The Best Director

Chapter 214: The Same Problem

“Jessica, Jessica, come here!”

In the heart of Manhattan’s business district, the McGraw Hill Building was the main filming location for “The Devil Wears Prada,” as well as the fictional location of the “Runway” magazine publisher, “Elias Clarke,” with its real-life counterpart being Condé Nast Publications and VOGUE. At this point in time, the film crew was getting ready to start a new day of shooting, and a few days had already passed since the beginning of production.

In the bright and elegant office, the film team was busy with their respective tasks, the assistant director was instructing extras on their performance and marks, while Wang Yang naturally took charge of the protagonists. The upcoming scene did not involve Meryl Streep, but she was still present, sitting outside the range of the camera lenses, deeply engrossed in the script and meticulously pondering over today’s filming.

Ever since the start of shooting, she had been like this on set, reviewing the script while everyone else rested; when everyone else played and laughed, she was still reviewing the script… Working with her, Wang Yang could fully understand why she played every role so well, why she had been nominated for 13 Academy Awards. Her acting talent, understanding ability, and level of dedication were all of genius caliber.

Even though Wang Yang had told the Queen, “I leave this role to you,” as a director, he naturally still received and participated in discussions about Meryl Streep’s character questions and filming suggestions. From the start, she had decided not to draw from the real Anna Wintour’s character traits but instead wanted to mold Miranda into a new image; therefore, the blonde hair became silver, and she didn’t use a British accent, among other changes…

For this greatest actress in history, Wang Yang felt very much at ease, barely needing to explain anything because there wasn’t much to say; Meryl had control over her character’s mindset and over every word and action. His role was to provide her with enough time to perform through the script and storyboards, and to capture her brilliant acting on camera.

“Jessica.” Wang Yang called out, waving over to Jessica, who was standing by a clothes rack full of various garments, and shouted, “Jessica, come here.”

The woman by the clothes rack, including Patricia Field, Emily Blunt who played Emily Charlton, and a few others were smiling and chatting about something; Jessica, who was mesmerized by a white wedding gown and could not hear his voice, imagined herself wearing the gown and holding a bouquet of flowers… “Jessica!!” She suddenly exclaimed, “Oh!” and quickly walked towards Wang Yang, smiling, “Director, what is it?”

Through Patricia’s styling, she wore a knee-length black cloth skirt and a quite unfashionable blue sweater, her slightly curled brown hair cascading over her shoulders, her face without obvious makeup, no lipstick, blush, or eyeshadow, just some foundation and groomed eyebrows. She might not have been a fashion beauty, but she was still absolutely radiant—a pure and alluring beauty with a high turn-back rate.

“I’ll talk to you about the scene,” Wang Yang said with a smile. Actually, her look was quite distinctive. He thought about the script for a moment, then looked around at the busy crew and said, “You know, Andrea just came for the interview, and suddenly they all panic saying ‘Miranda is back,’ then they start running around frantically. Here, today, and for the next while, Andrea will appear very naive and unsophisticated, an office misfit…”

Watching his earnest face, his familiar yet long-lost voice, those hand gestures, those expressions… Jessica felt extremely happy. Although filming had been going on for a few days, her excitement hadn’t waned, working again on a movie together! And there hadn’t been many NGs over the past few days, only continuous “GOOD!” and laughter. Lately, she hadn’t a single unpleasant thing in her dreams.

“Jessica?” Seeing her dazed smile, Wang Yang flicked her forehead lightly and said with a laugh that wasn’t quite gentle, “Are you listening?” Jessica winced and rubbed her forehead, embarrassingly replying, “Yes, I heard… she’s an outsider…” Wang Yang laughed helplessly and started explaining again from that point, “Everyone thinks she is just a poor girl who Miranda will kick out within a few days…”

Jessica’s performance over the past few days had been very good, not only because she was a good fit for the street scenes, office corridors, and other dialogue-free shots but also because she embodied the initial stage of Andrea’s character—a lively yet slightly foolish girl. This was also due to Wang Yang’s advice from a few years ago, not to overact, to reduce body language and exaggerated expressions, and to use more micro-expressions and gaze.

