The Best Director

Chapter 17: Tacit Understanding

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

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“Rachel, Zachary, these are the last shots of the movie. Are you ready?” Wang Yang looked at Rachel and Zachary with a gentle smile and said, “After these shots, we’ll be done.”

Because the curtains were drawn tight, not a sliver of light crept in. The bedroom was shrouded in darkness with Rachel and Zachary both dressed in pajamas, nodding at Wang Yang’s words.

This was the seventh day since the start of the film shoot, and the fourth day Wang Yang had been using Joshua’s new DV camera. Over these four days, they had been working on “Paranormal Activity” daily, steadily making progress. Despite encountering numerous challenges during filming, they always found solutions, which didn’t impede Wang Yang’s advancing footsteps.

The filming was now at the final segment of the script. After completing these scenes, the shooting would be a wrap!

In the script, the young couple moved into this new apartment and experienced various supernatural events, like the scene where the female lead, Mel, stood blankly in the bathroom at night while Kevin’s DV camera captured a horrifying expression on her face in the bathroom mirror. Then, there was the scene where they heard strange footsteps in the hallway at midnight and followed them to the apartment’s utility room, only to find a shadow appearing on the screen of an old TV that wasn’t even plugged in.

These paranormal incidents started to terrify the young couple. They bought some items to ward off the evil spirits, such as spreading salt all around the house. However, it was ineffective, and at night, the supernatural events continued. The scared Kevin wanted to move out, but Mel flatly refused, leaving Kevin no choice but to stay with her for another night.

What followed was the climax. At midnight, Mel suddenly got out of bed while Kevin was sound asleep and stared blankly at him for over an hour. She then left the bedroom while the DV camera set up in the room recorded everything. Shortly after, a scream from Mel was heard from outside. The sleeping Kevin woke up in terror, hurried out of the room only to be followed by his own screams, each one weaker than the last until everything fell silent.

Then there was a sound of footsteps, approaching from a distance, step by step, as if entering the bedroom, but then suddenly stopping.

Now the film’s climactic part was about to unfold. Until this point, the entire movie had been playing on psychological horror, with not a single bloody scene shown, but with the construction of precise details, the audience “scared themselves”, their nerves taut, feeling a pressure in their hearts ready to burst at any moment. Now, how could the viewers be pushed to a mental breakdown?

The method was simple and cliché, just scare them with a sudden jump.

The DV cam’s strong first-person perspective made the viewer feel like they had been watching the static dimly-lit scenes from the same angle all along, creating a highly oppressive atmosphere and intense focus. At this point, a sudden appearance of a ghostly face, or a sharp, piercing scream would be enough to scare them out of their wits!

It’s a primitive technique but unquestionably effective. It’s like when someone is deeply focused on something, you quietly approach them from behind and then suddenly yell, causing them to leap in fright.

The entire day, Wang Yang had been filming this direct scare shot. After a pause in the footsteps, the male lead, Kevin, was suddenly flung into the bedroom, his body rapidly smacking into the camera, tilting the DV machine.

Shooting this scene posed a problem: how to make Zachary, who played Kevin, “fly” into the bedroom? Zachary had tried to perform it himself several times, but whether he dived forward or sprung backward, the results were dismal and Zachary even sustained some minor injuries.

Wang Yang pondered long and hard. If he used post-production special effects, he knew he did not have the skills to integrate them seamlessly into the film; and using wire rigs was out of the question due to lack of experience and inevitably high costs.

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Finally, it was Rachel who reminded Wang Yang to use practical effects. They bought a piece of cloth and tailored a human-shaped stuffed toy, bent in the middle, to match Zachary’s body shape. They filled the doll with sponge, put Zachary’s clothes on it, and created a stand-in for Zachary. Even though the doll was crudely made, the bedroom was dimly-lit and murky, so it wouldn’t be visible on camera, and it was sufficient for the filming needs.

The stuffed toy was flung into the bedroom by Wang Yang and Zachary together, then violently smashed into the DV machine. This simple shot became complex due to the doll’s changing shape in the air and the resulting camera angle after hitting the DV machine. Wang Yang shot it dozens of times, nearly destroying the doll, before finally getting the scene right.

Now, only the final shot remained. After Kevin was thrown into the bedroom, Mel calmly walked in, her clothing and face smeared with blood. She squatted down in front of Kevin’s body, seemingly noticed the DV camera, smiled at the camera lens, then reached out and turned off the machine, and the movie ended.

