America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 43, Section 45: You Have the Potential (Seeking donations, continued reading, and monthly votes)

What exactly are movie auditions testing? Is it acting skills? Appearance? Background?

The answer is yes, but different types of movies have different focuses.

If it's an art film, then the requirements for acting skills will be raised, and acting skills can break through the limitations of appearance and help actors stand out.

For example, Anthony Hopkins, Meryl Streep, Benedict Cumberbatch, and others have average looks. Many people have said that Cumberbatch is ugly, but they can win over directors and audiences with their acting skills.

In China, Zhang Yi, Sun Honglei, Huang Bo, Ge You, and others are following the same path.

But for commercial films, or popcorn blockbusters, acting skills are not so important. Of course, that doesn't mean they are complete beginners; they still need to know some basic skills, which is why Eric arranged for Gadot to study in advance.

In these kinds of commercial blockbusters, directors tend to prioritize looks and charisma when casting actors. They want the actors to fit the characters' images. Campus movies need handsome men and beautiful women. If someone has buck teeth and a round face, no matter how good their acting is, who will watch it? We're not Ugly Betty.

Megan Fox, the original female lead of "Transformers", Lin Yun of Stephen Chow's "The Mermaid", and the trio of "Twilight" whose script has been expanded by Eric Chow all follow this pattern.

As for the background, it's definitely the most impressive of the three. Otherwise, just ask Gwyneth Paltrow and Xiang Zuo, and you'll understand.

Since that press conference, MGM has launched a global search, receiving more than 3400 resumes in a month.

These are all submissions from actors. If the audition process were opened to ordinary people, the number would probably reach hundreds of thousands or even millions.

It's impossible to interview all 3,000+ people; that would be too exhausting. So, the first round focuses on appearance and resume, eliminating 90% of the candidates at this stage.

Then comes the selection process, with each candidate going through multiple rounds of screening before finally being put on Eric's desk for him to finalize the list of those eligible to audition.

After a selection process, only about fifty people remained out of more than three thousand. These lucky individuals were then sent character biographies and script excerpts to help them prepare for the audition.

Of course, not all of the 50-plus people were lucky. In fact, more than 40 of them were people with connections, people who got in through their fathers' friends and acquaintances. So, background is the most important thing.

Even if we don't want to use these people, we still have to give them audition opportunities, otherwise we'll lose face.

They just tell you to go home and wait for news after the interview, and then a few days later they send a phone call or email saying you're not a good fit, without giving a specific reason, and that's it. Everyone still laughs when they meet.

Inside a large room, Tom Hardy sat in a corner, watching people continue to walk in, and a twitch appeared on his lips.

He saw James Franco, the young actor who became famous a few months ago for his role in Spider-Man. Although Franco is not a top star now, he is still a rising star. He felt a bit of pressure!

Then he saw Jake Gyllenhaal, a former child star who had been nominated for Best Actor at the Independent Spirit Awards last year for his role in Donnie Darko, which increased the pressure on him!

Next to walk in was Heath Ledger, who also started his career as a child star. Last year, he was nominated for Best Movie Actor at the 3rd Teen Choice Awards for his role in "A Knight in the Dark," which put him under immense pressure!

Then I saw Ryan Gosling not far away. He reportedly acted in his first movie last year and immediately received an Independent Spirit Award nomination.

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Tom Hardy suddenly felt his heart pounding. He had felt this way before, when he auditioned for Band of Brothers and Black Hawk Down.

Fortunately, he landed a small role in both productions, but that was the end of his acting career.

Those two roles weren't enough to help him break into the scene; you wouldn't even need a microscope to find him in "Black Hawk Down."

Today's audition is for the male lead, specifically the male lead in "Transformers," and the competition is incredibly fierce. I'm a little scared.

Just then, another person walked in. Seeing him, Tom Hardy quickly stood up and waved, "James, James, come over here."

James McAvoy heard someone call his name, looked in the direction of the voice, and spotted Tom Hardy, who had also played a small role in Band of Brothers.

Both are British actors. They met while filming this show and chat occasionally. They're not exactly best friends, but they're acquaintances.

