Chapter 90: Carrying on
"Is it true that the character's personalities and actions don't match?"
"Yes, that's correct," Colonel Logan nodded in agreement.
Lyman was taken aback; it was a direction he had never considered before.
"I watched the footage from yesterday. After the actor was attacked, he should have pulled out his gun for self-defense or counterattack. His reaction was too calm, not like a seasoned veteran on the battlefield..."
As Colonel Logan spoke, a complete character image gradually became clear.
During yesterday's shoot, he had only focused on instructing Nicholas Cage on controlling his expressions, but he had forgotten about the spontaneous actions a veteran would take when faced with possible threats.
"I understand..."
It wasn't until the film crew and actors arrived at the camp set that Lyman instructed everyone to reshoot the final scene from yesterday.
Although everyone was somewhat surprised, they followed the instructions. The camera positions were set up, and the set was arranged as necessary. Lyman pulled Nicholas Cage aside and gave him a few instructions.
"Keep your composure on the surface, but in the instant after the attack, add a reflexive motion of reaching for your gun, preparing to fight back. Understand?" Under the shade of a canopy, Lyman said to Nicholas beside him, "A person like him must have a tightly wound spirit. Bring out that feeling."
Nicholas stood silently by, listening attentively. After arriving on set, he was called over and learned that they would have to reshoot yesterday's scene. However, the newly added gun-drawing action wasn't difficult. Nicholas nodded confidently.
"Alright, you go prepare first," Lyman was also satisfied, looked around to make sure no one was nearby, and immediately whispered, "I'm sorry about yesterday. It was clearly my fault, but you ended up suffering for it."
Nicholas smiled faintly, unaffected, "You're the director. When the shoot doesn't go smoothly, it's definitely the most bothersome for you. It's just how it is when the pressure gets high. Everyone has their own worries at times." He glanced at Lyman and suddenly whispered, "I have a great stress-relieving method to recommend to you."
"What is it?"
"I have the contact number for a private party company that offers confidential services. Do you want it? I think it could help relieve a lot of pressure. People need to vent the accumulated emotions in their hearts."
"Nic," Lyman obviously understood what he meant but still scolded with a smile, "Go to the makeup trailer and get ready. We're about to start shooting, don't waste time."
Nicholas gave him a meaningful look but didn't turn around and leave. He stood there, his deep gaze seemingly penetrating Lyman's inner thoughts.
Pressure?
Perhaps.
He was only 27 years old this year, yet he had seemingly effortlessly amassed over ten million in wealth, which was something he hadn't even considered in his previous life when he only wished to independently direct a film. But with all this success, there was a sudden feeling of losing something.
He was currently in a state of not fearing what he had but fearing losing it.
He was afraid that his filmmaking skills would decline if he didn't do well. He was afraid that the market would no longer recognize his work, that the audience would no longer enjoy it. He was afraid that one day he would lose the authority to direct and shoot... Yes, he was very afraid.
The easier it came, the more afraid he became of it slipping away.
So he pondered, carefully selecting suitable actors and even making various efforts to persuade Nicholas to join the cast.
He stubbornly loved making movies and couldn't bear to imagine how desperate and disappointed he would be if he returned to the time in his previous life when he longed for an opportunity day in and day out.
These pressures existed and grew every day.
From "Buried" until now, these pressures accumulated deep within him, suppressed by appreciation and the joy of success. But as he ignored them, the pressure turned into a mountain, so real and present.
Lyman's expression probably let Nicholas see something, as he took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed one to him. Lyman took it and then took a lighter out of his pocket, lighting both his and Lyman's cigarettes.
The mellow flavor flowed through their lungs and was slowly exhaled. In all honesty, he hadn't touched this stuff in a while. He always tried to control himself.
Nicholas took another deep drag, immersing himself in the comforting ocean of nicotine.
"Do you know, I come from the Coppola family. I never lacked roles since I was a child, and everyone was willing to flatter me on set. Many people..."
"But I know they were doing it out of respect for my uncle Francis. Behind my back, I don't know how they schemed against me. And later I found out, the reason I got so many acting opportunities wasn't because of my talent or natural performance, but because those people wanted to please my family or use my status for publicity..."
