America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 856 This kneeling was earth-shattering.

The television cameras focused on the two people on the podium. At this stage of the election, national heroes Alexandrovich and Alexei were the only two candidates for the presidency of Uzbekistan.

The huge conference center was packed, and the supporters on both sides gradually became enthusiastic as the debate on the podium unfolded.

Compared to Alexei, who had been in politics for many years, Alexandrovich was a complete newcomer to the political arena.

But he is a national hero with unparalleled appeal among the people.

Of course, if that were all, Alexandrovic would have been eliminated long ago.

He also has the support of a powerful force behind him.

The debate was exceptionally intense, and the topic turned to eastern Ukraine and its neighbor, Russia, which are of particular importance to Ukraine.

The relationship between the two countries is particularly sensitive. Under the media's consistent propaganda for decades, most Ukrainians are inclined towards the West and are increasingly disgusted with their former eastern neighbor.

The relationship with the East has an extremely important influence on public opinion regarding the election.

As a political newcomer, Alexandrovich gradually lost ground in the debate.

Alexei had the upper hand and decided to deliver a fatal blow to his opponent.

"The east is becoming increasingly assertive, posing a growing threat to us. They constantly seek to divide eastern Ukraine's territory!" Alexei stared at Alexandrovich and questioned, "And what about you? Your relationship with the east is ambiguous, and you've cooperated with them on numerous occasions!"

He raised his voice, looked at the thousands of people below the stage and at the camera lenses, and shouted: "Fellow countrymen, if Alexandrovich comes to power, he will lead Ukraine to destruction! That spineless coward will probably have to kneel down to Vladimir in the east!"

Alexei's supporters in the audience started shouting and yelling, attacking Alexandrovich.

The live television camera then focused on Alexandrovic, giving him a close-up of his face.

This is a crucial question. In this country, except for parts of eastern Ukraine, the westerly winds generally outweigh the easterly winds.

Simply denying something is not effective, and so is directly retaliating with words.

Alexandrovich knew very well that since Alexei dared to question him like that, he must have other plans.

Compared to this experienced old fox, he was a bit less skilled. If he followed the opponent's tactics, he would inevitably encounter a series of attacks.

Alexandrovich remembered what Martin had told him a few days ago and knew that he absolutely could not follow Alexei's approach.

Otherwise, you will definitely be the one who loses.

Alexandrovic looked up at the crowd below, where his supporters were waiting for him.

Martin said in the phone call that when facing the public, you have to do one thing well: make them feel your sincerity!

That's right, it's sincerity, the sincerity of a national hero.

Alexandrovich is a national hero of Ukraine, and Martin is a national hero of the United States.

Therefore, Alexandrovich felt that Martin's words could be applied to himself.

Martin's meticulous guidance over the past few years has played a crucial role at this moment.

Alexandrovich did not follow Alexei's expected approach, and did not even answer Alexei's question.

He took the microphone, stood up from his seat, and went directly to the very center of the front of the stage. Facing thousands of Ukrainian people, hundreds of media reporters, and the live television cameras, he bent his knees and knelt down with a thud.

Alexandrovich knelt down on the platform!

Although kneeling is not as serious in the West, everyone on and off the stage was momentarily stunned, wondering what this person was going to do.

This kneeling was earth-shattering!

Alexandrovich declared loudly, "I will not kneel before Vladimir; I will only kneel before the people of Ukraine!"

The scene was silent at first, then erupted into thunderous applause. Not only Alexandrovich's supporters, but also many of those who originally supported Alexei were applauding Alexandrovich with all their might.

In front of their televisions, countless Ukrainians were moved by Alexandrovich.

Many people have come to the idea that "the previous president was a businessman and politician who told lies, so perhaps this national hero can really make Ukraine different."

In this debate, Alexandrovich won a resounding victory in an unexpected manner, and her approval rating soared.

Perhaps at this very moment, Alexei's defeat was already sealed.

On the way back from the debate, Alexandrovich called the company: "Contact the North American side and confirm the performance date of the Holy Maidens in Los Angeles as soon as possible. Tell Nastya, Erica, and Misha to prepare some surprises; they understand."

