novellhall Chapter 228 The Blockade from Warner [5000]
Chapter 228 The Blockade from Warner [5000]
Chapter 228 The Blockade from Warner [5000]
They returned to London to film again.
Chen Xun could clearly sense that the atmosphere had changed.
After a short separation, the reunion felt like a reunion of friends.
Before work starts each day, the dressing room and rest area are always noisy.
Dave is always the loudest one.
He wore that heavy Drax muscle suit, which made movement difficult, but his voice was unaffected. He would often chase after people with a script in hand, asking, "Chen! This line, I'll rip his spine out of his mouth. Should I add a sneer when I read it? Or is a blank expression more frightening?"
Chen Xun would usually give advice while the makeup artist touched up his makeup: "Keep a blank expression, Dave. Drax saying things like that is like saying the weather is nice today. The calmer it is, the more terrifying it is."
"That makes sense!"
Dave suddenly realized, then turned to Zoe, who was surrounded by several special effects makeup artists, and asked, "Zoe! What do you think?"
Zoe, barely managing to move her eyes from her green silicone mask, glanced at him and said succinctly, "Shut up, Dave, I'm turning green."
Dave chuckled sheepishly and walked away to find Bradley to discuss how the Rockets should deliver their next insult in a more impactful way.
Although Bradley was only responsible for voice acting, he frequently came to the set to provide the puppeteers and actors with real-time references on the rhythm and emotion of the lines, and quickly became close with the lead actors.
His witty and sarcastic comments about the rocket often made the set burst into laughter.
Director Gunn was the catalyst for this atmosphere and the biggest kid king.
He always had messy hair, wore a hoodie and sneakers, and ran around the film set. In addition to a walkie-talkie, he often carried a can of colorful Play-Doh.
This is his personal quirk, and also his unique way of rewarding others.
If anyone gave a particularly outstanding performance in a scene or came up with a brilliant improvisational idea, Gunn would magically produce a new can of Play-Doh and hand it to them: "That was fantastic! Here's a can of Cosmic Energy Sludge for you! Make an alien monster and play with it!"
Chen Xun has received three cans: fluorescent green, starry purple, and a bright, eye-catching orange-red.
Zoe received a can of silver-gray, while Dave received a can of deep red, which was close to his skin color.
Gunn said it was the color of Drax's Wrath.
Even Bradley received a jar of tan leather as a gift for a particularly effective impromptu quip, which he jokingly referred to as Rocket's fur.
This childish yet heartwarming gesture subtly relieved the pressure of filming and added a playful element to the set.
Chen Xun used the fluorescent green container to make a crooked, potato-like thing with long tentacles, and placed it next to his monitor.
Gunn laughed for a long time after seeing it.
[Film crew atmosphere integration +10]
[Director's favorability (Guen) +5, current favorability: 78]
[Team member synergy generally increased by 3]
Today's scene involves Star-Lord trying to persuade Rocket and Groot to join their impromptu prison break plan.
The location is in the public activity area of Klinsley Prison.
The challenge of this scene lies in the fact that Chen Xun needs to perform for two non-human characters simultaneously.
One is a tree-like Groot created entirely in post-production CGI, which requires him to imagine its location and reactions.
The other is Rocket Raccoon, who is partially controlled by a puppeteer on site, but whose performance largely relies on his imagination and Bradley's dialogue.
"Action!"
Chen Xun squatted on the rusty pipe and spoke to the Groot marker in front of him and the small rocket No. 1, which was being manipulated by the puppeteer and swaying slightly: "Listen, I know you don't like me, but right now we have a common goal, which is to get out of this hellhole."
As he speaks, his eyes need to switch rapidly between Groot's markers and the rocket puppet.
Your tone should be full of self-assured persuasiveness, while your body language should convey the relaxed feel of a street kid.
Off-camera, Bradley delivered his prepared, shrill lines at lightning speed: "Idiot! And why should I believe you? You can't even keep an eye on your own Walkman!"
Upon hearing this line, Chen Xun needed to react immediately.
A flicker of annoyance crossed his face, as if a sore spot had been touched, but he quickly masked it with an exaggerated nonchalance: "That's a strategic shift! The point is, we need each other! I'm just drawing attention."
