novellhall Chapter 187 The Audition Invitation from the Nolan Brothers [5000]
Chapter 187 The Audition Invitation from the Nolan Brothers [5000]
Chapter 187 The Audition Invitation from the Nolan Brothers [5000] (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Los Angeles International Airport.
After a month and a half of global roadshow, the Asian promotion for Fast & Furious 5 has finally come to an end.
The crew members dragged their luggage out of the airport, all of them looking tired.
"Finally home!"
Paul stretched and said, "I never want to take a long-haul flight again in my life."
"The results are good." Fan was quite satisfied: "The pre-sale box office in China has already broken records, and expectations in South Korea and Japan are also very high."
"Thanks to Chen!"
Gail looked at Chen Xun, her eyes gleaming: "His popularity in Asia has brought a lot of attention to our film."
Tyrese was the most straightforward: "I just want to go home and get some sleep!"
Everyone said goodbye with smiles and got into their respective cars to leave.
Chen Xun got into the car sent by the agency, where Robert was waiting for him.
"Thanks for your hard work!"
Rob handed him a cup of coffee: "The promotional data is very good. Universal is very satisfied. They are already negotiating the contract for 'Fast & Furious 6.' Your salary will increase, and your share of the profits will also increase."
"Great news!" Chen Xun took a sip of coffee. "Anything else?"
Rob's expression suddenly turned serious: "Spider's assistant sent an email to your work inbox this morning, saying there's a project change they need to inform you of. I haven't seen the details yet, so please take a look yourself."
Chen Xun frowned, took out his phone, and logged into his email.
Sure enough, there was a new email from Spielberg's studio, titled "Update on the Interstellar Project".
He clicked on it.
Dear Chen Xun:
First of all, thank you for your continued interest in this project and for the time you have invested in it.
I regret to inform you that due to changes in my personal contract with Paramount Pictures, I will no longer be directing Interstellar. This was a difficult decision, but I had to withdraw from the project based on the existing contractual framework.
I had extensive discussions with Jonathan Nolan and the production team, and they understood my decision. Although I can no longer be involved, I still believe in the potential of this story.
I want you to know that before I withdrew, I strongly recommended you to Jonathan and the production team. I think your acting style and professional attitude are a perfect fit for this project. Jonathan said he would seriously consider it and would contact you once the project is restarted.
We apologize again for the changes to the project and hope for other opportunities for cooperation in the future.
Chen Xun stared at his phone screen and remained silent for a few seconds.
Rob noticed his expression: "Bad news?"
"Spikes has withdrawn from Interstellar due to contractual issues."
Chen Xun handed him the phone.
Rob quickly read the email, raising an eyebrow: "But he recommended you, and Spielberg's recommendation carries weight in Hollywood."
"But the project doesn't have a director now!"
Chen Xun analyzed: "Moreover, Paramount may have other arrangements. For such a big production, if the director leaves, the entire project may be shelved or even changed direction."
"really!"
Rob nodded: "But Jonathan is still here. He and his brother Christopher polished the script together. As long as the script is there, there is still hope for the project."
Chen Xun leaned back in his chair, looking out the window at the familiar street scenes of Los Angeles.
A month ago, he was still excited about the possibility of getting the lead role in a Spielberg movie.
Now that the director is gone, the project is in jeopardy.
But he didn't feel frustrated.
That's Hollywood for you.
Projects fail and then come back to life, only to fail again – it's all too common.
"What do we do now?" Robert asked anxiously.
He had been looking forward to this project and had tried to communicate with Spielberg, and both sides expressed a strong desire to cooperate.
Now that the Nolan brothers are in charge, I wonder if there will be any new changes.
"wait!"
Chen Xun remained calm: "Let's wait for news from Jonathan and look for other opportunities. We can start negotiating the contract for Fast & Furious 6, and we'll also take a look at the other drafts that have been submitted."
He doesn't lack scripts now.
However, compared to other scripts, he was very interested in "Interstellar" in his previous life, and if he could participate in it now, it would be a fulfillment of his wish from his previous life.
Watching something can be more fulfilling than participating in your favorite movie.
"Okay, I'll make the arrangements tomorrow."