"James, it's so great to see a friend here. I'm so nervous," Tom Hardy whispered.

"Me too. I was so happy when I got the audition notice. I flew to Los Angeles the day before yesterday, but now..." James McAvoy also looked smug.

"I feel like my chances of getting the role are slim. How could I possibly compare to James Franco?"

"Don't be discouraged. James Franco is indeed the most famous, but if we only considered fame, MGM wouldn't have held a nationwide audition, would they?"

"Yes, but I'm still very nervous, my heart is pounding!"

"Relax, think about what you learned in school, take a deep breath. He's here too."

"Who?"

James waved: "Michael, come over here, I'm here."

Seeing so many people waiting for the audition, Michael Fassbender couldn't help but gasp when he walked in. Just as he was about to find a place to hide, he heard someone call his name.

Turning around, I saw James McAvoy, whom I had met while filming "Band of Brothers," and his junior fellow apprentice, Tom Hardy.

As if he had found his people in an instant, he quickly walked towards the two of them.

Although they are competitors, at this moment, he still hopes to have a warm little group to accept him.

It might not be warm, but it'll be fine as long as it can withstand the wind. He's cold!

Sitting down next to James McAvoy, Fassbender swallowed hard and whispered, "It's so oppressive. Is nobody talking?"

James raised his chin: "Whoever speaks loudly will become the center of attention, which is not a good thing at times like this. Look at Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Heath Ledger, they are whispering to each other."

"Who's that? He's got a great body!"

"His name is Chris Evans, I think. I saw one of his movies last year."

"The male lead?"

"Yes."

"Stop talking, I'm getting even more nervous!"

Inside the audition room, Eric sat in the middle, with several people sitting on either side of him, including a man and a woman who were his partners.

The woman's name is Patty Jenkins, she is 31 years old and works as an assistant director.

It doesn't matter if you haven't heard of her name, you've definitely heard of or seen her works.

The movie "Monster" is the one that won Charlize Theron the Oscar for Best Actress.

The movie "Wonder Woman" is the one Gal Gadot will star in in the future.

Not long ago, Patty Jenkins was trying to get investment for her script as a female villain, and then she was caught by Judy.

It has to be said that Judy has a very keen eye for choosing scripts. She brought us "Saw" first, and now she's brought us "Monster".

Eric immediately agreed, promising her investment in the film and allowing her to direct, on the condition that she become Eric's assistant director on "Transformers".

Patty Jenkins signed the contract without hesitation. In just over six months, he received tens of millions of dollars in investment. It was a great deal!

The man's name is Neill Blomkamp, ​​he is 23 years old, not very old, and works as an assistant director.

His most well-known works are probably District 9 and Chappie. His current abilities are certainly not as good as Patty Jenkins', but he is perfectly capable of being an assistant director.

After checking the time, Eric said, "Let's begin."

Soon, a sunny-looking young man walked in and greeted everyone politely, showing no sign of nervousness. Although he was only 23 years old, he had been in the industry for 10 years and had experienced similar scenes countless times.

Judging by appearance alone, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is qualified to play a seventeen or eighteen-year-old student without feeling out of place. Patty Jenkins and others checked him off on the form.

Eric didn't waste any time; it had been a busy day, so he got straight to the point: "Joseph, have you read the script? What kind of person do you think Sam is?"

This was almost a guaranteed question on the test, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt was well-prepared for it, answering it without hesitation.

"I think Sam is outwardly a nerdy high school student. He's not outstanding in school, doesn't have a girlfriend, and nobody believes his grandfather's story, so I think deep down he craves recognition."

"But at the same time, he is very brave and can stand up at critical moments, so he has courage and passion buried deep in his heart."

"When Bumblebee was captured, he cared for his companions, which shows that he values ​​friendship."

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's answer was satisfactory, so Eric pressed on, "If you were to play Sam, what would you do?"

"I will present the character based on my understanding of the role and in accordance with the director's requirements and the style of the film. The character is interesting but not complicated, and I believe I can handle the role."

"Very good, you seem very confident. I like confident actors; it's a manifestation of conviction. Let's audition, Neil, cooperate."