He pointed at the puppet: "You're in charge of fixing the electronic locks and anything that beeps!"
The key to the performance is that when speaking to thin air and puppets, the audience must be convinced that there is really a grumpy raccoon and a silent tree in front of them.
And there is genuine emotional exchange between them.
This requires an extremely strong sense of conviction and precise rhythm control.
[No physical object/Interaction with virtual character: +12 to belief]
[Precise control of the pacing of multi-character dialogues +8]
[Coordination between comedic dialogue and physical reactions +6]
During Chen Xun's performance, several attribute balls of different colors fell from his body.
He could feel that he was becoming more and more adept at handling scenes that relied heavily on imagination.
Gunn nodded repeatedly behind the monitor.
"Cut! Perfect!"
Gunn walked over and handed Chen Xun a new can of Play-Doh, this time a deep blue one with glitter.
Even during breaks, everyone kept busy.
Dave dragged over something that looked like a giant rusty gear.
They insisted that it was alien fitness equipment and challenged Chen Xun to a contest to see who could hold it longer.
As a result, he almost tripped over the heavy costume, which made everyone laugh.
Zoe was finally freed from the long makeup session and sat on the folding chair, sipping water.
Chen Xun walked over and handed her an energy bar that a staff member had given her.
Thanks!
Zoe chimed in, "Your pacing with the Rockets was great just now, and Bradley's lines were spot on."
She praised Chen Xun's performance.
Zoe's affection level +2, current affection level: 66
"Bradley was a huge help."
"Without his swear words, I would hardly get angry at a ball of thin air."
Zoe gave a barely perceptible smile: "He's definitely good at this."
During a break in filming in the afternoon, Gunn even organized a space checkers game.
The chessboard was temporarily taped to the ground, and the chess pieces were replaced with Play-Doh clay of different colors.
Chen Xun, Dave, Bradley, and several stunt performers played together.
Gunn messed up the rules.
He was involved in many unexpected situations during interstellar adventures.
For example, "Encountering an ion storm, all pieces move back two steps" or "Being robbed by space pirates, losing one piece".
It was a chaotic mess, but laughter never stopped.
In a pleasant shooting atmosphere, even the most tedious green screen shooting doesn't seem so torturous.
When filming the scene where Star-Lord pilots a small spaceship through the asteroid belt, Chen Xun had to react with tension, manipulation, and evasion in an environment surrounded by green screens.
Gunn and the special effects team would use off-camera voices to simulate the sound effects of explosions and impacts. Dave and Bradley would sometimes improvise profanities from enemy pilots to help him build up his emotions.
"Hard to port! There's a rock bigger than your head!"
"Oh shit! Gravity well! Hold on tight!"
"Haha, hit it! Their engines are setting off fireworks!"
With all this miscellaneous assistance, Chen Xun's performance was filled with genuine panic and comical clumsiness.
This is exactly what Gunn wanted.
Although Star-Lord is a very skilled pilot, he is not an ace pilot; he is just a half-baked pilot who gets by on luck and quick wit.
[Green Screen Environment Immersion and Improvisation +9]
[High-intensity focus and distraction elimination ability +5]
Attribute orbs keep falling.
Chen Xun felt that he was making rapid progress.
He originally lacked the acting skills for this sci-fi/futuristic style, but now he has absorbed the attributes...
The ball is making up for that.
Filming is over.
Chen Xun was exhausted.
But he was in a very good mood and felt that the filming work on set was very fulfilling.
This feels different from when I was on the set of "The Hunger Games" or "Fast & Furious".
Those film crews are also very professional.
But the Guardians of the Galaxy crew had a creative passion and playful spirit that was almost like a family workshop.
This might be Gunn's personal style.
But Chen Xun liked it very much.
When he returned to his lodgings that evening, he couldn't help but laugh as he looked at the several cans of Play-Doh.
He felt that his control over the character of Peter Quill was no longer limited to the script and training, but that he was infusing a more vibrant life into these seemingly trivial interactions.
The Guardians of the Galaxy might be a bunch of oddballs.
But on the set where they were created, the cast is slowly becoming a truly cohesive freak family.
