novellhall Chapter 271 I thought Chen Xun had been blacklisted by Hollywood [5000]
Chapter 271 I thought Chen Xun had been blacklisted by Hollywood [5000]
Chapter 270 I thought Chen Xun had been blacklisted by Hollywood [5000] (Seeking monthly votes)
James Cromwell also noticed it.
During the break, he went to chat with the students: "How long have you been studying with Chen Xun?"
"Eight weeks."
Sofia said, "There are two classes a week, mainly on acting in front of the camera and character building."
"How well is he teaching?"
"Very strict."
Jack frankly stated, "He never had us act out emotions; he had us do the actions."
"For example, sadness is not crying, but silently tidying up; tension is not rubbing your hands, but breathing shallowly while trying to control it."
James raised an eyebrow and looked at Chen Xun, who was discussing the next scene with Li Suyan behind the counter.
Who would have thought that this Chinese actor who caused such a stir in Hollywood had this side to him!
"Was he like this before?"
James asked Lee So-yeon curiously.
Lee So-yeon happened to walk over: "You mean Oppa?"
"He's always been like this, very serious about acting, and even more serious about himself."
"But when he teaches students, he breaks down complex things into very simple ones, like teaching a craft."
The morning's filming went very smoothly.
At lunchtime, the students gathered together to eat their boxed lunches, excitedly discussing what they had seen and heard on set.
"See that camera? It's an ARRIAlea, one of those cameras can buy a car!"
"The lighting team is so professional; they spent half an hour adjusting the light for just one shot."
"James Cromwell himself was very kind, and he even told me about his time on Broadway —"
Chen Xun sat behind the counter with his boxed lunch in his hand, eating while looking at the filming schedule.
Lee So-yeon leaned closer and said, "Oppa, your student really makes you proud."
"Mr. Prieto just told me in private that these kids are of higher quality than many professional extras."
"They were already quite good to begin with."
Chen Xun said, "The only thing lacking is practical experience and proper guidance."
"And what about you?"
Lee So-yeon looked at him: "How was it playing Old Lee?"
Chen Xun paused for a few seconds: "This character doesn't need to shout or make exaggerated expressions. He just guards this shop day after day until the very last day."
"This kind of calm is actually harder to fake."
[In-depth role-playing experience]
[Character: Old Li (Video Tape Store Owner)]
[Emotional Core: The Heaviness Beneath the Calm, the Perseverance in the Ordinary]
[Gain Attribute Orb: Introverted Performance Control +20]
[Description: Capable of more accurately grasping the emotional layers of low-key and reserved characters, conveying complex emotions through subtle changes]
A profound power settled within Chen Xun's body.
He felt that his understanding of calm performance had reached a new level.
It turns out that being reserved doesn't mean having no emotions; it means suppressing emotions to a deeper level, leaving the audience to dig deeper.
Chen Xun noticed that the attribute orbs that fell seemed to have changed since he started taking classes.
Some attribute orbs have even started to have corresponding descriptions and correspond to characters.
This should be an upgrade or change made to make it easier for him to teach his students.
In the afternoon, we filmed the first dialogue scene between Lao Li and the old man.
James Cromwell truly lives up to his reputation as a veteran actor.
One take!
Chen Xun's scenes with him were also very smooth.
The rhythm between the two, their eye contact, and the pauses between lines were all just right.
After filming this scene, Prieto walked over and patted Chen Xun on the shoulder: "The lighting design in this scene is fantastic. The side lighting from the table lamp on your face highlights Lao Li's loneliness."
"The elderly woman, bathed in soft overhead light, appears both fragile and warm; your performances perfectly complement this design."
Chen Xun looked at the playback on the monitor.
The image is black and white, but it is rich in detail and has a texture close to that of film.
The wrinkles on Old Li's face, the old man's trembling hands, the dust on the counter —
Every detail was captured by the camera.
This demonstrates the strength of a professional team.
7 PM.
The first day of filming has officially wrapped up.
The students were exhausted after a long day, but they were all excited.
Chen Xun gathered them together: "You did a good job today. Continue at the same time tomorrow. Remember how you felt today. On set, you're not an actor, but someone living in that space."
The students left.
Chen Xun stayed behind with Li Suyan and Prieto to review the materials.
"Your students are amazing!"
