The Best Director

Chapter 36: Agreed

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After going through some basic audition actions, Wang Yang stepped aside from behind the camera, and looking at Jessica a few steps away, he smiled and said, “Next, we’ll start with the performance task.”

“Okay.” Jessica took a deep breath in secret, preparing herself mentally. The performance task was a crucial part of the audition, and she had to perform

well.

Wang Yang pretended to think about the performance task, waiting until Jessica’s breathing had steadied before he looked at her and asked the question he had already thought of: “Imagine you’ve just heard your boyfriend and his friends saying that he was only fooling around with you, that he isn’t serious about your relationship. So now, you’re very sad and lost, about to cry. Please perform this.”

Jessica had been practicing her acting intensively these days, but acting wasn’t something that could be mastered overnight. She furrowed her brows, pursed her lips, and tried hard to look as if she was about to burst into tears, but her performance was still immature.

Watching the camera’s screen, Wang Yang calmly analyzed in his mind. Jessica’s acting was limited to some very typical “sad” facial expressions and movements. If she were a presentational actor, she also acted too simply, lacking rich expressions and layers; if she were a method actor, her emotional investment wasn’t enough, and her performance was too obvious.

The presentational style emphasizes detached acting, meaning you are you, the character is the character. The method involves analyzing your character and the plot segments calmly and rationally, then designing performative details, and acting it out in sequence. Thus, the emotions of the presentational actors are all feigned; you might be crying in front of the camera, but in reality, you don’t feel sad at all. It’s not that presentational actors can’t immerse themselves into the role, but it emphasizes “control.” When acting, you must always remain alert and ensure that your performance is correct and on track.

On the other hand, method acting demands emotional investment. You are not yourself ; you become the character. You have to enter the inner world of that character and then embody them. In front of the camera, you are the character, and all you do is a natural performance. To help themselves get into character, method actors often go through “experiences,” such as Robert De Niro becoming a real taxi driver in New York for several months to prepare for his role in “Taxi Driver,” shuttling passengers daily.

Presentational and method acting constitute the basic styles of contemporary acting, and Wang Yang has always preferred method acting. Only when you truly understand the character and resonate with their soul will the character have a spirit and come alive on screen.

Take Heath Ledger, for example; he played the “Joker” flawlessly. Or Ellen Page, since accidentally watching a movie called “Juno” in her mind, he became enamored with the girl’s performance. If one must give praise, then it would be for her genius-level acting.

“The reason I love acting is that you can completely lose yourself and then become someone else.” This quote from Ellen Page in an interview reflects the thoughts of a typical method actor.

As for Jessica, her acting had neither the steadiness of the presentational style nor the spiritual energy of the method style; it was quite immature. But that was okay; she was only 17, just starting out. Acting skills could be honed over time; nobody is born knowing how to act, but with effort, anyone can become

an excellent actor.

After all, “High School Musical” is not “Moulin Rouge”; the leading lady doesn’t need to be an award-winning actress. What’s needed is a captivating young idol. Moreover, the film doesn’t have many sad scenes, and Jessica should be able to handle those shots with some rigid guidance.

Thinking this, Wang Yang looked at the camera screen and smiled, shouting, “OK, not bad. Jessica, show me a smiling performance. You and your boyfriend are engaging in a happy conversation. Pretend this is a close-up shot and just say a few words to the camera. When I talk, act like you’re listening to the male lead speaking. Got it?”

“Got it, I understand.” Jessica stopped her sad expression, immediately bursting into a smiling, cheerful demeanor as she spoke, “Hi, I’m Jessica, nice to meet you, the weather in Los Angeles is so nice today…”

Watching her sweet smile and lively expressions, Wang Yang nodded appreciatively. Jessica’s smiling performance was much better, probably because it was a true display; it was flawless. This was good news because “Gabriela” in “High School Musical” spends most of the time smiling.

He spoke a few more words, and Jessica’s listening attitude was also well done. After watching for a while, he said with a smile, “Good job! Jessica, perform a romantic and affectionate act now. You know, the kind where you look at your boyfriend with the sweetness and shyness of being in love.” This performance was important; “High School Musical” had many duets between the male and female leads, and they required this kind of acting.

