novellhall Chapter 206 [Perfect Script Interpretation +300][5000]
Chapter 206 [Perfect Script Interpretation +300][5000]
Chapter 206 [Perfect Script Interpretation +300][5000]
Back in Los Angeles.
Chen Xun only rested for one night.
I was woken up early the next morning by a phone call from Nolan Studios.
[Emergency script discussion meeting, 9:00 AM, Warner Bros. conference room]
The following line of small print reads: "All lead actors are required to attend."
Chen Xun glanced at the time.
It's 5:10 now.
He sighed, got up, and took a shower.
The aftereffects of training in Iceland are still there; my muscles are sore all over.
That's outrageous!
Capitalists are inhumane!
Chen Xun once again thought of how he envied the income of actors in his previous life.
I never imagined that capital would actually treat actors like perpetual motion machines.
At 9:00 AM sharp, in the Warner Bros. conference room.
When Chen Xun pushed open the door to the Nolan Studio conference room, there was already a group of people sitting inside.
Nolan sat at the head of the long table, next to screenwriter Jonathan Nolan, with Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine seated to his left.
There are several empty seats on the right.
"Chen, sit here."
Nolan pointed to the first position on the right.
Chen Xun sat down and looked around.
He met Jessica Chastain in person for the first time.
This is the actress who plays the adult Murphy, and she has almost no scenes with Chen Xun in the story.
She was reading a script at the moment, and when she saw Chen Xun looking at her, she nodded slightly.
Michael Kane, with his gentlemanly demeanor, nodded in greeting.
"Everyone's here, let's go through the script from the beginning."
Nolan opened the folder in front of him: "Scene 1, Cooper's Cornfield, Chen, tell me your understanding of this scene."
All eyes turned to Chen Xun.
If this had happened two months ago, Chen Xun might have had to put some thought into his words.
But now?
Absolutely not!
Chen Xun cleared his throat.
"Cooper used to be NASA's best pilot, but now he's growing corn, and in a place where corn shouldn't be grown."
"The script describes him as skilled but frustrated when repairing a tractor. This balance is very important. Too much skill makes him seem resigned, while too much frustration makes him seem unprofessional. He has to be in a state where he can do the job but doesn't want to."
Jonathan stopped writing: "How did you come up with this idea?"
He hadn't expected Chen Xun to have such a profound understanding of the character just by reading the script.
Many actors need to immerse themselves in their roles during filming to create sparks.
After all, it's hard to visualize the scene just by reading the script.
Little did he know that Chen Xun had actually experienced Cooper's long life in the instance.
I have personally experienced this helplessness.
But Chen Xun certainly couldn't say that.
"I spent three weeks on a farm in Alberta."
Chen Xun spoke slowly, his tone as if he had become Cooper in the script: "I get up at five every day to drive a tractor, repair irrigation pumps, and harvest corn—I'm not farming, I'm fighting against a dying world."
The people sitting in the conference room seemed to see Cooper from the script walk out at that moment.
Even though Chen Xun's face is still young and hasn't undergone any special effects makeup, you can still see weariness and despair in his eyes.
Annie glanced at him, her eyes filled with surprise.
Anne Hathaway's favorability +1, current favorability: 88
Nolan slowly began, "Go on."
His eyes also showed surprise, as if he hadn't expected this Chinese actor, known for commercial films, to be able to perform even better than during the audition.
At this moment, director Nolan felt more and more that his choice was correct.
Even though there are many negative comments about Chen Xun online now.
But this often also means popularity.
Chen Xun has always been an actor living in controversy.
Perhaps I should make good use of this popularity to help the movie.
Chen Xun had no idea that director Nolan was thinking so much. He turned to the next few pages of the script at his own pace: "The father-daughter relationship between Cooper and Murphy."
"In this scene, when Murphy talks about ghosts, Cooper's first reaction is not to deny it, but to listen attentively. He respects his daughter, and deep down he is still a scientist and curious about anomalies."
"This detail needs to be presented; this part of the story cannot be simply categorized as a display of a pure father-daughter relationship."
.
Jessica Chastain looked up: "I agree. Many of Murphy's personality traits as an adult stem from the respect her father showed her during her childhood."
