America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 167. Can you give me individual acting coaching?

On the set of "House of Cards," dozens of staff members are busy checking machines, adjusting equipment, and setting up sets.

Andrea and Neill Blomkamp made rounds, the latter in particular having already worked with Eric on two films.

I'm very familiar with my boss's shooting style, and I know exactly what to do for each part.

Eric looked at today's shooting schedule, which consisted entirely of indoor scenes, scattered throughout each episode.

To reiterate, the filming of movies and TV series depends entirely on which scenes are suitable to be filmed together. After resolving the scenes in one scene, you can start filming another scene. This way, you can save filming time to the greatest extent.

Saving time is equivalent to saving money, and it has nothing to do with the order of the episodes.

"Eric, how do I look?"

He was looking down at the script when he heard a woman's voice beside him. Without looking up, he knew it was Balefali.

Eric looked the other person up and down, then nodded: "Not bad, this look will make you look like a fresh graduate entering the workforce."

"No, the eyebrows are too light. Go ask the makeup artist to enhance them. Have you researched Zoe's character?"

Lefari nodded and answered confidently, "Of course, I've been analyzing the script very carefully since I got it. Zoe may be a rookie, but she's very ambitious and wants to achieve great things."

"She was a restless woman who wanted to fly very high, which is why she fell into the trap of this old politician Frank and became a tool for him."

"Moreover, she considered herself clever and thought she could outmaneuver Frank, believing that it was a mutual exploitation, but she simply didn't realize that she was a pawn."

"Last time at home, I found what you said very interesting again: Zoe is someone who is in the game but doesn't realize it, a political idiot who mistakes a pawn for a player."

Upon hearing this, Eric couldn't help but look at Lefari with new respect. It seemed that the other party had indeed seriously considered the role, which was a good thing.

If she can maintain this attitude and work hard, given her looks and figure, Eric wouldn't mind giving her an important role, even the lead role, if Ashley and Mary didn't want to film "Mean Girls".

Then, by gradually transitioning from small screens to big screens, she could appear in MGM's major productions and eventually be cultivated into a top-tier female star.

This was also Eric's envisioned path for Liu Yifei; Barrefaeli was white, which already gave her a significant advantage in terms of skin color.

Eric smiled. "It's good to read the script carefully. Keep that attitude. So, do you understand why I asked you to draw your eyebrows?"

"Uh, is it because I'm not pretty enough? Or not sexy enough?" Barrefali tried to ask.

At this moment, Robin Wright walked over. As the female lead in "Forrest Gump," she has been in the industry for twenty years and has received numerous award nominations. She is very experienced.

He pointed out the problem directly: "It's not about sexiness, it's about personality. A more defined, sharply shaped eyebrow would match Zoe's ambitious career aspirations, am I right, Director?"

Eric gave Robin White a thumbs up, saying that good productions always prefer experienced actors, whose experience can greatly reduce the need for repeated scrutiny of details and save a lot of time.

"Hello, Barrelevali." Lefali extended her hand.

The two women shook hands: "I know you, Maggie from The Walking Dead, I've watched the show."

"And me, The Walking Dead is one of the best TV shows I've seen recently."

Not far away, the male protagonist Kevin Spacey appeared in a suit, his upright posture and slightly narrowed eyes exuding an aura.

Barrefali burst out laughing. She was someone who had her own representative works now. Look, even an Oscar-winning actor knows me.

Eric stood up from behind the monitor and shook hands with Kevin Spacey.

Since being confirmed for the role, the two have only spoken on the phone once, and today is their first official meeting.

"Hello Kevin, welcome to House of Cards."

Kevin Spacey smiled slightly: "It's my honor. After reading only a few pages of the script, I knew I had come across such an excellent one."

"Frank is a complex character with an engaging dramatic quality, and I told my agent right away that I had to take the role."

"I can say with absolute certainty that this is the best script I have encountered since American Beauty."

"I even read the original 'House of Cards' novel for this reason. Eric, I must say, your screenwriting skills truly amazed me!"

After being flattered by the Best Actor, Eric couldn't help but feel pleased and laughed heartily, thinking, "Look at that level of flattery!"

He earned every penny he wanted, spoke impeccably, and had both substance and prestige.

You ask why I don't lower my salary if I want to act so much?

Nonsense, how much I get paid is my agent's problem, not mine. My desire for a role and my agent's desire for a paycheck are two different things.