"It's ironic. I always thought it was my audition that impressed them, but it turned out to be a fashion show..."
"The result of my efforts, in their eyes, was that I was born into privilege. Even my uncle sees it that way. He thinks that without the glory of the Coppola family, nobody would hire me as an actor..."
"We had a big argument, and then I changed my name and surname..."
"After struggling for a while, it was only when I swallowed two cockroaches while filming "Vampire's Kiss" that I finally gained everyone's recognition..."
"They started saying I was dedicated and a great actor..."
"Haha, it turns out that I wasn't really an actor during all those years of performing. It was all because of that."
"The cockroaches were disgusting, really. After swallowing them, I went to the hospital to have my stomach washed. But even so, I couldn't eat anything for several days. Finally, when I was too hungry, I forced myself to overcome it..."
"After that, I won the Cannes Best Actor award, and my life was full of brightness. Many people praised me. After listening to my agent, I transitioned to commercial films and still found success."
"My salary started doubling, from starting out for free to $20,000, $100,000, $500,000, $5M, $10M..."
"Everyone says I'm living a glamorous and carefree life, buying houses, cars, and all sorts of strange things, very wealthy. But they don't know how much pressure I had at that time. The more I enjoyed, the more afraid I became, afraid that one failure at the box office would make me lose my status..."
"This industry has too many examples like that. They can lift you up and naturally bring you down. And I don't want to be brought down..."
"I'm always inexplicably worried, uncontrollably irritable. You're much better at handling that than me."
Nicholas looked at him and said with deep meaning, "So, would you like the contact information for that service company? I sincerely recommend it."
Lyman looked at him and laughed. The pressure this person carried wasn't small either. Perhaps, as he said, everyone has their own worries. He was also afraid of losing.
"Thank you, Nic." Lyman suddenly felt much lighter and spoke sincerely.
"No need for that. It's just that I was also feeling terrible yesterday. Chatting with you has made me feel better."
"Haha, earlier you pretended not to care."
"How could I not care at all? I'm not a god," Nic's face also carried a smile, "Alright, I'm going to change my outfit now. I hope the next shoot goes smoothly."
"You bastard, you're hinting at me again."
"Haha..."
Nicholas turned and left, perhaps feeling a sense of camaraderie. His words seemed to have slipped out unintentionally.
Or maybe he wasn't saying it for Lyman's sake, but for his own. After all, the failure of "Windtalkers" had brought him immense pressure.
Those who praised him were the same ones now criticizing him, weren't they?
On the flat ground outside the camp, a large formation of soldiers marched along the path. At the forefront, trucks cleared the way, followed by five tanks and logistics trucks carrying supplies for the rear guard. Of course, the convoy also had infantry guarding various positions, remaining vigilant.
Suddenly, a large group of German civilians who saw the impending conflict were also getting evacuated, and the two groups converged. The marching troops continued forward in an orderly manner. Although the soldiers were cautious, they weren't particularly concerned. They had already advanced deep into German territory, encountering numerous groups of fleeing civilians along the way.
"Wardaddy" also watched these refugees, who were mostly composed of women, children, and the elderly. After all, most men of a slightly older age had joined the armed forces. The only ones remaining were the vulnerable groups.
The two groups kept their distance, walking cautiously. It wasn't until the front troops had completely passed without incident that something happened.
While the five tanks were moving steadily, a young boy, who looked to be around 11 or 12 years old, slowly took out something with a metal glint from his narrow backpack. His figure was hidden among the crowd of evacuees, making it difficult to notice him. This scene was filmed using three camera angles, and one camera was dedicated to capturing this "assailant."
Suddenly, he deftly loaded a bullet and pressed a button. One of the soldiers, who was sticking his head out of the tank to enjoy the scenery, was suddenly met with disaster. "Wardaddy" heard the sound of something being fired and instinctively reached for his pistol and pointed it in the direction of the sound.
When he saw the suspicious individual, "Bang, bang, bang!" Three bullets whizzed through the air, bringing down the suspicious person...
"Cut, that's a wrap!"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Shallowman
Shallowman "Vampire's Kiss" - "Night of the Vampire"
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