America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 323 New Shooting Techniques

"Martin Davis portrayed an extremely complex character in The Departed, brilliantly delivering a performance as an undercover agent who is completely different inside and out. His acting skills are among the best of Hollywood actors born in the 1980s."

At Pinewood Studios in London, on the set of "The Prestige," Emma Thomas intently read the newspaper in her hand: "In just three years in the industry, Martin Davis has already had three films that grossed over $100 million at the North American box office. Although it can't compare to Elijah Wood and Hayden Christensen, who starred in Lord of the Rings and Star Wars prequels, Martin's achievements are even more convincing..."

Nolan, having finished his work for the day, walked over, stood behind Emma, ​​watched for a moment, and said, "What are you looking at?"

Emma handed the newspaper to her husband: "The Departed has grossed over $100 million in North America and nearly $200 million worldwide."

Nolan sat down, carefully reading the newspaper, and said, "It's going to break Scorsese's highest box office record."

"Probably," Emma said, highlighting the main point of the newspaper article: "Martin Davis has had three consecutive films gross over $100 million at the North American box office, making him one of the most commercially successful male actors born in the 1980s."

Nolan had already seen the comparison: "Elijah Wood and Hayden certainly have the backing of two major projects, but Martin does too. He's a very smart actor; he always chooses projects with a purpose."

He explained one by one: "The mountains have eyes. Wes Craven is the producer and screenwriter. He is the godfather of Hollywood horror films and has a very strong appeal in the horror and thriller genre. Martin's starring role in this film is a guarantee of success."

"The wanted poster, which he collaborated with Jolie on, and whose love triangle with Pitt and Aniston was exposed, generated a huge amount of buzz. It was clearly a planned publicity campaign. Although it is uncertain whether Martin was involved, Jolie's role in the success of the wanted poster cannot be ignored."

"The Departed goes without saying; Scorsese's gangster films never lack an audience, and there's also Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicholson."

Upon hearing her husband's words, Emma Thomas said, "But in all of Hollywood, among actors born in the 1980s who are good-looking, have excellent acting skills, and strong commercial appeal, no one dares to say that they are better than him."

Nolan stated from his objective perspective: "Martin Davis still lacks a film that can carry the box office on its own."

"As things stand, Martin has already done remarkably well." Emma, ​​who often sees Menez at the club, has been somewhat influenced by him: "I'm starting to regret it now; I should have insisted on letting Martin audition for The Prestige."

Nolan said, "Hugh Jackman is good too."

Emma shook her head: "Without Wolverine, how much appeal does he still have? After Van Helsing's failure, his popularity declined further. Without Wolverine, he's at best just an ordinary second-tier star."

"With the film at this stage, there's no need to say these things anymore." Nolan knew his wife was very thoughtful. "Bale strongly recommended Hugh, and I should also consider it..."

Emma, ​​unusually, interrupted her husband: "Bale is getting too close to the Australian clique. I know you like British actors, and so do I, but you should carefully consider whether to use Australian or American actors. The biggest power in Hollywood is still the American domestic force."

Nolan nodded. "I understand."

…………

Los Angeles, Angels Club.

Menez left the crowd, found Bruce in a corner, took the Coke Bruce offered, and flexed his arm to show off his muscles: "See? I'm back to my old self."

Bruce opened the can and asked, "Since Emma Thomas has been in London for the past two months, I don't need to drag you out for desserts?"

Menne, sitting next to Bruce, said, "Yeah, she loves sweets too much and doesn't care about her figure."

Bruce asked, "Have you been in contact with her recently?"

"I called her a couple of days ago," Menez said simply. "We talked about the plot of 'The Departed,' and she's seen the movie."

Bruce tapped the Coke can on his hand: "Good to see."

Menne took a sip of her cola: "She was very impressed with Martin."

Bruce said, "If you have any difficulties, you can come to me or Thomas."

Menne laughed: "The only problem is that she's a little too young. If she were ten years older, I could have won her over very easily. Unlike now, she keeps pulling at me."

Bruce knew Menez's capabilities well: "It's not bad for now; we have firsthand sources of information."

Suddenly, cheers rang out from ahead. It was Chad Stahlsky on the training field who had achieved remarkable results in a simulated combat shooting exercise.

Chad used a shooting method rarely seen in Hollywood movies when facing the target dummy.

He removed the magazine, emptied the chamber, and left the shooting range.

Martin stepped forward and bumped fists with Chad: "Man, your training lately has been amazing."

Chad said, "My stamina can only guarantee me one round. If I go for a second round, I estimate that half of my bullets will miss the target."

