters through micro-expressions and body silence within a limited number of lines and actions.
It was particularly inspiring to see many of Peeta's early scenes where he silently watched Katniss.
There aren't always highlight performances and attribute balls falling on set.
Most of the time is spent on trivial and repetitive tasks.
Lighting setup, camera positioning, actor movement —
And there were all sorts of unexpected NGs!
A bird flies by, there's noise in the distance, and the actor's lines get stuck.
The most common occurrence is that Jennifer couldn't help but utter a swear word and then got fined!
At times like this, she would repeat to herself in frustration: "Holy shit!"
Jennifer would occasionally slip over to Chen Xun's place during her breaks.
"Hey, Mr. Observer, have you figured out anything?"
She still had the dirty makeup from the play on her face, and was holding two energy bars in her hand. She walked over and handed one to Chen Xun.
"I can see that. DirtyTalkCan's profit model is very stable, and you deserve a lot of credit for that."
Chen Xun answered in a very serious manner.
"screw you!"
Jennifer smiled and gave him a nudge.
Liam would occasionally come over for a chat, and the conversations mostly revolved around training, fitness, or his hometown in Australia.
His hair was also dyed brown, just like Jennifer's.
Having been beaten up by Chen Xun in the training camp, Liam now greatly admires Chen Xun. In addition, given the relationship between Chen Xun and his brother Chris, Liam now calls Chen Xun "Brother Xun" wherever he goes.
Besides observing the lead actors, Chen Xun also took the opportunity to learn from other crew members.
One by one, attribute orbs fell from the crew members and extras:
[Cinematic Narrative Pace +4]
[Dialogue Focus +3]
[High-intensity work information processing efficiency +2]
Chen Xun accepted all who came.
These attribute balls may seem insignificant individually, but when accumulated, they gave him a deeper understanding of every aspect of filmmaking.
He knows what effect light from a certain angle will create.
Even after the director yells "cut," adjustments might be made on set for some reason.
This knowledge may not immediately improve his acting skills, but it greatly broadens his professional horizons.
This made him more than just an actor standing in front of the camera; he became more like a filmmaker who gradually understood the entire process of filmmaking.
This will undoubtedly be of great benefit to him if he has the opportunity to participate in more behind-the-scenes work in the future.
A few days later, Chen Xun's costume and look were finally finalized.
Peeta's design in District 12 is relatively simple.
A clean light-colored shirt, dark trousers, and a slightly worn work jacket.
The makeup artist focused on enhancing his eyebrows and skin tone to make him look softer and more befitting of a baker's son.
When he first appeared on set in full makeup, Jennifer circled him twice, stroking her chin and commenting, "He looks like a real good boy. Give him a deep, affectionate look!"
Chen Xun's eyes changed, as if they had suddenly softened, and he looked at Jennifer.
Wow~
Jennifer was startled. When she met Chen Xun's gaze, she panicked for a moment, but then she boldly leaned closer and stared into Chen Xun's eyes: "There's something in your eyes."
"It's in the script that Peeta noticed Katniss a long time ago and even secretly threw her bread."
"That makes sense!"
Jennifer nodded: "Looking forward to acting with you, Mr. Baker."
Chen Xun's first scene arrived quickly.
It wasn't the main event, but rather a few scenes of Pita quietly preparing ingredients in the backyard of his bakery the day before Harvest Festival.
There are no lines; the show simply depicts his daily life and the act of secretly hiding a piece of deliberately burnt bread.
This scene may seem simple, but it actually tests the actor's conviction in the character's daily life and their ability to fill in the details.
Sometimes, only a segment of a movie is shown.
The actors actually did a lot more preparation in order to perform this scene.
Chen Xun spent a long time in a real bakery beforehand, observing the baker's process of kneading, fermenting, and baking the dough, and memorizing those subtle movements.
Before filming began, he had already absorbed enough relevant attributes.
To be more targeted, he even stayed with the baker consultant hired by the production team for a long time, successfully absorbing a corresponding attribute orb:
[The rhythm and pressure perception of hand-kneading dough +3]
Although the experience provided was limited, the targeted knowledge gave Chen Xun a better understanding of the bread-making process.
"Action!"
Chen Xun stood in front of the cutting board, wearing a clean apron.
He first tested the temperature of a large bowl of dough next to him with the back of his hand, and then began to knead and fold it rhythmically.
His movements were unhurried, with a kind of practiced ease that he had developed day after day.
His gaze was focused, as if he were sensing the changes in the gluten development of the dough.
After kneading for a while, he wiped the sweat from his brow with his arm, walked to the oven to check the heat, and adjusted the firewood.
The whole process was natural and smooth, just like a real bakery apprentice.
Then he walked back to the cutting board, his gaze seemingly glancing casually out the window.