The scene the two auditioned for was where Sam, with the help of the Autobots, threatened Sector 7 to release the people.

This was Eric's deliberate choice. Scenes like those depicting everyday life in a school or family are no challenge for Joseph Gordon-Levitt; he's used to them. But this scene is about Sam's arrogance, and he has to bring out that sense of revenge.

A few minutes later, the performance ended. Eric and Patty Jenkins exchanged a glance, then looked calmly at Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's heart skipped a beat. This kind of scene was indeed one of his weak points, while Heath Ledger was much better at it. However, he was still confident in himself, a confidence that came from more than a decade of acting experience.

However, Eric immediately followed up with a bombshell question: "Joseph, you should be studying at Columbia University right now, right?"

"Yes, I'm a sophomore."

"So here's the problem: the filming schedule for Transformers is very tight, and I won't allow the actors to take leave. Can you afford to miss three months of your studies?"

This is a very real and potentially fatal problem. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is not studying acting, but French poetry, history, and literature. If he falls behind, it's a question of whether he can keep up with his studies, and an even bigger question is whether the school will allow it.

squeak

The door opened, and everyone's eyes fell on Joseph Gordon-Levitt's face, trying to read the result from his expression, but they were disappointed; he remained calm.

Heath Ledger, his good friend from "10 Things I Hate About You," came over, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "How's it going, bro?"

Once they reached a secluded spot, Joseph Gordon-Levitt spoke: "Heath, I think I messed up. You need to do better; this audition is very competitive."

Is it difficult?

"It might not be difficult, but he'll definitely make things difficult for you!"

"Who?"

"That MGM vice president, Eric Cooper."

"Eric Cooper? He's supposed to be the producer, but what about the director?"

"I don't know. There were only a few people in the room. I didn't see the director."

Heath Ledger looked at the audition room with a puzzled expression, then remembered that the director of Transformers had never been publicly announced.

In principle, this should be decided before casting. First the script, then the director, and finally the actors, because casting is also the director's task. If the director doesn't like the actors, how can the directing effect be good?

Anyway, good luck, bro!

Inside the audition room, after Joseph Gordon-Levitt left, Patty Jenkins looked at Eric.

"Eric, you're being very aggressive today, what's wrong?"

Eric countered, "Really?"

Another interviewer in his forties chimed in, "It couldn't be more obvious. Among the younger generation in Hollywood, Joseph is quite good."

"It's just that you seemed to deliberately choose that particular scene for him to perform, but it's actually just a very small interlude in the movie and it's not important. Don't you like him?"

Eric took a sip of water: "No, I don't dislike anyone. Everyone who made it to this stage is the best; they just have different areas of expertise."

"Joseph is great, but I don't think his personality is a good fit for Transformers."

"Don't you guys feel it? His artistic temperament is right now, and what suits him best is actually a fresh and lighthearted film about campus or city life. If he develops in this direction, I think his future is very bright."

"But Transformers needs sunny boys, and their personalities just don't fit together."

After hearing Eric's explanation, everyone nodded in agreement.

Some people are born with an artistic face. The first impression people have of them is that they are very melancholic. Such actors are naturally best suited for that type of role.

"Eric, did you really study finance?"

"Why do you ask that, Pierce?"

"I've been in this business for decades, and I've auditioned at least several thousand actors," said Pierce with a smile.

"But if you ask me to analyze what career path an actor should take, I would never dare to say, and I don't think many people would dare to make a definitive conclusion."

"Even though Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been in the industry for over a decade, he probably hasn't even figured out his own position."

"But you can see where he is. You should really tell Joseph what you just said."

"Eric, this is a very rare ability, usually only possessed by top directors and producers."

Knowing the other person was flattering him, Eric went along with it and asked, "Do you think I have the potential to become a great director?"

"Haha, why not? Transformers is pretty good, maybe you can use it to practice."

"That's a very interesting suggestion! You said it!"

Thank you to reader 20200821144723084 for the 100-coin reward. I forgot to thank you yesterday, sorry, boss is so generous!

(End of this chapter)