Extracting skills from movies

Chapter 766 Hunting Yan
After taking the photos, Charlize looked at the sea and casually asked:

Are you aiming for Best Actor this time?

Du Sheng answered frankly:

"I do have this idea, but the competition is too fierce, so it's hard to say whether it will work out."

Charlize whispered a reminder:
"Brad Pitt's 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford' is also eyeing this award."

Du Sheng nodded in response:

"Thanks for reminding."

In fact, he had known all along that this movie was the biggest competitor.

Charlize has little connection with Brad Pitt and doesn't mind aligning herself with Du Sheng.

Du Sheng laughed:

"Once we're done here, if you're not in a rush to go back to the film set, let's get together."

Charlize's beautiful eyes lit up, and she smiled and agreed.

The man before her was not only talented and wealthy, but also possessed some unparalleled skills; she had been savoring his memory for a long time.

After the two parted ways, Judy, a fellow actress in the same production, couldn't help but ask Charlize:

"So you know him? How come you've never mentioned him before?"

Charlize smiled faintly:
"The movie I'm currently starring in, '2012,' is a production of his company, Miracle Pictures."

Judy understood and said enviously, "This is a big-budget film with a budget of $2 million. It seems he has high hopes for you."

Charlize, recalling the past, remarked meaningfully:
"You should seize any opportunity that comes your way. Resources can sometimes save you years of hard work."

Judy, being a smart girl, noticed that Charlize was behaving well today, so she quickly stepped forward and walked alongside her.

"I have many questions I'd like to ask you for guidance..."

Charlize understood her eagerness to rise to the top, after all, she herself had climbed that path step by step.

She suffered a ballet injury when she was young, failed to switch to modeling, and finally decided to become an actress.

In Los Angeles, a foreign land, without any background or connections, and being beautiful, her rise to power was blatantly based on connections.

However, things are different now. At least Hollywood now has several more avenues, including feminism, environmentalism, and LGBT issues.

On the way back, Du Sheng received a call from the crew's assistant and seemed to be deep in thought.

Currently, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" is also eyeing the Best Actor award.

Brad Pitt is no easy opponent, and his fair skin is an added advantage.

It's clear that relying solely on popularity and funding is not enough for our side.

After all, given the relationship between Catherine and Eric Rohmer, it would be quite difficult to break through that barrier.

Du Sheng recalled the information from the phone call, then turned to Ma Yaowei and said:

Which hotel is Brad Pitt staying at?

Ma Yaowei replied:
Sheraton Grand Hotel.

Du Sheng continued to ask:
"Are the two best hotels in Venice the Hao Tai and Sheraton?"

Ma Yaowei nodded:
"That's right, it's basically all these two companies."

The rest are mostly three-star productions; they wouldn't consider any production crews or actors with any standing.

Du Sheng pondered for a moment and said:
"James just sent word that Benilla will also be attending the film festival."

The organizing committee made a last-minute decision to have her serve as an award presenter.

Ma Yaowei couldn't help but complain:

"Westerners are really good at stirring up trouble!"
Do you think Catherine will turn on you on the spot after she finds out about this?

Du Sheng chuckled softly:
"Maybe this is the kind of scene the film festival wants—the more lively, the better, and the more highlights, the better."

He immediately stopped smiling and said in a serious tone:

"Contact someone immediately and book all the remaining rooms at the Grand Hyatt and Sheraton."

Benila was summoned at the last minute, so she definitely doesn't have a place to stay.

Ma Yaowei understood immediately:
"Are you trying to 'force' her onto our territory?"

Du Sheng nodded in approval:

"Smart, strike first."

He squinted at the glittering Der Cinema Palace in the distance, his mind already calculating his next move.

.........

The Venice Film Festival officially opened the following day.

Hundreds of journalists from around the world crowded the media area, leaving no room to even stand.

There were hundreds of guests walking the red carpet, and some of them were unsure whether they had been photographed or not.

Security personnel had to frequently approach and dissuade those who refused to leave.

The media doesn't care about ordinary passersby at all; they're all focused on big-name celebrities and famous directors.

After all, not everyone can attract attention on this red carpet.

There were so many people on the red carpet this time that most of them weren't worth taking pictures of.

Tickets for the Venice Film Festival's red carpet are available to the public, and this year's ticket price is 8 euros.

It means that as long as you have money, even an ordinary person can go up there.

The problem is that even if you pay for a ticket, the camera might not be pointed at you.

Therefore, many people simply hire photographers to take pictures of them and then bring these photos back to China to publish in the news.

It looked glamorous, but in reality, nobody paid any attention to it.

Zhang Haolong used a brand-sponsored ticket for this red carpet event, so he didn't have to pay for it himself.

