The Best Director

Chapter 218: A Joyful Film Set

“If you’re on a game show and there are three doors to choose from to open…” Natalie’s rapid voice emitted from the computer speakers, as the trailer for “MIT-21-TEAM” played on the monitor screen. Amidst Natalie’s incessant voiceover, the footage showed a tall, Asian youth cycling past the beautiful Charles River bank in Boston.

While showcasing the collegiate atmosphere of the Charles River banks, the swift, questioning voice continued, and as Daniel Wu, who played Jeff Ma, rode into the MIT campus, the camera suddenly switched to a classroom. Jeff Ma looked puzzled at the members of the MIT team and asked, “Why would you do that?” The camera focused on the grinning team members, and Natalie’s character, Amanda, laughed, “Because we can.”

“You can, too! Or maybe not.” As her words trailed off, the visuals and the sound picked up speed: “2, 3, 4, 5, 6 count as plus one point; 7, 8, 9 count as zero points; 10, J, Q, K, A count as minus one point…” Male and female voices switched back and forth, blending gradually, as the screen showed clips of classroom learning and casino tables. Suddenly, an enraged casino executive is seen berating the security personnel, “We’ve lost millions in the past few months, and you’re telling me you have no leads! You have to track them down!”

“Is this your first time going to Las Vegas?” “Yes.” “Hahaha!” The MIT team members are seen walking in the airport, laughing and joking, teasing the rookie Jeff Ma. Amanda smiles and says, “In Boston, we’re MIT students; but in Las Vegas, you can be anyone.”

With a whoosh, the voice changed to another woman’s: “These people appear only on the weekends, which indicates they have regular jobs…” The screen’s images rapidly changed, displaying close-up shots of the MIT team members, each looking completely different, like they’ve undergone a Face/Off. In less than the ten seconds, Natalie, Daniel Wu, Alexis, and others together have gone through dozens of disguises, the shots getting faster, suddenly halting on Rachel’s face.

“This suggests they’re most likely teachers, or students.”

Next, there were flashes of the MIT team driving luxury sports cars, partying in a presidential suite, and tense casino security chasing after them. The screen intermittently flashed elegant English text “Daniel Wu, Natalie Portman, Rachel McAdams… Directed and produced by Wang Yang! A true story, this summer, August 1st, conquering Las Vegas!”

“What is 2+7+4-5+2+4-1+9+2+6-4+2-8-7+4-2+6?” At the end of the trailer, the scene cuts to a dimly lit bar, with a voice stating a rapid series of addition and subtraction problems, then showing Amanda looking indifferent; The camera turns to Jeff Ma who says, “21.”

This trailer had come out a few days ago, and the media’s reaction was mixed. The camera work and sound seemed to whoosh by like rockets, especially the collection of close-up shots showing the various disguises, which was representative of the trailer’s style. One film critic praised, “It looks cool! Hopefully, the movie will be just as exhilarating, and we can expect more!” There was also a substantial voice saying, “It looks bewildering, what just happened?”

Meanwhile, a significant portion of fans online expressed, “The Asian male lead looks weird!” “Considering whether to watch it or not!” It was not a Chinese film, not from Asia, not a Kung Fu movie, didn’t have small eyes or a skinny frame, wasn’t a secondary character, wasn’t the director… Paired with the Oscar Best Director, a national idol, and a popular young actress with strong appeal, this was an unprecedented first for a major summer blockbuster.

To this market, it was naturally “odd,” and some fans declared they had no expectations while others were hopeful. Yet, what results this quirky and peculiar movie “MIT-21-TEAM” would achieve was anyone’s guess, with many media sites hinting, “Unpredictable, perhaps Wang Yang, just after grabbing an Oscar, might learn a tough lesson.” Yet, some of Wang Yang’s die-hard fans said, “Just watch, it will definitely be the cool movie Wang Yang said it would be!”

Evelyn was watching this trailer for the first time and after viewing it, her mind was brimming with question marks. She pondered over the initial question: Why would choosing another door increase any probability? And that last math question—Natalie wouldn’t just make it up, right? The idea to replay the trailer and jot down the numbers for verification crossed her mind, but the quick-change disguises were really cool! It seemed like the movie had a lot of stories.

She felt a rush of excitement and scrolled through the comments below, seeing both praise and sarcasm. She watched the trailer once more, and the surge of excitement grew; a bunch of college students took Las Vegas casinos for millions and got off scot-free! Made her want to apply to MIT!

“Ah!” Evelyn sighed. The problem was her SAT scores weren’t enough. Not even if she took it again…

“`

※※

This weekend was unforgettable for Wang Yang and Jessica, perhaps an experience they would never forget for the rest of their lives, filled with tears and laughter. Both felt they had gone through so much, but after truly opening up to each other and expressing their love, they felt closer and understood each other better than before, with love and forgiveness erasing the short-lived wall between them.

However, the intense night on Saturday and the all-night talk on Sunday inevitably left them feeling tired, even if they were still mentally alert and excited. The shooting crew had to resume work as usual on Monday. Wang Yang felt he could keep going, so he didn’t take a day off, but he wanted Jessica to rest well for a day, planning to film other actors’ scenes that day. She, however, disagreed, insisting on quickly capturing those shots while the “damned emotions were still there.”