Prieto fast-forwarded, saying, "Especially that Asian guy, the scene where he hesitates in front of the shelf, the subtle changes in his eyes—from expectation to disappointment to deciding to just rent one at random."
"Many young actors can't do this kind of subtle performance."
"I told them not to act hesitant, but to immerse themselves in the role and do what the character is supposed to do, such as comparing two videotapes and finding that neither is what they want."
Lee So-yeon laughed: "Oppa, your teaching method is good enough to start a master class."
"We'll talk about it later."
Chen Xun turned off the monitor: "We're shooting a key scene tomorrow. That scene has many emotional layers, so it'll take time."
It was already night in Los Angeles when I left the store.
As Chen Xun got into the car, he looked at the videotape store receding into the distance in the rearview mirror.
The lights were still on in the shop.
The art team hasn't left work yet.
They are still adjusting the furnishings for tomorrow.
With the attribute orbs that recently dropped and the boosts from his student abilities, Chen Xun felt as if he had found a path to rapid growth.
Perhaps he really can achieve the highest honor at the Oscars with his independent films.
the next day.
Old Kim Videotape Store in Koreatown.
Chen Xun was sitting next to the director's monitor, watching the playback of what they had just filmed with Li Suyan.
This scene shows Old Li alone in the store sorting out the last box of videotapes. His movements are slow, and every action of picking up and putting down the tapes carries weight.
Prieto's lighting beams slant in from the back window of the shop, casting long shadows in the black and white scene, with dust particles slowly floating in the beams of light.
"This sentiment is spot on!"
Prieto pointed to the monitor: "You see the pause in his fingers when he's organizing the videotape? It's a farewell. These subtle nuances are magnified most in black and white images."
Li Suyan nodded and took notes in her notebook.
She has made significant progress in the past two weeks, going from being completely flustered at the beginning to being able to clearly judge the core of each scene.
"Get ready for the next one!"
Chen Xun got up, preparing to go back to the shop to continue filming.
He was wearing Old Li's faded plaid shirt, and his hair was dyed a few strands gray. He also had old-age makeup on.
Just as he turned around, a hushed gasp came from across the street.
"My God, is that Chen Xun?"
Chen Xun looked over instinctively.
Two Asian girls, probably in their early twenties, were standing across the street. One was holding a phone, and the other was covering her mouth with her eyes wide open.
They clearly recognized him, but weren't sure.
After all, his current attire is very different from the image of the mage in "Ancient One".
Chen Xunchong and the others nodded, then turned and went into the shop.
Such chance encounters are not uncommon in Los Angeles, and fans usually respect the act of filming and will not disturb the photographer.
But he underestimated the speed at which social media spreads information.
Twenty minutes later, as the crew was preparing for the next scene, Lee So-yeon's phone began to vibrate incessantly.
She took it out and saw a flood of tweets and Instagram posts.
#ChenXunShowsUpInKoreatown#
Lee So-yeon read out the hashtag and her expression changed: "Someone took photos and posted them online—"
"It's already been spun over two thousand times!"
Chen Xun took the phone.
The photo is quite clear.
He stood at the entrance of the video store wearing Old Li's clothes, his face turned to the side, with obvious old-age makeup on his face.
"I bumped into Chen Xun in Koreatown! He was filming a movie, playing an old man! He looked so different!"
"I didn't dare disturb the filming, but I was so excited! I finally saw him again!"
The comment section was full of onlookers who came to watch the drama unfold: "Is that really Chen Xun? I almost didn't recognize him in this look."
"Are they filming a new movie? Why haven't we heard anything about it?"
"Judging from the background, it's just an ordinary small shop, so the production cost must not be high."
"I haven't heard from him at all lately, I thought he'd been blacklisted by Hollywood—"
"Don't talk nonsense upstairs. The photo scandal wasn't his fault. The FBI has already clarified it."
"But he has indeed become much more low-key; his Instagram is practically overgrown with weeds."
"So what are they filming? An independent film?"
Chen Xun handed the phone back to Li Suyan: "As expected, it was only a matter of time before I was seen taking pictures on the street."
"But Oppa, someone in the comments said something about you—"
Lee So-yeon hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
"They're saying my status has declined and I can only act in small productions now?"
Chen Xun smiled and said, "Let them talk, let's start filming."
He walked back to the center of the set, preparing for his next scene with James.
