Rebirth of the Fashion King

Chapter 95 Interested in making a fashion film? [1.1 words]

"What scene are you filming right now?" Li Xun asked.

"A scene from a dream," Nolan replied.

"In a dream set in Paris, the male protagonist explains the principles of dream construction to the newly joined team members. They stand on a bridge, and the surrounding city changes according to his will." He raised his finger and pointed to the tracks on the bridge.

"We used a track-moving camera to simulate the bending effect of the dream space. We originally planned to shoot it with a green screen in the Paramount studio, but the light in Paris is different."

"The backlighting in Paris is on the cooler side, with the current color temperature around 5,000 to 5,200 K. It's difficult for the studio lights to fully reproduce that texture," Li Xun casually mentioned a few parameters.

Nolan's expression underwent a very subtle change; it was an "I knew it" expression, tinged with a hint of pleasant satisfaction at being understood.

"You even know this?"

"The color reproduction of fabrics and the color temperature calibration of lighting in haute couture shows are based on the same principle."

"The workshop's lighting system has a basically locked color temperature, with an error range of plus or minus 20K, in order to ensure that the blended texture of the tweed presents a consistent sense of luxury under different lighting conditions," Li Xun said.

"Movie shooting should be similar. The light quality of live-action shooting cannot be completely replicated in post-production color grading because the spectral distribution of natural light is different from that of artificial light sources."

Emma Thomas glanced at Nolan, then at Li Xun.

"Chris, don't you think Rhine's way of using technical jargon is a lot like yours?"

"How do you know so much detail?" Nolan asked.

"These are things that a fashion designer doesn't need to know."

"When I first joined Chanel, Ms. Virginie didn't talk about how to draw design drafts, but about how to look at the light. Different color temperatures of light will produce completely different color shifts when they hit the fabric."

Chanel's tweed appears one color under the lights of the haute couture workshop, but another color under sunlight. If the designer doesn't understand light, the clothes they make will be a one-off sale. Customers may think the clothes are gorgeous when they try them on in the workshop, but they will find something is wrong when they wear them at home.

Therefore, from handbags to ready-to-wear clothing, the color scheme of each series must undergo testing under at least three standard lighting conditions.

Mr. Karl also said that to become the art director of a major brand like Chanel, one must be a well-rounded individual, learning everything—and not just mediocre at everything.

"It's the same logic as our film testing," Nolan nodded.

"Before shooting, I will test the light sensitivity of all the films under different lighting conditions, including daytime scenes, night scenes, dusk, indoor tungsten lights, and fluorescent lights. Each light source must be tested separately."

Some directors believe that post-production color grading can solve all problems, but I don't think so.

"Because post-production color grading changes the overall tone of the image, but it cannot change the physical response of the fabric texture under specific lighting," Li Xun continued.

"Absolutely right." Nolan's tone carried a clear spiritual resonance.

"Every shot you take in real-world locations involves the entire process of light passing through the air, hitting the surface of an object, and then reflecting into the lens; it is a complete physical event."

You can change the hue and brightness of an event in post-production, but you can't fake the realism of the physical event itself.

'

"All technological advancements ultimately lead to aesthetics," Li Xun said with a smile.

The bridge lighting calibration was completed, and the technicians reported to Nolan via walkie-talkie. Nolan raised his hand and made a "wait a moment" gesture, his attention still focused on his conversation with Li Xun.

Just then, a commotion arose next to the equipment truck on the other side of the bridge.

Several staff members made way, and a man in a dark gray T-shirt and jeans emerged from the shadow of the truck.

He wasn't particularly tall for a Hollywood actor, but his proportions were excellent; the ratio of his shoulders to his waistline created a perfectly proportioned silhouette under the dark gray T-shirt.

His hair is dark blonde and slightly shorter than it was during the Blood Diamond era. His facial features don't fit the stereotypical definition of "handsome," but when combined, they create a very peculiar effect that makes you want to look at him a few more times.

Leonardo DiCaprio not at his peak of handsomeness.

As he approached, he was holding a cup of coffee he had bought from a food cart next to him, and he was taking small sips of it.

Seeing Nolan standing in the middle of the bridge with several people he didn't recognize, he slowed his pace.