The car drove to Chen Xun's residence in Beverly Hills.
He got out of the car, picked up his luggage, and went into the house.
I haven't been home for three months, and the house feels a bit empty.
He put down his luggage, opened the window to ventilate the room, and then turned on the system panel.
The progress on the panel has reached 87%.
You only need another 13% to upgrade.
The last upgrade was a panel fusion; it's unclear what changes will occur in this upgrade.
Chen Xun took a quick shower and changed into his pajamas.
He thought for a moment, then sent Spielberg a reply email, briefly thanking him for the recommendation and expressing his anticipation for future collaboration.
He then sent an email to Jonathan Nolan's studio, politely inquiring about the project's progress and attaching his latest resume and portfolio.
After doing all that, he collapsed onto the sofa and closed his eyes.
After flying around the world for a month and a half, I can finally take a break.
Chen Xun slept from the afternoon until the next morning.
Call ~
Chen Xun sat up from the sofa.
Fortunately, the sofa is large and wide enough.
Chen Xun slept on it for a night and, surprisingly, didn't experience the soreness he felt when sleeping on the sofa in his previous life. Instead, he felt refreshed and energetic.
A sofa that costs a lot of money is definitely not as comfortable to sleep on.
In his previous life, Chen Xun often saw a saying that the poor could not even imagine what kind of life others lived.
Now, having only scratched the surface of the lives of the wealthy, he feels that his life has undergone a complete transformation.
Ding!
Chen Xun had just made a cup of coffee when he heard a notification sound from his work email on his laptop.
He sat down with his coffee, assuming it was a follow-up from Spielberg's studio.
Upon opening it, I found that the sender had changed.
It's the production company of the Nolan brothers.
An audition invitation.
The gist is that Christopher Nolan took over the project, the script was rewritten, and Chen Xun was invited to audition because of Spielberg's recommendation.
The wording was very official, completely lacking the approachable feel of Spielberg's studio.
The implication was that we hadn't originally intended to contact you, but Spielberg has a lot of influence, so we had to give you a chance.
Whether it succeeds or not depends on your own abilities.
Chen Xun smiled and opened the script attachment.
He quickly browsed through it.
The script this time was similar to the one he remembered from Interstellar.
With Earth facing its end, former astronaut Cooper is forced to leave his children and join an expedition to travel through a wormhole in search of a new home.
However, after the rewrite, the emotional connection between Cooper and his daughter Murphy was elevated to an unprecedented level.
Almost every major decision was tied to the father-daughter relationship.
Chen Xun closed his laptop and made a phone call to Robert.
"Did you see the email?"
Rob seemed busy too: "The Nolan brothers' attitude is so-so. I made some inquiries, and Jonathan isn't too fond of you."
"He feels that you've been getting too much attention lately, like it's just hype, and he's worried that you can't handle the weight of these emotionally intense scenes."
Chen Xun laughed: "That's as if I didn't have any feelings when I acted in 'The Hunger Games' and 'Fast & Furious'."
Anyone would be angry if their efforts were attributed to good luck, and Chen Xun was no exception.
"You know their style. In Nolan's films, the characters serve the story, but the characters themselves must be convincing. They might feel that your success has a lot of commercial elements involved."
Robert paused for a moment: "But an opportunity is still an opportunity. Spielberg's recommendation carries a lot of weight; otherwise, they wouldn't even have given us an audition. We have two weeks. What are you planning to do?"
"What else can we do?"
Chen Xun stood up and walked to the window: "Read the script, figure out the character, prepare for the audition. Oh, and find me an acting coach, someone who's good at guiding inner monologues and emotional outbursts!"
He needs to unleash his full potential, and it just so happens that he needs to find a suitable acting coach to help him absorb some of his strengths.
"Okay, I'll arrange it."
Rob half-jokingly said, "Do you need to find someone to babysit your child and experience what it's like to be a father? My friend has a three-year-old daughter, she's quite adorable—"
Thanks, but I don't need it for now.
Chen Xun also understood that Robert was joking.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Xun reopened the script and began reading it carefully from the first page.
As he read, he remembered the 87% progress mark on the system panel.