-
But he knew it in his heart.
Once this news spreads, the filming will no longer be as quiet as before.
Sure enough, an hour later, a crowd began to gather outside the store.
First there were three or five, then a dozen or so. By the time they finished work around 5 p.m., there were more than twenty people standing across the street, some taking pictures with their phones, and others whispering among themselves.
The crew members had to go out to maintain order and ask them not to disrupt filming.
"Mr. Chen Xun, could you please sign your name?"
One of the bolder boys shouted something.
Chen Xun was removing his makeup when he heard the noise and went outside.
He still had half of his old-age makeup on, which made him look somewhat strange.
"I'm filming today, so it's inconvenient for me to sign autographs."
"Thank you for your support, but please give the production team some space."
"What movie are you filming?"
Someone asked.
"A short film called 'The Last Roll of Film'."
Chen Xun spoke frankly: "This is a student's work, done to help a friend."
"Student work?"
A surprised exclamation arose from the crowd.
In their view, it's as unbelievable for an actor of Chen Xun's caliber to act in student productions as it is for a Michelin-starred chef to cook at a street stall.
Chen Xun didn't explain further, just nodded and went back to the shop.
But the news that Chen Xun would star in a student short film went viral online that very night.
Several topics have emerged on Twitter:
#ChenXunNewFilm#
#The Last Roll of Film#
#Chen Xun's Status#
An insider revealed that the short film had a budget of less than $20.
The director was a Korean exchange student at USC, and the entire crew consisted of students and cheap labor.
"So Chen Xun is really in such a bad situation now? He can only take on student assignments?"
"Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand. Many big actors occasionally act in independent films to support newcomers."
"But isn't this a bit too 'independent'? $20? A single special effects shot in 'The Ancient One' costs more than that."
"Maybe he's trying to change his image? To act in art-house films and aim for awards?"
"Whether it can win awards depends on the production team. What awards can student works possibly win?"
"But at least he's still working, so those who said Chen Xun was blacklisted can shut up now."
There are all kinds of sounds.
Some fans defended him, some haters took the opportunity to mock him, and most bystanders just watched the spectacle.
After finishing work in the evening, Chen Xun scrolled through his phone for a while on the way home.
Rob called.
"You saw the news?"
Robert got straight to the point.
"I saw it."
"Do you need me to handle this? Issue a statement or something?"
"Need not."
Chen Xun didn't seem to care: "Let them discuss it. The more they discuss it, the better it will be for the short film's later promotion."
"It's too early to talk about publicity now."
"You have a good attitude."
Rob laughed: "But seriously, some of the comments are pretty harsh, saying you went from being a Marvel lead actor to a student film crew, a real-life Hollywood example of a high start followed by a low finish —"
"So what?"
Chen Xun looked at the flowing night outside the car window: "When I acted in 'The Ancient One,' they said I relied on the IP. When I acted in independent films, they said my status had declined. Audiences will always have something to say. You can't please everyone."
"Anyway, you're in a cooling-off period right now, so it's better to keep a low profile."
Robert paused for a moment, then said, "By the way, Marvel contacted me today."
"What is it?"
"They saw the news online, and Kevin asked me privately, 'Are you really planning to switch to art films?'"
Rob said, "I told him you were helping a friend and taking a moment to reflect."
"He reminded you not to stay out of the mainstream for too long. Hollywood has a bad memory; if you don't appear on the big screen for six months, many people will forget you."
"I know!"
Chen Xun naturally knew all this as well.
In the era of internet traffic, everything moves very quickly.
Therefore, once a celebrity becomes famous, they will keep filming movies and appearing on variety shows to capitalize on the popularity.
It's all about making themselves more visible to the public.
Filming continued on the second day.
More people gathered outside the store, and even a few people claiming to be entertainment reporters loitered across the street.
The film crew had to hire two temporary security guards to maintain order.
But Chen Xun's condition was completely unaffected.
The scene we filmed this morning was the one where Old Li discovers the old man has rented the same movie again. His performance was more restrained than yesterday.
Prieto nodded repeatedly behind the monitor: "He was in exceptionally good form today. He perfectly captured the feeling that life had smoothed out his rough edges, but that there was still warmth deep inside."
During the lunch break, Li Suyan showed Chen Xun the latest discussion on her phone.
"Oppa, someone has dug up information about our film crew."
