Reborn Action Star: Starting in Hollywood

GAKKI-chan exclaimed in admiration, "Taylor Swift is so talented. Compared to her, I feel like my brain is a stone."

Lin Yuan smiled and touched his leg: "Music is her absolute domain, and I have to admit it."

Looking at the revised plan in his hand and the adjustments to the melody, Lin Yuan could hardly believe his eyes.

He was very familiar with the song "Into the New World," and knew that its greatest strength was its beautiful melody and powerful feeling.

The melody of the chorus, in particular, is very infectious, whether it is made into a light rock song or a ballad.

This means that the melody is very mature, and any modification could ruin the original quality, but Mad Max 4 required that modifications be made.

Taylor Swift's solution was to modify the original two-part structure into a three-part structure and then add another layer of melody to push it upwards.

Meanwhile, in the chorus melody, Taylor Swift noted that it would be performed by a trumpet and an electric guitar, imitating the tragic feel of Ennio Morricone's Westerns.

The background music incorporates Orthodox hymn-style chorus, echoing the religious totalitarian symbolism of Immortal Joe in the film.

This series of combined punches elevated the melody to a whole new level.

What surprised Lin Yuan even more was Taylor Swift's handling of the "bridge" part.

Most popular music today prefers to use a mature structure, namely:

Intro – Verse – Chorus – Second Verse – Second Chorus – Bridge – Third Chorus – Ending.

The first two verses and choruses often have some repetition, even if there are differences in the accompaniment and the singer's performance, the similarity is often over 70%.

Therefore, listeners often experience visual fatigue after the second chorus ends.

At this point, the bridge, as an important link between the preceding and following sections, can refresh the listener's auditory experience to some extent, and lay an excellent foundation for the final chorus.

In fact, the best part of many classic songs is the "bridge".

In Taylor Swift's version of "In a Fuller World Again," she clearly stated that she wanted an effect of "rage and redemption."

The proposed solution is to use a flamethrower sample as a transitional sound effect, connecting to a distorted didgeridoo solo, an Australian Aboriginal instrument, alluding to Friosha's ethnic identity.

In contrast to the frenetic solo instrumental music, there is a three-second abrupt pause at the end of the bridge, where only the heartbeat is sampled.

It gives you the feeling of a sudden, abrupt stop.

Then, an explosive wall of sound propels the story to its finale.

Then there are three choruses and the ending.

The last line of the lyrics was changed to a breathy murmur, gradually fading into silence.

Then the environment returns to normal, with the sounds of wind and engines reappearing, connecting to the open desert shot at the end of the film.

After reading the plan, Lin Yuan and GAKKI both felt as if they had watched a movie with a very vivid visual style.

"In my mind, I can almost see Friosa driving through the sandstorm, with the trumpet and electric guitar playing together in the chorus, corresponding to the orange and blue contrast of the truck tearing through the storm in the scene," GAKKI-chan said.

"There were also many women jumping off the train and running towards the oasis. The ending, with its breathy chanting and ambient sounds, corresponds to the faint glow of the oasis after the dust has settled in the shot," Lin Yuan said.

Taylor Swift's work from these two all-nighters is not something she just threw together; it's the result of careful production.

This adaptation retains the "soul code" of the original song while reconstructing the auditory belief system of the wasteland world with extreme musical language.

She even worried that the singers and band might not fully understand the intended effect, so she provided examples for style reference:
The industrial rock base is inspired by the mechanical rhythms of Nine Inch Nails' "The Perfect Drug".

The wasteland aesthetic's sound is inspired by Junkie XL's oil drum percussion design.

As for wanting the melody to convey a tragic feeling, it was inspired by the twisted brass instrumentation used by music master Hans Zimmer for the Joker theme in "The Dark Knight".

"Lin Yuan-san, this is the first time you've put so much effort into a movie theme song," GAKKI-chan said.

"Because this is my first action film that emphasizes artistry, music naturally cannot be a weak point," Lin Yuan replied.

Lin Yuan's previous films were mostly popcorn action movies, focusing on thrills and excitement, but they were indeed weak in terms of artistic expression.

In terms of overall expression, "The Song of the Great Tang Dynasty" is probably the best.

But for this time, with "Mad Max: Fury Road," Lin Yuan genuinely hopes to create a work of art.

Since it is a work of art, it should strive for perfection in every aspect.

The convoy drove toward John F. Kennedy International Airport.

……

……

The massive Airbus A380 is diving towards the runway for landing.

