novellhall Chapter 179 Steven Spielberg [5000]
Chapter 179 Steven Spielberg [5000]
Chapter 179 Steven Spielberg [5000]
Weibo in China also exploded.
The top trending topic was #ChenXunReceivesFastFight5Car#, followed by #OscarNomination#.
"Looking for Brother's prestige!"
"This gift is so hardcore!"
"So now he's a true winner in life, with a car, a house, and an Oscar nomination?"
"Vin Diesel is a good guy to work with; he'll actually give you a car if you want one."
At the party after the premiere, Chen Xun finally had the chance to ask Robert, "You knew all along?"
"I only found out yesterday!"
Rob, holding a glass of champagne, said, "The production company and Fan agreed to give you a surprise. To be honest, I was also taken aback. This kind of car giveaway is something that happens only once in ten years in Hollywood."
Seemingly sensing Chen Xun's doubts, Rob continued to explain, "You're currently nominated for an Oscar, and your commercial value is at its peak. Giving you a car is both repaying a favor and providing publicity—killing two birds with one stone. Hollywood never does business at a loss."
Chen Xun understood.
Capital doesn't engage in unprofitable ventures.
If he didn't have his current popularity, even based on his performance in Rio, he wouldn't have been gifted such a symbolically significant car.
That's the rule of this industry.
Halfway through the party, director Justin Lin came over and handed Chen Xun a glass of wine.
"How's the car? Do you like it?"
"I love it so much."
Chen Xun clinked glasses with him: "Thank you, Director."
"Don't thank me, thank you Fan."
"He insisted on sending a real one. The production company originally wanted to send a model car to make do, but Fan insisted that if they were going to send one, they should send one that could be driven, otherwise it would be meaningless."
The director took a sip of his drink and looked at Vin Diesel, who was surrounded by a crowd in the distance: "Vin looks like a tough guy on the surface, but he's actually quite sentimental. He feels that if you save his life, you have to repay him in an equal way."
After the party ended, Chen Xun didn't get into the organizer's car, but instead walked towards the black Warhorse in the parking lot.
Insert the key and turn it.
The engine let out a low growl, like a sleeping beast being awakened.
He got into the driver's seat, and a familiar smell wafted towards him.
Chen Xun started the car and drove out of the parking lot.
The streets of Los Angeles were quiet at night, with the sound of Warhorse engines echoing through the empty roads.
He opened the car window to let the night breeze in.
My phone rang; it was Jennifer.
"I heard you got a car?"
Her voice was tinged with laughter.
"You're really well-informed."
"Twitter is flooded with it, it's hard not to know about it."
Jennifer paused for a moment, then said, "That car would suit you perfectly."
Why?
"Because it looks unassuming, but it's fierce at heart!" Jennifer's voice carried a wild power.
Chen Xun felt a strong urge to try it.
Damn it!
I've been a vegetarian for a long time!
"By the way, the Oscars are on February 24th. Have you chosen your dress yet? Would you like me to recommend a designer?"
"Robert is making the arrangements."
"Okay! See you then, maybe we can walk the red carpet together!"
As expected of Jennifer Lawrence, she's not afraid of rumors at all!
Jennifer was confident.
I'm not a couple with Chen Xun!
After hanging up the phone, Chen Xun parked his car in front of his house in Beverly Hills.
He didn't get out of the car immediately, but sat in the driver's seat, looking at the Dodge logo on the steering wheel.
After a while, he got out of the car and locked the door.
He glanced back at the black warhorse, which gleamed with a cold, hard luster in the moonlight.
After the North American premiere, Chen Xun had a few days of free time.
This will be followed by tours in London and Asia.
-
According to the itinerary of "Fast & Furious 5", the capital city and Shanghai are prominently featured.
I'm finally going home!
Chen Xun couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
Is this considered a triumphant return home?
Chen Xun didn't know.
Even though he has no relatives in China, he still has fans and the land that gave him birth and nurtured him.
Just then, an email appeared in his inbox.
The sender was the official email address of the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
The title reads: "A Sincere Invitation: Distinguished Alumni Return to Campus for Lectures and Industry Dialogues."
The main text was written by Professor Anderson.
