Global Film Emperor

Chapter 487 The Definition of Genius

Having only watched for about thirty seconds, and with the video far from over, the professor had already experienced an impact he hadn't felt in his decades-long acting career. At this point, the professor definitely needed to calm down.

He got up, put his phone in his pocket, and came down from the second floor. His wife was cooking. The sound of frying meat made him feel hungry and anticipate the dishes he was about to eat. The aroma filling the room made him feel a little better, but it wasn't enough to help him get through the mental hurdle.

"What's wrong, Robert?"

The wife deftly flipped the meat over with a wooden spatula. More than twenty years of marriage had not ruined her figure; she remained slender and delicate. However, wrinkles still inevitably spread across her face, diminishing her beauty but adding a touch of kindness.

"nothing."

"I rarely see you come home drunk before get off work. Of course, it's fine if you don't want to say it, but could you bring me the plate?"

"no problem."

His help put his wife at ease. She pulled out the cork, pressed her thumb against the bottle opening, and sprayed the contents into the pot. Besides the sizzling sound, some flames, mostly blue, would also appear. She was quite skilled; it was clear she had practiced.

It's hard to imagine an actress marrying a chef. She couldn't understand it either more than 20 years ago and almost turned down the marriage. Maybe she thought she looked sexy wearing a chef's hat back then.

just forget it.

She had asked her husband why he married her, and his answer was mostly joking, because she was the only female chef in the restaurant near the school. If he could get a female chef, he could eat for free. Of course, this reason was not valid, because Robert was already a well-known stage actor at that time.

She never listened to Robert's true feelings, yet she still loved him haphazardly for half her life.

The food was served. Although the wife was a master at cooking meat, she was surprisingly a vegetarian. After praying, she poured a glass of red wine, and the two of them started eating with forks. Their movements were accompanied by the sparkling of luxurious pendants under the lights.

"I read a book today."

He needed a listener, and as his wife, she was undoubtedly the best choice. After refilling his cup with alcohol, he finally spoke, explaining to his wife the reason for his unusual behavior that day.

“You read every day.”

“This book is different; it subverts my understanding of acting, so I feel very uncomfortable.”

"It's just beyond your comprehension, which is why you, this old stubborn person, don't want to admit it."

That makes perfect sense. To sum it up, he, along with other readers who distrust Lu Ze's books, are unwilling to let new theories and methods break the existing performance rules that are already deeply ingrained in their minds. Of course, anticipating the consequences is also part of the reason for their distrust.

The professor, caught red-handed, wasn't embarrassed. His wife was always so straightforward, and he'd long been used to this way of communicating. He simply shrugged, hoping she'd give him some face this time, just like she had when she'd exposed his tactful words last time.

“I understand your thoughts. Just like when I see a new way of cooking a traditional dish, I also feel resistant. Regardless of taste or smell, judging solely from my subjective opinion, I always believe that the new way of cooking is definitely not as delicious as the traditional way. But over the years, I have lost many times, so I can only accept and admit that there are geniuses in this world.”

"But he goes far beyond the scope of the word 'genius'."

"When geniuses go and change the world, mediocre people all say that. Okay, tell me about him."

"He's Chinese, and he's already won Best Actor at two of the three major film festivals. I think... he'll soon become a Grand Slam actor, almost certainly..."

He didn't know much about Lu Ze's life, so he could only explain to his wife from a professional perspective just how extraordinary Lu Ze was. She listened patiently, nodding occasionally or gently asking questions about details, making Lu Ze's image more complete in her mind. He also frankly revealed the video. At the same time, his wife's understanding of genius was subtly influencing him. They had never talked about genius before, but he hadn't expected his wife to have such a clear understanding of this term that belonged to only a very few people. She had just said something that left Robert stunned for a while.

"Only those who have no flaws in their careers can be called geniuses."

These factors include professional skills, personality, and physical health. This reminded Robert of himself. Once upon a time, he was also called a genius. At the age of seventeen, he was scouted by several theaters on Broadway and was just one step away from becoming a world-class stage performer. However, his overly cautious nature led him to become a professor of acting rather than a stage master. In that sense, he doesn't seem to deserve the title of genius. At best, he is just a talented person.

“Every time you tell the truth, it hurts so much.”

He frowned, feigning helplessness. Of course, this was all an act. Whether he was a genius or not, time had already proven that perfectly.

