The atmosphere in the apartment changed subtly once again.
Those feelings of excitement, anticipation, and nervousness quietly surged through the air. The fatigue and weariness seemed to burn away in the heat of passionate energy, and even with great effort, it was impossible to suppress the overwhelming exhilaration.
This is the magic of performance.
Michel was no exception. He could clearly sense the chemistry between the two actors. Like gears finally meshing after some initial stumbles, once a detail aligned, everything flowed smoothly.
This moment of harvest and satisfaction filled his chest, boiling with excitement—
This was the scene he had been desperately seeking. This was the effect he had been dreaming of. Anson and Kate, the two actors, had not only met but far exceeded expectations, sparking even more creative energy.
In an instant, his spirits lifted, and all the fatigue and irritability of the night vanished. The endless ordeal seemed to no longer matter.
"Cut!"
With great passion, he instantly broke free from his constraints, feeling a full surge of emotion.
Michel abruptly stood up, his eyes filled with joy.
But before he could express his feelings, he became the target of numerous gazes, all directed at him like arrows, surrounding him from all sides.
In that moment, Michel truly felt his life was in danger.
Uh...
His voice caught in his throat as he nervously swallowed.
Misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding—
Michel understood that the entire night had been spent filming just one scene, and everyone present had been tortured into a state of nervous exhaustion. Finally, they had completed a full take.
And it was stunning—anyone who wasn't blind could see that.
But did his "Cut" mean the director was still not satisfied?
Michel thought that if he were to say "no" now, he might truly taste the sensation of being pierced by those eyes, and his heart couldn't help but tighten.
"Perfect."
Michel quickly defended himself, raising the flag to show his stance.
Whew.
The tense atmosphere in the apartment eased slightly, and Michel felt the metaphorical daggers aimed at his back were temporarily withdrawn. He hurriedly wiped the sweat off his forehead.
Michel let out a long sigh of relief and turned to Kate, "Anson? Anson! You come in first."
Anson had just left the apartment but hadn't left the building—
There were no cameras outside, so even though the scene hadn't been fully filmed yet, he didn't need to go outside to face an empty street.
Creak.
Anson pushed open the apartment door and re-entered.
Clap, clap, clap.
Clap, clap, clap!
Grant was the first to react, his shoulders raised in excitement as he enthusiastically clapped for Anson, applauding him without reservation—
Unable to hide his excitement.
It was not just praise but also encouragement.
Grant knew Anson could do it. He knew Anson wouldn't disappoint. It wasn't just his charm; his acting skills were equally impressive.
Now, at this moment, witnessing such a brilliant performance firsthand, Grant was even more excited than Anson himself, unable to contain it.
As for the others?
Grant didn't care.
But this time, Grant wasn't abrupt. Applause slowly spread throughout the room, with one person after another getting lost in the joy of "victory."
Cheers for Anson, cheers for Kate, and most importantly, cheers for the hard-fought victory after a night of struggle.
A tale of hardships.
Applause, mixed with whistles, filled the lively scene.
Anson was also slightly stunned, clearly not expecting what was happening.
He looked at Kate, thinking something must have happened while he was out of the apartment; but Kate also spread her hands in confusion.
Then.
Anson joined in with the uproar, "Woo-hoo!"
There were cheers and whistles, totally different from Joel's state. That cheerful and lively demeanor made everyone in the apartment burst into laughter.
Shh!
Anson quickly realized the issue and put his finger to his lips, signaling everyone to stop. The people in the apartment were confused but quieted down.
Anson listened carefully—
No movement.
"Oh, I was worried the neighbors might complain about the noise. After all, we're in Long Island."
A place where many office workers lived, and the late hour might affect their rest.
Anson shrugged lightly, "But it seems they're working just like us."
Ha ha ha.
Everyone burst into laughter, but as they laughed, some started to tear up.
Then, everyone followed Anson's gaze to the director. How was the progress? The decision lay in the hands of that gentleman.
Michel took a full two beats to react to what Anson was saying, "Haha, hahaha, you're really funny."
Delayed laughter echoed lonely in the apartment.
Michel awkwardly scratched his head, coughing twice to clear his throat.
"Okay, perfect."
"I mean, the scene just now was perfect. I loved every detail in it. Kate, you were great. Anson, you were outstanding."
"Flawless. I have no complaints."
Rambled, Michel poured out his praises in one go.
However, everyone's eyes remained on Michel, clearly waiting for him to finish his words.
Kate said, "But?"
Michel, "Huh?"
Kate, "Based on your tone, there should be a 'but' coming up."
Michel was stunned, finally realizing, "Yes, yes, yes, but we need to switch angles and take some shots. Different angles, different compositions."
"Clearly, this scene isn't suited for a single take. We need to capture those details."
"Don't mind me. The two of you just immerse yourselves in your roles and keep acting. Each performance doesn't have to be identical; it doesn't matter. Forget we're here for now, get into character. We'll take care of capturing the details."
After speaking, Michel flashed a big smile to emphasize his satisfaction.
Anson reminded, "And?"
Michel, "Huh?"
Anson couldn't help but chuckle, "The shot where Clementine runs to the window—how does the director plan to shoot it? Do we each get in position while the camera waits, or do we follow the timeline and shoot in sequence?"
The difference was:
In the former, Kate would wait in the apartment while Anson waited at the door for the director's cue to start. Anson would exit, and the shoot would unfold.
In the latter, everything would be shot as if it were happening in real-time. Anson would leave the kitchen and head to the window while Anson left the apartment and ran into the street, realistically recreating the scene from the script and showcasing the characters' actual states.
Though the effect seen on camera would be indistinguishable after editing, the actors' performance states would differ.
The realism, the sense of experience, and the immersion—these details would vary.
Michel was taken aback, realizing that Anson was an actor who thought beyond just his role and performance, extending to the entire scene—
This quality was especially rare.
Michel couldn't quite articulate what exactly made it so special, particularly since this was only his second project and he was still a novice director.
But without a doubt, the director's job just got easier.