The progress on the panel also proves this point:
[Leading the trend by 3%]
The next day, Chen Xun had just finished filming an action scene, his face still covered in dust.
Rob suddenly burst into the photography studio.
Chen Xun had just taken a bottle of water from his assistant when he stopped unscrewing the cap.
According to the work plan, Rob should be promoting Chen Xun's work and working hard to help him win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Why are you in a London photo studio at this time?
Could something have happened?
Rob's clothes were wrinkled, his tie was crooked, and his hair was disheveled by the foggy London weather.
"Bro!"
Upon seeing Chen Xun for the first time, Rob called out to him quietly, then glanced at Gail and a few staff members who were packing up equipment beside him: "Let's find a place to talk, something urgent!"
Chen Xun's heart tightened, but he remained expressionless.
He told his assistant, "Tell the assistant director I'm taking a 15-minute break."
Then he led Rob to a relatively quiet corner at the edge of the studio, where there were some unused backdrops and prop boxes, and not many people around.
"What happened? Has something changed with Oscar?"
Chen Xun leaned against the metal box.
Rob pulled a flat, silver flask from his suit pocket, unscrewed it, and took a sip. It wasn't alcohol; it seemed to be strong coffee.
He wiped his mouth, his eyes filled with resentment: "The Oscars are now highly uncertain; Warner Bros. has made its move."
"Make a move?"
Chen Xun narrowed his eyes slightly: "Targeting me?"
"Otherwise? Is it to win Best Original Song for the soundtrack of Interstellar?"
Rob spoke quickly, his voice laced with suppressed anger: "They're not waging a typical PR war, Chen. They're using their connections to target you, aiming to stop you at the nomination stage and prevent you from winning Best Supporting Actor."
Chen Xun didn't speak, but listened quietly. His heartbeat was steady, but his brain was working at a rapid pace.
Rob continued, "The information leaked from a mid-level manager within Warner who has indirect interests with us, so it's highly credible."
"I don't know exactly who their top executives are, but it must have been one of the few who can mobilize resources who gave the order."
"Maintaining the purity of the Interstellar project and a positive public opinion environment, to put it bluntly, means not letting you, the actor they actively abandoned, turn around and win an Oscar to slap them in the face."
"That would make all their previous decisions look incredibly stupid, and it would be a blow to the stock price and the project."
"What are they planning to do?"
Chen Xun had anticipated this.
But when the moment actually arrived, it still felt a bit suffocating.
Warner is a behemoth.
Although there have been frequent decision-making errors in recent years, even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse.
The key point is that this camel isn't dead yet.
"Lobbying, pressure, and exchanging favors."
Robert counted on his fingers: "They were all private suggestions and reminders. They used their long-term PR firms and senior consultants to reach out to influential senior members of the academy, especially those old-fashioned figures who value tradition and the purity of art."
"I overheard some of the rhetoric, which basically says that the competition for Best Supporting Actor this year is fierce, and that Waltz and Hoffman's performances are textbook examples. We should vote for the works and actors that truly represent the highest level of performing arts."
"Chen Xun is certainly outstanding, young people have drive, and The Hunger Games was very successful, but the significance of the Oscars is different after all."
Rob mimicked that earnest yet superior tone, then sneered: "The subtext is:
Commercial success ≠ artistic achievement, and a newcomer ≠ someone who deserves an award, especially a newcomer of his skin color and background.
They are exploiting and amplifying existing prejudices and conservative mindsets.
"Anything else?"
"Resource exchange!"
Rob got to the heart of the matter: "Warner Bros. has projects, investments, and distribution channels. For some independent producers or filmmakers who are eager to work with major studios, Warner Bros.' friendship carries weight."
"They implied that supporting the right person at the right time would be good for the future, and vice versa—"
"You know what I mean!"
Rob gave a wry smile.
"They mainly operate within the producer branch and some member circles closely associated with technical awards. It's relatively difficult for them to penetrate the actor branch, but it's not a monolithic entity; there are always some connections they can utilize."
As Chen Xun listened, his fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the metal box.
Warner's actions were not particularly outrageous; in fact, they could be considered one of the common tactic used in behind-the-scenes manipulation during Hollywood's awards season.