"Save your breath. Even though you're an actor, you can't fool me. Just show me the video, I want to see it too."

She was also intrigued and suggested it during the conversation. The phone was propped up by a wine bottle and placed at an angle suitable for both of them. Finally, with his lover by his side, he mustered up the courage to turn on the video again.

As a professional director, even when editing clips, he used sophisticated techniques for scene transitions, providing viewers with a very enjoyable viewing experience.

Most of the scene changes occurred before the clapperboard was struck, highlighting Lu Ze's rapid emotional shifts. Even though it wasn't the first time he had seen it, it still shocked the professor. And he wasn't the only one who was shocked; all the actors watching the video, as professionals in the performing arts, were in the same boat.

However, it is clearly untenable to prove that the training method described in Lu Ze's book is real based solely on the ability to instantly get into character. If such a great risk is taken just for the ability to instantly get into character, it only shows that this training method is completely unnecessary. In other words, instantly getting into character is just an appetizer for this training mode.

If you ask actors who have worked with Lu Ze to describe the most stressful aspect of filming with him, the answer is undoubtedly Lu Ze's robotic and stable performance. This is the most direct difference between the practice methods mentioned in Lu Ze's books and traditional practice methods.

To showcase the immersive experience of this training method, the eighteen consecutive, no-NG scenes from "Rebirth" were incorporated into the video by Mickey, though the filming process was sped up and glossed over.

The director's shouts, the crisp sound of the clapperboard, and the actors' tense rehearsals made the otherwise dull film crew life feel like a variety show. Only Lu Ze remained as cold as a machine. If air pressure were visible, the aura surrounding Lu Ze would definitely be that of a deep purple demon from an anime.

He would perform, the director would call his turn, then he would sit down, drink water, then get up and continue filming. To the audience, it seemed like an assembly line, with no fatigue, no mistakes, and no loss of emotion. Everything was completed so smoothly and unreasonably.

The video was edited, so there's a possibility of it being faked. However, by slowly replaying and examining each frame of the edited segments, it's easy to spot missing frames. For a piece of evidence video, once a problem is found, it's an indelible stain. Who would be foolish enough to think that no professional editor would be paying attention to this? If Lu Ze had any sense at all, he wouldn't have done that.

Therefore, these eighteen consecutive shots, even if unbelievable, were largely ignored by most people, who were more focused on how well Lu Ze performed. The remaining few skeptics were examining the footage frame by frame, and for the time being, no brainless individuals jumped out to confront Lu Ze.

Viewers rarely see Lu Ze go over the script with other actors. Even when he does participate, it's usually to help the younger actors find their footing. More often than not, viewers see a group of actors huddled together, chanting their lines repeatedly as if possessed, waiting for the director to call them, and then standing opposite Lu Ze, looking like they're heading to their execution.

This series of scenes left the professor stunned. He didn't even put the piece of meat on his fork into his mouth for a long time. His wife didn't understand what was going on. She just felt that Lu Ze was putting too much pressure on his business partners and didn't seem like an easy person to get along with. She didn't bother her husband and gave him more time to understand and accept it.

The video features numerous shots, spanning three films and a full twelve minutes. At the very end, a man wearing a mask and sunglasses appears in the frame, seemingly in a hurry, talking as he walks.

"I don't want to rush to explain some of the false rumors circulating online. I hope everyone can read the whole thing before making a judgment. But I didn't expect to be met with resistance on the first day of the book's release. I'm sorry for the negative impression it has given everyone. There's nothing I can do but explain in advance that I have already given the answer at the end of the book. It's just that everyone didn't have the patience to finish reading it. The training methods I proposed are not important in my opinion. They are more of a theoretical foundation. Based on my own experience, I hope to become a new way of acting practice recognized by professionals. I can say very clearly that I am not advocating that young actors choose my acting method because it is indeed very dangerous."

"I believe this is a viable path, but not now, but in the future. After I and other performance masters have refined it, and under safe conditions, performers can then use it for practice. If someone succeeds through the practice method I proposed, I will be honored. Right now, I hope everyone will calmly consider the theory I proposed and not practice it. That's the point of this video. Thank you everyone. I have to catch my flight to Turin now. See you in my next work."

"..."

I'm so tired and sleepy today, I'm not feeling well at all. I'm sorry everyone, but I'll send you my belated blessings: Happy Qixi Festival to all my readers, and best wishes for a healthy pregnancy!
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(End of this chapter)