Nolan caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye and slightly turned to wave.

"Come here quickly, there's someone you should get to know."

Leonardo quickened his pace and placed the half-finished espresso on the equipment box next to him.

As he approached, his gaze first fell on Li Xun, then moved to Liu Yifei's face, who was holding his arm, and then back to Li Xun.

"This is Li Xun, Rhine Li," Nolan introduced. "He's a senior designer at Chanel, a friend Emma and I met in New York. This is his girlfriend, Crystal Liu."

Leonardo extended his hand, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "You're the designer who walked the runway with Mr. Karl the other day? My God, my girlfriend Bar (Bar Refaeli) is a huge fan of yours—"

"Your girlfriend is a supermodel, so it's not surprising that she goes to Fashion Week." Li Xun shook hands with him.

He turned to look at Liu Yifei and nodded politely with a smile.

"Hello, I am Leonardo DiCaprio."

"Crystal Liu." Liu Yifei shook hands with him.

"You can call me Crystal. I know who you are, no need for introductions."

Leonardo smiled, a smile tinged with self-deprecation.

"I hope they didn't find out about me from gossip news."

"From 'Cat and Mouse'," Liu Yifei said.

"The DVD I watched in the country."

"That was when I was at my thinnest." Leonardo touched his slightly protruding belly.

"That happened many years ago."

Emma Thomas chimed in, "Leo, Rhine was just discussing the commonalities between location shooting and haute couture with Chris. You should listen."

Every time you argue with Chris about why you insist on filming on a snow-covered mountain at minus twenty degrees Celsius, what arguments do you use and what are his...

The statements are almost identical.

Leonardo raised an eyebrow and looked at Li Xun again.

"Really? You also think location shooting is better than studio shooting?"

"I am not qualified to comment on filmmaking," Li Xun said.

"But I can give you an analogy from the perspective of fabric technology."

The Lesage embroidery workshop at the Chanel haute couture atelier has an unwritten rule that evening gown embroidery requiring sequins and glitter must be done on the top floor of the atelier.

Because the natural light from the north side of the rooftop is the most stable diffuse light source throughout the day, it will not produce hard shadows from any direction.

Machine-embroidered sequins look fine under studio lighting, but their flaws become immediately apparent under natural north-facing light. This is because sequins are reflective, and the uniformity of their shine depends on the stability of the light source.

After hearing this, Leonardo turned to Nolan and pointed at Li Xun.

"He speaks more logically than you do. Although I didn't understand it very well either, to be honest, I didn't fully understand it just now, but I felt that he was speaking up for you, and I think he's right."

Nolan did not respond to Leonardo's teasing.

He was referring to a cross-industry common understanding: the aesthetic value of top-tier craftsmanship cannot be fully presented under non-natural conditions.

This logic now applies perfectly to location shooting in movies.

"Okay, okay, when do we start?" Leonardo shrugged.

Inception is actually a very worthwhile movie to watch. Anyway, Li Xun watched it once but didn't understand it very well, so he watched it a second time.

The origin of this film is quite interesting.

Inception is an original science fiction epic conceived by Christopher Nolan over 14 years and with a script polished over 10 years. The creative process started with a teenager's private dream experience and went through four core stages: the initial draft of the horror film was shelved, the genre was reconstructed, philosophical and psychological theories were added, and the commercial opportunity matured. It integrates four sources of inspiration: personal experience, literary philosophy, film history, and the crime film genre.

Nolan himself has confirmed in several authoritative interviews that the story originated from his personal dream experiences when he was 16 years old, which is the most fundamental creative origin of the entire film.

Nolan frequently experiences lucid dreams—waking up in the middle of the night after falling asleep, retaining the self-awareness of "I am dreaming" during the light sleep stage, and actively manipulating the dream environment and rewriting the plot.

He described this feeling as follows: the city and characters in his dream were all generated out of thin air by his subconscious, yet they possessed an extremely realistic sense of touch and emotion. At the same time, the dream was unstable, and his subconscious would create fear barriers (corresponding to the projections in the film and Mar's pursuit).

The brain creates a complete and vast world out of thin air during unconscious sleep, and people completely believe it to be real. This becomes the underlying premise of the film that "dreams can be constructed and invaded".

