America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 114. Strong Medicine for Severe Illnesses

In China, a quote from Edison, or perhaps Einstein, is frequently mentioned in elementary school textbooks and in pictures of famous people displayed in classrooms.

Success is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration.

Teachers and parents love to use this phrase to motivate children and tell them how important hard work is.

However, they deliberately omitted the second half of the statement: one percent inspiration is more important than ninety-nine percent perspiration.

In this world, some things and some jobs require talent. Without talent, no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to make a living.

For example, painters, photographers, athletes, and even male actors in short films—anyone even remotely connected to art is likely to be like this, with actors being an area particularly prone to this problem.

Many people envy actors' high salaries and exposure, enjoy being surrounded by fans and lights, and hear them shouting their names, so they plunge headlong into the entertainment industry.

However, most of these people often lack performing talent, and their career ceiling is already set from the moment they enter this industry.

Generally speaking, an actor's acting skills reach their peak around the age of 30, even with hard work. It's extremely rare to see someone break through their own limits.

A small number of actors are truly talented; even on their first acting experience, every smile, every gesture is full of charm.

Such people, with just a little effort, can continuously improve their acting skills. They can portray a twenty-year-old at twenty and continue to break through at sixty. For example, Cecilia Yip and Edward Norton are this type.

Clearly, the Olsen twins belong to the former category. You might say they lack talent, but they do.

You could say they have some, but not many.

In this respect, Elizabeth Olsen is better than her two older sisters. Judging from her later resume, she is certainly not as talented as top actors like Eddie Redmayne, but she is still considered above average.

Eric is now facing this problem. Even though the Olsen twins hired a professional instructor several months before filming, they still couldn't reach the level he envisioned.

If even a simple shot of them looking back is this agonizing, then the heartbreaking scene of them separating later on, the way they express that kind of painful emotion, Eric can't even imagine how terrible it will be. It must be absolutely horrible.

After everyone had rested, Eric called over Andrea and Neil Blomkamp for a short meeting.

"As you just saw, Ashley and Mary's performance had problems, and we need a good solution."

Andrea nodded: "Ashley is a bit better, she's naturally introverted, but both of their acting skills are still a bit superficial."

Neill Blomkamp offered a different opinion: "Director, I actually think this shot is already very well done. Is it really necessary to be this harsh?"

"Hmm? Neil, to be honest, do you really think it's very well made?" Eric asked in return.

"Yes, I'm telling the truth. It's not perfect, but it'll pass the test."

Eric sighed and patted him on the shoulder: "I see. That's the limitation of your perspective and level of appreciation. It seems you need at least two more films to hone your skills."

"What?"

"I originally planned to use you as the assistant director for my next film, but as things stand, you're not ready yet."

"What!"

Neal Blomkamp wore an expression as if his mother had died; if he had known this would happen, he would not have spoken.

Andrea began, "Director, based on their performances since filming began, I'd like to share my thoughts. The Olsen twins haven't quite gotten into character yet, or to put it another way, they don't fully understand their roles."

"Okay, continue!"

"During the usual filming, you first provide a very detailed storyboard, and then even if there are some parts that are not quite right, you will point out the specific points to them, from how to walk to whether or not to frown. The two of them are a bit like marionettes."

"It's not necessarily a bad thing; it can greatly speed up the filming process, and actors also like this kind of director the most."

"However, it's not always beneficial for actors to think deeply and understand their roles. When you have a good crutch, you will gradually shift your weight to that crutch."

"I believe they did their homework, but managing a company and having many business activities on a daily basis, they probably didn't have much time to delve into the inner world of the characters."

Eric nodded. "What you're trying to say is that the actors lack conviction, right?"

Andrea's eyes lit up: "Yes! That's exactly what I mean. How can an actor perform well if they don't even believe in their own character?"

"Is there any good way?" Neil Blomkamp asked hastily.