In the spacious first-class seats, Girls' Generation member Tiffany Hwang whispered to Tae-yeon beside her:
"First class is so great, unlike economy class where you're exhausted after a dozen or so hours of flying."

But even now I still can't believe that the company would actually buy us first-class tickets?
It seems that even established artists like H.O.T. and TVXQ can only travel in economy class.

Why do you think that is?

Kim Tae-yeon rolled her eyes helplessly: "Stop being sarcastic. You just want to say it's because Lin Yuan took care of us, right?"

“Isn’t that right?” Huang Meiying said.

"We came to New York to record the theme song for a movie. We're using the funds from the Mad Max: Fury Road crew, and the plane tickets weren't paid for by the company," Kim Tae-yeon said helplessly.

"But if it weren't for Lin Yuan's special treatment, how could we, as unknown, unknown artists who haven't even debuted yet, possibly sing the theme song for Lin Yuan's movie?" Huang Meiying asked with an ambiguous expression, "You really don't have that kind of relationship with Lin Yuan?"

Before their debut and for the first few years after their debut, South Korean girl groups lived in dormitories.

As Kim Tae-yeon's roommate, Kim Tae-yeon and Hwang Mi-young have an even better relationship than Im Yoon-ah.

Hwang Mi-young is a Korean-American who grew up in the United States and speaks fluent English. Kim Tae-yeon's ability to communicate smoothly with Lin Yuan in English is at least half due to Hwang Mi-young.

Even in the Girls' Generation group in her previous life, Kim Tae-yeon and Tiffany Hwang's "Tae-ni CP" was the most popular CP pairing in the entire group.

Therefore, Huang Meiying asked these privacy questions, which might seem offensive to outsiders, without any hesitation.

Faced with Hwang Mi-young's question, Kim Tae-yeon blushed slightly.

Those ambiguous scenes resurfaced in her mind: under the dining table, in bed, in the bathroom...

How could it be unrelated?

Except for the final layer that hasn't been broken, they've done almost everything that only intimate lovers do.

They even went through life and death together, a bond that was deeper than that of many couples who had been together for many years.

But the two of them are not in that kind of relationship; they are neither boyfriend and girlfriend nor lovers.

So Kim Tae-yeon could only sigh, "Don't overthink it. The reason Lin Yuan took care of me is simply because we went through the bombing incident together. We're like brothers who went through thick and thin together." Kim Tae-yeon blushed and pounced on him.

"Hey! Hwang Mi-young!" She angrily reached out to tickle the other person's waist, her slender fingers peeking out from under the other person's clothes.

Huang Meiying immediately twisted her body to dodge, her two dazzlingly white legs kicking wildly between the seats, the edges of her stockings slightly rolled up, revealing a small section of delicate skin above her knees.

Girls' Generation is known as the "Thigh Generation" thanks in no small part to Tiffany Hwang, whose long legs are not only snow-white but also straight.

"Aren't we good brothers?" Tiffany retorted with a laugh, sneakily flicking Taeyeon's armpit with her fingers.

She flipped over and pinned him down, her short skirt billowing dangerously with the movement, her snow-white thighs gleaming like pearls under the cabin lights.

"Ah! Don't pull my hair!" Taeyeon cried out, covering her hair and frantically trying to block with her other hand.

As the two grappled, Hwang Mi-young's over-the-knee socks slipped down a bit, the lace trim at the top leaving shallow indentations on her thigh.

Taeyeon seized the opportunity to retaliate, her long legs peeking out from under her skirt, her ankle brushing against the other woman's calf, sending a slight shiver down her spine.

"Don't touch there...it itches!" Huang Meiying suddenly laughed so hard she slumped into her chair.

She curled up her legs, her fair knees resting against Taeyeon's waist, the tips of her socks inadvertently brushing against the other's bare ankles.

Just then, the cabin announcement came on, and the two separated, panting.

Huang Meiying's skirt was wrinkled and rolled up at the base of her legs, revealing a large expanse of her snow-white thigh skin.

Taeyeon's stockings also had a few small runs, which shimmered subtly under the light.

The way they blushed as they straightened their clothes was truly captivating.

After their playful banter, the two were finally able to get back to their serious conversation.

"Do you think we can perform the theme song of Mad Max: Fury Road well?" Tiffany asked. "To be honest, I'm really worried that if we mess it up, it would be like losing face in front of the whole world."

Kim Tae-yeon nodded. Hwang Mi-young's worry showed that she hadn't been blinded by the unexpected windfall.

Opportunities and crises always go hand in hand.