At the age of 16, Nolan initially wanted to write this concept into a horror film, setting a group of people who would enter other people's dreams and be hunted down by the terrifying illusions in the target's subconscious, focusing on a thrilling and suspenseful atmosphere.

At this point, there are only two basic concepts: "entering the dream" and "subconscious monsters," without a complete system including multi-layered dreams, implantation, dream-stealing teams, and criminal missions.

After Nolan became an adult, he rose to prominence with short films such as "Following" and "Memento". In 2001, he officially began writing, turning his childhood dream concept into an 80-page treatment. After filming "Insomnia" in 2002, he took the first draft to Warner Bros. and encountered his first major setback.

The initial draft in 2001 positioned it as a pure psychological horror film, with the core conflict being "infiltrating dreams to steal secrets and being hunted by subconscious monsters."

The first draft had many shortcomings. It lacked the four-layered nested dream, time dilation, weightlessness, totems, and the main theme of "implanting ideas." It only had a simple "dream theft (extraction)."

The characters are also very thin; there's no tragic love story between Cobb and his wife Mar, no dream weaver, no pharmacist, no imposter...

The tourists are divided into teams, with only a single infiltrator's perspective.

Warner Bros. felt the budget risk was extremely high, as the film required infinitely expanding city special effects and multi-layered set construction, with an estimated cost of $1.6 million.

In 2002, Nolan had only directed low-budget independent films and lacked the box office success of big-budget commercial films. The production company believed that a newcomer like him was not up to par.

With its groundbreaking original science fiction and a pure dream philosophy devoid of a popular genre shell, Warner Bros. judged that ordinary viewers would not be able to understand the multi-layered subconscious settings, resulting in extremely low commercial returns.

Producer Emma Thomas admitted after reading the first draft: "The worldview of dreams cannot be shrunk. Dreams themselves are infinite, and we have no ability to film them at the moment."

Nolan did not abandon the script, but instead voluntarily shelved the project to plan a clear growth path, accumulating commercial influence and narrative skills for "Inception".

2005 Batman Begins: Mastered the production and team management of blockbuster special effects films with budgets exceeding 100 million yuan;

2006 The Prestige: A meticulously crafted narrative of characters' emotions, exploring themes of "double reality, obsession, psychological deception, and inner shadows."

2008's The Dark Knight: It completely proved the commercial ceiling of original IP + high-concept sci-fi action, grossing over a billion dollars worldwide, and Warner Bros. completely trusted Nolan's creative autonomy.

Over the course of six years, Nolan continuously revised the 80-page initial draft, overturning the horror film framework and completing the most crucial genre reconstruction.

In an interview, Nolan made it clear that he would use a heist movie to carry the concept of dreams, which was a turning point that transformed the entire script.

So last year, after Nolan rose to fame, Warner Bros. officially invested in this polished film.

Regarding this movie, Li Xun didn't remember anything else, but what he remembered most was a spinning top.

Here, he couldn't help but hum softly.

I heard you say that~

Liu Yifei slapped Li Xun hard, who was staring blankly and grinning.

"What are you laughing at!"

"Hehe~ It's nothing, it's nothing."

The technicians on the bridge completed the final round of light measurement.

Nolan said something into the walkie-talkie, and the first assistant director immediately began clearing the set.

The camera assistant carried the camera onto the track, while the focus puller squatted next to the monitor to make markings.

Li Xun and Liu Yifei retreated to the equipment area on the left side of the bridge, where a stagehand wearing headphones handed them two pairs of noise-canceling headphones.

"No need," Li Xun said with a smile, waving his hand.

OK.

Nolan stood in front of the monitor, his left arm crossed over his chest and his right hand supporting his chin.

The first scene is a conversation between Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page.

Ellen Page, who plays Ariadne, stands by the bridge railing with her back to the camera.

Leonardo DiCaprio, playing Cobb, stands to her right, facing her with his profile turned towards the camera.

According to the script, this is Ariadne's first time entering Cobb's dream, where Cobb is explaining to her the basic rules of dream construction.

"Action".

Nolan's voice wasn't loud, but the entire bridge fell silent instantly.

Leonardo's performance was completely different from when they were chatting earlier.

