Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 22: Darling of Lens'

David stood with his hands on his hips, a wave of frustration and helplessness surging in his chest.

Generally speaking, in order to seek good luck, the first scene of production would arrange for a simple shot. Passing smoothly through it implied that the subsequent filming would also proceed smoothly. That was the reason they chose this scene.

However, they never expected that just two seconds into the first shot, things would go awry. And it was the most basic, most amateur, and most frustrating situation - the actor's focus and focal point were off, which truly ignited David's anger.

One of the biggest differences between movies, television, and theater lies in visual focus.

On the stage of a theater, the actors' focus is always directed towards the audience below. They need to release their emotions to the audience, even making eye contact with a specific audience member to convey emotions, thus delivering a visual and auditory impact.

Movies and television, however, are different because the camera lens is constantly moving. Directors want to switch between different angles, distances, and positions to create different spatial sensations. The colors, lighting, scenery, and characters within the frame are all means for the director to express ideas, known as "visual language." This means that the actor's focus should be based on the director's instructions, which could be focusing on an empty space, looking at a scene partner, or directly facing the camera.

Many novice actors - especially those transitioning from theater - are accustomed to looking at the camera, especially when the red light indicating the camera's operation is on, using it as a focal point to adjust their focus and rhythm. Such rookie mistakes are not uncommon but are indeed frustrating.

Just now, Renly committed this mistake. As the camera moved, Renly's focus was drawn to the red light and followed the cameraman's footsteps, completely disrupting the entire composition.

David was truly furious. The first scene of "The Pacific" was interrupted due to such a trivial error, ruining the auspicious start. David clenched his teeth fiercely. He could have scolded this extremely foolish newcomer, but considering that this was just the first scene of the shoot, he suppressed his anger and said, "Don't stare at the camera. First rule of being on screen, understand?" The words came out slowly, each word carrying an uncontrollable sense of helplessness as if mocking Renly's ignorance.

In the background of the crew, many experienced members were whispering to each other, their faces filled with sarcastic smiles. Whether it was a rookie making a mistake or a newcomer being scolded, these were the best topics for the crew members' leisure time conversations. "The Pacific" had just started shooting its first day, and Renly already had an affectionate nickname - "the embarrassed rookie."

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Upon hearing the "cut" command, Renly's first reaction was a bit dazed. With full confidence and ambition, he stood in front of the camera, believing that his performance in this scene was flawless, perhaps even stunning the audience. But to his surprise, just two seconds after the start, he was asked to stop. It was like a slap in the face, leaving Renly somewhat caught off guard.

Subconsciously turning his head, Renly searched the crowd for Darin's figure. Didn't he just say it would be a mid-range to long-range shot, tracking shots? Why, during the actual shooting, was it a close-up to mid-range shot, taken by the cameraman? Suddenly spotting the presence of the cameraman within his line of sight, his attention was distracted. Coupled with his unfamiliarity with the moving camera, he instinctively adjusted the focus based on the red dot, leading to the situation.

Renly easily spotted Darin. At this moment, Darin was chatting quietly with someone beside him, appearing relaxed with a smile on his face, seemingly oblivious to any issues. Sensing Renly's gaze, Darin glanced up, paused for a moment like a feather gently halting mid-air, then promptly looked away, devoid of any extra emotion, as if Renly was just an insignificant ant.

That was the truth. Darin was the chief stage manager of the entire crew, wielding absolute power behind the scenes; Renly was just a fledgling newcomer, powerless and insignificant, with few friends even within the crew.

Renly didn't understand why Darin was setting him up, but now he finally understood Rami's meaning. What "troublesome little devil" meant. In the crew, not only were there directors and producers with the power of life and death, but also cooperative actors and backstage staff. The latter might not decide life or death, but if they tripped you up in the details, it could be agonizing.

Suppressing the emotions swirling in his chest, Renly didn't foolishly complain to David about his grievances. He nodded and calmly took responsibility for his mistake, "Sorry. I'll pay attention." With a decisive stroke, he put an end to his first mistake as an actor. To regain his footing, as an actor, the simplest method was to impress the director with a brilliant performance, the most direct and effective way.

Adjusting his breath again to prevent his thoughts from being disrupted by the recent mishap, he once more immersed himself in his performance.