Marcus, who came with Chad, said, "While you can't compare to Martin, your gun handling is definitely good." He emphasized, "It's closer to real combat."

Martin asked, "When you encounter the enemy, is speed the key to firing?"

"Yes, you have to be quick to draw and fire!" Marcus, who had only recently left Afghanistan, said, "When encountering the enemy at close range, you must ensure that your first shot is both fast and accurate. Therefore, the target should be a large area like the enemy's chest or torso, rather than a relatively small head."

Martin nodded slightly.

Marcus added, "But the battlefield environment is complex, and a pistol shot to the chest or abdomen may not be fatal; a follow-up shot must be fired immediately."

Chad added, "Only a dead enemy is a good enemy."

Martin gestured with his hands to indicate the action of firing a gun: "Shoot the enemy first to deprive them of some of their initiative, and then fire a follow-up shot to keep the target still for a longer period of time or permanently, so that they will no longer pose a threat."

Chad said, "This is the shooting technique I plan to use in the new project after consulting with many sources. With excellent marksmanship, combined with your agility, you can use a gun at long range and fight at close range. Even a pencil can be used as a weapon to kill the target."

Martin is very confident about this. Even though the project is currently in the early creative stage and actual filming and production will take a long time, he is still in his physical peak condition at his age and will not be unable to perform the required feats.

This is a very real problem; everyone will grow old one day.

Bruce and Menez then walked over.

The former interjected, "At that time, Marcus and I can also serve as gunsmiths and action directors, and even play a few powerful villainous bosses."

Chad couldn't help but laugh: "Great idea! I'll design some action sequences and scenes specifically for you, creating unique shots."

Marcus, a film enthusiast, was also very happy to be in front of the camera.

"And me?" Menez chimed in, "Don't I get any special treatment?"

Chad glanced at Mene's face and complexion and said, "I'll think about it carefully and figure out how to design a role for you."

Martin asked, "What about the plot?"

"My first considerations are the action scenes and action design." Chad is a stuntman and action director by training, so naturally he prioritizes what he is best at.

He said, "The plot and characters are all there to serve the action scenes, in order to logically connect the action sequences."

Martin completely agreed: "The point of these kinds of movies is to have fun. They have the thrill of leveling up and defeating monsters, as well as the thrill of defeating bosses."

Chad scratched his head, looking embarrassed, and said, "I've considered all of that, but the plot still only has one simple storyline." He looked at Marcus: "It's about using Marcus's real-life experience, about avenging a dog."

Martin said, "Don't rush the plot, take your time to polish it, and let me know if you need a professional screenwriter."

Chad replied, "Not for now. I'll call you when I need to."

Martin then asked Marcus, "Is the memoir progressing well?"

"Not bad." Marcus smiled. "Robinson is amazing. A lot of what I said was completely unsystematic, but he was able to organize it into very coherent text, exactly as I remembered it."

Both sides had already signed an agreement, and Martin added, "Contact me or Chad if you encounter any difficulties."

He and Menez walked forward, then he gave Bruce a wink.

Bruce deliberately lagged behind, slowing Marcus down, and quietly asked, "Is everything settled regarding Daisy and John?"

Marcus looked around to make sure no one was watching before lowering his voice and saying, "Those four disgusting black men will never be normal men again."

Bruce said softly, "Daisy and John can rest in peace now."

Marcus made the sign of the cross on his chest: "May God bless them."

Chad advised, "Let's stop here. It's not worth getting yourself involved with those disgusting bastards."

Bruce completely agreed: "Indeed."

Marcus said, "I've moved on from this, and now I focus my energy on work. Being busy helps me forget the pain of the past."

As November arrives, the North American awards season is heating up, with many top contenders releasing their films.

For example, "Babel," starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, had a preview screening on the first weekend of November, and its reviews and response were quite good.

These kinds of films naturally won't do very well at the box office. The focus of commercial marketing is the Oscars. Only by getting Oscar nominations and awards can they achieve good commercial results.

Other films, such as "The Queen" and "The Last King of Scotland," also started with preview screenings to build up and control word-of-mouth, hoping to reap rewards during the awards season.

Martin's publicity and marketing efforts are also gradually picking up, especially in the numerous preliminary awards, where winning awards can effectively increase exposure.

After the Gotham Independent Film Awards announced its winners, it was time for the various film critics' association awards to begin voting.

This is the season when film critics can best demonstrate their presence and influence.

Martin, of course, wouldn't overlook the fact that he has always had a good relationship with the Los Angeles critics.

(End of this chapter)