Ironing out the wrinkles

Sami Gayle's eyes were filled with confusion. For her, she couldn't yet grasp the details and meaning of Renly's performance, let alone understand Tony's interpretation and perspective. However, there was also excitement coursing through her, watching Renly's performance up close like this. Despite the recent "ng", her blood still raced, and her whole body trembled.

Turning her head, Sami looked at Betty beside her and whispered, "Do you know what they're doing?"

Betty's gaze fell on her father, but this was her first time on a film set and her first time on a production. She knew nothing about what was happening before her. Honestly, she had no interest in acting at all; she was only here to help her father. But what had just unfolded before her had piqued her curiosity.

Hearing Sami's words, Betty wore an innocent expression, pursed her lips, and though she didn't speak, her attitude was unmistakable. This made Sami chuckle, her eyebrows and corners of her mouth lifting simultaneously. "This is really interesting! What do you think the next shoot will be like?" Sami's excitement was palpable as she imagined acting opposite Renly.

She didn't know what had happened, but she knew Renly and Tony were discussing the performance, and the artistic creation process was unfolding before her eyes. This was something she had never seen on a TV drama set. So, was this what true art was?

While Sami was eagerly anticipating, Betty was worried. Her gaze returned to Renly, and she wasn't sure if she could do well or if she would be a burden. What if she became a disaster? But even so, Betty had to admit that witnessing two people discussing art was not as dull as she had imagined.

The inquisitive looks from those around them had no effect on Tony and Renly. The two of them were watching the playback for the twenty-ninth time. Tony meticulously examined Renly's performance, watching it from different angles and perspectives, tirelessly.

It was brilliant, unparalleled. Gradually, Tony grasped the depth of Renly's performance, every detail, from the arch of his brow to the glint in his eye, the curve of his mouth, his posture, and the position of the backpack. It all revealed different nuances. The strong contrast between the surface appearance and the inner desolation, the seeming calmness masking intense inner turmoil, was portrayed effortlessly, without any trace of embellishment, yet it conveyed the weight of experience.

In just five seconds of performance, Renly had given Henry's character more possibilities. If one were to say that you could already appreciate Henry's charm or feel his emotions, that would be an exaggeration; the time was too brief, and the scope for expression too limited. But in this initial appearance, the complex and profound sense of restraint left countless possibilities and questions.

Although this wasn't Tony's initial vision for Henry, he had to admit that Renly's solid foundation and deep interpretive ability were truly impressive.

Unfortunately, the two of them were on different creative tracks, to the extent that the camera couldn't capture enough information. It was like watching a dance where two people performed brilliantly when viewed individually, but their rhythms were on different channels, leading to a disastrous overall performance. The individual brilliant interpretations were all wasted. This was a classic case of the whole being less than the sum of its parts.

Collaboration, in essence, required both sides to refine and harmonize with each other; only then could it be considered a true partnership. Otherwise, even the most talented artists would produce nothing but a disaster when working together. Today marked the first day of shooting for "Detachment", and the scenes were relatively simple, serving as a buffer phase to establish cooperation between the two.

In a sense, this was one of the director's reasons for choosing relatively straightforward scenes in the first few days of shooting.

As the playback repeated, Tony's mind was reimagining Henry's character. "Why did you choose to have the cigarette but didn't light it? Does it have any special significance?" Tony inquired curiously.

"If I said it's simply because I don't smoke, would you believe that reason?" Renly's response caught Tony off guard, leaving him momentarily stunned. His disbelief was evident as he looked at Renly's serious expression. Then, he chuckled and waved his hand, thinking Renly was joking.

However, Renly's subsequent words left Tony with a frozen expression. "I'm serious," he said. Seeing Tony's petrified astonishment, Renly couldn't help but laugh, "After getting off the bus, Henry didn't immediately enter the school. On one hand, he was waiting for all the students to enter the teaching building; on the other hand, he needed some time to settle and adjust. It's a fresh start with new students. In the script, Carl's description is: 'Henry stands by the bus stop, smoking an entire cigarette, then extinguishes it and enters the teaching building.'"