If they really mess up the theme song for Mad Max: Fury Road, they might as well not debut, just disband the group and find their own way.

"The key lies in the quality of the arrangement and the completeness of our performance. This song arrangement was personally handled by Taylor Swift, so are you still worried?" Kim Tae-yeon calmly replied.

“I have never doubted Taylor Swift’s arrangements. The talent she has shown in music over the past few years is beyond my doubt,” Tiffany Hwang replied.

"So what you're worried about is the quality of our performance?" Kim Tae-yeon asked.

"There is a little bit..." Huang Meiying replied somewhat guiltily.

"You're the group's third main vocalist, so show some pride as the main vocalist! How can you worry about not singing well?" Kim Tae-yeon teased.

"Hearing you say that makes me feel much more at ease. Anyway, I'm just the third lead singer. With you and Jessica taking the lead, if things really go wrong, I'll only bear secondary responsibility." Tiffany straightened up.

Kim Tae-yeon: "..."

If Lin Yuan were standing nearby and overheard their conversation, he would be grinning from ear to ear.

The Jessica that Hwang Mi-young mentioned is Zheng Xiuyan in Chinese, and she is also a Korean-American.

She is the second lead vocalist of Girls' Generation, and her sweet voice is a perfect match for Kim Tae-yeon's slightly husky yet story-filled voice.

The duo's "Tai-Sai harmonies" have always been Girls' Generation's killer weapon.

In the entire history of Korean girl groups, it is rare to find a combination as perfect as "Tae-seo Harmony".

(Incidentally, Jessica Jung later participated in the Chinese reality show "Sisters Who Make Waves". At that time, she had long passed her peak and had not had formal stage training for many years, but her performance was still very impressive.)
At this moment, the plane slowly came to a stop on the runway.

The flight attendant walked over quickly and whispered a few words to Li Xiuman.

"Everyone, grab your belongings." Lee Soo-man stood up, his expression serious. "We won't go down the covered bridge; we'll go directly through the ground-level passage."

Just as Hwang Mi-young was about to ask a question, Kim Tae-yeon gently pulled her wrist and shook her head.

The nine members silently kept quiet and followed the flight attendants through the crew-only passage to a waiting white shuttle bus.

As the car doors closed, Huang Meiying noticed that two airport security vehicles, one in front and one behind, had their lights on.

Instead of heading to the regular terminal, the shuttle bus slowly drove along a dedicated road along the edge of the runway towards a separate, enclosed parking lot in the distance.

As the shuttle bus rounded the last bend, Huang Meiying suddenly gasped—

Three stretch Lincolns were lined up in the middle of the parking lot, with two bodyguards in black standing next to each car.

Further out were six black Cadillac escort vehicles, their windows covered with dark explosion-proof film, their engines idling, and their exhaust pipes emitting a faint white mist.

"This..." Huang Meiying's backpack slipped off her shoulder and hit the ground with a dull thud, but she was completely unaware.

Her lips trembled slightly, her eyes widened, and her fingers unconsciously gripped Kim Tae-yeon's sleeve beside her.

"Is this a show of force to see the president?" she asked in a low voice, her tone full of disbelief.

Jessica Jung subconsciously adjusted her sunglasses, trying to hide her surprised expression, but her slightly parted lips still betrayed her shock.

The remaining members of Girls' Generation were equally surprised and didn't know what to do.

However, Kim Tae-yeon and Im Yoon-ah exchanged a knowing smile.

When they came to New York last time, they were also speechless with shock at such an extravagant display.

Seeing them again now, I'm still shocked, but at least I don't lose my composure like the other members.

“This is Lin Yuan’s convoy. I didn’t expect him to come and pick us up in person,” Kim Tae-yeon said.

The words had barely left his mouth when the shuttle bus erupted in chaos—

"Really?!" Tiffany Hwang hugged Jessica Jung tightly, and the two almost fell over.

"Wow!" Kwon Yuri jumped up, her ponytail drawing a cheerful arc in the air.

Even the usually composed Seohyun couldn't help but let out a soft "ah" and unconsciously cupped her burning cheeks in her hands.

Seeing the members' flustered state, Lim Yoona couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Unnie, mind your image! Lim Won oppa is coming."

Following Yoona's gaze, the door of the Lincoln at the front suddenly opened, and Lin Yuan stepped out. His well-tailored suit accentuated his tall and straight figure.

The front door of the Lincoln suddenly opened, and Lin Yuan stepped out, his well-tailored suit accentuating his tall and straight figure.

He strode towards the shuttle bus. (End of Chapter)