Otherwise, with her stunning beauty, her dramatic scenes would easily feel detached from the audience if overdone. Unless she maintained a deadpan expression and let the story atmosphere, color palette, and film editing enhance her performance, it would work out much better.

“But Andrea is confident, she thinks she’s excellent, and in fact, she is,” Wang Yang said, spreading his hands and looking around at the fashionable decor, “It’s just that this is a new world to her, and she seems silly in front of these people, but she’s not silly, just an ordinary girl with dreams.”

Jessica nodded silently, ever since she had settled on this character in the study that day, she had been studying the novel continually, and after she got the script, she delved into that as well, drawing on her own numerous insights. Taking advantage of Wang Yang’s pause, she said, “Yang, that’s what I think, when Andrea first went to the interview, she also thought they were silly, what are they panicking about? Andrea was puzzled and found it odd! She thought these people were really capable, but turned out they were all inexplicable?”

“Exactly!” Wang Yang laughed and nodded, patting her shoulder, “Just like that! You’ve said what I wanted to, put in the effort to act it out! You can go now, continue looking at pretty clothes.” He said with a smile, ignoring the very happy and satisfied Jessica, and waved his hand, calling out, “Emily, come here!”

Among those auditioning for the role of Emily was Emily Blunt, and after seeing her performance, Wang Yang made the same choice as the future version of the film. Although she had only performed in theaters in the United Kingdom and never made it to the big screen before, completely a newcomer, her acting talent was extremely high, the kind that would become famous sooner or later.

For this role bearing the same name as hers, she felt particularly connected. The kind of presence that controlled the scene was something many famous actresses didn’t possess. In fact, in the future version of “The Devil Wears Prada,” her level of performance was second only to Meryl Streep. Of course, Emily was a supporting character, with a very stable mindset, basically without much fluctuation in layers, relatively easier to control.

“I’m coming!” Emily Blunt, upon hearing the director’s shout, quickly turned around and walked over.

…

“CUT, well acted!”… “Lunchtime! We’ll continue in the afternoon!”… “CUT! Dinner time, wrap up! Everyone worked hard today!”

Days passed, and before long “The Devil Wears Prada” had been shooting for more than ten days. The filming work went on daily, except on weekends and when nighttime scenes weren’t scheduled. On such days, Wang Yang and Jessica would go sightseeing in New York, see Broadway plays, and drive to the IZOD Center in New Jersey to watch NBA playoffs, the Eastern Conference semifinal between the New Jersey Nets and the Boston Celtics.

This year’s NBA top draft pick Yao Ming had his rookie season with an average of 13 points and 8 rebounds per game, yet the Rockets missed the playoffs by one win; Wang Yang’s beloved Warriors Team was ranked 11th in the Western Conference; the Lakers, with the OK duo, were fiercely battling the Spurs, currently tied at 2:2.

To facilitate oversight, the music composition work for “MIT-21-TEAM” was transferred to a studio in New York, where Wang Yang would sometimes visit at night to check on the progress and share his input with Christopher Beck. He also visited the headquarters of Blue Sky Studios to see the preparations for “Kung Fu Panda,” keeping him very busy and fulfilled.

“Next, you need to change your look and aura,” Wang Yang said as he came to a stop at a red light ahead, braking and slowing the black sedan to a halt. Resting his arm on the steering wheel, he turned his head to look at Jessica, who wore large earrings and a stylish gray coat, and said with a smile, “You have to transform into a super stylish woman that kills with looks, just like now.” Jessica nodded, and Wang Yang cautioned her, “But don’t get lost in fashion. Even I’ve become someone who leads trends, that shows it’s really not all that meaningful.”

“How could I?” Jessica laughed instantly, lifting her right hand and making a lasso-throwing gesture, “I’m a Texas cowgirl! My forever favorites are jeans and T-shirts.” She looked down at the scarf around her neck and shrugged with a pout, “But sometimes you need to put on these napkins or whatever, I don’t even know why, maybe to look prettier?”