After chatting for a while, the group gradually became acquainted. Neill Blomkamp walked over and said, "Director, get ready, we can start filming."

Upon hearing this, Kevin Spacey and Robin White left and entered the venue.

Eric glanced at the time and announced loudly, "House of Cards, Scene 22, Action!"

This scene mainly depicts Frank being framed by the president and failing to secure the position of Secretary of State. He disappears for a day in anger and then returns home dejected, followed by his conversation with his wife, Claire.

Because her husband lost his political campaign, tens of millions of dollars in donations were withdrawn, and his wife Claire's clean water project was also shelved.

The lighting technician adjusted the light source, and under the camera's lens, Kevin Spacey pushed open the door and returned home.

He carried his briefcase, and as he entered the room, his upright posture suddenly slumped, as if he had aged several years in an instant.

Outside, he was the party whip, and he had to learn to control his emotions. Even if he was tricked out of his position as Secretary of State, he had to maintain his composure and demeanor.

But things were different when he got home. Only his wife Claire was there, and he could show his true colors. Suddenly, exhaustion and resentment were revealed on his face.

Behind the monitor, Eric said softly, "Beautiful facial expression control; Spacey has perfectly captured the dramatic moments."

Assistant director Andrea nodded in agreement.

Kevin Spacey adopted a cautious demeanor, clearly not wanting to disturb his wife, but when he turned around, he saw Claire sitting on the sofa waiting for him.

In the shot, Robin White is seen with her arms crossed, her long, white legs crossed, and her gaze filled with scrutiny and indifference.

Then came a sharp, accusatory tone: "Francis, you didn't make a single call in nine hours.

"Do you know we're going through something big? And you won't tell me the outcome. When have we ever run away from each other?"

Faced with his wife's questioning, Kevin Spacey's tone was soft but revealed a hint of timidity: "I'm sorry, I just want to find a solution first."

"Have you figured it out yet?"

"no."

Robin White suddenly leaned forward: "This affects me too. I'm not angry about the money, but we should face this together. If you don't tell me, we're finished."

The two then began to communicate, delivering each line in one take without any stumbles or hesitations, and their expressions and movements were all spot-on.

The audience felt as if they were witnessing two politicians exchanging ideas, rather than two actors putting on a show.

"Frank, you have reason to be angry!"

"Yes, I'm absolutely furious."

"Then why can't I see it?"

"What do you want me to do, Claire? Shout and yell like a twenty-year-old?"

"I want to see how you perform, Frank."

"I'm sorry, I'm very sorry, Claire."

No, I won't accept it.

"What do you want?"

Robin White stood up from the sofa and gracefully walked upstairs: "I don't accept your apology, because my husband never apologizes, not even to me!"

The camera then zooms in, giving a close-up of Robin Wright's face.

Her eyes were cold, as if devoid of any emotion. She had no intention of comforting her depressed husband, and her words were not meant to encourage Frank.

"Cut! Fantastic! A perfect performance!"

Eric stood up and led the applause, and the others joined in.

The two actors completed the nearly five-minute scene without a single mistake, demonstrating their excellent professional skills.

Eric put this scene in the first scene to set an example for the other actors, so they could assess their own abilities and work harder in private if they weren't up to par.

Beside him, Balefali, deeply moved, couldn't help but widen his eyes.

At that moment, she suddenly felt immense pressure. Compared to this, the crew of "The Walking Dead" was nothing.

It's not that Rick, Daryl, and Daniel Wu are bad actors; they are excellent actors as well.

But excellence is graded; 80 points is considered excellent, 99 points is also considered excellent, and the difference of a dozen or so points is the gap between an Oscar and an ordinary actor.

The thought of having many scenes with Kevin Spacey made Barrefaeli swallow hard, feeling deeply worried.

Although this scene is short, it lays an important foundation for establishing the relationships between the characters.

Frank and Claire were nothing like a typical couple; their relationship was more like that of close business partners, staunch political allies, and comrades-in-arms in the same trench.

This situation is more like the original form of the marriage system, a community of shared interests where everyone prospers or suffers together.

As for feelings, feelings are attached to cooperative relationships and do not exist independently.

If we were to make an analogy, it would probably be the real-life Clinton and Hillary Clinton couple.

After offering a few words of praise, filming continued.