His shoulders tightened slightly, his jaw angle adjusted by about three degrees, and his center of gravity leaned slightly forward.

These changes are subtle when viewed individually, but when put together, he is no longer the Leonardo DiCaprio who jokingly says "that was when I was thinnest" next to the equipment box, but Cobb, a professional dream thief burdened by the shadow of his deceased wife and the pain of separation from his two children.

They are completely different people, both on and off screen.

As expected of a veteran artist, to be fair, in Li Xun's opinion, some actors—well, let's not talk about it.

"We're in a dream." Leonardo's voice was a half-tone lower than normal.

Ellen Page turned around. Her expression was perfectly controlled—a mixture of confusion and a growing sense of unease.

How did you know?

"Do you remember how we got to this bridge?"

Ellen Page opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Her gaze drifted to the lower left for a moment, then quickly returned to Leonardo's face.

This reaction is handled very subtly. When people are trying to recall something, they will subconsciously look to the lower left, and when they realize that they really can't remember, their eyes will briefly lose focus.

Ellen Page compressed the process into about 0.3 seconds, just enough to be captured by the camera.

"Cut".

Nolan walked over to the monitor and whispered a few words to the cameraman, Wally Pfister.

Li Xun noticed that Nolan did not make any adjustments to the actors' performances, which is quite unusual.

Most directors offer feedback on the performance after the first take, but Nolan's focus seems to be entirely on the visuals themselves.

Emma Thomas walked over from the side and stood to the side and slightly behind Li Xun and Liu Yifei.

"Chris usually doesn't talk during the first take," Emma said in a low voice.

"He likes to let actors find their own roles."

Liu Yifei nodded slightly, her gaze remaining fixed on the filming area.

The second one begins.

The same lines, the same movements, but Leonardo's speech was about a quarter beat slower than the first time, and Ellen Page's timing for her response was adjusted accordingly.

The conversation between the two created a subtle sense of dislocation, as if they were testing each other's rhythm.

Li Xun understood what was being filmed: Cobb was facing a novice dream architect in the dream, and he needed to confirm whether the other party had the cognitive ability to enter the deep dream.

Leonardo DiCaprio used delayed speech to create an atmosphere similar to an "examination," while Ellen Page used changes in the timing of her responses to show that the character was gradually understanding the rules.

This type of performance doesn't convey information through the semantics of the dialogue itself, but rather establishes character relationships through rhythm and micro-expressions.

system.

Nolan still didn't speak to the actors after the second take was filmed.

He spoke briefly with Wally Pfister, then walked over to the track camera and personally inspected a marker on the track.

"The track needs to run at a speed that is 15 percent slower at this position," Nolan told the head of the mechanical team.

"The camera movement needs to be synchronized with the timing of Leonardo's turn; being half a beat too fast will lose that feeling of the dream gradually unfolding."

The mechanical team leader nodded and redraw a mark on the track with chalk.

The third event will begin in fifteen minutes.

This time, Li Xun focused his attention on the movement of the camera. The track camera began to move as Leonardo DiCaprio said the line, "You know we're in a dream," at a very slow speed, almost imperceptible.

The camera moves outward along the curve of the bridge, gradually expanding from a medium shot of the two people talking to a panoramic view that includes the Paris skyline.

This motion logic is unconventional.

In typical dialogue scenes, camera movement follows the speaker's emotional changes, but Nolan uses a "revealing" camera movement here—the camera doesn't push towards the character, but moves away from them.

It tells the audience that this dialogue takes place in a space larger than the characters, and that this space itself is about to change.

After filming three takes, Nolan finally walked up to the actors.

"Leo, you're saying that when we were in a dream, our eyes looked at her a little later." Nolan gestured with his hand to indicate the timeline.

"You're capturing her reaction immediately, but I'd like you to delay it a little, like giving her time to think."

Leonardo took a sip of water and nodded.

"Alan, your pause on the third line was good. Keep that rhythm."

Ellen Page said "OK" in a soft but steady voice.

She just turned 22 this year and received an Oscar nomination two years ago for "Juno," establishing herself in the independent film scene.

But the atmosphere on the set of a big-budget commercial film is completely different from that of an independent film. There were more than two hundred staff members on set, and the number of equipment trucks was more than in any of her previous films.