Like looking at your own boyfriend? Jessica glanced at Wang Yang behind the camera and thought to herself, “He’s my boyfriend, he’s my boyfriend…” Repeating it several times, her heart began to beat faster. Looking at the camera lens, her lips naturally curled into a sweet smile, and she blinked, exuding a charming youthful allure.

“Wow! Fantastic!” Wang Yang couldn’t help but exclaim loudly. She was performing very well on camera, a stark contrast to the sorrowful scene just before-no trace of acting showed through, remarkable! He excitedly called out, “Cut! Jessica, well done!”

Jessica gave him another slight smile, running her fingers through her hair to slow her racing heart.

After several more takes, Jessica’s overall performance was not bad, sometimes naive but sometimes impressively striking. Wang Yang moved back from the camera to his seat at the long table and gave her an ” A+ ” for both appearance and temperament on his paper, but a “B+” for her acting. Her portrayal of sorrow wasn’t good, but the “passion” criteria greatly boosted her average score.

Wang Yang had not assessed Jessica’s dancing. Her profile stated she couldn’t dance, and he already knew that. However, it seemed it would be easy for her to learn. Now, the only thing left was singing. Looking at Jessica, who was waiting for the next audition segment, Wang Yang actually felt a bit nervous and said, “So, Jessica, sing us a song, please.”

Ms. Robert picked up a ballpoint pen ready to take notes, watching Jessica with interest.

“OK.” Jessica nodded, suddenly feeling a bit anxious inside. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat to sing “Take a Bow” by Madonna, the ballad she had been practicing daily: “Take a bow. The night is over…”

Wang Yang’s left elbow rested on the table, his chin cupped in his hand, smiling encouragingly at Jessica as he listened quietly to her song. Her voice sounded a bit nervous, but it was pleasant to hear, not at all tone-deaf. He watched Ms. Robert’s expression closely; her face was expressionless as water, occasionally jotting down some notes, revealing nothing of her attitude.

“The show is over. Say goodbye…” Jessica sang the last line and finally let go of her caution, exhaling with relief.

Once she finished, Wang Yang started clapping for her, with Sandy Pikes joining in a few claps. Ms. Robert, however, was bent over, writing quickly with her ballpoint pen. Wang Yang nodded to Jessica and said, “Jessica, you may leave now. Thank you so much for coming to audition.”

“Thankyou, goodbye then!” Jessica gave a slight smile to Wang Yang and the other judges, then turned and walked out. As she reached the door, she looked back at Wang Yang. He smiled and gave her a thumbs up, indicating everything was alright. She smiled back and left the audition room, closing the door behind her.

As soon as Jessica left, Wang Yang eagerly turned to Ms. Robert and asked somewhat nervously, “What do you think, Ms. Robert? Did the girl sing well?” “Her voice is alright, not an unpleasant type.” Ms. Robert nodded first and then shrugged, “But her breathing was a bit erratic, and with a faster-paced song, she might go off-pitch or out of tune because she sang very slowly and cautiously just now; also, she lacks singing techniques, she has no falsetto, and doesn’t understand when to breathe. She obviously hasn’t had professional training.”

So, nice voice, but erratic breathing and no technique… Oh buddy, I don’t understand these things! Wang Yang laughed self-deprecatingly and asked directly, “Ms. Robert, do you think with some professional training, and some studio production, her singing can be made to sound very good?” This was an important question, almost the only issue that could determine if Jessica would be the leading lady in “High School Musical.” She had the looks that surpassed other girls, her acting was passable, she could learn to dance, but she also needed to learn to sing. Thinking this, he added, “I’m not setting the bar high, as long as people think it’s ‘not bad, listenable,’ that’s enough.”

“Young man, that is already asking a lot,” Ms. Robert chuckled before nodding, “You can try. She’s already shown some musical talent, not a lot, just average. I can’t promise anything for a cappella; but in a recording studio, no problem. She said, smiling and spreading her hands, “Of course, you can’t expect her to become Madonna.”

“YES’.” Wang Yang couldn’t help but shout in joy, his hands forming fists which he raised in the air, exhaling a breath with a smile.

