Capítulo 152: Chapter 152: A Battle Between Masters
After finishing the phone call, Luca paced into the set.
"Hey, Luca, want a beer?"
Ryan, sitting on the steps outside the attic, casually watched the performance with a beer in hand, looking quite relaxed.
"Thanks!"
Luca took a can of beer, sat beside him, and started watching the scene.
"They're doing really well!"
"Yes, very good, but still missing something."
"Missing something?"
On set, the crew was filming a scene between the protagonist Ellie and her mother.
Ellie had moved in with Noah, and now her mother had come to persuade her.
The focus of this scene was on Rachel and Joan Allen.
Joan Allen, in her forties, had been nominated twice for an Oscar for Best Actress and played Ellie's mother, Annie, in the film.
This was an emotional scene, a tough one to pull off. Despite both actresses' great performances, they had already failed three takes.
"Ron's coming over,"
In front of the white attic, Annie spoke with a complex expression.
Annie opposed Ellie and Noah being together. It was because of her that Ellie and Noah broke up the first time. After that, Noah wrote Ellie 365 letters, but Annie hid them all.
Now that Ellie was about to marry Ron Hammond, Annie thought the matter was over. But Ellie saw Noah's news in the paper and reconciled with him.
"Your father told Ron about you and Noah. He couldn't reach you last night, so he decided to come."
Annie spoke slowly.
"Great! Just great!"
Ellie shook her head, her face showing a mix of pain, guilt, and sorrow.
Ellie deeply loved Noah, but she also loved Ron Hammond very much. Both men were good people, and no matter who she chose, she would hurt the other. This tore her apart.
If Ron arrived in the creek town, it would surely turn into a scene of heartbreak for everyone involved.
The key players in this conflict were Ellie, her mother, Noah, and Ron.
All three were her loved ones, and she didn't want any of them to be hurt.
"That's right—me, you, Ron, Noah. What a lively little family we have,"
Ellie said helplessly and sadly.
"Ah."
Annie turned around, her expression more filled with pain and helplessness than Ellie's.
"CUT!"
The director called for a halt. "Rachel, your emotions aren't quite there yet. You need to amplify them."
Rachel nodded slightly, "Nick, I need five minutes."
"Take five!"
The crew paused, and Rachel sat on the floor, hugging her knees and burying her head in them without moving.
"Did you see it?"
Ryan took a swig of beer and asked.
"See what?"
Luca was puzzled.
"Do you know why the director called for a stop?"
"Rachel's emotions weren't strong enough?"
"NO!"
Ryan shook his head. "Emotions are relative. Let me put it this way: take the scene between you, Rachel, and Joan from yesterday. You had to redo it sixteen times. Do you know why?"
"My emotions weren't strong enough?"
Luca frowned.
"Yes, although that's not the main reason, it's a big one. Yesterday, you and Rachel were both smiling in the scene, but it was clear that her smile outshone yours. Her smile was like a blossoming rose; yours—well, like this."
Ryan picked a blade of grass from the ground.
"Compared to Rachel, your character wasn't as striking or captivating, which is why the director wasn't satisfied. If a less skilled actress had played Ellie, the scene would have passed easily, but the overall quality of the film would have dropped.
Nick is a strict director. He refuses to lower his standards, which is why he kept pushing you to perform better."
Luca nodded. He could tell the director was pushing hard, but it felt awful being criticized repeatedly in front of the whole crew. Without a strong heart, one might crumble under such pressure.
"But I was surprised by your performance today."
Ryan tossed the blade of grass aside and patted Luca on the shoulder with a smile. "You stood tall and became someone entirely different, confident and composed, like a redwood tree shooting up from the ground. In that moment, you overpowered Rachel's presence, and that's why the scene passed."
"So acting, emotions, presence—they're all relative.
Some say the director's level sets the height of the movie.
But when filming, the strength of your co-star determines your own.
Take yesterday's scene. You were far below Rachel. The director had to do everything he could to elevate you.
If you were beyond saving, you would've broken down, and the director would've kicked you off the set. Luckily, you pushed through and did well. Now, today's scene,"
Ryan pointed to the two actors on set, "is way harder than the one you had with Rachel. Rachel's been prepping her emotions for a while and is doing great, but her opponent is even better.
And that's not just about acting—it's about adaptability.
Joan's a seasoned actor, having performed in countless scenes, and she knows how to handle moments like this.
Both their emotions were at a peak just now, almost perfectly matched.
But then Joan turned around and stole the spotlight, leaving Rachel in the dust."
Luca raised his eyebrows. "You sound like you're narrating a boxing match."
"Haha, exactly."
Ryan stroked his beard with a laugh. "Acting and boxing are similar. A scene between two actors is like a duel, and group scenes are like a brawl. Everyone wants to be the winner, and the director is the referee. Yesterday, you lost sixteen rounds. Today, Rachel's already lost twice against Joan."
Luca rubbed his chin, thinking it made sense.
Ryan suddenly laughed, "Luca, you know what? You're both lucky and unlucky."
"What do you mean?"
Luca was puzzled.
Ryan grinned. "Lucky because we don't have a scene together. Otherwise, I'd have made you cry."
"F***! Am I really that bad?"
Luca said, dissatisfied.
"Of course! My acting is better than Rachel's, and Rachel's better than you. So what do you think would happen if we had a scene together?"
Ryan grinned like a fool.
Luca smirked. "So, what's the unlucky part?"
Ryan chuckled softly. "Do you know the best way to improve your acting? It's to face off with a master. When a rookie acts with a master, they grow immensely from the experience. And I'm a master. Too bad we don't get to spar."
"Alright, alright, you're the master."
Luca smiled and raised his beer. "We didn't get a chance this time, but maybe next time we can be rivals."
"Nice! You're brave!"
Ryan laughed heartily.
Luca shook his head and looked back at the scene.
The fourth take began, but once again, Rachel couldn't outshine Joan Allen.
Director Nick called for a pause, and after ten minutes, they resumed filming.
On the fifth attempt, Rachel still couldn't succeed. She sat on the steps, hugging her legs, looking completely drained.
"Aren't you going to comfort her?" Luca sighed softly.
Ryan shook his head. "If they keep shooting like this, Rachel will pull through. If I go over now, I'll just mess things up, and Nick will tear me apart."
"I'm starting to think acting can be pretty cruel."
"It is, especially when you watch someone you love feel so helpless in front of the camera and you can't do anything about it."
With that, Ryan stood up, grabbed a beer, and slowly walked toward the lake.
"Scene 4, take 6, Action!"
As soon as Ryan left, the battle on set resumed.
"Ron's coming over!"
In front of the white attic, Annie spoke with a complex expression. "Your father told him everything about you and Noah. He couldn't reach you last night, so he decided to come."
"Haha, great! Just great! You, me, Ron, Noah—we make such a lively little family,"
Ellie said helplessly as she lowered her head. The wind gently tousled her messy curls, her shoulders trembled slightly, and an unspoken sadness lingered around her.
Annie turned away, her eyes reddening.
When Ellie lifted her head again, her face was already streaked with tears.
"CUT!"
"That's a wrap!"
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