Surrounded by green screens, a black Mercedes G-Class was parked at the center of the studio, where Michael Bay stood next to the vehicle, explaining the scene to a perplexed Matthew.
"Just focus on the action!" Michael slapped the driver's door and instructed, "After I say 'action,' immediately push the door open and jump out. Remember, you need to jump!"
Demonstrating, he mimed a jumping action, "Then close the door behind you…"
Turning around, Michael beckoned Matthew, "Now, follow me and do it once!"
Matthew nodded, "No problem."
"After closing the door, just sprint forward," Michael said, taking long strides ahead. Matthew followed, turning to look back as Michael continued, "Make sure to run in a way that doesn't block the front and sides of the vehicle."
After running about five or six meters, Michael stopped, and Matthew followed suit.
"Got it?" Michael asked.
"Completely," Matthew replied, understanding this particular scene but not the overall concept of the commercial.
This director, known for his blockbuster style, wasn't sticking to the script. As soon as filming started, the directions came straight from his on-the-spot narration. The director from Mercedes-Benz had specifically instructed Matthew to follow Michael's lead.
Matthew, having secured a lucrative endorsement deal with Mercedes, was naturally cooperative within reasonable bounds, so despite his confusion, he went along with Michael's pace.
Michael returned to the camera, and Matthew approached the vehicle, opened the door, and sat in the driver's seat of the Mercedes G-Class, waiting for filming to begin.
Half a minute later, Michael's voice rang out, "Action!"
The command was like a charge. Matthew, expression stern, pushed the door open and jumped out, sprinting forward with the speed of a hundred-meter dash.
Just a few seconds later, Michael called out, "Cut!"
Matthew stopped, unflustered, and looked towards Michael, who gestured an 'OK' sign and loudly said, "Perfect!"
Since Michael had required Matthew to keep a stern face throughout, highlighting his sharp facial contours, the shoot was relatively easy for him.
"Take a fifteen-minute break!" Michael's voice echoed again. "Stunt drivers, get ready!"
The next scene involved a moving car shot, and the contract negotiated by Helen Herman explicitly stipulated that any driving scenes in the commercial must use stunt drivers.
Matthew had no objections. His driving skills were above average but nowhere near capable of performing the exaggerated stunts required for the commercial. Plus, this wasn't the kind of action shooting he was used to, and the risk of injury was greater.
Mercedes-Benz had already arranged for stunt doubles.
With some time to spare during the break, Matthew approached Michael's director monitor and asked tentatively, "May I?"
"Of course," Michael responded without hesitation. "Come and take a look."
Matthew moved to a position directly in front of the monitor, arms crossed, standing behind Michael, and watched the footage they had just shot.
The clip was only a few seconds long, showing little more than the car and the actor against a green screen.
"Now I finally understand…" Michael suddenly spoke up, "why Jerry Bruckheimer likes working with you."
Matthew scratched his head in confusion.
Michael continued, "Matthew, you're naturally suited for action scenes!"
"You flatter me," Matthew quickly responded, waving his hand dismissively. "Michael, a lot of my performances are actually inspired by classic scenes from your movies."
Regardless of what others said, he always considered "The Rock" a classic among action films, and even among all film genres.
"Having shot this commercial with you for half the day," Michael said, jumping topics, "I regret not insisting last year that you be the lead for 'The Island.'"
"Uh…" Matthew didn't know what to say, hesitating for a moment before smiling, "There will definitely be opportunities for us to collaborate in the future."
Michael nodded, "Yes, there will be."
Matthew remained silent, watching Michael busy at work. "The Island" was Michael's first film after parting ways with Jerry Bruckheimer, where he served as both producer and director. It was said to be entirely crafted according to his vision, and it remained to be seen whether it would be successful.
From his experience watching Michael's films, Matthew felt that Michael was immensely talented and had a strong grasp of commercial entertainment elements in cinema. However, his flaw was also apparent—he didn't know when to stop.
Many of Michael's films had explosions where they should—and shouldn't—be.
