Global Film Emperor

Chapter 378 Filming Begins!
March 17th, 9:00 AM, light rain, Universal Pictures conference room.

Casting was completed on March 7th, rehearsals and venue negotiations were completed on March 9th, and the script and storyboards for "Rebirth" were completed on the same day. Today, the "Rebirth" project is officially launched!
The meeting room was packed with people. The atmosphere shouldn't have been so oppressive without Mickey's presence, but now, people weren't talking to each other; they were just studying their scripts, and even breathing quietly was difficult.

The woman at the very front of the long table was the one who put pressure on everyone. From the moment she arrived, everyone kept quiet and only dared to steal a glance at her when she wasn't looking.

Camilla turned her fair wrist over, revealing an exquisite watch. She glanced at the time and frowned, but did not complain or get up to leave. Instead, she stirred the still-undissolved sugar in her coffee cup with a spoon and turned her gaze back to the script.

……

Outside the courtyard, a blue Raptor, covered in mud, roared into the yard the moment Barbo pushed open the gate. Seeing that the parking area was full of vehicles, the person in the driver's seat nodded.

Good morning, boss.

Good morning, Barbo.

All four car doors were pushed open at the same time, and four strong men got out of the car. Their leather boots splashed water as they stepped into puddles. Barbo quickly handed the umbrellas to Lu Ze and the other two, and held one for Mickey. The group then entered the company premises.

Outside the second-floor conference room, four bodyguards nodded to Mickey and his group upon their arrival and gently opened the conference room door. The actors inside the conference room immediately saw Mickey, dressed in a leather jacket and jeans, and wearing sunglasses despite the rain, along with Lu Ze and his two companions.

Without hesitation, Mickey took the seat of honor, glanced around at the twenty-seven people, and nodded in satisfaction. He took off his sunglasses and casually tossed them on the table. After Lu Ze and the other two found their seats, he clapped his hands and spoke first.

"Thank you all for arriving on time despite the weather. Ms. Camilla, would you please not stir your coffee? I'm speaking now. Okay, thank you."

Mickey put on airs, and Kamiya, who was originally supposed to be fawned over, became the first chicken he killed. He paid, Kamiya received the money, so Kamiya was now his employee and officially started working. He was in charge of everything here.

Kamiya wasn't angry. Perhaps she had been used to being pampered lately and hadn't adjusted her acting awareness yet. Now, hearing Mickey's reprimand, she truly realized that she had officially joined the crew, rather than attending a meeting. As an actress with over twenty years of experience, she had that much awareness. She nodded slightly to Mickey to express her apology and poured all the coffee into the trash can.

"First of all, I know that everyone's roles vary in length, so it's impossible for everyone to be on set. Here is the filming schedule, and everyone needs to fulfill their obligations according to the schedule. When it's your turn to film, please don't say things like 'I don't have time,' otherwise the penalty for breach of contract is clearly stated in the contract. Let's not cause any conflicts."

A stack of A4 papers was distributed to the twenty-six supporting actors present. As for Camiya, like Lu Ze, she was to stay with the crew until filming was completed.

The approximate dates for each person to report to the film crew were clearly marked on the screen. Of course, the dates would be adjusted due to the uncertain filming schedule, but they would generally not exceed one week. As a result, none of the supporting actors spoke, and they all lowered their heads to consider their schedules.

"I hope that the gentlemen and ladies who will be joining the crew later can seriously study their roles and not leave the task until the last minute, so that I will be dissatisfied with your performance. Filming will start this afternoon, and the staff has already started setting up the set, so those of you who have scenes today should hurry up and study the script. You don't have much time left."

"During this period, I hope everyone can be strict with themselves and avoid any accidents that would make it impossible for me to find you when I need you. Friends who like to drink should pay special attention. Okay, the meeting is not long, I hope everyone doesn't mind. Those who have scenes to film today, please stay. Everyone else can leave."

A meeting that lasted less than five minutes, something that could be communicated online, was made to send a group of people to the outskirts of Liverpool in the rain. It was undoubtedly a joke, but no one complained. Those who were supposed to leave simply folded up the A4 paper, said goodbye to Mickey, and hurriedly left.

This was a show of force, everyone knew that, but they couldn't show their dissatisfaction on the surface, because everyone knew that this was the effect Mickey wanted, this control. No one present was a troublemaker and dared to argue with Mickey. As for what people would say about Mickey behind his back, Mickey didn't care.

After everyone who wasn't supposed to be in the scene left, Mickey didn't say anything. He just tapped his cheap lighter lightly on the table, staring at everyone. After a while, he finally smiled slightly and spoke.

"Let's go to the film set."

……

The first scene was filmed inside a restaurant. The actors each drove their own cars, forming a long line along the roadside. Inside the restaurant, they could see many crew members carrying a large amount of equipment, setting it up and setting it up. They themselves attracted a lot of attention.

"Fake..."

Mickey was tossing the tobacco in his hand, distributing it to Lu Ze and the other two, when he suddenly caught sight of a person standing on the street corner with flashing lights. His expression turned somewhat gloomy, and he muttered a curse under his breath.

British journalists are very capable, a fact universally acknowledged, but this capability is by no means a compliment, especially entertainment journalists. They have offended many people, which is why many people hate them.