Sandy Pikes sighed silently to himself. So, the lead actress for this musical film was going to be that girl? This young boss obviously knew her; perhaps they were even an item, who could say! But out of concern for the company, he couldn’t help but say, “That girl has a great look, but her acting isn’t as good as many others. Eliza Dushku, the one before her, was better as an actress.”

“Sandy, I haven’t decided yet,” Wang Yang interrupted Sandy Pikes and turned to the secretary, Miss Fiona Hasen, with a smile, “Next, please! Let Jordana Brewster come in.”

Sandy Pikes shook her head with a hint of helplessness.

After a lunch break, the afternoon auditions continued for over an hour before the day’s sessions were finally concluded. Wang Yang, holding audition records and videotapes of the whole process, returned to his office. He waited for the computer to capture the footage from the tapes while leaning back in his chair, contemplating his choice for the female lead.

Actually, he didn’t need to watch the videos again as he already had an answer in mind. The best performances among the girls were Jennifer Love Hewitt, Eliza Dushku, and Jessica. Jennifer scored A for appearance, A for temperament, A for acting, A+ for dancing, and A+ for singing. Her temperament was more of a calm sweetness, not the perfect fit, but her singing was remarkable. Eliza scored A for appearance, B for temperament, B+ for acting, A+ for dancing, and B for singing. Her temperament and eyes leaned toward sexy, also not the perfect fit. Jessica scored A₊ for appearance, A₊ for temperament, B₊ for acting, with dancing to be determined-future “Sweetheart Spicy Dance” could be A+, and singing B.

Wang Yang silently looked at the names and scores of these three girls on the document, as if in a trance. After a while, he sat up straight, picked up a pen from the desk, and crossed out “Eliza Dushku”; she wasn’t sweet enough, and nothing else about her was particularly striking. Then, without any hesitation, he crossed out “Jennifer Love Hewitt” and smiled happily at the name “Jessica Alba”.

“High School Musical” first and foremost required an idol, the prettier and sweeter the female lead, the better, right? Jessica scored A+ in these respects, making her highly suitable for “Gabriela”. She wasn’t devoid of acting talent and even had moments that shone. Although some scenes were poor, filming a movie doesn’t demand getting it right on the first take. If need be, they could just shoot more takes and give guidance; there shouldn’t be a big problem; there was no need to worry about the dancing. And for singing, she could ’ receive professional training and record slowly in the studio.

Even if later on, she botched this aspect, they could still resort to “having someone else sing” for her. The future “Troy Bolton” actor, Zac Efron, had song recordings done by a substitute singer, which didn’t affect the film’s impact. As for the concert tour? Oh, they would think about that after the movie’s success!

Wang Yang had a clear idea; he was making a movie, and everything had to prioritize the film’s effect, so appearance and temperament were the most crucial criteria, and Jessica fit them best. Her acting passed muster, and she naturally got the role of the female lead.

Besides, one reason he wanted to make “High School Musical” was precisely to film a movie with good friends like Jessica, wasn’t it?

“Oh my God…” Wang Yang stood up excitedly, kicking to the side and throwing several punches into the air. In that moment, the part of his memory about his childhood with Jessica became unprecedentedly vivid. He remembered a lot, those images seeming to flash before his eyes.

On the grassy campus, they sat on a bench to rest.

Young Wang Yang, looking at young Jessica in her white floral dress, asked eagerly, “Jessica, what kind of person do you want to be when you grow up?” Supporting his head, he inquired with a grin, “I mean, uh, like, dreams and stuff?”

Jessica smiled shyly, pressing her lips together to hide her braces, and shook her head, “I don’t know…” Wang Yang leaned in close to her face, staring into her eyes, “Really, you really don’t know?” Jessica quickly dodged, her face blushing, and gazed down, barely whispering, “I really don’t know…” Why are you running away? Look in my eyes when you talk!” Wang Yang leaned in closer to look into Jessica’s eyes, but she dodged again, causing him to burst into laughter, wagging his index finger and shouting, “oh! You know, you know!” He pleaded, “Please, Jessica, tell me, I really want to know.” Jessica still shook her head gently, face flushed with embarrassment. Suddenly, Wang Yang had an idea and said, “Or how about this, I tell you mine, and you tell me yours. That’s it!”