To shoot this scene, Rachel’s blue plaid pajama top and her face were smeared with red syrup, representing the film’s only “bloody” scene.

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“Yang, I’m ready,” Rachel said to Wang Yang, then she stepped out of the bedroom to wait in the corridor; meanwhile, Zachary curled up in a ball on the floor, covering half of the camera’s view.

Wang Yang, also crouched on the floor behind the DV camera, looked at the screen and shouted, “Okay, places everyone, the final shot of the movie, action!” His heart skipped a beat as he pressed the start recording button on the DV camera.

In the dimly lit bedroom, with only a faint and eerie blue light, Rachel, playing Mel, stood motionless at the bedroom door. She slowly walked over, step by step, squatted in front of Kevin’s corpse, her face deadpan. Suddenly, she looked at the DV camera and laughed wickedly, her hand reaching out toward the camera, plunging the lens into darkness.

“Cut!” Wang Yang frowned, indicating his dissatisfaction with the performance. Having spent a week with him, Rachel had become familiar with his mannerisms. Seeing him biting his lip, she knew it meant he was brewing something to say, so she quietly watched him.

She guessed right, for Wang Yang soon told her, “Rachel, your smile was a bit overdone. For this final shot, Mel’s smile doesn’t need to be so exaggerated. You can smile more naturally, which combined with the rest of the movie, is more frightening, chilling, understand?” He was still lying on the floor, looking up at Rachel, who had stood up, and added, “Also, when you walk over, make your stride more rigid, and your face calmer.”

Rachel gave an “OK” sign with her hand and said with a smile, “I get it, smile more naturally, like this, right?”

“Yes, that’s not bad, but I need it a bit sweeter! You know, like you’re looking at your boyfriend,” Wang Yang finished speaking and Zachary on the floor muttered, “Oh, smiling sweetly in front of your boyfriend’s corpse, that’s sick.” Seeing Rachel ready at the doorway, Wang Yang smiled and announced, “That’s the sick effect I want. 3, 2, 1, action!”

Upon hearing action, Rachel walked over step by step. This time her body was very stiff, like a zombie; she squatted in front of Kevin’s body, slowly smiled at the DV camera, her dimples revealing. Those dimples, which always looked sweet, now smeared with blood, gave a sweet smile that sent shivers down one’s spine.

Wang Yang clenched his fists, feeling a surge of warmth in his heart, and shouted loudly, “Well done! That’s a wrap!”

“It’s a wrap! A wrap!” In excitement, Zachary sprang up from the floor; Rachel breathed a sigh of relief, closed her eyes with a smile, then opened them again, her face all genuine, sweet smiles.

“It’s over! The movie is finished! We did it!” Wang Yang stood up from the floor, uncontrollably swinging his clenched fist, and exclaimed, “YES,” saying, “My God! I’m so happy! Unbelievable! We’re done, we’ve perfectly wrapped up! This whole week it was like living in a dream! My God!” He looked at Rachel and Zachary, excitedly adding, “Thanks for your hard work, you really did great!”

He opened his arms and hugged Zachary, patting Zachary’s back in gratitude, “Thank you, Zachary! You were amazing!” Zachary laughed and patted him back, saying, “Yang, I thank you too. You gave me an opportunity.”

Letting go of Zachary, Wang Yang then turned to Rachel with a smile, and Rachel, also smiling, took the initiative to open her arms and hug him. The two embraced tightly. Wang Yang spoke earnestly, “Rachel, thank you, a huge thanks! You were fantastic. You reminded me of so much and helped me tremendously… I don’t know what else to say, just, thank you.”

Rachel leaned on Wang Yang’s shoulders, her face serene with a gentle smile and slight dimples, her voice soft, “Yang, you’ve taught me a lot. I’ve gained so much this week, learned a lot of things you can’t learn in school.” She added with a laugh, “And working with you has been a pleasure.”

“I’ve enjoyed it too,” Wang Yang said with a smile, patting her shoulder, and the two separated, sharing another smile.

Just then, Zachary sighed, “Oh, it’s amazing when I think about it. I actually became the male lead for once! Wow, it’s so surprising!” He spoke earnestly, “Honestly, I’ve had a fulfilling and happy week. Every day there’s filming, getting to perform in front of the camera, oh, that’s my favorite job. Not like guiding people in the supermarket.”

Rachel smiled, “Yeah, this is more fun than sitting in class.” She shrugged and said, “But of course, I still have to go to class. This week of acting has shown me I have far to go, a lot to learn.”

