In the dimly lit studio, the silence stretched thicker than the dust motes dancing in the warm spotlight. Lucas Knight, still buzzed from the raw intensity of his audition, watched as Danny Boyle and Donna Isaacson exchanged murmured whispers, while Aron Ralston also seemed to join the conversation.
Finally, Danny straightened, a subtle twinkle in his eye.
"Lucas," Danny said, leaning forward in his chair, "You brought fire in that performance. I can say that you really had potential in you. Your scream, lad, still echoes in my bones."
Lucas felt honored being praised, then he saw the casting director, Donna, nodding in agreement with Danny.
"But," Donna suddenly said, "there were moments, especially during the transition from exhilaration to fear, where the emotions felt... a bit pronounced. Like you were playing the notes, but not necessarily feeling the music."
Danny nodded and said, "To be honest, Lucas, you're a good actor. I feel that you really have the spirit of acting within you."
Lucas nodded. Even though he had performed his best in this audition with the Mind Workshop assisting him, he knew that he still needed guidance. While immersed in character within the Mind Workshop, he didn't fully embody the character because, in some way, there was still Lucas—an identity he couldn't temporarily set aside when performing.
Daniel Day-Lewis even spent months engrossing himself in character, and there were rumors that he was still in a certain character even after the filming ended.
Danny leaned back, tapping his chin in thought. "I advise you, young lad, your first audition actually captures what you are lacking in your second audition, and that is subtlety, Lucas," he said. "Aron didn't go from explorer to trapped man in a single leap. There's a slow, creeping dread, a realization that dawns like a cold sweat. Show us that internal struggle, the denial, the flicker of hope crushed by the weight of the rock."
Donna chimed in, her voice soft but firm. "And remember, it's not just about the physicality. Let your eyes speak, Lucas. They're windows to Aron's soul. Let the fear and defiance dance in their depths; let them reflect the stark transition from sun-drenched canyons to the suffocating darkness of his entrapment."
Lucas listened attentively and took the advice to heart. He said gratefully, "Thank you very much for the advice!"
Danny and Donna were quite pleased with Lucas's humble personality. If a young man were too prideful of their talent, they might feel a little unwilling to accept that their performance is lacking something, and it may appear that they acknowledged but were quite stubborn inside.
But they could see that Lucas was truly a young talent willing to take advice and lessons.
Aron Ralston listened as Danny, Donna, and Lucas talked. After seeing that they were only talking casually, Aron felt it was time to interject. "Lucas."
Lucas turned his head to Aron.
"I really felt that your performance is very good. I hope you will do your best to get the role," Aron smiled as he encouraged.
"Thank you," Lucas nodded in gratefulness. He knew that while Aron may appear to appreciate his performance just now, if another good actor appeared who performed better, and if Lucas couldn't counter back, he would not be able to get the role no matter how much potential he had.
After all, Lucas, or the real Aron, knew that in this world, only those willing to survive will live. Only those who do their best can win.
"Life is a competition," Lucas thought, smiling after conversing with the directors and Aron. He exited the audition room.
Lucas knew that Aron was not saying he could get the role with his approval, but what he was trying to convey was: If you want the role, then you can only do your utmost best.
After Lucas exited, he passed by James Franco, who discreetly glanced at him.
---
James Franco walked into the audition room. He didn't know why, but the young man who had just passed him attracted his attention.
He shrugged off the distracting thoughts as he entered the audition room.
James saw the directors and Aron, the person whose story the film project "127 Hours" was based on.
The directors and Aron greeted him and talked with him for a while before the audition finally began.
The audition time for James Franco was extended compared to other auditioners.
James Franco could perform several scenes in just the first audition and could rehearse more freely during the audition.
The scenes included James Franco stumbling upon two travelers, Aron riding a bike, interacting with the two women, Megan and Kristi, and finally, the scene where Aron accidentally had the boulder pinned down his right arm.
Danny, Donna, and Aron observed James Franco's performance through the monitor, but they could see that his performance was lacking compared to the performance Lucas had shown.
Meanwhile, James acted his best; his fear and anxiety could be seen through his actions.
And his attempt to push back the boulder and the struggle in his expression.
"Damn it!" James growled under his breath as he looked at his right arm pinned by the rock.
Danny and Donna exchanged glances, and from their eyes, they already knew what was on each other's minds.
And their thoughts went along the lines: After seeing Lucas's performance, James's performance seems to lack many things that Lucas has shown.
Indeed. Although Danny and Donna had advised Lucas just previously, only now, when another actor, a rising star at that, performed the same scene that Lucas had executed exceptionally well, could they see that Lucas's performance was extraordinary.
James still performed, and when the director Danny stopped his performance, he turned to Director Danny, who talked to him on how he could polish his performance.
"That still didn't do it?" James asked in a bit of surprise.
Danny, who just heard that, sensed a bit of confidence in James just from his words, even if he looked humble.
That's why Danny expressed his view on James's performance and suggested how James could improve his acting...
James took the suggestions to heart and was given time to rehearse the scene before performing it once more.
One thing that the directors, Aron, and the staff noted was that Lucas didn't even rehearse at all. It was his raw and first performance, yet it still surpassed the performance of a rising star.
Only now, with the comparison to a rising star, did they start to appreciate Lucas's previous performance more and more.
---
Meanwhile, Lucas was currently eating at a cheap restaurant in the city.
"Gordon Ramsay should definitely pay this restaurant a visit," Lucas muttered under his breath as he ate a steak that was raw.
"It was fucking raw!" Lucas didn't dare to growl this out but just imagined he shouted that out loud like Gordon Ramsay in his mind...