"House of Cards, Scene 23: Action!"

Most of the scenes filmed today focused on the relationship between Frank and Claire, and their performances repeatedly impressed everyone.

Most scenes can be completed in one take, with occasional mistakes or shortcomings.

After Eric pointed it out, the two were able to quickly correct it, and the filming went very smoothly, with a surprisingly fast pace.

In just one day, they actually filmed nine pages of the script. If things continue like this, Eric will be able to finish filming the movie in less than a month.

Unfortunately, this is just a fantasy. The difference in the actors' skill levels is too great, and you can't expect others to perform as well as those two.

"Have a nice day. See you tomorrow, Kevin. See you tomorrow, Robin."

After waving goodbye to the crew, the film crew began to wrap up, and the staff gradually left work.

Eric discussed tomorrow's filming schedule with Andrea and Neil, and then left.

As Eric left the studio, other film crews were also wrapping up. He then went to the set of "Monster" on the side. As for what he was thinking, it was best left unsaid.

"Eric, what are you looking at?"

Patty Jenkins suddenly appeared and asked, having spotted Eric peeking around.

"Nothing much, just checking in to see how the filming of 'Monster' is going?"

"It went very smoothly. I took your advice and changed some parts of the plot. Now it's really dark all the way through, with a lot of perverted content added. We can only rely on you to get it approved."

"Don't worry, if I say it can be uploaded, it can be uploaded. At worst, some conservative countries just won't log in. How long will it take to film?"

"Filming will wrap up tomorrow."

"You finished filming so quickly?" Eric asked, somewhat surprised.

Patty shrugged: "I did thorough preparation, so filming went quickly, and we even had a little budget left. You should thank me."

"Hehe. You do have some of James Wan's style. If you keep it up, you'll definitely become a director sought after by major companies. How about this, to thank you for saving me the budget, I'll treat you all to dinner."

"Should I invite Theron or someone else?" Patty asked sarcastically.

"Of course, we're inviting Theron; you're just an afterthought."

Patty Jenkins was taken aback: "You're quite open about it, but she's already gone."

"You're gone? Never mind, I'm leaving too."

Patty quickly pulled Eric aside: "I've put in a lot of good words for you lately, and I've also heard that Theron and her boyfriend had a fight and are giving each other the silent treatment."

"Why did you argue? Did you hit each other? Was there any domestic violence?"

"It's not about hitting anyone, it's just a living issue. Stuart Townsend is currently staying at Theron's house."

"Some media outlets say he's a little man clinging to Theron, but out of a man's pride, Townsend wants to buy another house."

"But with his income, Beverly Hills is out of the question, so he wants to buy a place in Irving."

"But Theron thought his idea was too naive and meaningless, not to mention that Irving lived dozens of kilometers away from Los Angeles, which made it inconvenient for him to work."

"Theron didn't want to live in Irving, but Townsend insisted on buying it, and the two had an argument."

"Women think men are clueless, and men think women don't respect them. Anyway, Theron said they had a pretty big argument."

After Patty finished speaking, Eric burst into laughter. He hadn't even put in any effort yet, and the other party had already run into trouble. It was a golden opportunity.

"I've already informed you. Whether you can seize the opportunity is up to you."

After thanking Patty, Eric left the filming location.

As soon as I started the car, I noticed Barrefali knocking on the window.

Eric rolled down the car window and looked at the other person: "What's wrong, Lefari?"

Lefari smiled brightly and said, "Eric, do you have time? How about we have dinner together?"

"Is there something you need?"

"Well, after watching Kevin Spacey's performance today, I feel a lot of pressure, so I'd like to ask you for some individual guidance."

As she spoke, she licked the corner of her mouth, the sexual provocation quite obvious.

Eric promptly declined: "Sorry, I have other things to do."

With that, he stepped on the gas and sped away. "I'm off to conquer Theron, who do you think you are!"

Looking at the speeding car's rear end and the black smoke billowing from her skirt, Balefali felt like her lungs were about to explode with anger.

After finally waiting for Gadot to leave, he and Eric were put in the same group.

She thought her chance had finally come, so she forced herself to forget the humiliation she had suffered and mustered the courage to seduce him. But to her surprise, he didn't even glance at her.

"Bastard! Idiot! You turtle bastard!"

Angrily resentful curses echoed from the parking lot.

(End of this chapter)