“I know why. Women love to look beautiful; they like wearing these accessories and carrying handbags. It’s actually a characteristic of female animals; they want to attract the attention and admiration of others, like a peacock spreading its tail. When everyone has pretty clothes, what do you do? The importance of the brand gets highlighted, ‘Look! I’m wearing CK underwear! CK, you know! And it’s limited edition!’ ‘You can’t see it? Of course! Because I’m wearing a Prada skirt.’ ‘Then you understand why it’s not “The Devil Wears CK,” right?’ The more accessories, the better the combination, the more you can attract attention…”

Amid Jessica’s uncontrollable laughter, Wang Yang let out a few chuckles himself. Seeing that the red light ahead had gone out, he stepped on the gas and started the car.

“Really?” Jessica halted her laughter, pondering his words; they seemed to make some sense. But craving for admiration couldn’t be a mistake, right? Like from the person she liked. She glanced at his profile and suddenly remembered something, asking doubtfully, “Isn’t it only the male peacock that displays its feathers?”

“…Yes, so it’s terrifying that men also dress up and care about their looks.” Wang Yang, reminded by her comment, suddenly recalled some statistics he learned while gathering information and shared, “The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2002, men in America spent only slightly less on clothes than women…” Glancing at her curious face, he turned the steering wheel and laughed, “Just over 200 dollars! But men spend a lot more on cars, big meals, alcoholic beverages, and audio-visual equipment.”

Jessica expressed her surprise and confusion, “Really? Do men like to shop for clothes that much?” Looking out the car window at the receding streets, she saw people of both genders, but only women were carrying bags full of purchases. She questioned, “Why have I never seen a man enjoying shopping? Like you or Joshua…” She paused, then smiled, “But you really do buy a lot of stuff.”

“Yes, men like to shop, but they don’t enjoy browsing through all the products and meticulously choosing like women do… Men prefer to decide what they want to buy in advance and not waver, heading straight home after the purchase.”

Jessica asked another “Why?” Wang Yang, eyeing the traffic ahead, explained, “It’s a result of an evolutionary trend. In the era of primitive humans, men were responsible for hunting, while women gathered fruits. They had to carefully find the best gathering spots and patiently pick the produce, ensuring they didn’t bring back any poisonous berries or rotten nuts home.”

“Oh! That’s why women today enjoy choosing so much!” Jessica’s eyes lit up, her face brimming with amusement. Wang Yang nodded with a smile, “On the other hand, when men were hunting, they had to capture their prey quickly and decisively, and they needed to rush back home to protect their families, so we prefer to shop quickly.”

After the weekend, the filming of “The Devil Wears Prada” resumed. Jessica shed her plain and unsophisticated look, starting to wear a variety of fashionable clothes, transforming into beautiful and charming styles. However, the number of ‘NGs’ on set suddenly increased. The shooting schedule was not organized according to the sequence of the script but by the scene. Andrea continued to learn and grow, gradually understanding the rules of the fashion world and the office.

She knew how to please Miranda, how to deal with Emily—an “ally and an adversary” at once—unconsciously becoming more and more like Miranda.

This represented a level of transformation for Andrea, shedding her innocence to become a little devil. However, Jessica started to struggle with her performance. Although she was no longer over-the-top, she was still too lively and joyful, lacking the subtle transformation into evil. Naturally, this failed to satisfy Wang Yang, who couldn’t shout “GOOD” through the microphone; he was extremely, extremely demanding.

When straightforward direction didn’t yield results, Wang Yang suggested she try a poker face, but it was too abrupt—the second phase shouldn’t be about poker faces. So he sought solutions “outside of the set,” redesigning a few close-up shots, allowing her to continue with her untamed liveliness, but revealing her changed demeanor in those key shots—somber, weary, lost…

Compared to acting in full scenes, a few close-ups were naturally easier. This approach resolved the issue through camera techniques and even made Andrea’s transition seem more natural.

But the biggest challenge was yet to come. In the third phase, after facing betrayal and abandonment, Andrea was incredibly confused and in pain. Her impatience and anger were frequently visible on her face, almost uncontrollably; she also struggled with internal pain, self-doubt, and reflection… These painful struggles were planned to be conveyed through inner monologues, but Jessica couldn’t quite capture the performance, even failing to convincingly portray the anger.

