The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 2064 A bad start
"Hey, Anson!"

Martin leaned against the reception desk and gave a lazy greeting.

How did you sleep last night?

Anson said with a smile, "Oh no. I've been studying facial expressions, and now my facial nerves may be at risk of becoming disordered at any time."

As he spoke, he looked outside and waved reflexively.

As a result, the people outside also jumped up excitedly, waved vigorously, their faces beaming with joy, chattering enthusiastically, and then left.

And just like that... he left...

Anson tilted his head, looking at Brendan who was sitting at the table admiring the view of the canal outside, somewhat confused. "So who's watching whom?"

Martin shrugged slightly. "We watch them, and they watch us. We see each other as a zoo, watching monkeys perform. So, in essence, human society is an animal world."

“…” Anson made an expression and tried to make a sound.

Martin was completely bewildered. "What are you doing?"

Anson: "I'm trying to imitate a monkey, in response to your statement that we are all monkeys."

Martin: "...Sorry, Anson, this isn't your forte."

Anson spread his hands, "It's over, our movie is over, I even failed at imitating a monkey."

Martin blinked, momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

Seeing Martin's expression, Anson could no longer contain himself and burst out laughing. He patted Martin on the shoulder and said, "It's too late to regret it now."

After saying that, without waiting for Martin's response, Anson had already walked towards Brendan to prepare for filming.

The first floor of the Rose Garden is very narrow and crowded, with a reception desk, a few tables, and finally a narrow passage connecting the entrance to the staircase. The reason for this is that they have set up a breakfast area on the first floor to provide tourists with an authentic continental European breakfast.

The two "B"s in B&B stand for bed and breakfast.

Today is the first day of filming for the crew. Martin did not choose to go into the city streets, but instead chose to stay in the rose garden, trying to start the journey indoors.

After all, indoor work is less difficult for photographers, lighting technicians, sound engineers, and so on, and there is no need to worry about being disturbed by onlookers.

The real reason is that Martin still lacks a clear idea. He tried to do some directing work, but he had never tried picking up a camera before. Even when he imagined it in his mind, he still lacked a framework. He needed to put in the actual work and really depict the scene.

Perhaps it would be more relaxing indoors?
The answer is... no.

For the film crew, indoor shooting does reduce some work compared to outdoor shooting, but only to a limited extent. They are all professional teams, and they can get into character whether shooting indoors or outdoors. However, if the director doesn't have a vision in mind, the work cannot proceed.

To make matters worse, both actors are still figuring things out.

The filming set was a complete mess of chaos, like headless flies, with no clue what to do. Even Brendan seemed at a loss.

Fourteen takes to start, it was truly a disastrous start.

This was Martin's first time directing a film, and he had heard of the "set curse." They would often choose an easy and simple scene to start filming, hoping that a smooth first scene would be a good omen and ensure a smooth shoot for the rest of the filming. But now, fourteen takes were clearly not a positive sign, and it doesn't take much experience to understand that.

Standing next to the camera, not even paying attention to the monitor's recording, Martin took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure and calmness, much like a theater director standing beside the stage.

"Take a break."

The film crew... fell silent, exchanging bewildered glances.

Brendan looked at Anson with a face full of questions, "Taking a break right after starting work? Does this mean this scene might not be finished filming all day?"

Anson shrugged slightly. "After a while, there was no light, so we couldn't continue even if we wanted to, and then we moved on to the next scene."

Brendan: ...After resting, Martin believed his mind was clear and he was finally prepared, but the result was just as disastrous...no, even more disastrous.

Another round of NGs and stumbles followed, eight times in a row.

There were problems with Brendan, problems with Anson, and problems with different aspects of the production team, but the real key was Martin.

As I said before, if the director doesn't know what he wants, then even if the entire crew is full of top-notch talents, they'll still be like headless flies.

"Card!"

"NG!"

Martin looked at the bystanders peering out the window at the filming taking place inside the hotel. A lump formed in his throat, and he didn't even have the strength to curse the crew. He paused for a moment, his breath caught in his throat.

"Take a five-minute break."

Film crew: ...

Brendan looked at Anson, expressionless and utterly dejected. "Another day off? I doubt there will be any results all day."

Anson let out a soft sigh. "Is the first day of rehearsal for a play like this too?"

Brendan didn't answer, but silently exchanged a glance with Anson, their understanding unspoken.

However, things did not improve upon his return.

Martin started pulling at his hair. His already thin hair was now almost impossible to count strand by strand. His face was full of worry, and he looked as if he wanted to strangle himself.

At this moment, Anson stepped forward, "Let's take a break for a bit..."

The group looked at each other in bewilderment. They had been busy for nearly two hours, but they still hadn't figured out how to do the first scene. How many times had they taken a break?
Brendan leaned back in his chair, his eyes lowered, and muttered to himself, "Another day off? Why not just go on vacation?"

Noise, chaos, and commotion—despite being mentally prepared, the actual situation still exceeded their expectations.

If the first button isn't fastened properly, it seems everything else falls into disarray.

As expected, the crew's curse was justified.

NG, NG, and more NG, until I'm so frustrated I can't even get angry anymore, only a deep sense of powerlessness remains.

Seeing Martin's bewildered expression, Anson glanced at Brendan and gave him a meaningful look, but Brendan didn't respond. He kept his eyes down, looking like he didn't care.

On set, Brendan was never the lead actor. He had long since developed the habit of keeping his mouth shut, not talking nonsense, not meddling in other people's business, and certainly not pointing fingers.

In the end, Anson broke the deadlock, saying, "Twenty-minute break."

call.

This time, there were no complaints or grumbling, but rather a sense of relief. Everyone in the crew relaxed, their tense nerves almost snapping.

Not to mention the film crew, even passersby could feel the oppressive atmosphere, to the point that no one wanted to linger.

Anson stood up and left his seat. "To replenish some sugar, to get the brain working, or, for smokers, to catch their breath."

Normally, this joke would have elicited a lot of laughter; but at this moment, there wasn't even the strength to twitch the corners of their mouths, and the crew seemed sluggish and dull.

Anson didn't mind and looked at Martin, "Director, I want to get some fresh air, will you keep me company?"

Martin stared in disbelief, dumbfounded: ? Me? Why me? Can I refuse?

(End of this chapter)