Chương 260: Chapter 260: Signature Move
The shooting inside the studio took less than half a month before the crew moved to a shopping mall in a small town on the outskirts of Toronto. This mall, slated for demolition, had two floors, surrounded by wide streets and flat squares. Some of the merchants hadn't yet removed their goods and agreed to lend the space for filming, making it an ideal location.
The crew didn't even need to prepare makeup trailers; the cosmetic stores on the first floor had all the necessary facilities. Since the space was spacious enough, Matthew didn't request a separate room and stayed in one of the cosmetic stores with the other main actors.
There were only four or five actors using it, and he was the male lead, after all, and the store had separate dressing rooms for men and women.
"Hi, Matthew."
Jessica Alba, with her sweet appearance, came over to greet Matthew as soon as she arrived, "I didn't expect we'd be working in the same crew."
Matthew was equally polite, "Hello, Jessica." He added, "Have you been to the Staples Center to watch a game recently?"
"I go all the time. I'm a Lakers fan," Jessica Alba said with a particularly sweet smile, "but I've never seen you there."
"I've been a bit busy," Matthew said, honestly, "Sitting there but not understanding the game feels awkward."
Actually, the main reason was that after breaking up with Keira Knightley, he no longer needed to rub shoulders in the celebrity-filled areas of the Staples Center for visibility.
Jessica Alba suggested, "Next time, we should go together. I can provide live commentary for you."
Matthew nodded, "Sounds good."
At that moment, Alexandra Daddario emerged from the dressing room and walked over to Matthew, her blue eyes curiously landing on Jessica Alba, the only female role heavier than hers in the film.
Noticing Alexandra Daddario's approach, Matthew introduced, "Jessica, this is Alexandra Daddario." Then to Alexandra, he said, "Anna, this is Jessica Alba."
"Hello." Alexandra Daddario seemed genuinely shy, merely nodding to Jessica Alba.
Jessica Alba, on the other hand, was all sunshine and sweetness, "Hello."
Alexandra pointed to the chair Jessica was blocking and asked, "That's my makeup spot. Could you move, please?"
"Ah, sorry…" Jessica Alba moved away with a still-sweet smile, "Really sorry."
Without further comment, Alexandra Daddario took her seat, and Jessica Alba exchanged a few more words with Matthew before heading to her makeup spot. As she turned away, her smile vanished, and she nearly choked on a word starting with "B."
After makeup, the actors, led by the assistant director, went to a side door of the shopping center. The crew was almost ready, and Zack Snyder, having finished his immediate tasks, gave a brief briefing before the shooting started.
The side door of the supermarket closed with Matthew and Alexandra Daddario inside, and a cameraman equipped with Steadicam gear was responsible for the shooting.
"I'll count to three, then open the door!" Matthew, guns in hand, told Alexandra Daddario, "I'll go out to save people. You stay here. If things go south, close the door and don't worry about me!"
Alexandra Daddario tried to look panicked, "Don't open it! We'll all die if you do!"
Matthew's face was resolute, not needing much effort for expression since his persona already conveyed such a feeling. The male lead's character was designed around his traits, making it an easy role for him.
The action scenes in this film were fewer compared to "Pirates of the Caribbean," making this male lead role a greater challenge for Matthew.
Therefore, aside from action scenes, his takes often required several attempts, with NGs being the norm.
This scene was no exception, especially with Alexandra Daddario, whose acting was far from his level, standing by.
Director Zack Snyder soon called cut due to Alexandra Daddario's inadequate expression of panic. After a brief adjustment, shooting resumed, then Matthew made a mistake.
After five starts and stops for a simple door-opening scene, it was finally completed.
The following shoot, however, encountered an unexpected issue.
"This way! Run this way!"
On the path outside the door, Matthew yelled to Jessica Alba, leading a group of the old and weak, "Hurry to this side!"
Holding guns, he aimed at a zombie extra chasing the group and pulled the trigger. Smoke billowed from the gun, and the extra's head burst into a cloud of blood.
Behind Matthew, the camera turned to the group of the old and weak running towards them. With several actors in a desperate sprint, Jessica Alba, despite her significant role, didn't stand out.
Although Jessica Alba had a good figure, she didn't have the assets of Alexandra Daddario. Coupled with a blue, loose nurse uniform, she couldn't capture the camera's attention like Alexandra. Zack Snyder's choice of a wide shot made her appear ordinary among the running actors, even less noticeable than the zombie Matthew shot.
"Cut!" Zack Snyder stopped the shooting, feeling the scene lacked embellishment, and loudly instructed the actors to redo the scene.
He turned to Matthew, "Back to the door!" Then he called out louder, "Anna! Anna!"
Alexandra Daddario, wearing a tight, low-cut white tank top, came out from inside.
Zack Snyder instructed her, "Come out from inside, keep panicking, but don't scream."
"Okay." Alexandra Daddario nodded.
Matthew moved back to the door, deviating from the script, but on-the-spot adjustments by the director were common.
Alexandra Daddario sidled up to Matthew and asked, "Is this to increase my role?"
"Seems like it," Matthew glanced at Zack Snyder and whispered, "The director probably wants more embellishment in this scene."
Alexandra Daddario smiled at Matthew.
Meanwhile, Jessica Alba and the other actors returned to a medical ambulance to prepare for reshooting.
A makeup artist came to touch up Jessica Alba's makeup. Lifting her head, she saw Matthew and Alexandra Daddario by the door. Her bright expression momentarily clouded.
Matthew was the undeniable male lead, his role highlighted even in a group scene as he saved people. Jessica Alba could see that the main camera focused solely on Matthew, ignoring the rest, a treatment befitting the lead. She had no complaints about this.
Why would the director call out Alexandra Daddario? This young actress with an unusual look, clad in a tight, low-cut white tank top, was clearly meant to be a decorative figure.
Despite already having one "decorative figure," the director called for another...
Jessica Alba, a child star with years of industry experience, understood things clearer than newcomers. The allocation of script roles and the director's on-the-spot adjustments could directly affect a character's spotlight, but an actor's performance was equally crucial. For example, leveraging a particular advantage to outshine competitors could draw more attention.
Taking Alexandra Daddario as an example, she would undoubtedly attract more attention if both were to wear tight tank tops, a natural advantage.
During the crew's brief downtime, Jessica Alba, looking at Matthew Horner and Alexandra Daddario across the way, quickly thought
of a way to stand out without displeasing the director or crew.
This had always been her signature move, guaranteed to make her the center of attention with minimal complaints from others.
In recent years, Jessica Alba realized she had hit a plateau. To climb higher as a third-tier celebrity without sufficient resources, acting skills, or notable works, she needed a distinctive edge.
During the shooting of "Honey," she began following a PR guru's advice to reinvent her image.
As shooting was about to start, Jessica Alba glanced at the male lead across from her. It was a pity she couldn't communicate with him now; a discussion would have improved the effect. However, given their relationship, Matthew Horner might not assist her.
From her observations since the makeup room, it was clear he had an interest in the voluptuous Alexandra Daddario.
Hopefully, he was clever enough...
But even if he wasn't, at worst, an unexpected reshoot wouldn't cause dissatisfaction among the crew or director.
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