Even without the script, Renly could clearly recount every detail that Carl had written.

"So, why?" Renly's counter-question made Tony somewhat anxious, and he eagerly wanted to interject: What's the big deal? Smoking is prohibited in schools, and Henry needed a buffer, so he smoked a cigarette at the bus stop. That's it. Why make it so complicated?

But Renly didn't give Tony a chance to speak and continued, "What I mean is, why did Henry choose to smoke? Was it to escape? To numb himself? Or was it a habit? Besides smoking, does he also drink? What about drugs?" Renly's series of questions made Tony calm down and contemplate.

Meanwhile, Sami, Betty, and the other actors and crew members standing not far behind them all had bewildered expressions, as if they were watching two abnormal lunatics. This kind of conversation was truly incomprehensible.

"Henry is in a desperate state. He doesn't need to escape or numb himself; he needs to allow himself to feel that pain. It keeps him alert. At the same time, it becomes his motivation to keep going. You know, he's still changing schools, still trying to bring hope to more students, and still persevering on the path of education," Renly explained, concluding with a jest, "Of course, the initial thought was indeed that I don't smoke. Strictly speaking, I could smoke, but I try to avoid it."

Tony didn't laugh but instead began to contemplate carefully. "So, you mean Henry doesn't smoke or drink?" This wasn't Tony's forte, but Renly's explanation successfully convinced him. Character portrayal and the film's style were two interdependent components. "Then why did you choose the cigarette?"

"Or do you want me to stand here daydreaming?" Renly's counter-question made Tony blink, unsure of how to respond. Then he saw Renly smile and say, "This is just my personal interpretation. He doesn't smoke, but he still has the habit of rolling cigarettes. Perhaps it's a habit he carried from the past. When did he quit smoking? Why did he quit smoking? These are stories beyond the movie script, but they are crucial supplements to the character."

Tony immersed himself in his thoughts, carefully considering the situation. Neither of them spoke, allowing silence to linger for a moment. Then Tony nodded without providing many comments, but this gesture conveyed enough agreement. "Let's reshoot this scene. This time..." Tony shifted from the actor's domain back into director mode. "Can you emphasize the performance details a bit more? No, what I mean is, perform at your own pace but give a bit more outward expression. I'll use medium and close-up shots to capture the entire mood and see how it looks."

During the first take, Tony had used only medium shots, and the angles were problematic with a thirty-degree tilt. The camera's height was also slightly off, resulting in the loss of much of Renly's performance—his expressions, his body language, all of it had been overlooked.

This had been the reason for Tony's earlier frustration. He hadn't seen enough information on the monitor, only a cool and stylish figure. This was a fatal disruption to the overall style of the film. It didn't look like an art drama film at all; it resembled something more like a teen idol movie akin to "Twilight". It felt as though he should be using backlighting and soft lighting to highlight the male lead's handsome appearance.

However, after their discussion, Tony realized it was primarily a communication issue. The camera's deviation had resulted in significant errors in capturing information.

Actors like Renly, who took the time to slow down, meticulously craft their characters, from their lines to their habits, expressions to personalities, were truly invaluable. Especially considering the strong competition in the summer box office, Tony was well aware that Renly had been busy with promotional work all day. But Renly hadn't let it get to his head or slack off. Such a quality was immeasurable in a young actor.

Now, Tony was sure they needed to adjust their shooting approach, and Renly needed to modify his performance pace. They needed some time to adjust. It was just as well; today's shoot was relatively straightforward, and they had plenty of time to refine their work.

"Is the camera in motion or stationary? Changing from medium to close-up, or from close-up to medium?" This scene's duration was quite short, only about five to ten seconds, which required Renly to maintain precise control over his performance pace, similar to the opening scene of "Buried", relying on subtle changes in breathing to build emotion. However, the requirements for "Detachment" were more demanding because there were more elements involved.

"I don't know," Tony gave an answer that perfectly fit his "Tony style". "Let's give it a try. I'll give you thirty seconds to perform freely, and then I'll capture it on camera and select the suitable shots." Tony said casually, then waved his hand. That was the final decision.

Free mode?