That direction is roughly where Katniss's house is located.
At this point, Peeta had always liked Katniss, but because of his personality, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
His kneading motion slowed for a second, a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes, then, as if he had made a decision, he quickened his kneading.
His slightly lowered head and slightly rapid breathing betrayed his inner tension.
"Cut!"
Director Gary's voice rang out.
He looked up from behind the monitor with a satisfied smile: "Very good, Chen! You captured the tension of Peeta secretly doing his job very well, especially the changes in his eyes and breathing before and after he made up his mind to burn the bread. Let's keep this one, do it again. Adjust the camera angle slightly and give your hand that's hiding the bread a close-up."
"Okay, director." Chen Xun breathed a sigh of relief.
The first scene was a resounding success.
Just as director Gary yelled "Cut," an attribute orb fell from his body:
[Incorporation of relatable, everyday details into the characters +6]
He listened to the director's instructions while quietly absorbing them.
The next few went smoothly.
Chen Xun was in a stable state, especially the way he looked at Jennifer on the rainy day and the changes in his expression, which were perfect!
The staff on set, including some who were initially skeptical of this newly popular Chinese actor, showed more approval in their eyes after watching his performance.
Just two days after filming the bakery scenes, the crew moved on to another location to begin shooting the first real big scene in "The Hunger Games".
Harvest Festival Lottery Ceremony in District 12.
The filming location is in the nearby Henrietta Old Town.
Henrietta is a sparsely populated town that has preserved its rural character from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The film crew built a square in the center of the town and aged and renovated some of the buildings.
Chen Xun put on makeup early in the morning and changed into a relatively decent but still simple Harvest Festival suit.
My hair is combed neatly now.
He and the other actors playing teenagers from District 12 were arranged on one side of the square, waiting to be chosen.
Chen Xun was stunned by what he saw as soon as he arrived.
This place looks completely different from what you see in the movies; you can only truly feel the atmosphere by standing here in person.
Especially since there was a group of blank-faced extras standing around.
They formed a silent square according to age and gender.
Even though everyone knows it's a movie shoot, they still can't help but get completely immersed in it.
Jennifer and the young actress Sakura were already standing at the front of the girls' line. She held her sister's hand tightly, completely adopting the kind of ready-to-explode-temper stance that Katniss was in.
Chen Xun, standing in the boys' group, silently observed everything, adjusting his breathing.
It reveals Pita's complex emotions of inner resistance yet being forced to stand there.
Director Gary Ross makes final adjustments with a walkie-talkie.
A slight commotion came from the preparation area at the edge of the square.
A beautiful figure walked out.
Chen Xun subconsciously looked over, and then he felt his eyes being attacked.
Elizabeth Banks!
The lottery host, Effie Trinchie, dressed in bright colors and behaving exaggeratedly!
Chen Xun had seen her look in a movie in his previous life and thought it was exaggerated at the time.
But seeing the actual film set in person is on a completely different level of impact!
She wore a lavender purple puff-sleeved dress, her hair was styled into a bouncy golden curl, her makeup was extremely heavy, her false eyelashes were so long they could fan the wind, and her lips were a bright, shimmering fuchsia.
The whole person looks like they stepped straight out of a cheap candy store, or it's more like a disastrous interpretation of fashion.
Holy crap!
Chen Xun couldn't help but swear.
The original work was already quite exaggerated, the art department has really exceeded their expectations!
This outfit, walking through the dusty District 12, no longer just stood out from the crowd, it was practically a fluorescent pink humanoid creature landing in a coal pile!
The contrast is amazing!
Elizabeth Banks herself seems to be completely immersed in the role.
With her head held high and taking deliberately affected steps, a hollow yet excited smile on her face, she walked towards the central stage of the square, supported by her assistant.
Her appearance drew all eyes to the room.
Even the extras who were trying hard to maintain a blank expression, several of them almost broke character.
When Chen Xun saw Jennifer standing in the group of girls, his lips twitched almost imperceptibly; he was clearly also shocked by her outfit.
However, she quickly regained control and transformed back into Katniss.
Director Gary Ross was clearly pleased with the result, saying into the walkie-talkie, "Great! Effie's entrance was fantastic! Extras, keep your fear up!"
"Camera crew, follow her! I want that stark contrast between her and the surrounding environment!"
The filming went very smoothly.
Effie Trinchier, in that sharp, affected, theatrical tone, preached gratitude and the cruel rules of the Hunger Games.
Elizabeth Banks' performance was absolutely superb.
She portrayed the sense of superiority she felt about her identity to the fullest extent.
The eeriness of the contrast reached its peak when she giggled as she reached into the glass jar with her brightly painted nails and stirred the name slips.