Moreover, Michael often added vulgar elements to his films, sometimes going overboard with parody, such as in "Transformers 2." Matthew still remembered the scene with the giant steel balls hanging beneath the pyramid, a ridiculous moment that didn't seem befitting of a top-tier Hollywood director.
Thinking of "Transformers," Matthew recalled the only real toy of his childhood—a discarded
Optimus Prime model.
After watching "Transformers 2," he felt as if his cherished childhood memories were ruined, especially the portrayal of Optimus Prime, who seemed nothing like a leader of the Autobots.
In Michael's films, Optimus lacked leadership qualities and decision-making capabilities, doing all the dirty work himself, managing everything from logistics to personal needs, and even combat. When he died, there was no funeral; he was treated like scrap metal, tossed from the sky twice.
When he was revived, before he could even catch his breath or start recovery training, he was being called upon to "stand up!" by the human protagonist, while other Autobots energetically powered him back up, seemingly thinking, "The big guy's back, let's send him to die, let the humans take the blame…"
Unfortunately, Matthew had recently inquired about the film rights to "Transformers," which were firmly held by DreamWorks. Unless something unexpected happened, Steven Spielberg would likely continue to have Michael direct.
Shaking his head, Matthew knew he was just an actor, not even top-tier, and such matters were beyond his control.
The fifteen-minute break soon ended, and filming resumed with Matthew now watching from a safe distance as the stunt drivers performed.
The remaining scenes in the studio mostly involved stunt doubles, with Matthew watching from the sidelines.
This commercial shoot was definitely the most relaxed of his acting career so far. He didn't need to make complex expressions; maintaining a stern face was enough, and the most challenging action had been the sprint.
One of the scenes featured the Mercedes G-Class bursting through the green screen, with Michael instructing the cinematographers to mount cameras on the vehicle's front and shoot from directly ahead.
After the shoot, Matthew checked the footage. Even without post-production effects, Michael's shots were visually impactful.
Michael seemed especially skilled at capturing such scenes.
After all stunt shots were completed, Matthew returned to the set for static scenes, standing atop the Mercedes G-Class, his expression stern as he looked ahead.
There were several similar static shots, all straightforward to film. Matthew didn't flub a single take; the few times Michael called cut were due to technical issues with equipment or shooting angles.
The shoot at Disney Studios went smoothly, and by four o'clock, Michael announced wrap-up, instructing the crew to meet early the next day at a barren area north of the San Fernando Valley for outdoor scenes.
After removing his makeup, Matthew rode a golf cart to the studio exit, switched into the Mercedes G-Class, and left Disney Studios.
Turning onto the main street at the studio gate, he noticed paparazzi following him. Not bothering to shake them off, he drove directly to Charlize Theron's house and stayed the night there.
Since going public on the Oscars' red carpet, Matthew and Charlize often stayed at each other's homes when the timing was right, and would show affection in public to maintain a certain level of publicity.
The next day, before the sun rose, Matthew extricated himself from Charlize's embrace and hurried to Disney Studios, arriving five minutes early at the meeting point.
Though his fame had grown significantly over the past year, sometimes appearing very high-profile, in any film crew, as long as his interests were not compromised, he was known to be a dedicated and professional actor—his work ethic was well-regarded within the industry.
The crew assembled on time, and Matthew switched to a comfortable MPV provided by Mercedes, falling asleep almost immediately. He hadn't slept well the night before; with a woman like Charlize Theron by his side, few men would choose to waste time sleeping.
He slept deeply, even dreaming that he stood at the Thermopylae Pass, wielding a sword and shield, defeating waves of American soldiers who cried out in pain and ran back to call on the Autobots and Optimus Prime for help. True to his reputation as America's loyal servant, Optimus Prime was ready to battle him for three hundred rounds.
Just as the battle was about to begin, Matthew was awakened. Stepping out of the vehicle, he discovered that not only their crew was filming here, but also another crew from the San Fernando Valley.
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