"right!"
Chen Xun turned to her: "So Murphy becoming a scientist later was not a coincidence, but a continuation of tradition."
Nolan and Jonathan exchanged a glance.
For the next two hours, Chen Xun almost dominated the discussion.
He wasn't analyzing the script; he was reconstructing it.
It was as if he had actually experienced those things.
When discussing the scene where Cooper decides to leave Earth, he said, "The most painful part isn't the departure itself, it's the deception. Cooper tells Murphy he'll definitely come back, but he himself doesn't know if he can actually come back."
When discussing the scene of traversing the wormhole, he said, "The script describes Cooper gripping the joystick tightly with his knuckles. That detail is good, but not enough. Under extreme pressure, a person's breathing becomes shallow, their vision focuses on a certain point, and their body enters an overclocked state. These physiological reactions must be taken into account when performing."
When discussing the scene in the five-dimensional space, he even pointed out a logical problem in the script.
"This passage describes Cooper transmitting data to Murphy in the past using gravitational waves in Morse code, but the problem is, how did he determine that Murphy could receive it? The script doesn't explain it."
Jonathan frowned: "Do you think this needs further explanation?"
"It's not necessarily something that needs to be added, but the actors need to have an answer in their hearts!"
Chen Xun explained: "My understanding is that Cooper can see the timeline in the fifth dimension. He knows when Murphy is in the study, so he chooses that time to send the message. Cooper is not trying blindly; he is making targeted efforts."
The meeting room fell silent for a few seconds.
Michael Kane laughed: "Young man, you're better prepared than this old man."
"You flatter me, I was just overthinking it."
Just then, a silver attribute orb fell from his body:
[Perfect Script Interpretation +300]
[Character credibility +50]
Chen Xun was taken aback.
I never expected that the silver attribute ball I was looking forward to in Iceland would actually appear right in front of me.
Chen Xun quickly absorbed the silver attribute ball.
The fragments of the script about Cooper in his mind began to rapidly integrate. It was as if Chen Xun had created a new PowerPoint presentation about Cooper in his mind, and he could directly flip to the corresponding page to look up various memories about Cooper.
[Highly Reputed] Progress +3%, Current Progress 48%!
His progress on the panel increased by 3% at that moment!
Nolan closed the script and looked at Chen Xun: "You're right, but the audience may not notice these details."
"Viewers may not be able to pinpoint exactly what's good about it, but they can sense the realism. If Cooper were just a stereotypical hero, the movie would just be a special effects film, but if he were a living, breathing person, the movie would be able to touch people's hearts."
After he said that, even Jessica nodded in agreement.
"I agree!"
"The character of Murphy is also like that. She is not a daughter waiting to be saved. She is another savior. The father and daughter are two parallel lines, each striving for their own goals, and eventually they intersect."
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean."
Chen Xun agreed.
Nolan looked at the two lead actors with admiration, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
Seeing that everyone looked tired, he said directly, "Take a fifteen-minute break."
Everyone got up and moved around, and Annie moved closer to Chen Xun.
"Did you stay up all night reading the script?"
Annie was very curious.
She and Chen Xun had only been apart for one night, so how come Chen Xun seemed to have improved so quickly all of a sudden?
Is this what it feels like to overtake on a curve?
While I was sleeping at night, others were trying to understand the script.
Should I consider staying up all night to read the script?
"I didn't have the energy to read the script yesterday, I just lay down and fell asleep. My performance today is probably because I got too into character."
Chen Xun said half-jokingly.
Anne clearly didn't believe it; she was already preparing to have her assistant make coffee so she could stay up all night reading the script.
As a fellow lead actor, I can't afford to waste my time when others are working so hard.
As the two were talking, Jessica walked over.
"Chen, what you just said, was it derived from the character biography, or—"
She was also very curious about Chen Xun.
"It's mostly intuition!"
Chen Xun hadn't expected his interpretation of the script to have such a big impact, so he could only shrug: "I put myself in Cooper's shoes and thought about what I would do if I were in his shoes. Some details came to mind during training. For example, in the NASA simulator, I was thinking about how Cooper felt when he first entered a real spaceship."
