In China, elementary school textbooks and celebrity photographs hanging in classrooms often mention a quote attributed to Edison, or perhaps Einstein: "Success is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration." Teachers and parents love to use this quote to motivate children, emphasizing the importance of hard work.
However, they frequently omit the second part, which states: "1% inspiration is more important than 99% perspiration."
There are things and professions in this world that require talent. Without talent, no matter how hard you work, you won't be able to succeed in those fields. For instance, painting, photography, sports, and acting. Many people envy actors for their high salaries and fame, enjoy the attention of fans and the spotlight, hearing the crowd chant their names, and rush into show business.
But most of them lack the talent for acting. From the beginning, their career ceiling is already set. Usually, by the age of 30, their acting skills reach their peak, and that's if they work hard. Rarely can anyone surpass themselves.
Some actors, however, truly possess talent. From their first encounter with acting, their facial expressions and movements are full of life. Such people can continuously improve. At 20, they play 20-year-olds, and at 60, they continue to amaze. Examples of such actors are Edward Norton and Cecilia Yip.
It's clear that the Olsen sisters belong to the first category. They seem to have talent, but not enough of it. Elizabeth Olsen, the younger sister, surpasses them in this regard. She doesn't reach the level of Eddie Redmayne but is above average.
Eric is currently facing this issue. Despite the Olsen sisters working with professional mentors for several months before the shoot, they still fall short of his ideal. Even a simple glance back causes so much trouble, let alone the upcoming breakup scene, which requires them to convey emotional pain. Eric fears it might be a disaster.
He gave the crew a break and called Andrea and Neill Blomkamp for a brief meeting.
"You've seen it yourselves," Eric began. "Ashley and Mary are having trouble with their acting. We need to come up with something."
Andrea nodded. "Ashley is doing better, her character is more restrained. But overall, their acting is too shallow."
Neill Blomkamp disagreed: "Director, I think the shot already looks pretty good. Do we really need to be this demanding?"
"Seriously, Neill? You really think so?" Eric asked.
"Yes, I'm being honest. It's not perfect, but it's acceptable."
Eric sighed and patted him on the shoulder: "I understand. Your perspective and level of perception are still limited. It looks like you'll need experience from at least two more films."
"I originally planned to use you as an assistant director in my next movie, but you're not ready yet."
"What?!" Neill looked as if his world had collapsed. If he had known it would turn out like this, he would have stayed quiet.
Andrea intervened: "Director, based on the shoot, I can say that the Olsen sisters aren't fully immersed in their roles. They may lack the time to delve into their characters due to their managerial duties and business meetings."
"You mean they don't have enough belief in their roles?" Eric clarified.
Andrea's eyes lit up. "Yes! Exactly that. If an actor doesn't believe in their character, how can they portray them convincingly?"
"Do you have any suggestions?" Neill Blomkamp asked.
Andrea shook her head. "It's difficult to achieve in a short time. Usually, for such films, actors need to delve deeply into their characters, sometimes even living their lives to fully embody the role."
"Like Jared Leto, who, to play a drug addict in Requiem for a Dream, spent nights on the streets of New York, talking and hanging out with drug addicts, doing everything except using drugs himself."
"Hilary Swank, to play a transgender character, lived as a man for several months, even binding her chest with a corset."
"I'm not sure how far the Olsen sisters have gone, but clearly, it's not enough."
Eric sighed and looked over at the Olsen sisters, who were chatting cheerfully nearby, unaware of their issues.
After a moment, he called over Judy.
"Eric, what's up?"
"I've got a task for you."
"Great, tell me what it is. I hope it's not too difficult."
"On the contrary, it's something good, especially for you."
"Really? Tell me."
"Ashley and Mary can't fully get into their roles. I want you to help them feel it, to understand this group of people."
Judy's eyes widened: "What exactly do you want them to feel? You better explain so I get it right."
"That feeling. Don't tell me you don't understand what I'm talking about."
Judy swallowed. "Is that even possible? I can try, but will they agree?"
"I'll convince them."
Judy, rubbing her hands together excitedly, said, "I'll be waiting for good news. I knew working as a producer on set would pay off."
After saying this, she moved to a corner, sat on a stool, and began observing the Olsen sisters.
"Ashley, Mary, come here."
Upon hearing Eric's call, the sisters quickly approached him. Eric dismissed everyone, leaving only the sisters, and began choosing his words carefully.
Even for him, this was a delicate and difficult subject to bring up. He knew he might provoke the Olsen sisters' anger if he approached the issue incorrectly.
"Ashley, Mary, today's scene was tough. Let's discuss the problem."
"I did 25 takes, and none of them worked?" Mary was disappointed, hoping the scene had been approved.