He was dressed in a black suit, with a camera hanging around his neck, waiting in a corner of the grand steps of the Del Cinema Palace, his eyes fixed on the front, waiting to see his childhood idols appear.

Du Sheng and Mai Shaohui arrived together by car, and after getting off the car, they met up with Teresa, who was already waiting in the waiting area.

As is customary, the main actors from the same production team usually walk the red carpet together, as this has a better promotional effect.

Not far away, the crew of "Lust, Caution" was also ready to take their positions.

While Li An and Teresa were exchanging pleasantries, Tang Wei quietly approached Du Sheng.

She asked in a low voice:

"It's so lively today! All sorts of sponsors and international artists who bought tickets are here. How can I attract attention?"

This is a problem that many artists find most troublesome:
How to stand out from the crowd?

For Li An's sake, Du Sheng thought about it:

“If you follow Director Li, you will definitely be photographed, but if you want people to remember you, you need to have a unique way of being memorable, something that makes you instantly recognizable.”

Tang Wei frowned and pondered:

"Alternative memory points?"

Du Sheng shrugged:

"My approach is more direct, which may not suit you."

As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion broke out on the red carpet, with gasps of surprise from the onlookers.

Judy turned her head and saw that Sophie Marceau had walked to the media area, and one of the shoulder straps of her dress had suddenly slipped down, revealing something that shouldn't have been exposed.

Sophie Marceau was stunned for a moment, then covered her mouth after realizing what had happened, before slowly pulling the straps back up.

This caused quite a stir, and all the cameras immediately turned to her.

Judy sighed inwardly:
This auntie is really going all out to get on the front page!

Zhang Haolong, who had been waiting patiently for a long time, was extremely excited.
He held up his camera and snapped away, each shot capturing the key moments precisely.

Boberati, standing next to him, looked speechless.

I only dare to be this uninhibited in movies; I never expected her to be able to pull off such an amazing performance on the red carpet...

Is it rolled up like this just for publicity?
Tang Wei glanced at Du Sheng again, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Du Sheng shook his head, meaning:

It's pointless to imitate someone else's trick now that they've just used it.

We can't exactly pull down our pants and throw them out like she did, can we?

Even if you're willing to go all out, you still have to consider Li An's feelings.

At this point, the cast and crew of "Battle of Elah Valley" also made their appearance.

Charlize Theron instantly became the center of attention.

Du Sheng looked at her white dress and elegant demeanor, then at Tang Wei's shifty eyes, and couldn't help but smile. Mai Shaohui happened to walk over and asked:

"Are there any more interesting scenes?"

Du Sheng gestured towards the red carpet with her lip:

"Look over there, the growth process of a female artist."

Perhaps because there were so many people on the red carpet, the steps were a bit uneven.

Just as many cameras were focused on Charlize, an unexpected incident occurred—

Tang Wei seemed to trip over the red carpet and fell down.

Liang Chaowei reacted the fastest and immediately reached out to help.

In just a few seconds, she successfully captured a lot of screen time.

Although it wasn't the planned approach, it still instantly attracted attention.

.........

As Du Sheng walked up the long steps to the entrance of the Salon Theater, he immediately spotted many judges.

Emmanuel from Italy was the first to come over and warmly shake hands with him.

Du Sheng responded with a smile, and the two exchanged a few pleasantries, as naturally as old friends reuniting.

Ma Yaowei whispered a reminder from the side:
"Paul Verhoeven has arrived."

Du Sheng immediately turned around and went to greet the veteran director, shaking his hand and saying:
"Hello, Paul."

Paul wore a professional smile, as if it were just a chance encounter.
"The 'Doo disciples' in Europe asked me to send their regards to you."

Upon hearing this, Du Sheng's eyes immediately lit up:

"Thank you to them. I will visit the local Bajiquan Association when I have the chance, so we can exchange ideas."

Paul nodded, shook hands again, and then turned and left.

Next, Du Sheng continued to greet each judge one by one, chatting with each of them for a few minutes, creating a relaxed yet appropriate atmosphere.

When he walked up to Jane Campion, he smiled and said:
I've read quite a few of your works.

Jane Campion paused, somewhat surprised:

"Really?"

Du Sheng nodded, his tone confident:

"The Piano won three Academy Awards: Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Screenplay. I even watched it twice specifically to study it."

Jane Campion's smile deepened, and she said:
"Would you mind taking a photo with me?"

"of course."

Du Sheng immediately waved to the photographer, and the two stood side by side and took a photo together.

After taking the photos, Du Sheng continued to move among the crowd and interact with the other judges.

