America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz-Chapter 946 - 876 Breaking Through Oneself
Chapter 946: Chapter 876: Breaking Through Oneself
Chapter 946 -876: Breaking Through Oneself
Disney Studio gates and Krull put on his Variety press badge and showed his invitation to the security at the entrance before entering the soundstage area.
Variety, as one of the largest entertainment magazines in America, is known as the “Hollywood Bible,” the weathervane of the media entertainment industry, its influence is no less than that of Hollywood Reporter.
The studio lot was bustling with crews, always on high alert for fire, theft, and reporters.
Security personnel escorted Krull to the doorstep of soundstage one, where the crew of “Split” was located.
The head of the publicity department, York, was already waiting there and accompanied Krull onto the set.
Krull immediately spotted Martin, seemingly preparing for a scene, sitting alone in front of the camera lens.
York whispered, “The shooting will continue for an hour, and we’ve set aside an hour specifically for your interview this afternoon. Please wait a bit.”
Krull had come early because he wanted to witness the filming of this special movie.
Lately, it was the talk of the town, as portraying a character with multiple personalities was known to be quite challenging.
Though forbidden to film within the soundstage, he could observe with his eyes.
The crew began shooting, and Krull, silent and still, watched intently from the edge of the set.
His focus was on Martin.
Before arriving, Krull had thoroughly researched this project and reviewed the press kit sent by the production company.
If an actor plays two or even three different personalities or characters, that is not particularly difficult.
But in this project, Martin had to portray at least seven or eight completely different personalities, like seven or eight distinct and vivid characters.
The thought alone was terrifying.
Krull didn’t know to what extent Martin could perform, nor which acting methods he would employ.
It was a scene involving rapid personality shifts within the same shot.
The demands on acting ability were incredibly high.
Krull suddenly realized that Martin’s facial expressions were rapidly shifting.
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Through subtle movements of his eyebrows, delicate changes in his eyes, and the curling and drooping of his lips, he displayed various faces that, though physically identical, bore completely different demeanors and temperaments.
The same face, within one shot, showcased different personality traits in split-second timing.
Krull, a nearly twenty-year entertainment journalist with over fifteen years at Variety, having interviewed hundreds of Hollywood actors, knew that few could achieve what Martin was doing.
Many said that Martin could only act in action films, only flaunt his fighting and gun skills, wasting his natural talent.
At this moment, Krull completely disagreed; the acting that Martin was showcasing was simply genius.
“This kind of role, if the acting is poor, no amount of effort will help,” he mused inwardly. “But genius-level acting can bring the words from the script to life as authentic, visible characters.”
The half-minute long shot was quickly completed.
Martin went over to David Fincher to review the footage on the director’s monitor, dissatisfied, they decided to reshoot the scene.
Under Krull’s watchful eye, they repeated this shot five times.
He noticed that with each take, Martin improved, and each evolving face became clearer and more three-dimensional, allowing him to sense the character behind each visage.
After the shot was finished, Martin retreated to the rest area, sitting in a chair with his eyes closed, conserving energy.
Krull didn’t approach; the crew was still filming.
With no actors in the scene, David Fincher directed the camera to shoot some empty shots.
Krull watched carefully and realized these empty shots had specific meanings too.
For instance, on the washbasin, there were multiple toothbrush holders, containing various toothbrushes that differed in color and design.
Krull counted them; there were 24 toothbrushes.
That perfectly matched the protagonist’s 24 personalities!
No wonder David Fincher was Hollywood’s best at directing such films, the attention to detail was exquisite.
Krull had a feeling; the combination of Martin and David Fincher would bring about a film that would shock the nation, perhaps even setting a new benchmark for the genre.
The crew wrapped up as David Fincher remained busy; Martin went to remove his makeup and change clothes.
The assistant director informed Martin that Variety’s reporter had arrived.
Today’s interview had been scheduled the previous week; Martin nodded, went back to his trailer, and reviewed the interview script again.
Much like talk shows, interviews also have scripts, and most questions are agreed upon in advance.
Martin quickly reviewed the script, changed into casual wear, and returned to the soundstage.
David Fincher was already waiting there.
The set was arranged with three sofas against the backdrop of the set, and the interview was conducted in a conversational style.
Martin recognized Krull, shook his hand, and sat down beside David Fincher.
After getting permission, Krull switched on his recorder and took the lead, “Years ago, I heard about Billy Milligan. Hollywood has created a number of films inspired by him, but few have directly tackled a character with as many personalities as you have.”
David Fincher replied, “In fact, my previous films ‘Panic Room’ and ‘Fight Club’ were influenced by Billy Milligan. I’ve always found him fascinating. When Martin showed me the script, I immediately agreed to it.”
Krull asked, “David, do you have a particular fondness for characters with unstable mental states?”