"No, something is still off. I don't see the emotions that should be there. Do you understand? I don't feel what I should be feeling from you, as if you're truly in love. How are you immersing yourselves into the role?"
The sisters exchanged glances. "We've read books on the subject, studied it. We have friends like that, and we've talked to them about their lifestyles and so on."
Eric nodded. "That's good, but it's not enough. I want you to experience it yourselves. Are you ready?"
Ashley looked confused. "What do you mean by 'experience it yourselves'?"
Mary frowned. "Eric, you've always been straightforward. Why are you being vague now? Just say it directly."
Eric pointed to Judy. "Judy Newhouse, she's an expert in this area. This evening, she'll take you to a specialized bar, so you can feel the atmosphere."
"In such an environment, you'll be able to better understand this world."
Eric was internally doubtful but chose not to spell everything out directly. The rest would depend on Judy, who was well-versed in these matters. According to Gal Gadot, Bar Refaeli, who used to be strictly heterosexual, had become more flexible in her preferences thanks to Judy's influence.
Seeing the sisters' silence, Eric added, "Don't misunderstand me. I just want you to immerse yourselves in the role quicker. Today's scene was relatively simple. There will be much more difficult ones coming up. You wouldn't want to spend all day shooting a single take, making the entire crew wait, right?"
"And don't forget our goal. We're aiming for the Golden Globes and the Oscars next year, and we don't have much time."
"You want to reach the next level and shake off the image of being child stars, don't you?"
"Eric, but…"
Ashley was about to say something, but Eric cut her off.
"No, no, and no! No buts! Look around you. In the eyes of all these people, you're still those little girls who can only act in kids' shows."
"You want a Golden Globe? You want an Oscar? Then you'll have to work hard. Success comes with a price."
"This role could win you the award for Best Actress. Right now, the youngest Oscar winner is Marlee Matlin, but she was 21. You're not even 18 yet."
"Think about it. The best actresses at 18! You'll make history and become global stars. You'll leave your mark in film history."
"Picture yourselves standing on the Oscar stage, receiving the award. The Olsen sisters will become global icons!"
For months now, Eric had been persuading the Olsen sisters, painting alluring prospects for them. His words made their thoughts drift to the Oscar ceremony.
"Alright, Eric, we'll do as you say."
"That's the spirit! That's how real actresses behave. Now, let's skip this scene."
Eric turned to James McAvoy. "James, it's your turn. Try to get it right in the first take."
"Alright, director, I'll do my best," James replied.
After a break, the crew moved to a bus set nearby. Several actors took their places.
"Blue Is the Warmest Colour, Scene 9, action!"
This scene was fairly simple. The focus was on James McAvoy, playing a high school student trying to win over Adele. His approach was modest.
On screen, Adele, played by Ashley, sat in her seat, portraying an ordinary girl. The camera pulled back to show McAvoy sitting at the back of the bus. Seeing Adele, he decided to approach her.
He stood up from his seat, glancing around nervously as if worried about being watched. It was very natural. Gaining the courage, he walked over to her, holding onto the handrail with one hand. The bus, of course, wasn't moving.
He leaned toward her, his eyes showing a mix of fear, desire, and admiration. After saying a few lines, he sat down next to Ashley.
"Great, James! Nailed it on the first take. Well done," Eric praised him.
"Thank you, director!" James responded with a smile.
Ashley looked at the handsome young man with surprise, impressed that he had nailed his role in just one take.
The crew moved to a classroom set for the next scene.
"Blue Is the Warmest Colour, Scene 12, action!"
In the classroom, a few girls were chatting. The camera focused on McAvoy's back. He overheard the girls talking about him and tensed up, which was visible from the movement of his jacket. Hearing good things, he relaxed and approached Adele to ask her out.
"Excellent, James! You did fantastic!"
Ashley was amazed, as was her sister Mary, who was watching the shoot. Another take, nailed on the first try! Was McAvoy really such a good actor?
The crew moved once again. Eric decided to film the most challenging scene with McAvoy—the breakup scene, where emotions would reach their peak.
He purposely approved every take on the first try to motivate the Olsen sisters. Even if McAvoy had some minor flaws in his performance, Eric would still say the scene was good. This was meant to show the sisters the difference in their level and push them to work even harder.
The scene was filled with emotions—sadness, disappointment, pain, misunderstanding, doubt. McAvoy performed it almost perfectly, which satisfied Eric.
"Ha-ha-ha, James, you're a genius! You acted brilliantly!" Eric stood up and started clapping. The others joined in.
McAvoy, scratching his head in embarrassment, felt he could've done better. But seeing his colleagues' enthusiasm, he didn't argue and simply accepted the praise.
"Am I really that good?" he asked himself.
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