Andrea shook her head: "It's difficult in a short time. Generally speaking, for this kind of film, actors need to deeply understand the group of characters, and even personally play and experience it."

"Like Jared Leto, in order to play the role of a drug addict in Requiem for a Dream, he would chat and walk with drug addicts on the streets of New York every night. Except for that last step, he had done everything he had to do."

"In order to play a transgender character well, Hilary Swank lived like a man for several months. She even used a corset to flatten her chest."

"I don't know how far the Olsen sisters have come, but they clearly haven't done enough."

Eric sighed and looked at the Olsen sisters not far away, who were chatting and laughing, clearly unaware of their problem.

After a long while, Eric beckoned, and Judy was called over.

"Eric, what is it?"

"I have a task for you."

"Okay, why are you being so secretive? You don't have some tricky business to ask me to handle, do you?"

"Yes, that's a good thing, at least it's a great thing for you."

"Really? Tell me about it."

"I feel that Ashley and Mary haven't really gotten into character, so I'd like you to take them to experience that feeling and get to know this group."

Judy's eyes widened immediately: "What do you mean? You'd better explain clearly so I don't misunderstand."

"That's the feeling you're looking for. Don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about."

Gudong!

Judy swallowed hard. "Is it okay? I can reluctantly accept it, but I mean, will they agree?"

"I'll persuade them."

Judy rubbed her hands together excitedly: "Then I'll wait for good news. I knew coming to the production team as a producer was the right choice."

After saying that, she slipped to a corner, found a small stool, sat down, and quietly observed the Olsen sisters.

"Mary, Ashley, come here for a second."

Upon hearing Eric's call, the two sisters quickly came to him.

Eric shooed the people around him away, then had the two sisters sit down, and reorganized his thoughts in his mind.

Even for him, this was a difficult topic to talk about, and he might get criticized for it. He had already imagined the scene of being beaten up by the Olsen twins.

Forcing it won't work; we have to be patient and persuasive, offering a big bait to avoid ending up empty-handed.

"Ashley, Mary, the filming of this scene didn't go very smoothly just now. Let's talk about it and find out why."

"I've filmed this 25 times already, isn't there a single usable shot?"

Mary's face fell again; she thought she had passed the test.

"No, it's still lacking. I can't see that feeling in either of you, do you understand? I can't see the lesbian feeling. What methods did you use to get into character?"

The two sisters exchanged a glance: "We found relevant books and read a lot about this topic. Actually, we have friends like that around us. Mary and I talked to them and asked about their lifestyles and so on."

Eric nodded: "That's a good approach, but it's not refined enough. Now I'd like you to have a more realistic experience, is that alright?"

Ashley was a little confused: "What exactly do you mean by a more realistic experience?"

Mary frowned at Eric: "Cooper, you've always been a straightforward person, why are you hesitating? Just say what you have to say."

Eric pointed to Judy not far away: "Judy Newhouse, she's an expert in this area. Tonight she'll take you to a professional bar to broaden your horizons."

"Only in that kind of atmosphere can you understand this group."

After some internal struggle, Eric decided he wasn't shameless enough to tell Judy everything; the rest was up to her.

This woman is always skilled; she's adept at this kind of thing.

According to Gadot, Barry Farley is heterosexual and she has never done anything abnormal since they met. Yet, Judy still managed to turn her into a soft-hearted person.

What is a soft state?

It's neither straight nor curved; it can be straight, curved, or even both at the same time.

It's amazing.

Seeing that the two remained silent, Eric emphasized, "Don't misunderstand, I just want you to get into character quickly. Today's scene is a relatively simple one; there are more difficult ones to come. You don't want to film one shot all day while the entire crew of dozens of people are waiting, do you?"

"And let's not forget our goal: to compete for the Golden Globe and the Oscar next year. We don't have much time left."

"Haven't you all always wanted to truly transform your careers? You want to shed the child star label, right?"