He knew that the film's design was already finalized, and now the competition wasn't about on-screen performance, but about off-screen storytelling.

Then, he met Turkish director Fursen Ozpait.

Du Sheng recalled that this person was a hot favorite to sweep various Italian awards last year, but Brad Pitt refused to star in his movie.

He took the opportunity to say to Ma Yaowei:

"Try to get in touch with Fursen privately. I heard he's an old nemesis of Brad Pitt."

Ma Yaowei nodded, looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, and whispered:
"We're turning into another Brad Pitt."

Du Sheng smiled and said, half-jokingly:

"At least we won't do things that force others."

.........

The opening film of the evening was "Atonement," directed by Joe Wright, who rose to fame with "Pride and Prejudice."

Although it's a romance film, it generated quite a buzz upon its release.

The opening long take, in particular, is considered a masterpiece by many.

After watching the movie, Du Sheng ran into Charlize Theron on her way back to the hotel.

She was rubbing her stomach while complaining to the person next to her:
"I've been starving for days to prepare for the red carpet, I've really had enough."

Du Sheng, a seafood lover and a gentleman, immediately invited her to have a late-night snack together.

Of course, it wasn't just the two of them; people from both film crews were also together.

Charlize had just spoken with Du Sheng last night and smiled as she agreed:

"Change out of your formal attire first, then meet in the lobby?"

"Okay." Du Sheng nodded in agreement.

The two went back to their rooms to change into casual clothes, then went downstairs together. After meeting up, the group of more than a dozen people headed to a nearby restaurant.

The seats were booked long ago.

The Venice Film Festival has just kicked off, which is when paparazzi are at their most active.

From the moment they stepped out of the hotel, a large number of reporters followed them, taking pictures.

Many reporters even adjusted their focus, pointing the camera at Du Sheng and Charlize, completely ignoring Mai Shaohui, Judy, and others.

Looking at these photos alone, you'd think the two were on a date.

Experienced entertainment reporters understand audience tastes best and know which news stories are most popular.

Du Sheng and Charlize's seemingly casual dinner together undoubtedly became the headline news of the night.

Meanwhile, one of the judges, Emmanuel, was sitting in a corner of the restaurant.

She ate her late-night snack absentmindedly, the coffee in her hand almost tasteless from stirring it.

I was still thinking about the text message I had just seen.

Brad Pitt hopes she can help him on the jury and win a major award for "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford".

She stirred her coffee slowly, frowning as she pondered:
Who will be the one left behind at this year's Venice Film Festival?

I could hear the voices of several Americans chatting quietly nearby.

She spent several years in Hollywood and understands American English.
"Brad Pitt and Harvey Weinstein are both here. Venice is going to be lively this time."

Do you remember what happened the year before last?
Harvey locked someone in a room for ten hours and tortured them to buy the overseas rights to a movie!

"That's nothing. I personally witnessed him locking a big-name actress in a villa, and she was so weak in the knees that she almost collapsed."

"This guy brought his Hollywood methods to Europe."

So many beautiful women came this year, I wonder who they're going to rip off this time.

"Brad Pitt is very close to him, and they even shared his girlfriend Angelina Jolie before, so they are birds of a feather."

Others continued to reveal more information:
“Gwyneth Paltrow once said that Harvey interfered in her relationship with Brad Pitt!”

"A while ago, Angelina couldn't stand the threesome anymore and forced Pitt to break up with Harvey."

But Pitt continued working with her as usual, even though she was pregnant at the time, and the two had a huge fight.

These words drifted into Emmanuel's ears, reminding her of a past she had always wanted to forget.

That was eight years ago, when she first came to Venice for the film festival and met Harvey Weinstein.

The other party said they would help her open the door to Hollywood and invited her to a hotel room...

She always felt that it was not an ordinary meeting, but a carefully planned "hunt for Yan".

Harvey didn't keep any of her promises, and she didn't leave any evidence.

In order to continue to survive in the industry, she had no choice but to remain silent and endure.

Now she put down her fork, picked up a napkin, and gently wiped her mouth, her movements as elegant as if she had returned to that room.

On the surface, she doesn't dare to directly criticize Harvey, but within the judging panel, she can secretly do some subtle things.

Brad Pitt is currently on a strong run for the award, and he's Harvey's best friend.

She can't afford to break off relations, but she can choose to stand on the other side.

When leaving the restaurant, Emmanuel specially bought Catherine's favorite late-night snack and delivered it to her room.

Although Catherine is known for her strong personality, she is not without compassion.

To help his friend's "Romance" win an award, he needs to unite more judges.

Emmanuel took the initiative to make overtures, and Catherine accepted.

.........

(End of this chapter)