Seeing the fatigue on her face, Wang Yang took a personal day off, spent almost the entire day sleeping with Jessica, then went to the cinema in the evening to watch the May holiday movie “Bruce Almighty,” laughed their way through it, and then returned to the hotel to rest. They resumed filming the next day.

In the bustling film set of Miranda’s elegantly arranged mansion, Jessica sat on a chair in the living room, holding a script, but her gaze was fixed on Wang Yang, who was talking with Wally Strant not far away. He pointed towards the corridor, his mouth moving, saying something, “Take a few long shots, the corridor over there looks good…” Wally Strant listened and nodded, gesturing as he spoke.

Wang Yang also nodded and said a few words, “The space inside the house is small, close-ups and tight shots will feel cramped, adding long shots can help viewers see the layout and feel more at ease…” Then, he walked over to the lighting team and started to discuss; after speaking, he propped his chin and scrutinized his surroundings, suddenly shouting, “HEY! I need a vase of beautiful and elegant flowers! The atmosphere is too heavy right now!” He called set designer Lydia Marcos over, giving her instructions.

Jessica watched him bustling about, noticing things she hadn’t realized were so clear before. In fact, he was doing very well, taking care of every aspect, allowing her to live a carefree and happy life, while she thought about how to act spoiled…

“Hey, beauty! Your hairstyle looks great.” Wang Yang, walking by, smiled and tousled Jessica’s hair, before continuing on to the other end of the room with a viewfinder, scanning the surroundings. Jessica grinned happily, returning to that joyful atmosphere of the set. After observing for a while, Wang Yang doubled back, stopping to smile and say, “By the way, I’m a movie director, how about we go on a date?”

“Boring!” Jessica lightly hit him with the script, laughingly urging, “Go do your work!” Wang Yang shrugged, leaning in to whisper, “Beauty, what I need to do is win you over!”

Kicked by her playful foot, Wang Yang laughed and walked away, then loudly called out to Lydia Marcos, “Lydia! I’ve got a new idea—what if we place a beautiful classical oriental vase by the cabinet? Would it give off a more elegant feel? Or something else? Let’s try it! You know, fashion might include luxurious goods, but those who lead fashion aren’t! Find a suitable vase right away, please!”

Lydia Marcos, wearing red-framed glasses, slapped her forehead, but she didn’t actually have any complaints. Whatever toy the director needed, the set designer had to find it. She responded, “OK, BOSS! Anything else?” Wang Yang pondered for a moment, then said, “Not for now, I’ll let you know when I think of something. We need to wrap up this scene today, go on! Remember, we’re not looking for a rare treasure, a cheap fake will do! Save me some money!”

“OK, I will!” Lydia Marcos turned and left. Wang Yang added, “No need to go to China for it!” The people around him all laughed at once, and Lydia Marcos, without turning back, raised her hand in acknowledgment.

Jessica chuckled too, and saw Wang Yang, who had nothing else to do, observing the area once more, apparently finding nothing new, and walking back towards her. He sat down on a chair next to her and smiled, “Got any questions? Want me to go over the scene?” Jessica nodded, handing him the script, with a light laugh saying, “I don’t have any questions, but I like hearing your voice.”

“Hmm, all right.” Wang Yang took the script, glanced at it, then looked at her and explained, “This is Miranda’s house. Actually, every time Andrea comes here, she feels uncomfortable…”

“`

Watching his earnest and focused expression, the joy in his eyes, and his voice carrying a hint of laughter as he occasionally cracked a joke to tease her… Jessica suddenly understood something more, feeling very sweet inside. He was really enjoying this, enjoying cajoling and teasing her; she was also enjoying it, basking in the sweetness and the joy of showering him with her tenderness… This wasn’t just some sort of care or duty, this was love.

“Young Director—!” over there, Wally Strant, thinking the director was just chatting leisurely, called out and pointed at the camera, seemingly with some question.

“Let’s talk in a bit,” Wang Yang said to Jessica, then, with a smile on his face, he stood up and walked over, saying, “What’s the matter?…”

Jessica watched him walk over to the camera and discuss something with Wally Strant, then bent over, fussing with the camera. She smiled, intoxicated, knowing she could watch him work all day and never grow tired of it.

…

“CUT! Well performed! Very good!”

At the Miranda mansion set, as Wang Yang called out and clapped his hands, the crew halted and set about getting ready for the next shot. The silver-haired demon Meryl Streep, sitting on the sofa targeted by the camera lens, also had an approving look on her face. Looking at Jessica, who had been acting opposite her, she couldn’t help but nod in praise, “Your performance was very emotional; you’ve found your way to portray it.”

In acting, the performance of the opposite actor naturally has an important impact, even their appearance and aura can affect the other’s immersion in the role. Thus, in movies with romantic themes, top stars often decide on roles based on who their opposite will be, because it’s hard to evoke the right emotions when looking at someone you dislike. Previously, while shooting the later scenes of this story, Meryl Streep often felt pulled out of character when faced with Jessica’s lack of immersion.

