Extracting skills from movies

On the day of the press conference,
The entrance to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office was already packed with fans.

Fans dressed in red and held up light boards, turning the entire hall into a sea of ​​red, making it even more lively than a movie premiere.

Many media reporters found their seats occupied when they arrived at the scene.

They could only stand in the back row or simply stand against the wall.

The atmosphere at the scene was incredibly lively, as if people were there to watch a concert rather than listen to the news.

This press conference was jointly organized by Sony Television and the Government Administration and was broadcast live across the United States.

United Press International (UPI) and the LME platform also secured the online live streaming rights, setting up cameras in advance to avoid missing any shots.

As soon as the press conference started, it became the number one trending topic on social media.

First to appear was Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Lane.

He made some polite remarks at first, then changed the subject and focused all his attention on Du Sheng.

He said with great passion:

"Although Du Sheng is an international superstar, he showed the people of Los Angeles what true strength is through his actions!"
No matter how great the difficulties you face, as long as you stand tall, confront them bravely, and strive hard, you will ultimately win!

Only by making a big scene and ensuring that the attack becomes widely known can these people gain enough political capital and benefits.

Therefore, what Ryan said today came from the bottom of his heart.

The applause was thunderous, far exceeding the enthusiasm shown during his promotion speech.

It has to be said that this Asian man's fame in North America has skyrocketed.

Even compared to Jackie Chan at his peak, he is not inferior.

After the applause subsided slightly, Lane continued:
"Du Sheng saved hundreds and thousands of people this time, which is of great significance to Los Angeles."

His courage, his perseverance, and his achievements in the fields of culture and art are all valuable assets to this city.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Los Angeles, we have decided to award him the title of 'Honorary Citizen of Los Angeles'!

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire audience erupted in thunderous applause once again.

The fans were so excited they almost jumped up:
"He's ours! He's ours!"

From this moment on, it means that the idol is now practically one of our own.

Lyont announced with a smile:

"Next, please welcome Du Sheng!"

As these words were spoken, the spotlight shone backstage.
Du Sheng walked from backstage onto the stage, waving to the audience as she went.

The applause was like a thunderclap, shaking the entire government office.

A reporter from United Press International, sitting in the front row, was taking notes when he suddenly felt a chill on his forehead.

She looked up and saw that the ceiling was shaking from the applause, and dust was falling down in a flurry.

As soon as Du Sheng stepped onto the stage, Laiente immediately went up to her warmly:

"You are a true hero, and you deserve to be remembered!"

This veteran politician is also a master of acting; his hugs, handshakes, and expressions of emotion flowed naturally.

Du Sheng cooperated well, wearing his signature smile and waving to the audience frequently.

Then, Lyont solemnly handed him a golden key and a certificate, officially granting him the status of "honorary citizen".

Du Sheng took it with both hands, raised it high, and displayed it clearly in front of the camera.

At this moment, as a foreign celebrity, his recognition in this city has reached an unprecedented level.

Then, Du Sheng walked to the microphone and said sincerely:
"Los Angeles is a city full of democracy and vitality, and I am very honored to be here..."

After finishing his polite remarks, he bowed and was greeted with cheers.

In the following days, even though Du Sheng had rejoined the crew, various reports about him remained popular.

The media continues to rehash the attack and related press releases, vying to capitalize on the tail end of the story.

Meanwhile, Du Sheng's public relations team was also busy, with the "Lone Agent" crew fully cooperating to continuously build momentum for their bid for the Venice Film Festival's Best Actor award.

Posters, interviews, and special reports bombarded the media, and the buzz only continued to grow.

This dual offensive of "honor + popularity" is quietly changing the rules of the game in the international entertainment industry.

On this day, the sisters' tour group, having spent more than half a month traveling in North America, returned home, all looking radiant and satisfied.

After they left, Du Sheng got busy.

I filmed from Monday to Friday, and spent the weekend at Miracle Pictures to start dubbing the upcoming English version of "Taken".

After lunch, Du Sheng arrived at Warner Bros. Studios.

He was accompanied by Ma Yaowei and another bodyguard.
The three of them walked together toward the soundstage where the "Inception" crew was located.

As Du Sheng passed by the filming studio of "Iron Man", he couldn't help but stop and take a few more glances.