Liu Yifei turned her head and leaned close to Li Xun's ear.

"Nolan's way of communicating with actors is very interesting, completely different from the directors I've encountered before."

"He only adjusted the timing," Li Xun said in a low voice.

"He doesn't adjust emotions. He has his own timeline for the actors' performances. He has a pre-set position for each reaction point on the timeline. The actors only need to adjust the timing of the trigger, without changing the content of the performance itself."

"Because he's an editor himself?"

Li Xun nodded; Nolan was indeed the editor.

Nolan's directing methodology is rooted in his editing mindset.

He had already completed the editing of the final film in his mind during the filming stage, so his requirement for the actors was not "to be more sad" or "to be more angry", but "to be half a second later" or "to be a beat earlier".

This is using the precision of an editor to calibrate the performance.

The fourth take has begun.

The orbital camera operates at the adjusted speed.

Leonardo's gaze shifted half a second later than before, Ellen Page's pause maintaining her previous rhythm.

The conversation between the two created a new chemistry; the atmosphere of "assessment" weakened, and it was replaced by a feeling more like "guidance".

Cobb wasn't testing Ariadne; he was leading her to discover the truth.

"Cut. This one is approved."

Nolan spoke calmly, but he lowered his right hand from his chin.

The assistant director began coordinating the setup for the next camera position.

The stage crew used walkie-talkies to notify the extras on the other side of the bridge to take their positions.

The next scene is where the dream begins to change. After Ariadne realizes she is dreaming, the laws of physics around her begin to break down.

According to the script, the pebbles on the bridge will begin to float against gravity, and then the buildings in the entire Parisian neighborhood will undergo non-Euclidean folding.

"Is the special effects team ready?" Nolan's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

"It will take fifteen minutes," came the reply from the walkie-talkie.

Nolan nodded and walked towards where Li Xun and Liu Yifei were.

"Rhine, can you see the difference between the first and fourth points?" Nolan asked Li Xun.

Li Xun thought for about two seconds.

"The first Leonardo DiCaprio scene is like he's interrogating her," Li Xun said.

"In the fourth scene, Leonardo seemed to be teaching her. The same lines, the same movements, but the tension in his facial muscles decreased, and the resonance of his voice went from his throat to his chest. The first scene was a test, the fourth scene was sharing."

Nolan turned to look at Li Xun, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"You mentioned muscle tension; is that something you do when observing models?"

"A dedicated fashion designer must be an expert in human anatomy."

Li Xun said.

"Watching a performance is the same. The facial muscles are the most intricate fabric in the world. The contraction and relaxation of each muscle conveys information, just like the warp and weft of the fabric telling you how to cut it."

Nolan paused for a moment, then spoke in the same tone he had used when discussing technical issues.

"When I'm casting, what I value most is the actor's ability to control their facial muscles, not how big an expression they can make, but how small an expression they can control."

In one scene in *The Departed*, Leo sits in a bar, his face barely moving, but his pupils constrict upon hearing a line of dialogue. That control is more effective than any exaggerated performance.

"The neural circuits that control pupil dilation and swelling are not located in the cerebral cortex and cannot be directly controlled by will," Li Xun said.

"It only responds to light and emotional arousal. Actors who can produce that kind of performance are not actually acting, but are truly entering the emotional state of the character, and their bodies make physiological responses on their own."

"So you think the ultimate performance isn't about control."

"It's the body's own reaction after giving up control," Li Xun replied, explaining his understanding.

Nolan turned his gaze to the team setting up special effects on the bridge, and spoke again after a while.

"Christian Bale said something similar to me when I was filming The Prestige."

He said that when he plays a role, he doesn't construct the character's psychology in his mind, but rather lets his body posture,

First, get into character by adjusting your breathing rhythm and center of gravity. Once your body is in the zone, your emotions will automatically follow.

"Behavior determines cognition," Li Xun said.

"Yes, who said that?"

"There's a theory in psychology called self-perception theory, which roughly means that people infer their attitudes by observing their own behavior," Li Xun paused.

"But this is not the sole domain of psychology."

Emma Thomas took a phone call next to the monitor, said a few words, and then came over.