Without waiting for Jessica to speak, Wang Yang excitedly shared, “My dream? Wefl, maybe becoming a director wouldn’t be bad. Then I can see all those cut film strips. Yes, I want to be a director!” he finished, nudging Jessica with his chin, “Your turn.” Jessica’s face flushed, she hesitated, and each time she seemed about to speak, she swallowed her words. After trying several times, he grew impatient, “I told you mine, if you don’t tell me, don’t you consider me a friend?”

No, it’s not that…” Jessica, fearful of upsetting him, quickly waved her hands and lowered her head, cheeks still red, but mustering her courage she said, “I… I want to be an actor.”

“What? An actor?!” exclaimed Wang Yang, full of surprise and astonishment, laughing heartily, “oh, that’s a great dream, really great!” Jessica’s face turned feverishly red as she kicked her feet and stared at her toes, whispering, “I just said it randomly…” Wang Yang glanced at her, softening his laughter, “Jessica, do you think I’m mocking you? Please! Do you think I’m Peter? I would never mock someone’s dream. I only mock those who still wet their beds, haha!” Jessica also laughed a few times, then confessed with little confidence, “Yang, I know you are not laughing at me, I just feel like I can’t become an actor.”

“Why can’t you become one? What’s wrong with wanting to be an actor? I’m telling you, you can make it!” Wang Yang slapped his chest, looking guaranteed-like. Jessica gratefully glanced at him, but then said dejectedly, “But the actresses on TV are all so beautiful, and I…”

There are ugly actresses too! Wang Yang opened his mouth to blurt out this line but stopped just as the words reached his lips. Scratching his head, he remembered the fairy tale “The Ugly Duckling” he read last night and changed his tune, encouraging her, “Jessica, do you know the story of The Ugly Duckling?” Seeing that Jessica nodded, he continued, “Well, right now you’re just an ugly duckling, but you will turn into a beautiful swan! Believe me, you’ve got to become an actor! Then when I become a director, I can cast you as my leading lady.”

“ReaUy? Will I become beautiful?” Jessica asked, both hopeful and skeptical, her clear eyes looking at Wang Yang. Wang Yang nodded and laughed, “Actually, you’ve always been beautiful. It’s just the braces that are a bit ugly, but they will come off eventually, right?” He then mimicked a line from a movie, speaking nonsense, “Oh, look at your eyes, they’re like crystals, these are the eyes of a beauty!”

Jessica shyly lowered her head and then gave him another glance, smiling happily, seemingly not minding showing her braces. She said, “Thank you.” “All right, all right, I’ll be the director, and you’ll be the actor.” Wang Yang stretched out his fist and grinned, “Jessica, come on!” Jessica extended her small hand and formed it into a fist to bump his, both of them starting to laugh “It’s a deal!”

Remembering these childhood memories, Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh foolishly. Jessica’s eyes like crystals? Oh God, how did he come up with that? He chuckled, then muttered softly, “I’ll be the director, you’ll be the actor…” Who would have thought that those childhood words would actually be about to come true! It’s crazy!

Wang Yang paced a few steps around the office, then couldn’t resist pulling out his phone to dial Jessica’s number. He walked to the floor-to-ceiling glass, looking out at the street and as soon as the call connected, he laughed, “Hey, Jessica, where are you?”

“Hey, Yang, I’m walking around Hollywood, what’s up?” Jessica’s voice came through.

“Be more specific, where? Oh, I know that place. I’ll be there in no time, just wait a bit for me.” Wang Yang said this while he walked back to his desk, grabbed a gray-blue coat, and put it on.

Jessica seemed to think of something, her voice becoming a bit tense as she asked, “Yang, has the lead actress for High School Musical been decided?” “Oh, no!” Wang Yang pretended to sound calm. He wanted to tell her the news face to face, so he said into the phone with a smile, “The lead actress hasn’t been decided yet, it’s something else. See you soon, bye!” Jessica responded, “Okay, bye.”

Pocketing his phone into his coat, Wang Yang quickened his pace and headed outside.

JKSK

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