It is usually used for winning awards in one's own projects or to attack direct competitors.
Using this against a Chinese actor is quite a move.
Everyone in this circle knows each other, so no one will believe Warner's empty promises, but this investment is quite expensive.
"Are they really that afraid of me winning an award?"
Chen Xun suddenly laughed: "At the end of the day, I'm just a somewhat famous actor with a Marvel movie that hasn't even been released yet. Is it really worth all this fuss?"
"Definitely worth it!"
Rob said with absolute certainty, "Bro, you underestimate the 'gilding' effect an Oscar has on an actor, especially one with a background like yours."
"If you're just a nominee, then you're just a commercial film actor who got lucky and got an Oscar nomination."
"If you win an award, even just Best Supporting Actor, you immediately become the Oscar-winning actor Chen Xun. In Hollywood, a place that values seniority and legitimacy, this title carries a completely different weight."
"It will solidify your industry position and give you a qualitative leap in future project negotiations, salary negotiations, and speaking authority."
Robert paused, staring at Chen Xun: "More importantly, it will send a very clear signal to the entire industry, especially to the Asian market and audiences: Chen Xun is not a shooting star, he is a top actor certified by Hollywood's highest awards."
"The subsequent commercial value and influence that this brings is the last thing Warner wants to see. They would rather that trophy go to Waltz or Hoffman, even if those two have nothing to do with them."
"They can't accept that it's you, someone they once easily gave up on, standing on that podium!"
Chen Xun remained silent.
He completely understood Warner's logic.
This is not just a matter of saving face, but also a fear of the future.
They fear that a symbol they cannot control, or even one that is hostile, will gain the highest recognition within the Hollywood system, thereby gaining greater power and independence.
"What do we do?"
Rob was getting a little anxious.
Although he has been in Hollywood for many years, he is quite the seasoned veteran.
However, he had mostly been in contact with people at the lower levels before, and it was only after Chen Xun became famous that he gradually came into contact with people at the middle and upper levels.
He was helpless in the face of the overwhelming power of a giant machine like Warner.
"They operate in the shadows, using legal methods, making it difficult for us to fight back directly. Without solid evidence, we'll only appear to be sore losers, and we might even violate academy regulations. Our resources and influence are far inferior to those of established giants like Warner."
Robert had a long face and kept complaining.
Fake!
Capital is irrational!
Chen Xun looked towards the center of the set, where director Gunn was gesturing wildly as he explained the scene to Dave and Zoe, while Bradley chimed in with jokes.
This galactic world, brimming with creativity and quirky friendships, seems to be separated from the scheming and oppressive Hollywood world that Rob brought with him by an invisible barrier.
Between the two, he prefers to immerse himself in the galactic world while filming.
But now that things have come to this, we have to face them.
Chen Xun's rebellious streak kicked in!
You won't let me be one, but I'll insist on being one anyway!
"We can't compete with them in terms of resources and connections."
Chen Xun patted Robert on the shoulder.
This usually spirited male mother is now somewhat broken down, her eyes are red, as if she has been blacklisted.
"We need to adjust our strategy."
"In the upcoming member interaction, please don't focus on my performance!"
"The focus is on why the character Peeta can resonate with young audiences from different cultures around the world, the significance of an unconventional hero, and what kind of faces and stories Hollywood's globalized future needs."
"Let's elevate the topic and connect myself with larger issues such as the future of the industry and cultural diversity."
Chen Xun quickly responded.
Since you've blocked me, I'll separate myself from the group and turn myself into a culture.
Rob gradually calmed down.
He quickly digested Chen Xun's words and nodded frequently: "This idea is a bit risky, but it might work! Turn yourself from a competitor into a symbol, win the support of members who are willing to reform, and this way you will have a higher stance and be less likely to be dragged into a quagmire of mutual attacks by Warner."
Seeing that Robert's face was gradually becoming excited, Chen Xun continued, "Let's contact our media friends with whom we have a good relationship and discuss the possible struggle between conservatism and innovation in this year's Oscar voting, so that discerning people can see this battle hidden underwater."
"By stirring up the waters of public opinion and exposing Warner's private operations to more public scrutiny, they will actually become more hesitant and restrained."
""