After all, Iron Man is currently the hottest topic in Hollywood.

Putting everything else aside, the budget of over two hundred million US dollars alone is enough to attract everyone's attention.

Moreover, this film is the opening film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It is also starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow.

At that time, Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. still had a cooperative relationship, so it's not surprising that they filmed here.

Two security guards stood at the entrance of the photography studio, looking unapproachable.

Although it's the weekend, judging from the tight security at the entrance, it's likely that filming is in full swing inside.

Will Robert Downey Jr.'s "prodigal son" image, portrayed as a "pervert," be able to successfully reinvent himself with this film?
If all goes well, Iron Man might be his comeback film.

Due to his close relationship with Warner Bros., Du Sheng had seen the final script of "Iron Man" before. Although he couldn't remember the specific details clearly, the general plot was almost the same as the version he remembered.

"I hope this movie flops."

Du Sheng silently offered a blessing in his heart.

They were all filmed around the same time and released around the same time; it's better to sacrifice a fellow Daoist than oneself.

In fact, even if this movie fails, it will only be a minor setback for Warner Bros.

After all, they only invested tens of millions of dollars.

But for Robert Downey Jr., the situation is different.

Although Paramount and Concorde Filmverleih covered most of the remaining budget, Downey himself also contributed a significant amount.

They even mortgaged some villas and business assets to obtain loans.

After pausing to observe for a moment outside the studio, Du Sheng shook his head and continued walking forward.

Ma Yaowei and another bodyguard followed closely behind.

Du Sheng is no longer so worried about safety issues.

Nearly half a month has passed since the attack.
Police and the FBI have launched numerous operations targeting gangs and drug dealers in Los Angeles.

Although not all threats have been completely eliminated, the criminals have become extremely fearful and live in constant anxiety.

According to the FBI's analysis, the main figures who planned the attack have been apprehended.

The fact that Du Sheng has not encountered any substantial threats after such a long period of time is enough to prove that the current security measures are effective.

.........

"Scene two, fourth shot, fifth take, Action!"

The studio at Warner Bros. was dimly lit and quiet.

Du Sheng stood with his back to the main camera in front of the control panel, fiddling with something with his head down.

At this moment, Adrian, the character played by Blake Lively—who is also the "Dream Weaver's" assistant—slowly walks into the frame.

She happened to be standing at the edge of the frame, curiously watching Du Sheng's back, and then slowly walked towards him.

"Cobb, what are you doing?"

She asked, her tone slightly strange:
"You plan to enter the dream alone?"

Being suddenly interrupted, as if a secret had been exposed, Du Sheng subconsciously narrowed his eyes: "Of course not."

He said casually:

"I was just doing some testing; I didn't expect the lab to still be operating..."

Du Sheng looked at Blake's slightly puzzled face.

In the dim light, her eyes shone brightly, and she blinked a few times, appearing somewhat nervous.

"How did you come?"

Blake smiled sheepishly:
"Sorry... I was actually working on my totem just now."

As she spoke, she shook the little trinket in her hand.

Just then, the overhead light suddenly brightened, causing Du Sheng to blink instinctively, but he still pretended to be nonchalant and took a few steps forward:
"A dream totem? Let me see."

Blake quickly hid his hand back in his pocket, a sly smile spreading across his face.

"You said it yourself, some things can only be treasured by oneself."

Du Sheng stopped in his tracks, a smirk playing on his lips:
"You're quick-witted."

The two stood facing each other. Du Sheng was tall and straight, while Blake looked cute and charming, like a little rabbit that had just wandered into a pack of wolves.

She tried to imitate Du Sheng's movements, but could only do so on tiptoe:

"This method of distinguishing between dreams and reality is really cool. Did you come up with it?"

Du Sheng's expression darkened slightly, and his voice lowered:

"It was Mel's idea."

After saying that, he took out a small spinning top, gently placed it in his palm, and handed it to Blake:
"If this top starts spinning and keeps spinning, it means we are dreaming."

Blake's eyes widened, and he reached out to take it, but hesitated for a moment and withdrew his hand.

Du Sheng didn't pay attention. He walked to the table, gently flicked the top, and it started spinning.

Blake's eyes were full of curiosity as he asked softly:

"Arthur said that Mel... has passed away?"