"Chris, the Paris City Hall has confirmed that the closure of the Champs-Élysées can begin at 6:00 AM tomorrow, but traffic must be restored before 10:00 AM. The window for traffic control the following day is only one hour."

Nolan glanced at his watch.

"We must shoot the daytime scenery on the Champs-Élysées tomorrow morning. From 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., four hours, which is enough after time conversion."

"Time conversion" is a core setting in the script of Inception—five hours in reality are equivalent to one hour in a dream.

Liu Yifei's gaze followed the special effects devices set up by the production crew.

"Is this your first time seeing a real Hollywood film set?" Emma Thomas asked Liu Yifei.

"I suppose so," Liu Yifei replied in fluent English.

Although she had filmed The Forbidden Kingdom, she felt that the production team of that film was completely different from this one.

"When filming in China, the scale of the crew is similar to this, but the workflow is quite different. In China, the action direction department is more proactive, while in Hollywood, it seems that the special effects team and the photography team work in parallel."

"Because Chris's filming style is rather unique," Emma explained.

He doesn't like to treat special effects as something added in post-production; special effects must be on set and in sync with the actors' performances.

Completed simultaneously.

"Floating pebbles, folded buildings—if these elements aren't visually apparent, the actors' reactions won't be realistic."

"Therefore, the entire production team's operating logic is built around realistic reactions," Liu Yifei said.

Emma glanced at her, a slight surprise in her eyes.

"You're absolutely right. The actors in the show initially thought Inception was a special effects movie, but in Chris's vision, it was first and foremost a movie about real perception, and the special effects were just a tool."

"Tools serve perception, not the other way around," Liu Yifei said, snapping her fingers.

Li Xun smiled and shook his head slightly. She actually knew how to quote him in conversation; she was quite shrewd.

The special effects installations on the bridge are basically in place.

Nolan looked at the group of extras.

Then I looked at Li Xun and Liu Yifei.

"Rhine, Crystal, would you be interested in a cameo role?"

Li Xun glanced at Liu Yifei.

"Would you like to go have some fun?"

"If you go, I'll go; I won't go alone."

Li Xun pulled Liu Yifei and gave her an OK sign, then Nolan waved for them to walk into the crowd.

"Rhine, eyes, eyes."

"Crystal, don't smile. Your whole teeth are showing. You don't need to smile in this scene."

"Yes, frown, look melancholy."

Nolan was quite satisfied with the results; originally, the extras were only Black and White, but now there are two more Asian actors.

Moreover, Li Xun is popular throughout Asia.

Christopher Nolan couldn't help but rub his hands together as he thought about it.

"CUT! That's a pass!"

Nolan's voice came from behind the monitor, his tone tinged with a smile.

Technicians on the bridge began removing the mounting bolts of the track camera, while the focus puller marked the last shot number of the day in his notebook.

Li Xun walked out from among a group of extras and casually unbuttoned his jacket.

This coat wasn't his; it was a costume provided by the costume department for the extras. It was a 70% wool blend with a fairly standard cut. He moved his shoulders and felt a slight tightness in his joints.

Emma Thomas was walking toward them.

"Chris asked me to give this to you." Emma handed over the water glass.

"He said the filming went very smoothly today, and your cameo appearances helped him a lot."

Li Xun took the cup and thanked him.

"Chris would like to invite you all to dinner," Emma said.

Li Xun glanced at Liu Yifei, who nodded slightly, a very small gesture.

"Where is it?" Li asked.

"Le Grand Véfour," Emma said, uttering a name before adding.

"Chris booked the table in advance, and he ate there almost every day during his time filming on location in Paris."

Le Grand Véfour, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant located in the arcades of the Palais Royal in Paris, opened in 1784. Napoleon and Josephine once met here, Victor Hugo had a private seat here, and Jean Cocteau wrote his plays here.

This restaurant holds a similar place in the history of French gastronomy as 31 Rue Cambon, the fashion house of Chanel. Both are cultural landmarks of their respective cities, except one is built with silk and tweed, while the other is built with foie gras and truffles.

"Let's go back and change our clothes," Li Xun said.

"No need to be too formal," Emma said.

"Chris often wears the same clothes on set as he does in restaurants."

