America: Child stars start with The Shining

"Cut! Absolutely perfect! Phew... Thank you all for your hard work these past few days. I hereby announce that filming for *The Shining* has officially wrapped!"

Bang!

Jack somehow got hold of some fireworks and had already conspired with a few staff members. As soon as Kubrick finished speaking, a large group of people suddenly rushed out from behind him, causing chaos at the scene.

Kubrick sat helplessly in the director's chair, looking at the group of people in front of him who were excited to the point of being out of control. If you didn't know better, you would think they were making a family comedy instead of "The Shining".

Everyone is quite emotional right now.

After all, the filming period for "The Shining" had far exceeded everyone's expectations. Ciel calculated that he had spent almost half a year on set, although many other things had happened during that time...

But in any case, it was finally finished before the end of the year; otherwise, I probably would have had to stay on set for Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Charles sighed. Compared to the others, he wasn't as excited, because he had many other things to worry about, such as loans, his next film, future plans, or...

He turned his head to look out the window. A group of reporters had already gathered at the hotel entrance. They hadn't come because they heard the news that "The Shining" had wrapped up filming; they were there for Ciel.

The shooting incident involving John has been escalating for some time now, perhaps because the main figures in the case involve Hollywood's popular child star Jodie Foster, which has also implicated Charles.

Judy had hardly appeared in any public places during this period, so much so that a group of sharp-nosed reporters swarmed to the hotel where the Shining crew was staying, trying to get first-hand information about Shire.

This is definitely big news. With a little hype, it can garner a lot of attention. Although it won't shock the entire United States like the Reagan assassination in my previous life, it's still tempting enough as gossip for casual conversation.

Therefore, Xia Er hasn't dared to go out these past few days and has been hiding in the film crew.

Seeing everyone else celebrating, and even buying an extravagant multi-tiered cake that looked like a tower, only Charles and Kubrick were left out.

Kubrick suddenly beckoned to him, and Charles paused for a moment before walking up to him.

"Hey, Ciel, how's it going on set these days?"

"Uh, it feels good. If you could revise the script less, things might be even better."

Charles shrugged and made a slight remark. Kubrick smiled at this and continued:

"Little one, you need to understand, making movies isn't a simple thing. It's like trying to write a masterpiece like 'War and Peace' on a runaway bumper car. Do you understand?"

"Uh... I think I understand a little bit?"

Although Charles had never actually read *War and Peace*...

"There's no formula for movies. Otherwise, those Hollywood idiots who only care about box office would have figured out how to make a guaranteed money-making movie long ago."

"Charles, filmmaking is an art that cannot be imitated. Once you understand it, the wonderful feeling will be unforgettable for a lifetime."

At this point, Kubrick even seemed lost in thought.

Charles, now completely immersed in his own cinematic world, couldn't help but ask:

Do you think *The Shining* will be a profitable film?

Kubrick was silent for a few seconds. He looked at the monitor in front of him, as well as the group of actors and crew members who were celebrating, and suddenly cursed:

"I fucking don't care about any of that!"

"Whether it makes money or not is not my concern; that's a headache for the film companies and investors."

"I won't make those shoddy films that are only aimed at box office success, Charles. The reason I became a director is to make real films, real art."

[Special mission triggered: The Art of Cinema.]

Kubrick only directed 13 feature films in his lifetime, yet he is revered as a cinematic god by countless film fans and colleagues. Where will your directing career lead you?

[Mission Objective: To direct your first film.]

[Reward: The Typewriter Favored by the God of Cinema (Epic)]

Charles was slightly taken aback; this mission had come rather suddenly.

Although he triggered this task, it is unlikely that there will be any progress for a long time, at least until he comes of age.

There's no such thing as a child star director in the directing industry.

However, that day wouldn't be long, after all, he still had countless classic films from later generations hidden in his mind.

Kubrick seemed to realize he shouldn't be lecturing a six-year-old, so he reached out and ruffled Charles's hair, casually saying:

"However, these are not things you should be concerned about right now. I think you should first learn how to deal with those annoying reporters."

Having said that, he pointed out the window. Charles looked over and hesitated, saying:

"Uh, can't I just ignore them? You know these guys are masters of taking things out of context."

"No, Charles, you're wrong. I'm the director, and you're the actor. It's very different."

"You have to learn how to deal with reporters. It's one of the essential lessons you need to learn as an actor. To put it bluntly, it's called...exchange, you know? Like kids exchanging candy."

"Reporters take the news they want from you, whether it's good or bad, and in exchange, they give you plenty of exposure and attention."

"You have to remember, in a place like Hollywood, if you want to get to the top, you have to learn to make everyone know you, no matter how."

"So go out and give it a try. This is your first lesson, son."

Kubrick gave Charles a meaningful look, then added:

"Charles, once you become truly famous, you'll find that many problems that seem troublesome now will be easily solved. But remember, every gift in this world comes at a price."

Charles was silent for a few seconds, then slowly turned his head to look at the group of reporters outside the window again.

It wasn't until this moment that he suddenly realized that he had always been viewing himself from the perspective of a minor extra, always thinking that as long as he acted honestly, everything would go smoothly.

But today, Kubrick taught him a lesson: in Hollywood, no matter how good your acting is, if no one pays attention to you, you will never have access to truly good resources.

We're in the era of blockbuster movies now; everything is different.

In the past, studios could decide everything, but now investors are gradually realizing that it is simpler and more efficient to create a household name star rather than to go through the trouble of maintaining an entire film industry system.

So, whether it's to gain a foothold in Hollywood, or for... Judy, fuck, why would he think of Judy at a time like this?

Charles took a deep breath.

Kubrick was right; he had to change his mindset and find ways to make himself famous in order to have the opportunity to pursue other things.

He needs to learn how to build momentum for himself.

This is the simplest yet most difficult principle to understand.

So, under Kubrick's watchful eye, Charles walked out of the hotel alone through the main entrance.

The reporters outside, who had been getting a little sleepy, suddenly brightened up when they saw the child they had been waiting for finally appear, and they immediately surrounded him.

[Equipped: Ray-Ban Sunglasses Lost by Child Star (Epic)]

[Entry: Superstar Aura (Active) has been activated!]

In an instant, all the reporters rushed forward, but none of them dared to speak first.

The child star in front of them seemed a little different from what they had imagined.

He lacked the naivety and awkwardness of an ordinary child; instead, he displayed a composure and calmness that was far beyond his years.

The feeling was hard to explain, but everyone couldn't help but think that this child already had the aura of a Hollywood star.

Charles looked at the group of reporters and slowly raised his head.