This audition might be the key to an upgrade.
If you can break through the barriers in acting out such challenging emotional scenes, the quality of the attribute points you gain will definitely be high.
The audition notice was sent on the afternoon of the third day.
Following the address given by Robert, Chen Xun found the performance studio hidden on a quiet street.
The storefront is small, with just a simple black sign that reads "Marcus Lee Studio" in white lettering.
The line below in smaller print reads: "Actor Training and Role Development".
Chen Xun pushed the door open and went inside; the inside looked more spacious than the outside.
The receptionist, a young woman with dreadlocks, looked up at him and said, "Mr. Chen Xun? Marcus is waiting for you on the second floor."
The stairs are made of wood and creak when you step on them.
The second floor is a large open space with mirrors on three walls and old maple floors, some of which have worn away the lacquer.
Several chairs were placed near the window.
A middle-aged man with an Asian face was standing with his back to the door, looking out the window.
"Marcus Lee?" Chen Xun asked.
The man turned around.
He was probably in his early fifties, with graying hair, wearing a simple gray cotton T-shirt and khaki pants. He had some wrinkles on his face, but his eyes were bright and he had a sense of vicissitude.
"Chen Xun".
Marcus walked over and shook his hand: "Rob told me about you and the requirements of the role."
"I want to give it a try," Chen Xun said.
Marcus sized him up for a few seconds, then nodded. "Sit down. Let's talk first, then we'll see how to train. Each class is two hours long. Rob already told you the fees, right?"
"Ten thousand US dollars!"
Chen Xun sat down, but couldn't help adding, "It's quite expensive."
Marcus laughed, his wrinkles deepening as he laughed: "It is expensive, but there's a reason for it. There are two types of people who come to me: one type is those who have truly hit a bottleneck and can't break through no matter what they do, and the other type is those who are cramming at the last minute and want to secure an important role in a short period of time."
"You look like the second type."
"I need more than a week to find the feeling of playing a father."
Chen Xun confessed: "And he's not an ordinary father, he's an astronaut who has to leave his child and may never come back."
"Did you bring the script?"
Chen Xun handed over the new version of the script.
This script only contains plot points about the character Cooper, and it's incomplete, thus avoiding the problem of script leaks.
Marcus quickly flipped through the pages, focusing on games 38 and 112.
"Have you ever been in a relationship and broken up?" Marcus suddenly asked.
"We've talked about it."
What did it feel like when you broke up?
"It depends on the situation; some breakups are amicable, while others are less pleasant."
"Imagine breaking up with the person you love most, not because she doesn't love you anymore, or because you're not compatible, but because you have to leave."
Marcus leaned forward: "A voice tells you that if you leave, humanity might be saved; if you don't leave, we'll all perish. But this voice can't explain it to her, and she can't understand it. You can only leave, disappear from her world. And you know that when you leave, she will hate you."
Chen Xun remained silent.
"That's how Cooper feels about his daughter Murphy."
Marcus leaned back in his chair: "He loved her, but he chose something greater, and the guilt that comes with that choice will stay with him throughout his journey."
As Marcus finished speaking, a purple attribute orb fell from his body:
[Accurate Character Analysis in the Script +8]
Chen Xun absorbed it quickly.
His understanding of the script and characters suddenly reached a new level.
"So this isn't an ordinary father-daughter relationship," Chen Xun said thoughtfully, "it's a father-daughter relationship tinged with a huge sense of indebtedness."
"Yes! You understand very well!"
Marcus stood up: "It seems you have a clear understanding of the theory. Get up, let's start practicing."
In the first lesson, Marcus didn't have Chen Xun act out the script directly.
Instead, he was made to do a series of exercises that seemed unrelated to the plot.
"Close your eyes and imagine you have a daughter."
Marcus's voice rang out in the quiet studio: "How old is she? What does she look like? Whom does she resemble in personality? When did she first call her 'Dad'?"
Chen Xun tried hard to imagine.
He couldn't picture any specific face in his mind, but he could feel a vague warmth.
It's the feeling of a little life depending on you, trusting you, and treating you as its whole world.
