novellhall Chapter 280 No More Rehearsals
Chapter 280 No More Rehearsals
Chapter 279 No More Rehearsals (Happy New Year)
It was a red convertible.
The back seat was filled with sheet music.
The action Chen Xun needed to take was very simple.
He climbed out of the car, closed the door, then danced a few steps with the dancers before closing the door and getting back in.
He was required to make every movement perfectly timed, every glance perfectly aligned, and every pause precise.
Because his movements are all included in the movements of these dancers.
The goal is to avoid looking out of place, and even avoid overshadowing the dancers.
Chen Xun sat in the car with his eyes closed.
suddenly!
The music is ringing.
Chen Xun opened his eyes.
He climbed out of the car, closed the door, and moved slowly, with a lazy air about him not having woken up yet.
Then he walked forward.
The camera followed him, passing through the leaping dancers, through the waving arms, and through the colorful car roofs.
He suddenly stopped halfway through his journey.
He saw the movements of a dancer next to him, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Wouldn't that move look even better if some Eastern elements were added?
For example, the starting posture of Tai Chi, that smooth, continuous, and effortless feeling.
But he didn't have time to think about it and kept walking.
He walked in front of the camera and stood still.
Then he moved his hand.
He raised his hands, drew a semicircle in front of his chest, and then slowly lowered them.
But he quickly recovered and continued jumping.
The camera shifted from Chen Xun to the other people.
That take is done.
Chazelle jumped up from behind the monitor and yelled, "CUT!"
The entire room fell silent for a second.
Then applause broke out.
Chen Xun stood in the crowd, somewhat bewildered.
Chazelle rushed over and hugged him tightly.
"Fuck! What was that last move you made?"
"Tai Chi".
"What?"
"A type of Chinese martial art!"
Chazelle released him and stared into his eyes.
"That scene was so harmonious!"
Chazelle pointed to the monitor: "Look for yourself!"
Chen Xun went over to watch the playback.
In the video, he is wearing a gray suit and stands among the colorful dancers, his hand drawing an arc in the air.
Like a slow beat suddenly appearing in a fast song, like a speck of gray suddenly appearing in a bright color.
It's so captivating that you can't help but take a second look.
Chazelle, standing nearby, exclaimed, "You're a natural actor!"
Chen Xun never expected that his casual improvisation would miraculously blend with the dancers' performance.
The entire long take was absolutely perfect.
During the lunch break, Chen Xun sat next to the food cart and ate.
A plate of pasta and a bottle of water—it couldn't be simpler.
Chen Xun still ate with great relish.
Filming continued in the afternoon.
The sun is even stronger now; the road surface is so hot you could fry an egg on it.
The dancer with the sprained ankle persisted, his face twitching with each step, but he managed to finish all his parts.
The girl who suffered from heatstroke rested for a few hours and then came back. Her makeup was all messed up, but she still stood in her place, waiting for the next shot.
Chen Xun stood in the crowd watching them.
You have a control panel that allows you to cheat, quickly learn skills and absorb attributes.
These dancers rehearsed diligently for three months, then danced for two days on the scorching hot pavement.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, someone else collapsed.
This time it was a man who suddenly clutched his chest and squatted down while jumping.
The stagehands rushed over and found that his heart rate was too fast and his lips were turning purple, so they quickly called someone to take him to the hospital.
Chazelle's face turned pale.
But he didn't call a halt.
Because it can't be stopped.
Two days of road closures are burning through money every minute.
The dancers continued dancing, their sweat spraying everywhere, evaporating instantly on the scorching pavement.
At six o'clock in the evening, the sun began to set, and the light turned golden.
Chazelle glanced at the monitor, then at the sky, and suddenly stood up.
Attention everyone!
The whole place fell silent.
"One last time!"
Chazelle shouted through a megaphone, "One last time before sunset! We want that perfect light!"
Everyone returned to their positions.
Chen Xun also got back into the car.
The music is ringing.
Everyone gave it their all this time.
The dancer with the injured ankle jumped higher than ever at that moment.
The girl who was suffering from heatstroke smiled radiantly.
As the sun dipped below the bridge, golden rays streamed through the arches, illuminating the faces of the dancers and the colorful cars.
Chazelle's voice came through the walkie-talkie:
"CUT!"
The entire room fell silent.
Then applause broke out.
Just then, several attribute orbs fell from the crowd, and Chen Xun couldn't even see who they fell from.
[High Temperature Environment Adaptability +8]
[One-shot pacing +12]
[Empathy with the dancers +10]
At five o'clock the next morning, Chen Xun was woken up by his alarm clock again.
It was still dark outside the window. In Los Angeles, it gets light late, especially in August, when the sun doesn't show its face until almost seven o'clock.