From Eugene's demeanor, Renly couldn't help but recall himself from his previous life. After the car accident, waking up from a coma, he found himself unable to move, the panic and fear akin to an endless free fall, persisting until the doctor pronounced his death sentence, condemning him to spend the rest of his life trapped in that hospital bed. Turning his head, he saw children playing in the hospital courtyard, running wild, laughing, and frolicking. The golden sunlight cast a thin halo over everything, so beautiful that it broke one's heart.

"Action!" David's voice resounded once again.

"In Pearl Harbor, in the Pacific Islands, in the Philippines, in the Malay Peninsula, in the Dutch East Indies..." Churchill's speech on the radio was detailing the current crisis of the war, while the crackling sound of burning firewood in the fireplace accentuated the coldness and tranquility of the room. Churchill's voice, devoid of much fluctuation, added a touch of solemnity. "Everyone must realize, the situation is extremely perilous now..."

Eugene descended from the second floor, wearing his coat, his footsteps involuntarily slowing down as he turned to see his father and brother listening attentively in the living room.

His gaze fell somewhat enviously and longingly on his brother, clad in his sharp military uniform, shimmering in the firelight; his father, holding a pipe, his once-erect spine now slightly bent, his face heavy with thought. "Only by the United States and the British Empire joining forces to resist Japan can we..."

His brother was the first to notice Eugene's presence, lifting his head with hesitant eyes, followed by his father, who glanced at Eugene.

Eugene's footsteps froze in place, his relaxed shoulders involuntarily stiffening, his straight spine attempting to uphold his last bit of dignity before his father and brother.

But he failed. The complex gaze carried too much weight, pressing down heavily, seizing his heart, cutting off all breath, his sturdy shoulders trembling slightly, revealing a hint of desolation and pain. The struggling resilience didn't last long, shattered in less than a second, crumbling completely, the trembling fragility dripping with despair, as if losing all strength, even the weight of a jacket couldn't be sustained.

The interweaving of despair and anger tightened Eugene's jawline slightly, his gaze avoiding theirs, revealing only half of his face beneath the light and shadows, a mix of calmness and indifference, yet outlining a touch of loneliness, slowly diffusing within the sparse halo. His thick and slender eyelashes cast a shadow, trembling slightly twice before shattering into countless fragments, disintegrating, the elongated pupils exuding a layer of misty sorrow, quietly spreading like ripples.

Then, his father shifted his gaze, returning to the radio, and his brother's gaze hesitated on Eugene's shoulder, burning with a painful intensity.

Eugene could no longer bear such torment, quickly leaving the hall, and stepping toward the front door, his heavy footsteps stumbling a bit, but without any pause, rather increasing in speed, the flames of blame and hatred blossoming under his feet like flowers. "Bang," the door slammed shut, the dull sound cutting off all emotions, abruptly ending.

His father sitting in the hall couldn't help but raise his head, turning to look in the direction where Eugene had left, a sense of melancholy evident in his eyes.

It was over, the filming of this scene was over, lasting only five to seven seconds from start to finish, ending quickly, just a fleeting moment. Yet, the set was eerily silent, not only did David not speak, but even the other actors held their breath.

In David's eyes, there was an incredible light, unbelieving that in just those short five seconds, this rookie newcomer burst forth with such astonishing energy.

Without a single line of dialogue, not even a close-up of the face, the entire shot only consisted of Eugene's back and profile. However, the subtle changes in the muscles of his back and the poised posture conveyed the complexities of despair, anger, sadness, pain, regret, and resentment vividly. Even in such a narrow window, he displayed emotional changes and fluctuations, touching the surface but leaving a lingering resonance. The overwhelming emotions in the profile shot were absolutely exemplary, a silent demonstration that surpassed words. Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, one could almost vividly see the traces of time etched on the facial lines, so stunning that words lost their meaning.

He was like the darling of the camera, the projection of light, the capture of images, and the transition of motion and stillness were all presented perfectly and vividly within the camera lens. It seemed as though every second of time was imbued with meaning. Indescribable, truly indescribable! This was a skill, but more than that, it was a talent, like a blessing bestowed by God, born for the lens, living for the performance.

Five seconds, just five seconds, and this actor conveyed all emotions flawlessly. David could even sketch out the vivid image of Eugene's entire character in his mind. This outstanding performance truly amazed everyone.

"Cut!" David finally found his voice, breaking the frozen state of the entire set, the shock pouring down like torrential rain.