"Chen, the school is holding its annual forum on cinematic narrative and has invited you to attend. Other film industry professionals will also be there. Li Suyan will coordinate all your affairs at the school."
Chen Xun looked at the email and smiled.
If there's anywhere in America where he can rediscover a sense of the past, USC is definitely number one.
He will definitely come!
When Robert saw the schedule, he also suggested that Chen Xun go.
After all, USC had provided a lot of help to Chen Xun, the graduate, from beginning to end.
Moreover, USC is a well-known school in Hollywood, with many famous actors and directors among its graduates. Even if only a few attend, it will still bring resources and connections.
On the day of the forum, USC's Park Campus was much busier than usual.
As Chen Xun's car entered the campus, he could see signs indicating the location of the forum on the road leading to the famous film academy's red-brick buildings.
Li Suyan spotted Chen Xun's new car at a glance.
-
He jogged over.
Because of her close relationship with Chen Xun, and with the arrangement of her mentor, Professor Anderson, Li Suyan has become a graduate assistant at the Film Academy.
Compared to a year ago, she looks more mature, but the cleverness in her eyes hasn't changed.
"Chen Xun Oppa!"
She opened the car door, her tone cheerful: "Professor Anderson asked me to wait for you here, in case you couldn't find the place!"
"Wow! Is this the car the crew of 'Fast & Furious 5' gave you? It's so cool!"
"Want to come up? You can give me directions, and I'll show you around!"
Chen Xun extended an invitation.
He felt a natural affinity for Lee So-yeon, perhaps because they had known each other since humble beginnings and both had come from the very bottom.
"Oppa, is it really okay?"
Lee So-yeon's eyes lit up. While she was still asking questions, her body had already opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat.
Chen Xun chuckled to himself.
Lee So-yeon is still the same person, she hasn't changed at all.
Following Li Suyan's directions, Chen Xun drove straight to the specially designated parking space.
Throughout the journey, Li Suyan kept the window open, waving to each familiar face.
Everyone who saw her looking at the car and the person in the driver's seat was full of surprise.
Lee So-yeon's vanity was greatly satisfied.
Chen Xun also felt inexplicably happy.
Walking along the familiar campus paths, Chen Xun felt a surge of emotions.
The Romanesque building with its red brick facade appears exceptionally serene under the California sun, seemingly a world apart from the hustle and bustle of downtown Los Angeles not far away.
Everything here seems unchanged: students hurrying by with scripts in hand, groups discussing storyboards on the grass.
The two walked to the backstage entrance, where Li Suyan handed him a name tag and a schedule: "Go to the VIP room first; the forum will start in half an hour."
Chen Xun accepted the name tag, which read "Special Guest: Chen Xun, Actor, USC Alumnus".
As Chen Xun approached the VIP room, he saw Professor Anderson chatting with someone.
Both men are depicted as elderly scholars, and at first glance, they even look somewhat alike.
As Chen Xun approached, he finally saw who was sitting opposite Professor Anderson.
Steven Spielberg!
This is a very high-level meeting!
Chen Xun never expected to see this famous director at a routine annual meeting.
Steven Spielberg is chatting with Professor Anderson.
Upon seeing Chen Xun enter, Spielberg stood up and extended his hand.
"Chen, I've heard so much about you."
The legendary director smiled warmly and was completely unpretentious: "I've seen 'The Hunger Games' and the trailer for 'Fast & Furious 5,' you did a great job!"
"Thank you, Mr. Spielberg."
Chen Xun shook hands with him: "Your films are one of the teaching materials I used to learn acting."
"
Just call me Steven.
Spielberg gestured for him to sit down: "Anderson told me about you, from being an extra to an Oscar nominee, in just two years! The story itself is like a movie script."
Professor Anderson pushed up his glasses, a hint of smugness on his face: "I've said it before, Chen has a raw, innate ability to captivate on screen, not through technique, but through instinct. It's a pity that I wanted him to study under me in graduate school, but he was filming in Hollywood and had absolutely no time."
3
Chen Xun was a little embarrassed: "Professor, it really was a rare opportunity at the time—"
"I was just kidding!"