The car drove past the 1+1 TV station.

Looking at the huge sign erected on the roof of the television station building, Alexandrovich felt more and more that Martin was more important than Igor, and that North America was the key to securing his position in the future.

Without a doubt, Igor's Provas Group would be an excellent gift.

…………

Rosarito Island, Baja California.

The crew of "The Shallows" has officially started filming in the Gulf region.

The weather has been nice these past few days, but the weather forecast predicts that the waves will get bigger next week. Martin has slightly adjusted the shooting schedule, deciding to shoot some outdoor scenes first, and then the crew will return to the studio area to shoot the studio scenes when the weather gets worse.

The entire storyline of the film takes place in the large setting of the bay beach.

Compared to other film crews who frequently change locations to shoot outdoor scenes, the crew of "The Shallows" faced far fewer problems.

Martin Scorsese's choice of "The Shallows" for his directorial debut was also a form of opportunism.

In the ocean, Blake, wearing an orange-red bikini, lay on a surfboard, paddling with her hands as she swam forward.

Martin, wearing a headset, sat on a nearby boat, looking at the director's monitor in front of him.

There were two other boats nearby, and two photographers were taking pictures of Blake's performance from different angles.

Martin only needed to tell them what kind of shots he wanted; how to achieve them was the production crew's responsibility.

Among the directors he has worked with in the past, Nolan is the kind who likes to do the directing himself, while David Fincher and Chad Stahelski are the kind of directors who rarely operate the camera themselves.

The filming process was entirely handled by the photography crew.

Professionals should do professional things.

In addition, first assistant director Steven Downton is on Martin's ship, so he can help Martin solve problems immediately.

Martin only needs to focus his energy on the camera.

The production team is highly experienced, having worked with Martin Scorsese on the John Wick trilogy, so their capabilities are beyond question.

Of course, at that time Martin was more of a leading man.

But both sides understand each other well enough that the production team can quickly understand Martin's desired shot effects as long as he tells them.

Martin was satisfied with most of the shots he took.

For any unsatisfactory issues, further communication between both parties can usually resolve the problem.

Blake shouted at the empty ocean in front of him, "Hey, I'm here to surf too!"

There's no one there at all; the shots are all filmed separately, and the dialogue between the two sides will be shown through cross-cutting.

Blake asked with a smile, "What's the name of this beach?"

On the director's monitor, the footage shot by the main camera was transmitted in real time.

The camera followed Blake's long legs upwards, panning over her voluptuous figure before settling on her slightly aged face.

Martin frowned upon seeing Blake's bright and enthusiastic smile, picked up the megaphone beside him, and shouted, "Stop!"

The film crew, which was busy filming, immediately stopped operations.

Blake, who had been tilting his head back, lowered it back onto the surfboard and lay there, not wanting to move.

Although he had anticipated the difficulty of filming the underwater scenes, Blake found it much harder than he had imagined. The water resistance was too great, and he had to maintain his posture while filming, as well as stay in character. The physical exertion was several times that of his usual filming.

Martin glanced at Blake and said, "Take a fifteen-minute break." He waved to Blake in the water, "Blake, come on up."

After rowing onto the boat, Blake went up to the aft deck, took the blanket handed to him by his assistant, wrapped it around himself, and went to Martin's location on the foredeck.

Martin was talking to Steve Downton: "Isn't there something wrong with the acting in this scene? Nancy, such a beautiful and sexy single woman, encountering two men on such a deserted beach..."

Steve Downton immediately realized what was going on and said, "Given the setup for Nancy's self-rescue later on, she should have remained somewhat vigilant."

When Martin saw Blake coming over, he pointed to the chair next to him and said, "Sit down."

Blake, sitting next to Martin, asked, "Was there something wrong with my performance just now?"

Most Hollywood directors don't let actors see the footage being shot during filming, unless the actor has a lot of power.

Ten years ago, this was even an unwritten rule in Hollywood.

Times have changed, and Martin, a part-time director who came to the profession later in life, doesn't have so many fuss oversights. He simply adjusts the monitor and replays the footage he just shot.

