In China, elementary school textbooks and classroom celebrity posters often quote a saying from Edison, or perhaps Einstein:
"Success is ninety-nine percent perspiration and one percent inspiration."
Teachers and parents love to use this quote to motivate children, telling them how incredibly important effort is.
However, they deliberately omit the second half of the quote: "That one percent of inspiration is more important than ninety-nine percent of perspiration."
In this world, some things and some jobs require talent. Without talent, no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to make a living from it.
For example, painting, photography, athletes, even male actors in adult films—most professions related to art are like this, and acting is a major disaster area for talent.
Many people envy actors' high salaries and exposure, loving to be surrounded by fans and lights, hearing them frantically shout their names, so they dive headfirst into the entertainment industry.
But the vast majority of these people often have no acting talent; from the moment they enter the industry, their career ceiling is already set.
Generally speaking, around 30 years old, their acting skills reach their peak for life, and that's with effort; it's rare to see someone truly break through.
A small number of actors, however, are genuinely talented. The first time they act, every frown, every smile, every movement carries a spark of brilliance.
Such people, with just a little effort, will constantly improve their acting skills. They can portray a 20-year-old at 20, and continue to break through at 60. Examples include Michelle Yeoh and Edward Norton.
And clearly, the Olsen Sisters belong to the former. You could say they have no talent, but they do.
You could say they have talent, but not much.
In this regard, Elizabeth Olsen is stronger than her two older sisters. Looking at her future resume, she certainly can't compare to top-tier talented actors like Eddie Redmayne, but she's still above average.
Eric is currently facing this problem. Even though the Olsen Sisters hired professional coaches several months before filming, they still couldn't reach his ideal standard.
Even a simple turning-back shot is this agonizing. Eric can't even imagine how terrible the later breakup scenes, expressing heartbroken pain, will be. It will certainly be awful.
He told everyone to take a break and called Andrea and Neill Blomkamp over for a small meeting.
"As you just saw, Ashley and Mary's performances have issues. We need a good solution."
Andrea nodded. "Ashley is a bit better; she's naturally introverted. But both of their acting is still a bit superficial."
Neill Blomkamp, however, offered a different opinion. "Director, I actually think this shot was filmed quite well. Is it really necessary to be so demanding?"
"Hmm? Neil, honestly, do you really think it was filmed well?" Eric countered.
"Yes, I'm being honest. I can't say it's perfect, but it's definitely passable."
Eric sighed and patted his shoulder. "I understand. This is the limitation of vision and appreciation level. It seems you still need at least two more films of experience."
"What?"
"I originally planned to make you the assistant director for the next film, but given the current situation, you're not ready yet."
"What!"
Neill Blomkamp looked as if his mother had died. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have spoken up.
Andrea spoke up, "Director, based on their performance since filming began, I'd like to share my feelings: the Olsen Sisters haven't quite gotten into character, or to put it another way, they don't understand their roles well enough."
"Hmm, go on!"
"During regular filming, first, you have your super-detailed storyboards as a foundation. Then, even if some parts aren't quite right, you'll point out specific details to them, from how to walk to whether or not to frown. They're a bit like puppets on strings."
"This isn't necessarily bad; it can greatly speed up filming progress, and actors usually prefer directors like this."
"However, for actors to deeply ponder and understand their roles, it's not entirely beneficial. When you have a very useful crutch, you gradually shift your weight onto that crutch."
"I believe they've done their homework, but managing their company and having many business activities daily, they probably haven't had much time to delve into the characters' inner worlds."
Eric nodded. "You're trying to say that the actors' sense of belief isn't strong enough, right?"
Andrea's eyes lit up. "Yes! That's exactly what I mean. When actors themselves don't believe in their characters, how can they perform well?"
"Do you have any good ideas?" Neill Blomkamp quickly asked.
Andrea shook her head. "It's difficult in a short time. Generally speaking, films of this genre require actors to deeply understand the character group, and even personally play and experience it."
"Just like Jared Leto, to play the drug addict character in 'Requiem for a Dream' well, he would chat and walk with drug addicts on the streets of New York every night. He did everything he could, except for that final step."
"Hilary Swank, to portray a transgender person well, lived like a man for several months. She even used a binder to flatten her chest."
"I don't know how far the Olsen Sisters went, but it's clear they probably didn't do enough."
Eric sighed, his gaze falling on the Olsen Sisters not far away. The two were chatting and laughing, clearly unaware of their problem.
After a long while, Eric waved, and Judy was called over.
"Eric, what's up?"
"I have a task for you."
"Okay, why so secretive? You're not giving me something thorny to handle, are you?"
"Hmm, it's a good thing, at least a great thing for you."
"Really? Tell me about it."
"Ashley and Mary, I feel they haven't truly gotten into character, so I want you to take them to truly experience that feeling and understand this community."
Judy's eyes widened immediately. "What feeling? You'd better make it clear, don't let me misunderstand."
"It's the feeling you want. Don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about."
Gulp!
Judy swallowed. "Is that allowed? I can reluctantly accept, but I mean, will they agree?"
"I'll convince them."
Judy rubbed her hands excitedly. "Then I'll wait for good news. I knew coming to the crew as a producer was the right choice."
After speaking, she slipped to a corner, found a small stool, sat down, and quietly observed the Olsen Sisters.
"Mary, Ashley, come here for a moment."
Hearing Eric's call, the two sisters quickly came before him.
Eric sent the people around them away and had the two sisters sit down, reorganizing his words in his mind.
Even for him, this was a very difficult topic to broach; if not handled well, he could be criticized. He had already envisioned being pummeled by the Olsen Sisters.
Being forceful definitely wouldn't work. He still had to be persuasive and cast a big bait to avoid coming up empty-handed.