“I can’t believe I have to go back to my old life tomorrow,” Zachary sighed with a touch of melancholy, the previous excitement disappeared, shaking his head and saying, “Every day, guiding people in the supermarket, ‘Hey, do you know where the vegetable section is?’, ‘Oh, it’s over there, ma’am, come with me’, ‘Hey kid, you can’t crush the chips…’ My God!” He covered his forehead, “It’s always the same. If there’s an audition, I try my luck in Hollywood, and if I’m lucky, I get an extra part, usually just as a face in the crowd.”

Seeing the mood turn somber, Wang Yang opened the curtains, letting the light from outside flood in, instantly brightening the bedroom, and jokingly said, “Buddy, don’t worry. Once this movie is released, even if you don’t become a big star, you’ll get plenty of opportunities for supporting roles.”

Zachary and Rachel both laughed, but Zachary left unsaid, how easy is it to get this movie distributed? A home DV production, a ten-thousand US dollars budget, a young director barely eighteen and two months… Which distribution company would favor it?

But what Zachary didn’t know was that Wang Yang couldn’t even be considered a young director, just a “Baby” director. In Hollywood, a thirty-year-old directing a movie is considered quite young, and the Guinness World Records lists such an entry, the youngest director in Hollywood, Steven Paul, who was just 20 when he directed “To Fall in Love Again” in 1980. Wang Yang, right now, is 18 and a little over two months.

All of a sudden, Zachary proposed, “Yang, Rachel, I have an idea, let’s go out to a bar to hang out.” He rubbed his head and said, “You know, after today, who knows when we’ll be able to get together again.”

“Sure,” Rachel nodded happily, and Wang Yang agreed, “Yeah.” He looked at Rachel and said with a laugh, “But you guys need to change out of your clothes first, it’s not Halloween, vampires can’t come out yet.”

Rachel grinned and made a wicked expression, dipped her finger in the “blood” on her face, put it in her mouth, and sipped it, huskily saying, “How sweet.” Then she couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Oh, wait! Rachel, this shot is quite interesting, I think I should add it to the movie! Everyone, our work isn’t over yet!” Wang Yang suddenly snapped his fingers, his face serious. He looked at the stunned Rachel and Zachary, then suddenly burst out laughing, “All right, all right, I’m just joking. My friends, go change your clothes.”

Rachel rolled her eyes at him and said with a shrug, “Actually, I wish you weren’t joking.” Zachary also sighed, “Yeah, as soon as I heard ‘Places everyone,’ I felt a surge of energy throughout my body.”

“Wow, I’m really touched, but it’s already over.” Wang Yang said as he shook his head with a smile, while he packed away the DV camera, feeling somewhat lost, not knowing when he would be able to call out “Places everyone,” “Action,” and “Cut” again…

After some laughter, Rachel went to the restroom to change clothes and wash her face; and Zachary, who was wearing a white tank top, only needed to put on a T-shirt and a jacket.

Wang Yang connected the DV camera to the computer, transferring the footage shot today to the computer. While waiting, his phone suddenly rang. He took it out to see it was a call from Jessica Alba, who called every day around this time, close to dusk, to ask about the progress of the movie. Wang Yang smiled as he answered, “Hi, Jessica.”

“Hi, Yang. How did the filming go today? Is it done?” Jessica asked, knowing from yesterday’s call that the filming might end today.

Wang Yang leaned back comfortably in his chair, watching the progress of the transfer complete on the computer screen, and said into the phone with a smile, “Mm, it’s done. My God! Jessica, do you know? This feeling is so great, so amazing!” He exclaimed with a “Wow,” and said, “I’m feeling very fulfilled, very excited. Just think, I actually made a movie, I’ve been a director, my God, it’s crazy, unbelievable!”

“Yang, congratulations, I’m proud of you,” said Jessica, laughing with delight. She originally wanted to come and witness the final moments of the movie’s shooting today, but that morning, she had suddenly received an audition opportunity, a minor role as a retail store cashier who had a few lines with the lead actor. It ended in failure, the film’s director and producer both rejected her, because she didn’t have the ordinary temperament of a cashier, and they eventually chose a round-faced Caucasian girl.

She wanted to mention this to Wang Yang, to express her dissatisfaction, but now Wang Yang was so happy, she felt she shouldn’t bring up such a disappointing subject.