Anderson waved his hand: "What you're doing now is more valuable than ten years of schooling. Art ultimately has to come back to practice."
The forum was held in the largest auditorium at the film academy.
The venue, which can seat 500 people, was packed to the brim.
When Chen Xun went on stage with Professors Spielberg and Anderson, applause and the sound of cell phones taking pictures filled the air.
The first half of the process was Spielberg's show.
He discussed his views on future film technology, the impact of streaming on traditional narratives, and his upcoming projects. The audience listened attentively and asked insightful questions.
After the halftime break, it was Chen Xun's turn.
Professor Anderson, acting as the moderator, began by asking, "Chen, you graduated from USC, went through the stages of being an extra, a supporting actor, and a leading actor, and now you've received an Oscar nomination. What do you think is the biggest help your academic education has given you?"
Chen Xun thought for a moment: "It's not about specific acting techniques; those can be learned on set."
"What I really learned in college was aesthetics and judgment. At school, professors forced us to watch a lot of movies, good and bad, experimental and commercial. Then we analyzed why this shot worked and that character failed."
"This training helped me later when I faced scripts and roles, to know which direction to strive for and what constitutes a good performance."
"Excellent answer!"
Anderson nodded: "What kind of things did your real-world experience in Hollywood give you that schools couldn't provide?"
"A sense of urgency and realism."
Chen Xun became increasingly focused.
The upgraded panel essentially consolidates and categorizes all the attribute orbs and skill attribute orbs he had previously absorbed.
Chen Xun felt as if all the knowledge in his mind was stored in a palace, categorized and organized.
When you want to use it, you can retrieve it directly without almost any thought.
Seeing that Spielberg and the other students were interested, he paused and continued, "If you don't act well in school, you can redo it. If you hand in your assignment late, you'll only lose points. But on set, there are hundreds of people waiting, and the budget is burning every minute. You don't have time to hesitate."
"Pressure forces you to grow quickly, and coupled with real-life experiences, these experiences have given me a real understanding of danger, fear, and survival, which cannot be simulated in acting classes."
A student raised their hand: "Senior Chen Xun, I'm from the acting department. Many people say that Hollywood is more open to Asian actors now. What do you think? Do you think we'll have opportunities after graduation?"
"Is it more open now? Yes, at least the door has been opened wider."
He carefully chose his words: "I starred in 'Green Lantern: The Rise of the Blue Dragon,' where the main character is a Chinese-American programmer, which would have been unimaginable a few years ago. But to talk about complete equality is still a long way off."
He looked at the young, expectant faces in the audience: "My advice is not to focus solely on the label of 'Asian actor.' First, become a good actor, a professional collaborator. When people mention you, their first reaction should be, 'He's a great actor,' not, 'He's Asian.' Labels can be a stepping stone, but they shouldn't be the ceiling."
applause.
Chen Xun saw several Asian students in the audience nodding vigorously.
Just then, a bespectacled young man stood up, his tone somewhat sharp: "Mr. Chen Xun, you received an Oscar nomination for 'The Hunger Games,' but many people believe this is merely a compromise by the Academy to commercial appeal. Do you really think your nomination can be compared to the performances of actors like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robert De Niro?"
The entire room fell silent for a moment.
Lee So-yeon watched Chen Xun nervously from below the stage.
Chen Xun did not answer immediately.
He picked up his water glass, took a sip, and then spoke.
"I have great respect for Mr. Hoffman and Mr. De Niro; they are great actors, and I am still learning from them."
He said calmly, "As for whether my nomination is deserved—that's a question I shouldn't be answering. It was the Academy's judges who watched the film and voted. They felt that the character of Peeta deserved a nomination; that was their judgment."
Chen Xun paused for a moment: "Commercial films and art films are like sprints and marathons in running. They require different training and have different evaluation standards. You can't say that marathon runners are superior to sprinters; they are just different events."
"In The Hunger Games, I worked hard to fulfill the requirements of my project, to make the audience believe in Peeta and be moved by his choices."
"If the judges think I've done it, then I thank them for their recognition. As for whether I deserve it, I'll leave that question to time and the audience."
Chen Xun's answer was neither humble nor arrogant; he neither belittled himself nor acted arrogantly.