"Eric, but..."

Ashley was about to say something when Eric forcefully interrupted her.

"No! No! No! Don't say 'but.' Look around at the people. In everyone's eyes, you are still those two little kids who can only act in children's plays."

"Want a Golden Globe? Want an Oscar? Then you have to be determined. Success comes at a price."

"You might win Best Actress for this role. The youngest Best Actress winner right now is Mary Matlin, but she's already 21, while you haven't even turned 18 yet."

"Just imagine, 18-year-old Best Actress winners, you will make history, become the focus of the world's attention, and leave a strong mark on film history forever."

"Imagine yourself on the Oscars stage, standing there. The Olsen twins will become world-class icons!"

For months, Eric had been relentlessly manipulating the two sisters, constantly painting a rosy picture of the future for them, and their thoughts inevitably drifted to the Oscars ceremony as Eric described it.

"Alright then, Eric, let's do as you say."

"That's right, that's what a qualified actor should be. So let's skip this scene for now."

Eric looked at James McAvoy: "James, it's your turn to go on. Perform well and try to get it in one take."

"Okay, director, I will try my best."

After the break, the crew moved to a nearby bus, where several actors took their positions and posed.

"Scene 9 of *Blue Is the Warmest Color*, action!"

The scene is simple; the focus is on the male senior, played by James McAvoy, who is pursuing Adele, albeit in a rather subtle way.

In the scene, Ashley's character, Adele, sits in her seat with a very ordinary posture.

The scene shifts to the back, revealing McAvoy. He was originally sitting in the back of the bus, but after seeing Adele board, he naturally wanted to get closer.

So he stood up from his seat and pretended to look around, seemingly concerned about what others thought—a very relatable detail.

Seemingly having finally mustered the courage, McAvoy slowly walked to Adele's side, gripping the handrail on the vehicle for stability, even though the prop car hadn't actually started.

He then lowered his head, his eyes revealing a hint of fear, but also longing and admiration. After a few words, he sat down in the empty seat next to Ashley.

"Very good, James! One take! You did a great job. Looks like all that practice in the play paid off!"

"Thank you, director!" McAvoy said with a smile.

Ashley looked at the handsome, artistic-looking young man with some surprise, not expecting him to pass the test in one take.

The crew then moved on to another location, this time to a classroom.

"Scene 12 of *Blue Is the Warmest Color*, action!"

Several female students were talking in the classroom, and the camera focused on McAvoy's back through them.

He heard the girls talking about him, so his back suddenly tightened, and the twitching of his coat revealed a hint of nervousness within him.

When he heard the good news, he relaxed and turned to Ashley, extending an invitation to her.

"Fantastic, LeBron! You delivered a fantastic performance!"

Not only was Ashley, who was acting opposite him, surprised, but Mary, who was watching from the side, was also astonished. It was another one-take success. Was James McAvoy's acting really that good?

The crew moved locations again, and Eric decided to give the Olsen twins a big surprise, shooting McAvoy's last scene, which was also the breakup scene with the most intense emotional outburst.

That's right, he did it on purpose, to provoke Ashley and Mary. So even though McAvoy's performance was a little flawed, he still gave him a pass.

The goal is to make the Olsen sisters understand the gap and motivate them to strive for improvement, so that the sisters will naturally follow my arrangements.

This is called a hidden PUA.

McAvoy did not disappoint Eric in this scene. His portrayal of the emotions of sadness, disappointment, loss, distress, confusion, and doubt was not perfect, but it was certainly passable.

"Hahaha, James, you're a genius! Your acting was fantastic!"

Eric stood up and led the applause, and the others followed suit.

This made McAvoy scratch his head somewhat awkwardly, feeling that there was still room for his emotions to develop and that his performance could have been even better.

However, judging from this situation, it's impossible to say "another one" without understanding why, so we can only accept it in a daze.

"Am I really that good?"

(End of this chapter)