The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 2071 in order of appearance
Little by little, inspiration began to burst forth in Martin's mind. Brendan and Anson's outstanding performances came vividly to life in his mind, and the details seemed to have a life of their own. This was a development that Martin had never anticipated in the process of writing the script, assembling the crew, and preparing for filming.

Martin has always believed in the importance of actors.

Drama, in the final analysis, is the art of performance. All the efforts of the director and screenwriter must be presented to the audience through the performance of the actors. The actors' abilities and state of mind will determine the quality of a work.

Martin was undoubtedly well aware of this, but he never realized that changing the camera position could produce such a drastically different presentation.

Or perhaps he thought he had realized it, but in reality he never truly saw through the phenomenon to its essence.

Martin's eyes lit up. "Guys, we should add some first-person perspectives and surveillance-like observational perspectives. We should use wide shots, close-ups, and extreme close-ups to emphasize the relationships between characters. Editing is not just about splicing images and the development of the narrative; it should be a combination and expression of consciousness."

Anson and Brendan exchanged a glance, a smile playing on their lips. Finally, Martin had found his footing in the director's role.

Completely oblivious to the expressions of the two actors, Martin was lost in his own world when inspiration struck. "Let's take another look at Anson's close-up, those little expressions..."

Anson tilted his head slightly, thought for a moment, and then said, "Director, you don't need to capture every detail."

As an actor, Anson naturally hopes that the camera can capture his best work, but if the actor overshadows the main character, the work will become unbalanced.

Individual, or the whole?
Anson chose the latter without hesitation, because a movie with glittering actors but terrible overall quality will not leave a mark in the river of history.

Martin was taken aback. "But your performances were so wonderful, it would be such a shame if the camera missed them. Besides, these performances were necessary for the plot."

Anson shook his head. "This is a movie, not a play."

Martin stopped moving.

Anson said, "In theater, the director's job is to let the actors bring out the essence of the script, while in film, the actors' job is to help the director complete the puzzle of the work."

"Filmmaking should be director-driven. If the director deems a scene necessary, the actors should cooperate to complete their work; if the director deems a scene unnecessary, even the most brilliant or outstanding performance by the actors is not required."

"Martin, you should build the character relationships and the overall structure of the scene in your mind first, and then make choices based on your ideas, rather than making choices based on how well our performances are done, and then constructing the scene. The order needs to be clear, otherwise we will continue to have to do retakes."

Martin: ...

A torrent of thoughts surged through his mind, but he didn't know how to express them. He turned to look at Brendan in a daze.

Brendan's lips curled up slightly. Ignoring Martin, he tilted his head and looked at Anson with a hint of amusement.

During the filming of "No Holiday," Anson managed to repeatedly redefine our understanding of the genre, something that was absolutely unexpected.

Brendan: "Of course. I agree with Anson; the order of priority should be clarified."

Martin stood there, lost in thought.

This is not surprising. In essence, Martin is still used to theatrical style. "In Bruges" is his first film work. Unless they are geniuses like James Cameron or Steven Spielberg, they all need some time to change their thinking.

The idea that "actors take precedence over directors" was deeply ingrained in Martin's mind, and he needed to fundamentally overturn this concept.

To some extent, it's not just this scene today; the entire "In Bruges" series may have to go through similar transitions and struggles repeatedly.

Like an experiment. Looking at the pensive Martin, Anson wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. The current "No Holiday" should be getting further and further away from the previous version. Maybe it was a complete transformation, or maybe it was a disaster. Anything was possible. But Anson wasn't upset.

On the contrary, Anson was extremely excited, looking forward to the unknown and the adventure, and looking forward to forging a completely new path with his own footsteps.

He was very glad that he took on this project. Perhaps at first he just wanted to escape Los Angeles, bury himself in work, and forget about Annie like an ostrich; but that initial intention has gradually faded away. He began to enjoy the filming process, not only the process of studying acting, but also the process of discussing and exchanging ideas with Martin and Brendan.

At that moment, he could feel the blood in his veins boiling.

Martin took a deep breath and finally spoke again, "Wait, you mean I shouldn't consider your performance? All those details are irrelevant?"

“No!” Anson and Brendan said in unison.

The two actors exchanged glances and both chuckled. Anson made an inviting gesture, and Brendan thought for a moment, "It's not about what we perform that the camera needs to capture; it's about what you want the audience to see, and then we'll perform accordingly."

"Martin, the answer is in your mind. We are actors, and you use us as tools to support your answer."

"You should trust us. Whatever your requirements are, we can deliver the best performance."

As expected of someone with a theatrical background, Martin's explanations were similar in content but different in method, finally clearing up his chaotic thoughts.

But Martin's brows remained furrowed. "What you said is certainly not a problem, but..."

The following words are automatically muted.

"Ahem." Anson cleared his throat. "Why do I feel like my knee has been hit hard?"

A smile appeared in Martin's eyes; it was clearly a joke to lighten the mood. He waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, Anson, you've misunderstood."

Anson waved his hand. "It's alright, please feel free to question me. You're not the first, and you won't be the last, and I will continue to stand by my principles. I think those who harbor hatred have suffered more severe harm, and I hope you're not suffering any internal injuries right now."

That nonchalant demeanor left the prankster Martin completely dumbfounded.

puff!
Brendan burst out laughing, showing Martin absolutely no respect.

Martin looked at Brendan with utter despair. "Please, I thought we were on the same side!"

Anson: "Oh, wait, it seems there are some things I don't know."

Martin blinked, pretending not to hear, straightened his back, and looked around. "Get ready, we'll film it again."

Oh!
A sigh of regret and a frustrated protest erupted through short, labored breaths, and only then did Martin realize that he seemed to have incurred the wrath of the masses.

The crew members who had been watching intently from the sidelines were all filled with anxiety. The filming of this scene was not only smooth but also vivid. It was undoubtedly the first ray of hope in the repetitive work this morning, and life finally showed a glimmer of hope.

Almost everyone was certain they had passed this time and could finally escape the "Rose Garden Hell," but—

Endless?

(End of this chapter)