Jessica Chastain's favorability +5, current favorability: 65
The three chatted for a while, then the meeting continued.
This time, Nolan shifted the focus of the discussion: "Let's talk about the relationships between the characters."
"Chen, you and Annie have the most scenes together. How do you two interpret the relationship between Cooper and Emilia?"
Anne answered first: "They are comrades-in-arms and soulmates in a sense, but they didn't develop into a romantic relationship in the movie, which avoided falling into a cliché."
Chen Xun added: "Because they have a more important mission. In the context of the apocalypse, personal emotions are compressed. Cooper loves Murphy, and Emilia loves her father. This love is the driving force, but it is not the main theme of the film. The main theme is the survival of mankind."
"And what about the chemistry between them?"
Jonathan suddenly asked, "How do you act out a relationship where there's trust, even dependence, but no romantic love?"
"Based on shared experiences."
Chen Xun began to add his own interpretation: "Facing danger together, searching for hope in despair together, these experiences will build a bond stronger than love."
"So it's necessary for the actors to train together beforehand. The days Anne and I spent in Iceland were actually about building that bond."
Anne paused for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, now I understand why Emilia trusted Cooper, because in dire straits you can only trust the person who's been through it with you."
Nolan wrote down this sentence.
"Okay. Let's talk about the ending."
He turned to the last few pages of the script: "Cooper enters the black hole, traverses the fifth dimension, and is finally rescued after decades have passed. This scene has the highest emotional intensity. Chen, how do you interpret Cooper's state at this moment?"
Chen Xun remained silent for a few seconds.
He experienced this storyline in the instance.
That feeling is hard to describe.
"The first thing is the physical sensation."
Chen Xun paused, as if recalling his experience in the dungeon: "Cooper experienced time distortion in the black hole. His body may have only been in the black hole for a few hours, but psychologically it felt like several years had passed. This sense of dislocation needs to be portrayed."
"Then there's the psychological aspect."
"When he saw the adult Murphy, his first reaction was not excitement, but unfamiliarity. This person who was a little girl when he left was now an old man. The impact was more shocking than any special effects."
"Reconciliation is the last resort."
Chen Xun spoke more and more fluently: "Cooper's lifelong obsession was to go home, but when he actually returned, the home had changed. He had to accept this fact and then continue to live. This transformation could not be too sudden; it had to be gradual."
Jonathan put down his pen: "Could I see the character sketches you wrote?"
"I didn't write it!"
"Didn't you write it?"
"It's all in my head."
Chen Xun pointed to his head.
Nolan looked at Chen Xun, something flickering in his eyes.
"Chen, you remind me of someone."
"Who?"
"Heath Ledger!"
Nolan, "He prepared for the role like this before playing the Joker!"
These words carry significant weight.
The meeting room fell silent again.
Heath Ledger starred in Christopher Nolan's film "The Dark Knight," playing the Joker.
He later died from a drug overdose.
He died at the age of 28!
"Thank you! But I'm still a long way from being as good as him."
Chen Xun also thought of Heath Ledger's life.
In his past life, he was also an actor he admired very much.
"No, you're very close. At least in this movie, you are Cooper."
Nolan's eyes held a hint of nostalgia.
It seems that he was thinking of the actors he had worked with before, who are no longer alive.
And now, an actor who looks remarkably like him has appeared!
And they all acted in his movies.
The meeting lasted another hour, mainly discussing technical details.
Which scenes need to be filmed on location, which require special effects, and what preparations the actors need to make?
It was already 12:30 pm when we finished.
"Chen, can you stay here for a moment?"
Nolan suddenly spoke.
Chen Xun had already stood up, but sat down again upon hearing this.
Annie, who had originally planned to go for coffee with him, winked at him, indicating that she was leaving first.
His eyes held both schadenfreude at Chen Xun having to stay and suffer, and envy for Nolan's unusual attention.
After everyone else left, only Nolan, Jonathan, and Chen Xun remained in the conference room.
"Your performance today exceeded my expectations."
Nolan stated directly, "When I chose you, many people questioned it, but now I think this choice might be one of the best decisions made for this film."