Wang Yang swiveled in his chair and invited, “Oh, we are about to head out to a bar to celebrate. Are you free to join us?” Before he finished speaking, he let out an “Oh,” slapped his forehead with a chuckle, and said, “Jessica, I almost forgot, you’re not even 18 yet.”

Being under 18 means you’re not an adult, nor do you have the right to enter bars or nightclubs. Forget trying to slip in, in America, before entering a bar, you must show your ID to the bouncer. Without proof of adulthood, they absolutely won’t let you in, because it’s not just a matter of morality, it’s the law.

It’s prohibited for minors to enter bars and nightclubs or to consume alcohol. Consequently, selling alcohol to minors is also forbidden. The laws in America regarding this are very strict, and enforcement is well-handled. In some areas near bars, police may even patrol all day, ready to check the ages of suspicious individuals. If it’s discovered that a bar allowed a minor to enter and sold them alcohol, the owner could face a light sentence of a fine or a revoked license or a severe one of imprisonment.

“Yes, I can’t go now.” After speaking with him for a while, Wang Yang was about to head off to the bar, and she said, “Yang, have fun, bye!

The bar they were heading to was recommended by Zachary. It was a bar where you could enter at the age of 18. There was a stage in the middle with a small dance floor beneath it, and smoking was prohibited, so it was quite clean. Although it was crowded and noisy, there was no smoky haze. Strictly speaking, even though Zachary was born in 1980, he hadn’t yet turned 18 and shouldn’t have been allowed in the bar. However, he seemed to be familiar with this place and was let in by the bouncer, who, of course, stamped a red mark on the back of his hand.

The red mark meant that the person was not eligible to buy alcohol, because the legal drinking age in the US is 21. In contrast, those who were over 21 were stamped with a blue mark. Thus, 18 years and 2 months old Wang Yang and 19 years and 5 months old Rachel had their hands stamped with the red mark by the bouncer.

“Cheers!” Wang Yang, Rachel, and Zachary sat in a corner of the bar, toasting with their glasses of chilled soft drinks before taking a sip. They had no choice: although they were old enough to enter the bar, they weren’t old enough to buy alcohol, so they stuck to soft drinks or water, and they chose soft drinks.

“So, Yang, why do you want to become a director?” Zachary asked with a smile, as Rachel looked on with interest. It was the most common type of bar game, where everyone asks each other questions, and the person asked has to give an honest answer.

Wang Yang furrowed his brows in confusion and said, “If I say the reason is ‘because I like it,’ will you guys hit me?” Zachary and Rachel both rolled their eyes and said “Please,” and Wang Yang just shrugged and replied, “OK, OK. Well, I’ve always liked movies since I was young. When I listened to stories or read Grimm’s Fairy Tales, my mind would fill with many images, even from a simple idea, I couldn’t help but turn it into scenes. Then I thought, if I could film those, like in the movies, that would be so cool.”

“That’s why I aspired to be a director.” Wang Yang took a sip of his soft drink before adding with a laugh, “There’s another reason. Have you seen the movie ‘Cinema Paradiso’? I watched it back then, but at the end of the movie, when Toto screened Alfredo’s cut film, my mom covered my eyes. Oh, I was so, so curious about what Alfredo cut, and at that time, I thought only directors could see those films. So now you know.”

Rachel and Zachary both laughed good-naturedly, and Zachary curiously asked, “Have you watched it now? I mean, the last films from ‘Cinema Paradiso’?”

Wang Yang shook his head and said, “I know what’s in them, but I still haven’t gone to see them.” Rachel looked at him with a mock-reminder tone and laughed, “Yang, you’re a director now, you can watch them.” Wang Yang smiled and replied, “No, I told myself when I was young that I would go to see them after my first movie was released. I can’t break that promise, it’s also what keeps me moving forward.”

Rachel and Zachary nodded absentmindedly, and Wang Yang asked, “So, Rachel, Zachary, why did you want to become actors?” He looked at Rachel and said with a smile, “Ladies first.”

“Thank you.” Rachel smiled, then said seriously, “Well, actually, like you, I ‘like’ it.” Wang Yang and Zachary booed her, and Rachel smiled as she began her story, “OK, when I was very young, I loved to dance. Toronto is a cold city with many ice rinks, so I took up figure skating, which is a kind of ice dance. Then one day, my father took me to a musical, and I was enchanted.”

She exclaimed “Wow” with a sense of wonder, “It was so stunning, the world on stage was so fascinating, so romantic, I wanted to be a part of it. So, I gave up skating and started practicing dramatic arts.”