Driven by sales, or simply for money, they are capable of doing things that most people wouldn't even dare to dream of, such as photographing the bodies of deceased celebrities, sneaking into private homes at night to film celebrities' private moments, or even rummaging through celebrities' trash cans, which made celebrities hesitant to throw their personal belongings into the trash can for a while.

Mickey had no doubt that they were capable of secretly filming movie scenes, given their actions and penchant for spreading rumors. Therefore, Mickey's primary concern was preventing the reporters from spying on them, since he and Kamiya were already being watched by these bastards. Looking in the direction Mickey was looking, Lu Ze clearly sensed something, lit a cigarette, and quietly walked to Kamiya's car, gently knocking on the back window.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Lu?"

"There are reporters taking pictures. Don't come out yet. Just sit in the car and I'll call you after the work is done. You can also choose to leave if there are no scenes for you in this one. Make sure to keep the script safe and always keep it where you can see it."

"Okay, I understand, Mr. Lu. I don't plan to leave. After all, it's the first scene, and I'm quite interested in seeing it. Thank you for reminding me. I'll just wait in the car. Just remember to call me when filming starts."

Kamiya wanted to see Lu Ze perform, after all, he was a five-time Best Actor winner. Although she didn't think four of them were particularly prestigious, these awards were not applicable to actors from other regions. To win them was usually like a pipe dream, and Lu Ze's ability to win them must be due to his special skills.

In addition, she also wanted to carefully examine Lu Ze to see what was so special about the Asian male lead handpicked by Mickey, and why Mickey wanted an Asian to play a role that should ideally be played by a white person. In short, she wanted to see how capable Lu Ze was and whether he was worthy of acting opposite her.

Through the car window, she saw Mickey talking to Lu Ze. Then the two of them led the Russian brothers into the restaurant. The staff pulled back a black, opaque curtain to cover the restaurant's glass windows. Everyone knew who they were trying to prevent people from seeing what was going on inside, so she stopped worrying and focused all her attention on the script, waiting for the crew to call her.

About half an hour later, a production assistant informed Camiya that she could enter the restaurant. Her bodyguard opened an umbrella to shield her from the rain and also to block the reporters' camera angles, completely obscuring Camiya's face. Finally, he safely escorted Camiya into the restaurant.

Upon entering the restaurant, Camilla nodded to himself. The first thing that caught his eye was the camera track. After comparing the position of the lens and the height of the camera, anyone who had studied photography could figure out the tricks of the trade. This was definitely the work of an expert.

The person managed to capture a clear and unobstructed view of the somewhat crowded restaurant from a wide-angle position slightly below the dining table, demonstrating a unique understanding of photographic techniques.

This shot was definitely not done by Mickey. Everyone in the industry knows that Mickey isn't very good at using camera angles; his strength lies only in his visual language. Coupled with his insensitivity to color, he couldn't have created that dark red, like oxidized blood, and the orange-red lighting on set. This color scheme is unsettling, yet it fits the film perfectly.

Camilla glanced at the burly man fiddling with the camera and knew that Lucas's position was chief cinematographer and art director, so all of this was definitely his doing. This made Camilla change her opinion of him; Lucas was indeed a man of real talent and not just a figurehead.

Meanwhile, Mickey and Kesha were discussing their positions and poses with the extras and coordinators on set. The discussion, which seemed to have no fixed answers, ended unexpectedly quickly. All of this was thanks to Lu Ze's detailed description of the storyboard. Without such visually appealing storyboards, they could not have found the right feeling so quickly.

Upon Camilla's arrival, the main cast members simply nodded and greeted her without being overly enthusiastic. This way of interacting was quite comfortable for her. She pulled up a stool behind the director's chair and sat down, waiting for Lu Ze to appear.

"Everyone, double-check the equipment. Marcus, stretch that cable on your left a bit longer, so it doesn't trip anyone. Pull it a little closer to me, it's in the shot, buddy. Has everyone finished checking?"

"The film crew has completed their inspection; everything is normal."

"The props team has completed their inspection; everything is normal."

"The lighting system has been inspected and no further adjustments are needed."

"The radio is working well, the sound quality is very clear, there is no noise or interference."

"Where's the art team? Is Lu Ze's makeup done yet? Hurry up!"

Urged on by Mickey, he came down from the second floor. He was wearing a classic black and white suit and had a relatively youthful appearance, looking to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. If we use the visual age standard of Europeans and Americans, some people might even believe that Lu Ze was eighteen.

"Lu Ze, are you okay?"

Lu Ze didn't speak, only made an OK gesture. He had read the script for a long time, and he even wrote the storyboard. Coupled with his abnormal ability to digest scripts and his robotic stability, Mickey's question was completely unnecessary.

He slowly walked into the center of the room and sat at the same table as the other actors. After Mickey notified everyone to take their positions, he closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing. "Rebirth" had begun, so he was no longer Lu Ze, but the man named Parker Lee.

"The Rebirth, Act One! Scene One! Begin!"

The script supervisor shouted loudly, and the clapperboard slammed down with a crisp sound. Under the watchful eyes of the entire crew, all the actors got into character, including Lu Ze, or rather, he was the one who got into character the fastest. His personal emotions began to subside, and the character's emotions replaced his own. From closing his eyes to opening them, it only took five seconds for him to transform into a different person.

"..."

(End of this chapter)