Blake watched it carefully. She wasn't a particularly quick learner; in terms of pure acting skills, countless supporting actors in Hollywood could easily outshine her.

Martin asked, "Have you figured out the problem?"

Blake scratched his wet blond hair and asked, "Was there something wrong with my posture? Did I flatten the ball like a pancake, making my figure look less sexy and hot in the photos?"

Steve couldn't help but glance at Blake, finally understanding why, despite being a second-generation star, having a famous producer as her father, and Martin's strong support, she still couldn't reach the top tier of stardom.

He has tons of resources, but his acting talent is just average.

"Nancy should have been wary of two strange men on this deserted beach," Martin repeated what he had just said.

Blake nodded: "Yes, I overlooked that. I'll pay attention to it during the performance."

Martin said no more: "Let's take a break."

He and Steve went to the side of the ship to wait for the other ship to come closer, and discussed with the director of photography, Dan Rostensin, about things to keep in mind during the subsequent filming.

The break passed quickly, and Blake went back into the water, and filming resumed.

During breaks in the shoot, Blake, wearing a bikini, also took some surfing photos at Martin's request and posted them on Twitter and Instagram.

"My new film has started shooting. The content remains the same for now, and it's related to the sea."

The gossip guru's social media post quickly attracted the attention of his fans.

"Blake's still in great shape."

"I would call this the best body among Hollywood actresses!"

"They're not going to film this movie with the characters wearing swimsuits the whole time, are they? If they do, I'll go to the theater to support them even if it's only $20 a ticket!"

"We strongly request that the blogger film the entire video in a swimsuit!"

"Support +1!"

"support……"

After years of dedicated effort, Blake Lively, as a fitness guru, fashion blogger, and gossip icon, has a social media influence that far surpasses her Hollywood stardom.

If it were an ordinary actress, she might have become an internet celebrity.

However, Blake Lively comes from a Hollywood family and has a strong desire for status in the industry; her ability in publicity and marketing far surpasses her acting skills.

She was well aware of the significance and attention garnered by Martin Scorsese's directorial debut.

As for whether the film will be successful.

Blake didn't actually have much faith in Martin, but she had complete confidence in his financial power.

Look at the heads of each department in the production team. People outside the industry may not have heard of them, but those inside know that they are all elites with rich experience in their respective fields.

Moreover, Martin is decisive, not arrogant, and open to advice.

Another crucial point is that the film's producer, Louise Lyle, is one of Hollywood's top female producers. With her in charge, even if the film isn't outstanding, it won't be terrible.

After filming several more scenes, Blake was exhausted and panting, sitting on the boat, not wanting to move.

Her gaze passed through the overtime work and landed on Martin.

Martin was focused on his work, discussing with several assistant directors how to film the next scenes.

The entire production ran very smoothly, and you couldn't tell at all that the director was a novice.

Blake calmed his breathing and secretly marveled at the astonishing power of money.

She looked at Martin from afar and suddenly felt that this film might actually be a success.

Even if he fails, it doesn't matter. Since I met Martin in 2005, it's been almost ten years, and I know what kind of person Martin is.

"Super playboy" is an understatement; calling him a sex addict wouldn't be an exaggeration.

But Martin is also a man of conscience. If the film really fails, Blake feels that Martin will definitely make up for it in other ways.

She is very confident about this.

Thinking of this, Blake suddenly looked up at the sky and slapped himself hard.

If she hadn't acted that way, Elizabeth Olsen's position should have been hers!

"It's almost evening, time for a scene change!" Assistant director Robert Eggers shouted. "Props team! Drag the buoy over here, to the marker!"

A speedboat towed a buoy toward the deep sea.

Martin glanced at his watch and said, "Hurry up, we only have one hour to film the sunset scene!"

The entire crew got busy.

Blake got up to warm up, preparing for the next shoot.

The scenes where the female lead fights the shark are mostly filmed in a studio.

Martin said to his deputy Steve, "Shoot a wide-angle shot of the setting sun." He glanced at the sun approaching the sea and said, "Time is of the essence. Start filming in ten minutes."

Steve nodded and quickly went to make arrangements on set.

(End of this chapter)