"Now imagine you're leaving her, not for a few days on a business trip, but to a very, very far place, so far that you don't know if you'll ever come back. Before you leave, what would you say to her? How would you say goodbye?"
A golden attribute orb fell from Marcus: [Fatherly Perception +12]
Chen Xun absorbed it instinctively.
A surge of emotion imbued with the power of paternal love suddenly flooded his mind.
At this moment, Chen Xun seemed to see his daughter, but he couldn't touch her no matter what.
Chen Xun didn't speak; his breathing gradually became heavier.
[Emotional Engagement +9]
Another purple attribute orb appeared, this time falling from Chen Xun himself.
absorb!
Marcus, completely unaware that Chen Xun was frantically absorbing attribute orbs and was entirely immersed in his emotions, continued to guide him: "Don't use your brain to think, use your body to feel. Does your throat feel tight? Does your chest feel stuffy? Do your hands unconsciously clench and unclench?"
Chen Xun did as instructed.
He suddenly felt physical discomfort, as if he really had to give up something important.
"Okay, now open your eyes."
Marcus reminded Chen Xun: "Remember this feeling. This is the emotion Cooper felt when he left home. It wasn't sadness, but a physiological sense of detachment."
In the following period, Marcus used various methods to torment Chen Xun.
He had Chen Xun repeat a few simple lines, such as "I'll be back," "Believe me," and "Take good care of Mom."
Each time, different emotions must be used: firmness, uncertainty, reassurance, command, pleading —
Attribute orbs keep falling.
Chen Xun absorbed it instinctively.
The body constantly enters various emotions and then detaches from them.
Marcus asked Chen Xun to act out the farewell scene in front of thin air, but required him not to shed tears, only to have his eyes red and his voice tremble but not crack.
Then she had Chen Xun sit on the floor, close his eyes, touch the floor with his hand, and imagine that it was the crib railing of his daughter when she was little. Then she imagined that time was passing quickly, and the railing was changing from smooth to rough, from warm to cold.
It symbolizes the daughter growing up and the father and daughter becoming estranged.
Although this training method is strange, the frequency of attribute balls falling is quite high.
Chen Xun's progress was naturally rapid as he frantically absorbed attribute orbs.
During halftime, Marcus poured him a glass of water: "How are you feeling?"
"I'm exhausted!" Chen Xun said honestly, "It's not physical exhaustion, it's mental exhaustion."
He pointed to his chest.
"That's normal! Emotional training is mentally taxing."
Marcus took a sip of water himself: "Do you know what your biggest problem is right now?"
"What is it?"
"You're absolutely right."
Marcus gestured wildly: "Every expression, every movement, every pause in your tone is technically flawless, but it's just too perfect, like a textbook example."
"A real father, especially one like Cooper who is burdened with worries, has irregular emotions. He might suddenly laugh when he should be sad, tremble when he should be strong, and choose silence when he should explain. That's human nature."
Chen Xun understood.
Just like the performances of some actors he watched in his previous life, their skills were perfect but they just didn't move him.
Some actors' performances may be a bit rough around the edges, but that's what makes them feel real.
He still remembers watching a variety show in his past life, where an actor commented that Mr. Tree, played by Wang Baoqiang, smoked.
A professionally trained actor might design all sorts of smoking gestures, trying to interpret Mr. Tree's inner world through various performance techniques.
Wang Baoqiang's simple smoking posture, unpretentious and unpretentious, is enough to outshine everyone else!
Many years later, it is still hailed as a classic.
"Shall we continue this afternoon?"
"continue!"
Chen Xun did not hesitate at all.
He truly saw the soul of a good actor in Marcus.
The afternoon training session was more in-depth.
Marcus began to have Chen Xun experience an emotional outburst.
"Cooper is a character who is mostly repressed and reserved, but after a long time of repression, there will always be a time when he can't hold back anymore."
"The script may not have a clear climax scene, but you have to find those points where there can be an internal explosion, moments when things are calm on the surface but turbulent inside."
He asked Chen Xun to perform a simple scene.
On the spaceship, Cooper watched his daughter's video log from Earth for the first time.
My daughter has grown up, gotten married, and had children.
While he was in space, only a short time had passed.