A purple attribute orb fell from her body:
[Exaggerated comedic characters +8]
Unfortunately, the distance was too far for Chen Xun to absorb the energy.
The main event is coming!
First, the girls drew lots.
When the name "Primrose Everdin" was read out, the entire square fell silent.
Then came Jennifer's heart-wrenching cry, "I volunteer! I volunteer to be a sacrifice!"
We just filmed a close-up of this scene, now we're shooting a wide shot.
Jennifer's performance was incredibly impactful; her charging figure and resolute gaze even earned a slight nod from Gary Ross behind the monitor.
"Cut! Excellent! Prepare for the boy's draw!"
"The director shouted."
The film crew quickly made adjustments.
Chen Xun took a deep breath and stood back in the boys' group.
Next comes one of Pita's key moments.
"Action!"
Effie Trinchier reached into the glass jar bearing the boy's name again, stirring it dramatically while spouting those nauseating platitudes.
However, she pulled out a slip of paper.
turn on.
Proclaimed in a tone that was both joyful and cruel: "Pita Mellak!"
The camera instantly focused on Chen Xun.
In that instant, Chen Xun's face did not show any great fear or collapse.
Instead, his expression went blank for a brief moment.
It's like the brain freezing up when processing information that's too absurd.
His eyes widened slightly.
For a fraction of a second, his pupils were out of focus, as if he hadn't heard clearly.
The surrounding extras all turned to look at him.
It was only then that Peeta realized he hadn't misheard; he had indeed been chosen.
His gaze quickly focused, first landing on the dazzling pink figure in front of him, confirming that this was no joke.
Immediately, his gaze almost uncontrollably swept across the crowd and quickly landed on Katniss, who was standing on the stage.
Then, a look of terror appeared on Pita's face, a mixture of despair and resentment.
His lips pressed into a pale line, and the lines of his jaw suddenly tightened.
The entire reaction process takes only three or four seconds.
There were no lines, no exaggerated movements, but all the inner turmoil was written on that young face that had undergone a dramatic change in an instant, and in the subtle body language.
"Cut!"
Gary Ross's voice rang out, but instead of immediately setting up the next move as usual, he paused for a few seconds.
Chen Xun slowly detached himself from the character Wu, let out a soft breath, and looked in the direction of the director.
Gary Ross looked up from the monitor, his face filled with undisguised admiration, and he couldn't help but clap his hands twice.
"Perfect! Chen, that was amazing! That blank moment, and that look in Katniss's direction, it was just right, the emotional layers were so clear, restrained yet full of power, that's the Peeta I wanted!"
Casting director Linda nodded in agreement: "The reaction was very realistic, not overdone, especially the detail of straightening his back, which was very good and preserved the character's backbone."
Susan Collins, who was sitting to the side watching the filming of "The Legend of Chusen," closed her script and gave Chen Xun an approving smile.
Chen Xun breathed a sigh of relief.
Just as the director yelled "Cut," a purple attribute orb fell from his body:
[Inner restraint in expression +9]
It was so close to being a gold-attribute ball!
Chen Xun felt a little regretful, but still chose to absorb it!
He gained a deeper understanding of his performance just now.
If he were to film it again, he would definitely perform even better!
"Alright, let's keep this one going. Let's switch to a medium shot and film Peeta's reaction when his name is called again. Chen, keep the same expression!"
Let's start filming again!
This time, Chen Xun fully utilized his new understanding of absorbing the attribute ball.
Another perfect performance!
Gary Ross once again expressed his admiration.
Chen Xun's consistent and perfect performance led to an exceptionally smooth filming process.
He consistently conveyed Pita's complex reactions and made subtle adjustments based on the director's requirements for different shot sizes.
After filming his main reaction shots, Chen Xun had a break.
He walked onto the stage and absorbed the attribute ball that had just fallen.
Just then, Jennifer walked over. Her makeup was smudged by tears, but her eyes were bright.
"You acted quite well!"
She nudged Chen Xun lightly with her shoulder: "That look she gave Katniss was amazing, like it was really true."
Her tone was teasing, but it also showed her appreciation for Chen Xun's performance.
The two had few opponents in the previous episodes, and Jennifer never expected Chen Xun's acting skills to become more and more superb.
"Peeta had noticed Katniss a long time ago, and when he looked at her subconsciously at this moment, it was very much in line with the character's personality."
Chen Xun smiled and screwed the water bottle cap on.
"Your performance of 'I volunteered' just now was quite good; it made my heart ache just listening to it!"
"Absolutely, I'm a professional!"
Jennifer raised her chin and then leaned closer: "Teach me how you did that expression just now. It was so real, it didn't seem like acting."
Chen Xun explained to her in detail his personal feelings at that time.
Jennifer nodded thoughtfully.
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