This question caused Du Sheng to fall silent for a moment. He didn't want to discuss it further and changed the subject:
"How's your levitation maze arrangement going?"

Just as Blake was about to answer, director Christopher suddenly shouted:
"Stop! Everyone stop!"

The actors and staff on site immediately stopped what they were doing.

Christopher shouted towards the lighting technician:

"Lighting technician! Come here for a second!"
Why was Du Sheng being given such a bright look just now?!

The film industry can be described as an art of light.

The control of lighting is extremely important. Although many details can be adjusted in post-production, the control of light sources on set directly affects the actors' performance and the quality of the footage.

The assistant rushed over to fix Du Sheng's makeup.

Du Sheng pointed to his eyes:
"I felt a little uncomfortable because of the bright light just now."

He only felt much more comfortable after his assistant gently wiped away the tear stains and moisture from the corners of his eyes.

Blake knew it wasn't his fault, and ran over with concern:

"Are you ok?"

Du Sheng blinked and answered with a smile:

"It's nothing, the lights are just a bit too bright."

Blake stood beside him and muttered under his breath:
"I thought it was because I didn't act well... This role is much more difficult than filming the teen drama 'Gossip Girl'."

Du Sheng shrugged and didn't say anything.

Blake scratched his head:
"This script is too profound, like a mille-feuille, I'm almost dizzy, and I still don't understand the logic behind the behavior."

Du Sheng smiled gently:
"This is a sci-fi mind-bending film; you might get confused at first glance."

If he hadn't seen the original movie before, he probably would have gone crazy just by reading the script.

After all, images are sometimes much clearer than text.

Of course, this excludes those directors who are independent and deliberately make their films in a way that is hard to understand.

Blake looked at him:
"But you acted so easily. You got into character on your very first day back. What's your secret?"

Du Sheng gently shook his head and smiled:

There's no secret to it.

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, and then said seriously:
"Don't think about what the whole story is about, first look at what the characters in this play want to express."

Every character has their own motivations and emotions; once you grasp that, things become much easier.

Blake blinked and continued to press:
"It's that simple?"

Du Sheng snapped out of her daze and nodded with a smile:

"Of course, the premise is that I have already established a sufficiently deep emotional connection with Dom Cobb."

Seeing Blake's earnest and eager-to-learn expression, Du Sheng took advantage of the fact that director Christopher was still discussing lighting issues with the lighting technician to say a few more words.

"For example, in my case, the first thing I need to figure out is why the male protagonist, Cobb, did this?"

He spread his hands:

"It wasn't for the money, nor for the mission, but for a deeper motivation."

Blake nodded thoughtfully:
"My role is not motivated by money."

Du Sheng smiled:

"You've seen some of my movies, right? And those classic film characters—the driving force behind the protagonist has never been money."

What truly moves the audience is emotion.

Blake thought for a moment and said seriously:
"It seems that's really the case."

Du Sheng continued:
"The power of emotions far surpasses that of money."

The words 'home' and 'children' hold great weight in the hearts of people all over the world.

Cobb's greatest wish was to go home.

He wanted to correct his course in life and rekindle the old days with his family.

Blake frowned:
"It doesn't sound like anything special."

Du Sheng nodded:

There's nothing special about it.

But it is precisely this 'ordinariness' that forms the most genuine and profound emotional bond between humans.

It's not just the actors who need to understand the characters; the production team is also tailoring the project specifically for him.

Just like Christopher designed action scenes specifically for Cobb,
The screenwriters also adjusted Cobb's lines and behavior based on Du Sheng's acting style, way of speaking, and even some small habits.

This "customized service" was enjoyed by only Du Sheng in the entire crew.

To be honest, Christopher's revised script was far more complex than the original film he had seen back then.

Let alone actors like Blake, even Christopher sometimes gets completely confused.

The two chatted quite a bit in private, and Du Sheng learned a lot about Christopher's work.

According to him, Christopher was once confused by the plot while filming this movie.

He filled the whiteboard with dense timelines and dream hierarchy diagrams, trying to figure out the transition points.

For a time, Christopher himself joked:

"I feel like I've lost hundreds of millions of brain cells, more than I lose a month's worth of sperm!"

…(End of this chapter)