“Then why aren’t you a stage actress now?” Zachary asked curiously.

Rachel smiled slightly and said, “Because I later realized that what I loved most wasn’t the dance, it wasn’t the singing and dancing of musicals, but those romantic, charming, and fun stories, and in this regard, films satisfy me more.” She paused, grinned showing her dimples, and said, “In fact, I can still play in stage dramas, be assured I haven’t fallen behind much in dance.”

“Hardworking Rachel! Here, let’s give her a round of applause.” Wang Yang took the lead in clapping, and Zachary also clapped enthusiastically; Rachel maintained her smile, occasionally rolling her eyes and making funny faces. After the commotion, Wang Yang turned to Zachary and asked with a smile, “And you, buddy?”

Zachary took a sip of his soda, scratched his head, and said somewhat shyly, “I wanted to be a race car driver, a dancer, I even wanted to be a police officer, doctor, pilot… But, as you all know, in reality, you can only choose one of these professions; it’s impossible to become all of them. Then.” He tilted his head as if struck by a marvelous revelation, “When I found out about acting, being an actor meant you could experience all these professions, right? You could even be 007! Just like that, I fell in love with the profession of acting.”

Wang Yang raised his cup with a smile, “Now, we’ve all made it, haven’t we? Cheers!” Rachel and Zachary also raised their cups, and the three of them laughed as they clinked their glasses and each took a sip of their soda.

The trio chatted for a while, when suddenly the bar started playing fast-paced rock music, and the entire place erupted with exuberance, constant whistling, and the young men and women in the small dance floor pulsating with energy.

Hearing the music, Zachary, who loved dancing, couldn’t contain himself any longer. He stood up and plunged into the small dance floor, twisting his body to the rhythm of the song, dancing on his own.

“Let’s dance too!” Wang Yang stood up, walked over to Rachel’s chair, and extended his hand invitingly, imitating the accent of a charming gentleman with a smile, “Would this beautiful lady allow me the pleasure of a dance?”

Like a graceful lady, Rachel smiled generously, extended her slender hand, and lightly placed it in Wang Yang’s, “Of course, I’d be delighted, it’s my honor.”

Wang Yang, smiling, pulled her to her feet, and they walked to the dance floor. Wang Yang’s right hand supported her waist, while Rachel’s left hand lay on his right; their other hands clasped tightly together, and they naturally began to waltz. The bar was currently blasting rock by The Beatles, and everyone else was shaking dance of their own, leaving them to stand out.

They took a few steps in sync, and Rachel couldn’t help but laugh, “Yang, do you think we look odd? It’s rock music now.”

Wang Yang, with an unconcerned smile, kept stepping in time and said with a laugh, “Rock music? So what? Rachel, do you know what ‘waltz’ means?” He made a gliding step and said with a smile, “The word comes from German, and in German, it means rolling or spinning. Would you say a waltz contradicts rock?”

Rachel, effortlessly keeping up with his steps, looked at him interested, “Wow, I didn’t know you also studied dance.” Wang Yang laughed, “Just a little bit.” Rachel said with a smile, “No, not just a little, you dance very well.”

The waltz is a dance that demands coordination, and though it was their first time dancing together, and the current music was not a waltz tune, they danced with the fluidity of passing clouds, without making mistakes like stepping on each other’s feet. This showed that both were skilled dancers and had great chemistry.

“Oh, you too.” Wang Yang laughed as he turned around in the crowd, gliding gracefully through the dense dance floor, attracting many onlookers. While Rachel moved in sync with him, she laughed, “Well, I’m not the same, I trained for this, but you’re someone who learned how to make movies.”

Wang Yang laughed, “Oh, filmmaking is my dream; dancing is my hobby! Who doesn’t like to dance?” After a few more steps, he suddenly said, “Beautiful girl, let’s try something more challenging!” With that, he lifted Rachel by her waist and she, understanding his intention, pushed off the floor and, following his lead, executed a spin.

“Now this is tango!” Rachel exclaimed with a “Wow.”

“Good, that’s easy for you, let’s do it again!” Wang Yang laughed as he held her waist, and, upon reaching an open space on the dance floor, they began spinning ceaselessly. Rachel responded calmly and said with a smile, “Bring it on, I’m ready.”

The two locked eyes, their bodies pressed together and twirling, yet not making a single mistake, enjoying the silent understanding between them.