The entrance to Le Grand Véfour is hidden beneath the arcades of the palace gardens, its facade so understated it's almost concealed, featuring only a gilded signboard and two old-fashioned 18th-century gas lamp-shaped wall lamps.

Pushing open the door reveals a completely different world: the walls are covered with neoclassical gilded carved panels, with oval mirrors set between each panel, reflecting the warm light of the crystal chandelier, enveloping the entire space in an amber hue.

The foreman was a French man of about fifty years old, with gray hair, wearing a black three-piece suit, and a handkerchief folded into three peaks was sticking out of his left breast pocket.

When he saw the Nolans walk in, a perfectly curved smile appeared on his face—the natural reaction of a professional restaurateur seeing a regular customer.

"Mr. Nolan, your old seat."

His gaze quickly fell upon Li Xun and Liu Yifei.

"Rhine? My God, this is your third time here? That's quite an achievement."

"Mr. Mark, I've been quite busy lately."

"Then why is it that the Flower Goddess always has your story?"

"Um, this—"

Mark led them through the main hall, past tables covered with linen tablecloths.

Li Xun glanced at the guests around him out of the corner of his eye. Near the fireplace sat a French film producer. He recognized the face; it was Luc Besson's long-time collaborator.

Two stylishly dressed women were seated by the window, one of whom was wearing a Cartier watch on her wrist.

Nolan's table is cleverly positioned in a corner on the left side of the restaurant.

Behind is a gold-paneled wall. To the left, you can see the entire main hall. To the right, there is a passageway leading to the kitchen, but a low screen serves as a partition, maintaining privacy without making it feel closed off.

The four people sat down.

The sommelier came over with a thick wine list, the cover of which was made of deep red Moroccan goat leather.

Nolan didn't open the wine list; he simply named a bottle of Burgundy white wine. The sommelier nodded and left, his steps quick and silent.

"You don't even need to look at the wine list," Li Xun said.

"It's not because I know a lot about wine," Nolan said.

"It's because the restaurant's wine cellar only had three bottles of my favorite white wine, and I've already drunk the other two."

Emma opened the menu and stared at it for about ten seconds.

Her reading style is unique; she reads from bottom to top, starting with the desserts and cheeses, then skipping to the appetizers, and finally browsing the main courses.

This reading order is either a personal habit or a very pragmatic consideration, allocating the calorie budget to the things you are most certain you want first, and then deciding on the main course.

"Their artichoke soup is their signature dish," Emma said, closing the menu.

"However, I personally recommend their lobster salad; the dressing uses some kind of spice that I can't identify."

"It's tarragon," Li Xun said.

Emma raised an eyebrow.

"It seems there's a reason why Mark is so enthusiastic towards you."

"Because traditional French lobster salad dressing always includes tarragon, this restaurant opened in 1784, and French chefs in that era had a set of strict, almost militaristic, regulations for the use of spices."

The anethole component of tarragon is much more soluble in oil than in water, so adding chopped tarragon to the mayonnaise base allows the aroma of the fennel to be evenly distributed throughout the entire sauce system, rather than remaining on the surface. Li Xun put down the menu and glanced at Nolan.

"Of course, this is a habit I developed from my work; when I see something, I reflexively analyze its components."

"It's an occupational hazard for designers." Nolan picked up his water glass and took a sip.

"When I see a scene in the editing room, my mind automatically breaks it down into seven different editing schemes."

"So you guys never really relax while eating," Liu Yifei interjected.

Emma Thomas smiled and shook her head.

"It's not that I can't, it's just that I relax in a different way."

Before the appetizers were served, the sommelier poured white wine into Nolan's glass and asked him to taste it.

Nolan smelled it, took a bite, and nodded.

The sommelier poured a quarter of the contents into each of the four people's glasses, then left silently.

"Cheers." Emma raised her glass.

"Wishing you a smooth shoot tomorrow."

"Rhine," Nolan said, taking a sip before putting down his glass.

"There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

Li Xun nodded without interrupting.

"Warner Bros. invested $160 million in this film," Nolan continued, his tone very direct.

"For an original IP, this number ranks in the top ten in Hollywood history."

Warner's marketing department has been working out various promotional plans, and their recommendation is to allocate 40% of the marketing budget to...