The portrayal of pain and struggle felt stiff, and the anger still carried a lively playfulness. The drastic changes in expression placed her on the precarious edge of falling out of character. Essentially, the third phase of performance was a mess-up.

Even though the movie set boasted Meryl Streep with her radiant 13 Oscar nominations, she couldn’t help much. Acting isn’t simply about imparting and copying; otherwise, Meryl’s daughter Mamie Gummer wouldn’t have to play bit parts. Acting is a very personal affair. As a professional actor trained at a performing arts school with many years of film experience, Jessica knew the theory and practical skills fairly well, but knowing didn’t mean she could do it. Therefore, acting heavily relies on individual talent, insight, and practice.

Talent allowed Natalie to explode onto the scene in her teens or twenties, and allowed newcomers like Emily Blunt to possess a powerful screen presence. Insight and practice could let some actors accumulate experience until they reach middle age, when they could suddenly blossom and become more capable actors as they grew older.

“CUT! Jessica, put more emotion into it…” “CUT! Still not right!” “Jessie…” “Let’s skip this shot for now, move on to the next!” “Everybody take a break!”…

“What exactly do you want?!” In the elegant office, only Wang Yang and Jessica remained. He had sent everyone, including the crew and Emily, out of the room and shut the door before he couldn’t help but take a deep breath, ran his fingers through his hair, frowned, and looked at Jessica standing in front of the glass desk, frustrated, saying, “Please, why are you acting like a block of wood… I just can’t explain it to you! Emotion! Andrea needs emotion!”

Jessica looked at his frustrated figure, hung her head low, not daring to meet his eyes, her brows furrowed and her face filled with annoyance and self-reproach. Her heart ached; she had performed with all her might, but why did her acting seem to get worse the more she tried…

“Don’t act so innocent! You’re not!” Wang Yang shouted again, but immediately realized how his words could be misunderstood and quickly moved toward her, “No, no, no, I meant Andrea shouldn’t appear too innocent! I am so sorry!” Seeing Jessica’s reddening eyes, his anger suddenly deflated, and he cursed himself internally, “Will getting angry solve anything? She’s not Downey; getting angry will only make things worse…”

With a sigh in his heart, Wang Yang thought perhaps he had been too strict with her. It was the same old issue he had scolded her about during “High School Musical,” a lack of emotional engagement. Now she could naturally excel at “High School Musical,” but when faced with similarly escalating roles, she was once again ensnared by the same problem. This wasn’t something camera techniques could solve, as the camera itself needed this.

“Yang, I am really sorry…” Jessica blinked her eyes, and with a forced smile, she said, “I understand how you feel, I really do.”

Looking at her slightly reddened eyes, Wang Yang hugged her and kissed her forehead, then once more explained the role, “Jessica, Andrea isn’t innocent. She’s already violated her principles, her heart is turning bad, but it’s not 100% turned. That’s the source of her pain, struggle, and anxiety! Perhaps everyone has a devil inside them, it can be provoked, and it can also be quelled, depending on how you view yourself and it.”

“Hmm…” Jessica nodded, leaning comfortably against his shoulder, yet the feeling of vexation grew. She had to perform well—!!!

“Bring in some of the emotion, you’re quite upset right now, aren’t you? Take that into the scene!” Wang Yang smiled, giving her an encouraging look. He knew it was hard to do; he himself had tried standing in front of the camera, but a good actor has to overcome these difficulties. He continued, “This scene is about a half-revealed emotion. You know it’s repressed, she doesn’t want others to know she’s angry, but it still shows.”

Jessica felt it through, suppressing the anger… She said, “I’ll try,” and then began to act for him.

“Your eyes aren’t fierce enough. You can be fierce, you’re scary when you’re angry!” Wang Yang clapped his hands and encouraged her, “I know you can do it. Think about what makes you angry, how about the paparazzi? I need that instant in your eyes where you’re thinking ‘I’m going to kill her!’ That’s Miranda, that’s you! You can hardly stand it, you’re about to break down!”

“You’re wondering what kind of shitty life this is, everyone’s turning their back on you, what’s all this even for?…”