"Ashley, Mary, the filming of this scene just now wasn't very smooth. Let's talk about it and find the reason."
"I've already filmed 25 takes, isn't there one usable shot?"
Mary's face fell again; she had thought they had passed.
"No, it's still lacking something. I don't see that feeling from either of you, do you understand? I don't see the lesbian feeling. What method are you using to get into character?"
The two sisters exchanged glances. "We looked for relevant books, read a lot of information on this topic. Actually, we also have friends like that around us. Mary and I chatted with them, asked about their lifestyles, and so on."
Eric nodded. "Very good approach, but it's not detailed enough. Now I hope you can experience it more authentically, can you?"
Ashley was a bit puzzled. "What exactly do you mean by 'more authentic experience'?"
Mary frowned, looking at Eric. "Cooper, you've always been a straightforward person. Why are you being so hesitant? Just say what you mean directly."
Eric pointed to Judy not far away. "Judy Newhouse, she's an expert in this area. Tonight, she'll take you to a professional bar to open your eyes."
"In that atmosphere, you'll be able to understand this community."
After some internal struggle, Eric still didn't have the nerve to fully disclose everything; the rest was up to Judy.
That woman always had a knack for this kind of thing; she was well-versed in it.
According to Gadot, Bar Refaeli had a normal sexual orientation, and since they met, she hadn't seen her do anything unusual. Yet, Judy still managed to turn her into a "soft" state.
What is a "soft" state?
It means neither straight nor gay, capable of being straight, or gay, or even both at the same time.
It's quite magical.
Seeing that the two didn't speak, Eric emphasized, "Don't misunderstand, I just want you to get into character quickly. Today's scene is still a relatively simple plot. There are more difficult ones later. You don't want to spend a whole day filming one shot, with dozens of people in the entire crew waiting, do you?"
"And don't forget our goal: we want to compete for next year's Golden Globe Awards and Oscar, and we don't have much time."
"Don't you also want to truly transition? You want to get rid of the child star label, right?"
"Eric, but—"
Ashley was about to say something when Eric forcefully cut her off.
"No! No! No! Don't say 'but.' Look at the people around you. In everyone's eyes, you are still those two little kids who can only act in children's plays."
"Want a Golden Globe Awards? Want an Oscar? Then you must show determination. Success comes at a price."
"You might win Best Actress for this role. The youngest Best Actress right now is Marlee Matlin, but she's also 21, and you haven't even had your 18th birthday yet."
"Think about it: an 18-year-old Best Actress. You will make history, become the focus of the world's attention, and leave an indelible mark on film history forever."
"Imagine the Oscar stage, you standing up there, the Olsen Sisters becoming world-class idols!"
For several months, Eric had been continuously emotionally manipulating the sisters, constantly painting a rosy picture for them. Their thoughts couldn't help but fly to the Oscar ceremony as Eric described it.
"Alright then, Eric, let's do as you say."
"That's right, that's what a qualified actor does. So, let's skip this scene for now."
Eric looked at James McAvoy. "James, it's your turn. Act well, try to get it in one take."
"Okay, Director, I'll do my best."
Break over, the crew moved to a nearby bus. A few actors took their positions.
"blue is the warmest color, Scene…"
This scene was simple, focusing on the male senior played by James McAvoy. He was pursuing Adele, but his approach was rather subtle.
In the shot, Adele, played by Ashley, sat in her seat in a very ordinary posture.
The camera shifted backward, and McAvoy's figure appeared. He was originally sitting at the back of the bus, but seeing Adele get on, he naturally wanted to get closer.
So he stood up from his seat, even pretending to look around, seemingly caring about others' opinions, a very lifelike detail.
As if finally mustering his courage, McAvoy slowly walked to Adele's side, holding onto a handrail on the bus to maintain stability, even though this prop bus wasn't actually moving.
Then he lowered his head, his eyes revealing a hint of fear, but also longing and admiration. After a few words, he sat in the empty seat next to Ashley.
"Excellent, James, one take! Your performance was very good. It seems the theater practice wasn't in vain!"
"Thank you, Director!" McAvoy said with a smile.
Ashley, on the other hand, looked at this artistic and handsome young man with some surprise, not expecting him to get it in one take.
The crew then moved to the classroom set.
"blue is the warmest color, Scene 12, action!"
In the classroom, several female students were talking. The camera passed through them to McAvoy's back.
He heard the girls discussing him, so his back suddenly tensed, the twitch of his jacket revealing a hint of his inner nervousness.
When he heard good news, he relaxed, turned, and came to Ashley's side, inviting her out.
"Brilliant, James! You delivered a beautiful performance!"
This time, not only was Ashley, who was acting opposite him, surprised, but Mary, who was observing nearby, was also astonished. It was another one-take! Was James McAvoy's acting really that good?
The crew moved again. Eric decided to give the Olsen Sisters a big shock by directly filming McAvoy's final scene, which was also the most emotionally intense breakup scene.
That's right, the one-take successes were all intentional on his part. His goal, naturally, was to stimulate Ashley and Mary. So, even if McAvoy's performance had minor flaws, he still approved it.
He wanted the Olsen Sisters to understand the difference and motivate them to work harder. In this way, the two sisters would naturally follow his arrangements.
This is what you call invisible psychological manipulation.
And in this scene, McAvoy did not disappoint Eric. His portrayal of sadness, disappointment, loss, frustration, confusion, and doubt, while not perfectly flawless, was certainly passable.
"Hahahaha, James, you're a genius, that was fantastic!"
Eric stood up and led the applause for him, and the others followed suit, clapping their hands.
This made McAvoy scratch his head a bit uncomfortably. He felt that his emotions in the scene still had room for improvement, and his performance could have been better.
However, seeing the situation, he couldn't very well ask for another take and just had to accept it vaguely.
"Am I really that good?"