In North America, 30 percent is allocated to Europe, and the remaining 30 percent to Asia.

"The Asian market has grown rapidly in recent years," Li Xun nodded and said.

"Yes, the box office in the Japanese market has been very stable, and South Korea is growing, but now we need to consider the Chinese market. Warner's head of Asia sent me a report last month, saying that the number of movie screens in China exceeded 4,000 in 2008."

He paused for a moment and looked at Li Xun.

"Your fashion show a couple of days ago had a huge exposure in Asia."

"How big is 'very big'?"

Emma picked up the thread: "According to data provided by Warner Asia, the three keywords associated with the name Rhine in online news and forum discussions in the Asia-Pacific region are Chanel, Himalayas, and Paris Fashion Week."

Your brand recognition among young Asian consumers has surpassed John Galliano's peak in Asia.

The appetizers were served at this point.

Li Xun ordered lobster salad, while Liu Yifei and Emma both ordered artichoke soup.

Nolan's appetizer consisted of only a slice of toast and a small dish of olive oil. He broke the bread into small pieces and dipped them in the olive oil.

His movements were as concise and efficient as when he processed film footage.

"So you mean," Li Xun said, using a fork to separate the lobster meat. The lobster's muscle fibers had just the right amount of elasticity, indicating that the dish was cooked to perfection.

"You want me to help with some promotional activities for your film in Asia?"

"We don't need you to make a GG movie, nor do we need you to attend the premiere. As long as you mention the movie at the appropriate time, in your public appearances or interviews, in a way that suits your personal style, that's enough."

Li Xun slowed down his chewing movements slightly.

"Okay." Li Xun nodded directly.

"You said yes, but you didn't mention any conditions."

"Would you agree to my conditions?"

"Not necessarily," Nolan smiled.

"You're giving me the opportunity to refuse you."

"No, I'm reserving some leverage to make even bigger demands," Li Xun said, looking at Nolan.

"Mr. Nolan, you've made so many different kinds of movies—period dramas, thrillers, superhero films, sci-fi—but you've never made a movie about fashion. Do you have any ideas?"

Nolan's smile didn't disappear, but his eyes underwent a very subtle change.

"Fashion." He repeated the word.

"Do you think I'm a good director for fashion films? Actually, I have absolutely no interest in it."

Emma chimed in from the side, "The Victorian costumes in The Prestige were already quite elaborate, even though it's not exactly a fashion film."

"The costumes in 'The Prestige' are historically accurate," Nolan said.

"Recreating a historical period and fashion are two completely different things; one is looking backward, and the other is looking forward."

Li Xun smiled and shook his head.

"Fashion films are in an awkward position in the industry right now. They are either documentaries, which are purely about recording the creative process of a designer or a brand."

It's either a biopic, making a Hollywood-standard narrative film about the life of a designer.

The third type is purely commercial entertainment, using the fashion industry as a backdrop to tell a story completely unrelated to fashion.

Li Xun took a sip of wine and continued.

"Chanel held a meeting to discuss fashion films, and I felt this was an opportunity, and I've always had this idea: to create a fashion film even more explosive than 'The Devil Wears Prada,' a collaboration between Chanel, Hermès, and other brands, with a top-tier director and cast including Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Wintour, and some of Europe and America's top supermodels."

A socialite made a cameo appearance.

Nolan's lips remained open after hearing this. This kid throws out a royal flush right from the start?

Emma Thomas tilted her head and her pupils contracted.

Liu Yifei choked on the wine and kept coughing.

Nolan couldn't help but speak up.

"This will cost a lot of money."

Li Xun gestured with both hands.

"I know, I'm also prepared to have the absolutely authentic Met Gala appear in the movie."

And does Chanel lack money? Do luxury brands lack money? Absolutely not.

"Designing a classic jewelry collection could earn Chanel tens of millions of euros in just two months. Seriously, I'm not kidding. If you want to bid next year, we can invest directly, and there will be no restrictions."

Nolan licked his lips.

He genuinely envied these "big spenders" who, when he was young, faced all sorts of obstacles from investors when making movies.

Budget, cast, box office requirements —

"Rhine! I think I'm really interested in making fashion films right now!"

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