She pulled up a long post: "This person said our production team hired Rodrigo Prieto as director of photography, James Cromwell for a supporting role, and the art direction team was from 'Whiplash' —"
Chen Xun took the phone and looked at it.
That long article was quite detailed, and although some details were incorrect, it generally described the production team's setup.
Below are some comments from fans who were eagerly anticipating this: "Holy crap, is this a student project? Prieto? Cromwell?"
"So Chen Xun didn't just fall on hard times, he assembled a team to win awards?"
"A budget of $20 to hire these people? Does Chen Xun have that much influence?"
"I remember now, Chen Xun raised millions for the ALS Association during the Ice Bucket Challenge and has a very good reputation in the community. Maybe these people came at a friendly price."
"So this is a strategy of quietly accomplishing something big?"
Just then, a golden attribute orb fell from his body:
Public Image Management +12
Chen Xun absorbed it.
He felt he had gained a deeper understanding of public image.
In Hollywood, what you say doesn't matter; what you do matters.
-
Actions speak louder than words!
A minor incident occurred during the afternoon shoot.
A fan slipped out of the security guard's sight and went to the store entrance, holding up his phone to take pictures of Chen Xun.
At the time, they were filming a scene where Lao Li was alone in the shop, lost in thought. Chen Xun was completely immersed in the role and didn't even notice that there was someone at the door.
Lee Soo-yeon discovered.
Just as she was about to call a halt, Chen Xun suddenly looked up and gazed towards the doorway.
Instead of looking at the fan, they looked out at the street.
His eyes were empty and distant, as if he could see the time twenty years ago through that door.
The fan was stunned and forgot to take a picture with his phone.
"Cut!"
Lee So-yeon exclaimed, "This one is amazing!"
Chen Xun then snapped out of his role and looked towards the door.
The fan's face turned bright red, and he bowed repeatedly, saying, "I'm so sorry, I really wanted to see it—"
"fine!"
Chen Xun waved his hand: "But please follow the crew's rules next time. We are working."
The fans nodded vigorously and quickly retreated to the other side of the street.
But this little incident was filmed by other onlookers and uploaded to the internet.
Chen Xun's gaze in the video quickly became a hot topic: "Isn't this the conviction of an actor? He wasn't distracted at all."
"That look in your eyes gave me goosebumps—"
"So he's not down on his luck, he's just acting seriously."
"I'm suddenly looking forward to this short film."
The filming of the short film is progressing very quickly.
Soon we arrived at the most crucial scene in the entire short film: Old Li plays the last roll of film for the old man.
The lights were dimmed.
Only the projector beam drew a hazy path through the air, within which dust particles floated slowly.
James Cromwell plays an old man who sits on the only dilapidated sofa in the shop, his eyes fixed on the white curtain on the wall.
-
Chen Xun, who plays Lao Li, stands next to the projector, holding the machine with his hand as if he were handling something fragile.
"Scene 3, Shot 7, First Time."
Lee So-yeon lowered her voice: "Action!"
The slight hum of the machine was clearly captured by the recording team.
The screen then began to display classic scenes from Casablanca, showing Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman saying goodbye at the airport.
Black and white images danced on the screen, and light and shadow flowed across the faces of Old Li and the old man.
This scene has no dialogue; it relies entirely on eye contact and subtle changes in facial expressions.
Chen Xun needs to portray Lao Li's complex emotions.
He knew this was the last time he would show movies to the old man; the shop would close tomorrow, and this strange friendship was about to end.
But he couldn't show anything too obviously on his face; he could only let those emotions flow in his eyes, in the rhythm of his breathing, and in the slight pressure of his fingers gripping the projector.
Behind the monitor, Prieto held his breath.
The lighting design in this scene was his proudest part. The projector light became the only light source, making the characters appear half-lit and half-shadowed, as if they might blend into the background at any moment.
But the performance must be nuanced enough to support such a scene.
"Cut!"
Lee So-yeon exclaimed, "Perfect!"
Chen Xun stepped out of character and stretched his stiff shoulders.
James also got up from the sofa and patted Chen Xun's arm: "In that shot just now, your eyes were shining, you did a great job!"
"It's all thanks to your excellent leadership."
Chen Xun spoke the truth.
Acting alongside veteran actors of this caliber naturally draws you into a deeper state of being.
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