The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1833 Tension Collision
Alfonso Cuarón is a director who pays great attention to the environment. He believes that film shots involve more than just actors; the environment and set design are equally important.

During the filming of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," almost all of the shooting took place in a studio, as it was impossible to build real sets. As a result, Alfonso had to communicate with the computer effects team again and again to confirm the actors' positions in space and their relationship with the environment, which was exhausting for him throughout the process.

For this filming of "Children of Men," Alfonso really, really, really didn't want to repeat the same mistakes.

The problem was that after filming "Harry Potter" ended, Alfonso was unemployed for a long time. Finally, "Son of Man" brought a turning point. Alfonso also learned from Warner Bros. that it all came from Anson, who dug the project out of the dark archives.

Alfonso was worried... what if he offended Anson?
Such concerns made Alfonso feel constrained, often agreeing with Anson's ideas like a nodding doll, and hesitant to express his own thoughts. Even when he occasionally offered his opinion as director, he was very careful, and would immediately back down if Anson expressed a different opinion.

Later, Anson realized it and told Alfonso again, "Go for it."

Anson insisted that filmmaking should be director-driven, as it is an art of directing, and it was precisely because he trusted Alfonso that he chose this project.

“The appeal of this project is not the script itself, but Alfonso Cuarón’s script.”

However, Alfonso remained hesitant.

Those top film directors and producers are all the same; they say one thing and do another. If you easily trust them, you'll end up being betrayed without even realizing it. Or, they make promises easily, then turn around and break them, leaving the directors and actors to pay the price for their mistakes and the damages they cause.

The wounds from the collaboration between "Harry Potter" and Warner Bros. are still fresh and painful, and Alfonso dares not make any rash moves.

Anson didn't care at all.

Again, again, and again.

Anson expressed this view and attitude more than once, which finally moved Alfonso. Deep in Alfonso's heart, the angel and the devil were always in a tug-of-war.

Should one obediently act as a puppet to complete the filming work and hope for more work to come in later, or should one continue to insist on taking risks and completing the filming according to one's own ideas, even if it may lead to the pain of unemployment again?

Reason told him he should choose the former; this was Hollywood, a place that didn't believe in art or pride.

But emotions were always stirring within them.

He thought that if he was going to fail, if he was going to lose his job, at least he should make a film that he was satisfied with, instead of making a film that he himself didn't want to look at, and then, like "Alien 3," David Fincher always refused to admit that it was his work.

And so, Alfonso spoke up, expressing his thoughts and needs.

At least one thing, Anson kept his word: he fully realized all of Alfonso's ideas, bringing all the scenes in Alfonso's mind into reality.

Trust is built in this way, not just over a drink, a dinner, or a party. Trust built on alcohol is worthless; parties are merely catalysts. True connections are built through concrete actions and relationships.

And then, that's how it all happened.

The "Children of Men" crew built a post-apocalyptic ruin in East London, allowing Alfonso to relive his childhood memories of his hometown neighborhood in every nook and cranny.

Not only Alfonso, but Emmanuel is also observing the neighborhood.

For photographers, it is crucial to use their own feet, eyes, and body to feel the entire space before opening the lens. To the layman, photographers may seem like mere puppets of the director, but this is not the case. After understanding the director's creative intentions and mental images, photographers need to understand and conceive their own ideas, even creating a secondary work. They need to find the right light, position, composition, and space, among other things.

The work of a photographer is also a form of creation.

Therefore, the effect presented in a film is a whole. The director, actors, cinematographers, lighting, set design, costumes and other different aspects are all involved in the creation. Different creative inspirations collide and mix together, and finally the effect seen on the big screen is presented.

In particular, in the next scene, Emmanuel hopes to use the space to his advantage and capture the tension between Theo and Julian.

In the original novel, the script, and the director's vision, there is no plot of Theo and Julian rekindling their old flame. The two have completely parted ways, and their views on life and the world are completely different.

For Julianne, Theo was just a tool, a means to obtain a pass; for Theo, it was much the same, Julianne was a painful memory he couldn't wait to get rid of.

In every respect, the two have no connection whatsoever.

However, Anson proposed an idea: if two people are completely unrelated, then the interaction between the two characters will lack sparks and chemistry, failing to attract the audience and evoke resonance without emotional energy; although the love-hate relationship is too cliché, it is the finishing touch of a commercial film.

The premise is that there's no romantic subplot or ambiguous scenes; Anson doesn't intend to subvert the film's style by inserting a meaningless romantic subplot like in all Hollywood movies. However, Anson hopes to create emotional tension between the two characters.

They had no connection whatsoever, yet a spark ignited between them; neither of them harbored any ulterior motives, yet tension was palpable.

Perhaps people refuse to believe that love and hate are actually two sides of the same coin of intense emotions; perhaps people deliberately ignore that sharp-tongued hostility can also breed a complex relationship of love and hate.

Anson hopes to create this tension through performance and camera work, making the shots more appealing without altering the script or the film's style.

This means that Emmanuel needs to utilize his strengths.

Now, Emmanuel, like Alfonso, believes in Anson and that Anson's previous promises are being fulfilled one by one, creating a work that will truly allow Emmanuel to showcase his talents.

Emmanuel was eager to get started.

The following events take place the morning after Theo leaves Jasper's house.

Theo went to work as usual, but was taken away in broad daylight by having a sack put over his head. He thought he had fallen into the hands of thugs or some organization. He was terrified but confused, and had no idea why he was being treated like this. He was just an insignificant pawn.

It wasn't until the burlap sack was removed that Theo realized Julian was behind this whole affair, and that their reunion after so many years was happening in such a setting.

So, how should tension be created? And how should actors subtly and naturally convey that unseen tension?

Emmanuel has been researching and discussing, rehearsing, and practicing with the two actors, trying to find the right positions for the actors and the camera.

Scarlett was a little nervous. She was determined to see what she was made of.

(End of this chapter)