But now, Jessica’s performance had become much more stable and emotionally invested, which allowed her to fully immerse herself into the world of Miranda.

“Thank you!” Hearing Meryl’s praise, Jessica’s eyes widened slightly in excitement, her heart full of elation. After filming for so long, this was the first time she had received praise from Meryl! Meryl Streep! This was an idol respected by every actress! Inwardly, she smiled to herself with silent laughter: “This is so incredible!” Overwhelmed by emotion, she couldn’t help but glance toward the camera, where she saw Wang Yang smiling and giving her a thumbs up, then he and Wally Strant started adjusting the lens.

Soon, there was another clap of the slate, followed by “Action!”…

The calendar flipped day by day under the alternating commands of “Action” and “Cut,” and the set of “The Devil Wears Prada” shifted numerous times, from Andrea’s apartment to restaurants, to art galleries…

On the streets of Manhattan in New York, the camera moved forward on the tracks, pushed by Wally Strant; Wang Yang attended to the monitor, with the boom microphone operators and others following alongside. Dressed stylishly and strikingly, Jessica walked slowly with a gloomy and perplexed face, occasionally appearing a bit lost and dispirited.

Watching Jessica’s performance, Wang Yang, who was walking slowly too, felt very reassured and delighted. In these past days, her portrayal had been very good. Although it was “hit and miss” and required much acting instruction to evoke the right emotion, as well as the inevitable NG takes, she was meeting the requirements for the scenes, earning Meryl Streep’s praise on multiple occasions, something she had proudly boasted about several times.

“CUT! Good-Take! That’s a wrap!”

Hearing this familiar voice through the megaphone gave Jessica a jolt, relaxing her whole being, and she exhaled, shaking off the bad emotions within. “Get out of here!” She looked towards Wang Yang, who was smiling at her, and it all came back; she broke into a radiant smile.

After the crew had finished shooting for the day, the remaining work was left to the site management department, and the production crew and actors were all dismissed from work.

On the clean streets lined with shops, there weren’t many pedestrians. Wang Yang and Jessica walked hand in hand, their fingers tightly interlocked, heading towards a nearby Chinese restaurant for dinner.

Jessica glanced at him a few times and, seeing him looking somewhat unhappy, couldn’t help asking, “Yang, what’s wrong?” Wang Yang shook his head with a smile, “Nothing. I’m just thinking about what dishes to eat later… Jess, actually, I’m annoyed that if I had known earlier, if the problem was because you resisted getting into character, there wouldn’t have been… it wouldn’t have left some unpleasant memories for you, I’m just annoyed about that.”

“Oh my God!” Jessica threw her head back in frustration and laughed out loud, “What are you still thinking about? You’ve got it all wrong! These are sweet memories!” Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh, “Sweet?” Jessica, looking towards the night sky as it began to darken, swayed their clasped hands as she walked and recalled with a laugh, “Yeah, because you believed everything would be okay, you came up with that method, and then everything really was okay! Haha!”

She laughed a few times, her eyes filled with tender warmth as she said, “Don’t just remember the part where I cried, but the fact is I have the whole experience of our ‘fake breakup’, our chatting all night long… it’s unforgettable.” She released his hand and instead wrapped both arms around his arm, leaning on his shoulder, and said with a laugh, “I hardly feel anything about it now, so you’d better hurry up and shoot those important scenes.”

Wang Yang, looking at her beautiful smiling face, felt the knot in his heart being empathetically untied and couldn’t help but be amused—in the end, he was the one being comforted.

“Okay, this is our sweet secret.” Wang Yang grinned and Jessica nodded with a smile, “A sweet secret! Oh…” she suddenly remembered something, frowned prettily, and said with a slight embarrassment, “Yang, but Eileen knows, what should we do?” Wang Yang paused, but it was normal to tell such things to a best friend. He replied with a smile, “OK, I will convince Zachary to also have a fake breakup, and we’ll call it even.”

“Don’t! Their relationship isn’t as strong as ours. And Yang, my mom knows too…” Jessica’s embarrassment was growing as she whispered, “I tell my mom everything and I mentioned it while chatting, just thinking it was a funny story.” Wang Yang nodded; it wasn’t a big deal, and if his future mother-in-law scolded him, it was his own fault. Surely she wouldn’t tell the whole story. However, he said with a smile, “That’s okay, but let’s make sure your dad doesn’t find out. I’m afraid he’ll shoot me.”

Jessica rolled her eyes with a laugh and said, “I know! I’ve already reminded Mom. But Yang, I plan to let Danny know.” She glared at him, “And let him bite you!” Wang Yang laughed out loud, “No, he won’t, he’s grown to like me even more now.”

On the street, the two laughed and talked as they walked, sometimes draping an arm over shoulders or holding hands, turning that weekend’s events into an amusing anecdote.

Time flew by in happiness, and the shooting of “The Devil Wears Prada” was progressing as scheduled. Soon it was the end of May, and on the 31st, a film event was to take place – the 2003 MTV Movie Awards, recorded at the Snowland Theater. As the hot favorites for the MTV awards and award presenters, Wang Yang and Jessica flew back to Los Angeles, ready to attend the ceremony.