"Thank you, director."
"Many of your ideas today are of great significance to the filming of the movie."
Director Nolan's eyes were full of admiration.
"Many shots and filming details are still not finalized on my end, but after listening to your description, I feel that you seem to have your own unique understanding of the script."
Jonathan, sitting next to him, couldn't wait to speak up: "Some of the details you mentioned weren't in the script at all, like Cooper's habit of looking at the sky while he was on the farm, or how he secretly left a letter for Murphy before leaving Earth. How did you come up with these things?"
"These are all thoughts that came naturally to me after I became the character of Cooper."
Chen Xun explained to the curious Nolan brothers.
Even if this explanation seems a bit weak at this point.
But the world is never short of amazing things.
Nolan stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded.
"Okay. Whatever you do, stay in this state. During filming, I need you to be completely Cooper."
"I will!"
Chen Xun nodded.
Chen Xun breathed a sigh of relief as he left the conference room.
Annie was waiting for him in the hallway.
"What did the director say?"
"They praised me a few times, and then told me to keep it up."
"Of course!"
Anne smiled and said, "You've impressed us all today. Jessica just told me she's never seen a young actor so well-prepared."
"You seem to truly understand every decision Cooper made, even his pain."
Anne said with a hint of envy, "When would it be convenient for you to help me understand my character? Perhaps your perspective could spark some new inspiration."
"That's no problem!"
Chen Xun nodded in agreement.
"Let's do it tonight then!"
Anne extended an invitation directly: "My assistant just happened to have prepared a lot of coffee, so we can enjoy it while we understand the script."
"what?"
Chen Xun was a little confused.
He hadn't expected Annie to be so decisive.
He hadn't realized Annie was this kind of person during training.
I suppose my performance today had a huge impact on Annie.
It would be painful for anyone to see a comrade who was originally on the same starting line suddenly find themselves standing at the finish line.
"Alright then!"
Chen Xun thought about it and realized that he didn't have any other plans for today.
At 8 p.m., Chen Xun rang the doorbell of Annie's hotel room.
The door opened, and Annie appeared, dressed in casual loungewear, her hair loosely tied up, and without makeup.
"Come in, the coffee is freshly made."
The room was a suite with a large living room. On the coffee table were scripts, pens, notebooks, and a laptop.
"You've prepared quite thoroughly."
Chen Xun glanced at the pile of documents that looked like a small mountain.
"You provoked me."
Annie poured him a cup of coffee and handed it to him: "The way you were in the meeting today made me feel like I wasted the last few months reading the script."
"It's not that exaggerated."
"have!"
Annie sat down opposite Chen Xun, looking at him intently: "When you talked about Cooper, it didn't feel like you were analyzing a character, it felt like you were recalling your own experiences. How did you manage that?"
Chen Xun took a sip of coffee; it was scalding hot.
"Actually, I have a method."
"What method?"
"Completely transform yourself into that person."
Chen Xun put down his cup and began to share his experience: "It's not just about thinking about what he would do, but about thinking that I am him and what I would do. From morning to night, eating, walking, and sleeping, think from that perspective."
Anne asked thoughtfully, "Did you figure this out on the farm?"
Chen Xun was secretly pleased to hear this.
Unexpectedly, Annie had already come up with all sorts of excuses for him.
"Yes, for those three weeks I wasn't Chen Xun, I was Cooper, a former pilot growing corn in the apocalypse."
The two began reading the script.
Anne flipped through several of Amelia's key scenes: "The scene I found hardest to understand was her breakdown in front of her father on video. The script said she was crying silently, but there was anger in her eyes. How did she act out such complex emotions?"
Chen Xun thought for a moment.
He had seen this scene in the game.
Through Cooper's perspective, you can feel Emilia's emotions.
"First of all, she is not a weak person."
"Amelia is a top scientist; rationality is her protective shell. Her collapse is not due to fragility, but because her rationality has been breached."
"What do you mean?"
"She had always believed that science could solve everything. When she realized that her decades of persistence were built on delusion, the collapse was not emotional, but a worldview-level collapse."
Anne froze, her pen pausing on the paper.
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