The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 2070 Feeling Your Way Across the River
Once. Twice. Three times.

Two actors and a director stood behind the monitor, constantly reviewing the scene that had just been filmed. The entire crew was completely silent and there was no chaos.

After all, they've already had too many takes. If this doesn't work either, they don't know how much longer they'll be stuck here.

Slowly, slowly, Martin became focused, not simply examining the performance, nor worrying about whether it would pass or not, but building the relationships between the characters.

In fact, Martin's choice of this scene as the starting point was not without reason; it was definitely not a random selection.

Firstly, this scene can showcase the relationships between the characters and the skill of the scriptwriters.

Secondly, this scene can showcase the characters' personalities, making them immediately clear.

By observing the small details, it becomes clear that Ken seems to be in control of the overall situation and is the one making the decisions. However, in reality, Ken is always accommodating Ray, and Ray is the center of attention.

Therefore, the chemical reaction between the two characters, who pull at each other, restrain each other, and complement and counteract each other, can set the tone for the work.

Of course, there's also the comedic effect of witty remarks and sarcastic comments.

During the continuous retakes, Martin completely forgot about the incident, and the camera work and framing became aimless and disorganized, like a headless fly.

Now, Martin understands very clearly how Anson's words about the director should be interpreted.

A director is not a screenwriter. A screenwriter is responsible for writing a story, but a director does more than just tell a story. He also needs to inject his understanding of the story and the characters into the lens. Otherwise, a director is just a screenwriter, and there is no difference between a movie and a play.

So, how do you emphasize the character's sharp edges and capture the tension between them?

Edit!

Martin's brain finally picked up the keywords.

“…Anson, if we add some close-ups here, like when you're shaking your leg, or making small hand gestures, or when you're biting your lip or adjusting your glasses…”

"No, that would be too greasy, too much of a good thing. If these little actions are placed in a wide shot, the audience may not notice every detail, but only have an overall feeling, which is just right. But if you add close-ups and editing to zoom in and focus, it will break the balance."

"But these details..."

“I understand what you mean. Actually, you can use a variety of methods to combine them. For example, you can edit two close-up shots of small actions, or use the same shot size and frame but deliberately cut one out of the frame to create a jumping effect; or you can switch the shot to match the rhythm of the music or dialogue. Even if I am making small actions, the camera can deliberately ignore them. You can show it from Brendan’s perspective, or you can focus on things like the table leg.”

"Creating a sense of rhythm through the entire editing?"

"Almost. A top-notch editor can make the visuals feel breathable. I know you think this is an opportunity to develop the personalities of the two characters, and I agree. But the techniques need to be diverse, otherwise our performance style and rhythm just now won't be applicable."

This is also a drawback of the director not establishing a style.

If the director knows what he wants, he can draw out the blueprint, and the actors only need to fit the style. But if the director knows nothing, the actors can only explore based on their own feelings, but they may not necessarily be able to create sparks.

Of course, if the director sets a style and the actors refuse to cooperate, that's a different story.

Anson looked at Brendan and said, “I’m thinking that if we’re trying to show the relationship between the characters, we could shoot from a first-person perspective, like Ken through Ray’s eyes and Ray through Ken’s eyes.”

Brendan looked a little confused. "Isn't this how you shoot a romance movie?" "Haha, yes, but who says you can only shoot romance movies? I noticed that our performances just now had changes in angle and position, vertical height overlap, and horizontal angle shifts. If it were shown from a first-person perspective, the power relationship between the characters would immediately come out, who is in control and who is trying to break free from constraints."

The images in Anson's mind were gradually becoming clearer, which was why he kept watching the footage repeatedly.

This tactic clearly worked on Martin as well, and he joined the discussion, asking, "The scene where Brendan puts on the clown mask?"

Brendan let out a wail.

Anson laughed. "No, no, no, that was a very brilliant shot, but if we used a first-person perspective, it would be too direct. It would be overkill and would lose the details of the performance. It's better to use a profile, so that the audience can't see clearly and guess Ken's true expression through Ray's reaction. That's more interesting."

"The first-person perspective should show some subtle, barely noticeable movements. For example, Ken's almost laughing mouth, or Ray's smug look."

"To supplement details that were not shown in the script in this way."

Brendan looked up, his face full of surprise. "You noticed?" He almost burst out laughing at the detail.

Anson stared wide-eyed, looking completely innocent. "Shouldn't I have noticed?"

Brendan curled his lip, revealing a look of disgust.

Martin glanced at Brendan, then at Anson, vaguely catching a glimpse of inspiration. "Replay the medium shot one more time." His heart began to pound wildly.

Martin knew that he was only good at making screenplays, and even as a director, he could never make a film as dazzling as "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" as Guy Ritchie.

However, he doesn't need to imitate Guy Ritchie; he can stick to his own style, just like Billy Wilder.

So where does his advantage lie? It's not in audiovisual language, but in narrative text. His shots and editing should serve the narrative, revealing information that isn't explicitly stated in the text, allowing the audience to enter his mind and roam freely in the world of words.

As Anson just mentioned, editing, close-ups, staging, and composition are used to showcase the relationships between the characters.

Ray is a carefree big boy who only thinks about partying, having fun, and going on vacation, and Anson brought him to life with his unparalleled performance.

And Ken?
He wasn't just the one who introduced Ray to this line of work; on one hand, he acted as a parent, protecting this idiot under his wing; on the other hand, he couldn't help but start thinking about cause and effect, like redemption in religious faith. Should he be held responsible for Ray's manslaughter? How should Ray achieve redemption? And how should he help Ray?

Frankly, as an assassin, he should calmly discard all distractions. If Ray makes a mistake, then Ray should pay the price.

But is it really that simple?

Therefore, Ken's feelings were mixed when facing Ray. He needed to abide by the rules and keep a low profile, as he was a top assassin; but at the same time, he couldn't help but reveal a part of his true self, his hesitation and confusion.

In the previous scene, Ken should have restrained Ray, refused all of Ray's requests, and obediently waited for Harry's call at the hotel. However, his compassion was touched, he softened, and finally nodded in agreement.

Perhaps Martin could capture Ken's soft heart from Ray's first-person perspective, and then capture Ken's conflicted state from an objective, detached perspective.

Thinking about this, the inspiration in my mind could no longer be controlled and began to burst forth continuously.

(End of this chapter)