Applause erupted from the audience.
Even Spielberg nodded slightly.
A brief Q&A session followed the forum.
Chen Xun was surrounded by students, who asked for autographs, photos, and answered many more questions.
Lee So-yeon stood by, trying her best to maintain order, like a skilled manager.
Having finally managed to escape, Professor Anderson pulled him aside.
"That was a good answer."
The professor patted him on the shoulder: "You've protected yourself without offending anyone. You're much more mature than before."
"You learn by being scolded a lot."
Chen Xun smiled.
"Seriously!"
Anderson looked at him and said, "At your current stage, it would be very suitable for you to come back and pursue a master's degree. It doesn't have to be full-time; you can study part-time while working. I can tailor a course for you, with your research focus on in-depth character development in commercial genre films, which would perfectly complement your experience."
Chen Xun's heart skipped a beat.
This suggestion is outrageous.
After the forum at USC, Professor Anderson hosted a dinner at a private club in Beverly Hills.
Although it was called a dinner party, it was more like a small gathering of friends.
Aside from Spielberg and Chen Xun, there were only a few senior professors from the film academy and a senior professor from Paramount.
When Chen arrived, Spielberg was already there, chatting with Professor Anderson.
Upon seeing Chen Xun enter, Spielberg waved.
"Sit here!"
He pointed to the empty seat next to him: "Anderson was just saying that he wanted you to continue studying for his master's degree."
Chen Xun sat down: "Professor Yi Yu said that schools can teach you theory, but film sets can teach you survival skills. Now that he sees that I have no problem surviving, he wants me to come here to brush up on my theoretical knowledge."
The atmosphere at the dinner was very relaxed.
They chatted about industry gossip, new technologies, and the impact of streaming media on traditional distribution.
The Paramount executive, Gao Tuyan, now believes that young people's attention span is too short: "These days, videos on the internet can go viral, but sitting in a movie theater for two hours is deadly."
"So the movie needs to be more gripping!"
Spielberg wholeheartedly agreed: "It's not about explosive special effects, it's about the story and characters that make people forget about their phones, that's real skill."
Midway through the conversation, Spielberg suddenly turned to Chen Xun: "How's your schedule lately? Are you free in the second half of the year?"
The problem came rather suddenly.
Chen Xun thought for a moment: "The promotional period for Fast & Furious 5 will begin, followed by the roadshow for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and then the filming of Fast & Furious 6. We can squeeze out more than three months in between."
"Two or three months —"
Spielberg pondered, "That's enough to make a movie!"
The table fell silent.
Professor Anderson lowered his glass, and everyone else looked at Spielberg.
"I have a project on hand."
Spielberg put it succinctly: "It's hard science fiction, based on real physics, about a group of astronauts traveling through wormholes to find a new home as Earth's environment deteriorates."
"The producer is Linda Obst, and Lan hired Kip Thorne, a physics professor at Caltech and an expert on black holes and relativity, as a scientific advisor."
Chen Xun's heart skipped a beat.
This description sounds familiar.
"The screenplay was written by Jonathan Nolan."
Spielberg continued, "He went to Caltech to take relativity courses for several months in order to write this script, and now the third draft of the script has just come out, and I'm looking at it."
Jonathan Nolan.
Christopher Nolan's brother.
Chen Xun's mind raced.
He remembered that Nolan directed Interstellar, but the project was originally Spielberg's idea, and Jonathan Nolan wrote the screenplay for him.
Spielberg later withdrew, and Christopher Nolan took over.
So at this point in time, the project is still in Spielberg's hands.
"I'm looking for actors!"
Spielberg looked at Chen Xun: "Especially the actor who plays astronaut Cooper. This role requires a special quality. A former NASA pilot who later became a farmer, he goes to space again to save humanity. He needs to be resolute, but also vulnerable; he needs a technical background, but also the feel of the land."
He paused: "Your portrayal of Peeta in 'The Hunger Games' really touched me. Cooper needs that kind of quality too. He doesn't want to be a savior; he just wants to give children a future."
Chen Xun's heart was beating a little fast.
He knew how successful the film was in its previous life, and how many awards Hugh McConaughey won for the role.
Now the opportunity is in front of him.