He is lying on the bed.
-
The neighbor's silly dog is barking outside the window.
The new neighbor, whose identity is unknown, has a dog that starts barking precisely at 5:20 every morning.
Chen Xun got up, washed up, changed his clothes, and went out.
Coffee was already prepared in the car; Rob had put it in last night.
Starbucks Cold Brew.
One bottle can last all morning.
Chen Xun unscrewed the cap and took a sip. It tasted a little bitter, so he frowned but swallowed it anyway.
A pick-me-up!
Today we're filming the scene where Sebastian plays the piano.
When Chen arrived, the restaurant was already in a flurry of activity.
This is a jazz restaurant located in Pasadena's Old Town.
The storefront wasn't large, and two of the light bulbs on the sign were broken, casting a dim, half-lit glow.
The film crew's trucks were parked at the entrance, and power lines stretched out of the windows and onto a generator truck parked by the roadside.
Chen Xun pushed open the door and went in.
The air conditioner's cool air hit me, mixed with the smell of stale wood and coffee grounds.
The floorboards creaked underfoot; they were the kind of solid wood floors typical of old restaurants, worn shiny by decades of shoe soles.
A black grand piano was placed by the window, its lid open.
Chazelle was standing next to the piano, talking to a man in a plaid shirt.
The man was carrying a toolbox and looked like a violinist.
Chen Xun walked over.
"How is it?"
Chazelle turned his head, his expression somewhat complicated.
"The instrument is a bit old, but the pitch is still okay."
He pointed to the piano: "Would you like to give it a try?"
Chen Xun sat down on the piano bench.
He raised his hand and placed it on the piano keys.
Then he played a note.
C.
Next is the second one, E.
The third one is G.
The three notes fall simultaneously, forming a C major triad.
The sound of the piano echoed in the restaurant, hitting the old wooden walls and bouncing back.
Chen Xun listened with his eyes closed for two seconds.
Then he opened his eyes and looked at Chazelle.
"no problem!"
Chazelle nodded, then lowered his voice: "I watched the playback of yesterday's filming, that Tai Chi move you made at the end—could we do something improvised like that again today?"
Chen Xun thought for a moment.
"It depends."
Chazelle patted him on the shoulder and turned to get back to work.
Chen Xun remained seated at the piano, not getting up.
He looked at the piano keys, black and white.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Xun placed his fingers on the piano keys.
Then he started playing.
It wasn't a specific piece of music; it was just random playing, scales, arpeggios, and chord progressions.
But the lighting technician next to him stopped what he was doing and turned to look at him.
The photography assistant, who was laying the tracks, also stopped and stood still.
The piano tuner who was talking to the stage manager walked over and stood next to the piano, looking at him.
Chen Xun didn't notice them.
He just played.
The fingers moved across the piano keys faster and faster, smoother and smoother, as if the notes had been waiting there all along, just waiting for someone to awaken them.
After clearing the dungeon and learning piano from Eddie, he has now become one with the character of Sebastian.
He was playing "Giant Steps," John Coltrane's insanely difficult piece, with chord changes as fast as a 100-meter sprint.
But his fingers could keep up.
Not only can they keep up, but they can also add elements to those rapid transitions—a transitional note, an embellishment.
This is a little trick that only true jazz players would understand.
The piano tuner's eyes widened even more.
The song ended.
Chen Xun stopped.
He looked up and found a group of people standing around him.
Chazelle stood at the very front, his mouth agape, as if he had forgotten how to close it.
The lighting technician's lamp was tilted, and the light shone on the wall, casting a messy, chaotic shadow.
The photography assistant was crouching on the ground, his hands still in the position of laying the tracks, but his eyes were fixed on him.
The piano tuner took a step forward, staring at Chen Xun's hands as if they were some rare object.
"How many years have you been playing?"
Chen Xun thought for a moment and replied, "A few months!"
The piano tuner paused for a moment.
Then he laughed.
His expression screamed, "Are you kidding me?"
The piano tuner pointed at the piano: "That piece from 'Giant Steps,' I've been trying to play it for years and I still can't get it right. You're telling me you've only been learning for a few months?"
Chen Xun remained silent.
His panel abilities are indeed extraordinary.
Chazelle then came to his senses, walked over, and stood next to the piano.
He looked at Chen Xun with a complicated expression: "You weren't playing like this on the beach before."
"Today feels different!"
Chen Xun explained softly.
Chazelle stared at him for five seconds.
Then he turned to the photographer and said, "Get the camera ready, let's shoot."
The photographer paused for a moment, then asked, "No rehearsal?"
"No more rehearsals, let's film it like this!"