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Chapter 97: Temporary Director
🕑 Added 2024-12-05 17:53:15 +0000 UTCAnne Hathaway's outfit today was simple: a black short-sleeved shirt paired with a denim jacket and jeans. It was a stark contrast to Jennifer's glamorous attire at the party. She didn't look like a celebrity but more like the girl next door.
However, her face still drew attention from everyone around her. At just 20 years old, she was at the peak of her beauty.
Her fair, delicate skin, lively eyes, and even her signature wide smile, full of youthful collagen, were enough to captivate any man.
When Ethan approached the table, he could clearly hear the sighs of admiration from the people around them.
"Seems like I came at the wrong time," Ethan joked. Anne Hathaway laughed, "Quite the opposite."
"I'll have the tomato pasta, thank you," Ethan said, handing the menu to the waiter before turning to Anne. "What brings you to Chicago?"
"I just wrapped up a scene here. Heading to Los Angeles tomorrow," Anne shrugged, tracing circles on her plate with a fork. "I was chatting with a friend earlier today, and she suddenly mentioned you. Oh, and congratulations on winning the MTV award."
Ethan smiled and spread his hands. "And you came to congratulate me empty-handed?"
"What? Treating you to dinner isn't enough?" Anne Hathaway looked up, her big eyes staring at him.
"Of course not. Back home, when we congratulate someone, we always bring a gift," Ethan said, feigning seriousness, as he rubbed his nose with an expression of sincerity.
"Is that really a tradition? Sorry, I didn't prepare anything," Anne began, only for Ethan to interrupt her with a smirk. "I was lying."
"What!" Anne stared at Ethan, comparing his current expression to his earlier one. With disbelief, she exclaimed, "Your acting skills are amazing! You totally fooled me! So, there's no such tradition?"
"Of course not," Ethan laughed. "I have a habit of making small gestures, like touching my nose or chin, when I lie."
This, of course, was another lie. If Ethan wanted, his lies could sound more convincing than the truth.
Anne, however, seemed to believe him and joined in his laughter. "So that's it. You'd actually make a great actor. Want me to recommend you to a director?"
"No, no, no, Anne. Why not the other way around? Let me teach you how to act," Ethan said, wagging a finger. "Don't forget, I'm the director here."
"Yeah, you're right. I just remembered—your work won an award, and the music world is buzzing about it. Even Cameron's been praising you," Anne said, before suddenly changing the subject. "So, Avril must really like you, huh?"
Ethan calmly took a sip of water. "Avril? Of course, she likes me. I'm her lucky director."
The nickname "Lucky Director" was one given to Ethan in the music world, alongside "Tyrant on Set."
This nickname had two meanings. The first wasn't about Ethan's luck but rather the fortune of the artists whose music videos he directed.
Every artist Ethan worked with had a breakout year. Even the least talented ones, like Raymond, had moments of fame thanks to his videos.
At this point in the music industry, no one could resist having "Directed by Ethan" in their music video credits.
The second meaning implied that Ethan was simply lucky, having directed a few viral songs and thus winning the annual award.
This perspective was mostly held by stubborn media outlets like Dillon.
"You're not wrong," Anne Hathaway said, finding no sign of a lie in Ethan's expression or gestures.
Feeling reassured, she added, "But I noticed at the award ceremony, Avril was very close to you. Maybe she has a crush on you?"
"You're not wrong. I think so too," Ethan smiled. Then, as if a thought had suddenly struck him, he leaned closer to Anne and whispered, "Are you jealous?"
"Me... jealous?" Anne Hathaway furrowed her brows, her lips curling into a smile. "You might be..."
She didn't finish her sentence because Ethan gently kissed her on the cheek, cutting her off completely.
"Thank you," the waiter placed Ethan's pasta in front of him. Ethan nodded in acknowledgment.
Anne Hathaway touched her face, looking at Ethan in surprise.
Ethan smirked. "That was a return gift."
"Return gift?" Anne remembered the end of the party that night and couldn't help but laugh.
After dinner, Ethan and Anne Hathaway strolled along Navy Pier, enjoying the cool breeze.
Although it was called a pier, it was nothing like a fishing dock. There was no overpowering smell of the sea.
Under a dim streetlight, the two paused, gazing at the crescent moon on the horizon.
There was no one else around, only the faint glow of scattered lights.
"Let's go. Chicago isn't the safest place," Ethan said. He never trusted the nights in America, no matter the location.
Anne Hathaway nodded but suddenly felt Ethan's hands around her waist as they turned to leave.
The next second, she found herself leaning back into Ethan's arms.
What followed was a deep, lingering gaze and an even longer kiss.
Their silhouettes stretched under the streetlight until the moon disappeared behind the clouds.
....
The next day, Ethan returned to the crew and arrived at the designated prison set.
However, an accident occurred during the third day of filming.
Rob Marshall had been personally overseeing the stage setup.
As a props team member finished arranging something under Ethan's instructions, they accidentally knocked over a metal scaffold, which fell on Rob's arm. The impact sent him to the ground, leaving a bloody gash on his skin.
The crew rushed Rob to the hospital, but the production came to a halt.
No one knew how long it would take for Rob to recover, which made Bert anxious.
The prison set had been rented on a tight schedule. Most of the budget had gone into set design and hiring the dance team. If the shoot wasn't completed within the week, the company would have to shell out more money.
But with Rob in the hospital, there was no one to take over...
"Wait!" Bert suddenly thought of Ethan. He seemed to be the only suitable candidate in the crew.
Bert quickly approached him. "Ethan, can you do it? I mean, take over for Rob as director?"
Ethan was momentarily stunned but then smiled. "Of course, Bert."
"Great. Let's resume shooting today. John!" Bert called the art director and stage designer over to inform them of the new arrangement.
When the crew heard that Ethan would be directing, many were surprised.
After all, he was just an MV director used to managing small teams. Now he was tasked with leading a crew of dozens for a musical—something most directors couldn't handle. Could he really pull it off?
Dion scoffed at the idea, thinking Ethan was biting off more than he could chew. To him, this was just a waste of film.
But Bert had made his decision. As the producer, his word was final, and the crew had no choice but to comply.
Soon, the set and actors were ready. This scene was the longest musical number in the film, lasting seven and a half minutes. It depicted Renée hearing stories of murderers in prison.
These anecdotes were cleverly portrayed as dream sequences through a series of dances.
The scene was incredibly challenging for both the director and the actors.
After taking over, Ethan spent 20 minutes discussing the shot list with John, asking detailed questions and making quick decisions.
"We'll shoot in two takes. First, a walkthrough. Then Dion and I will handle two moving cameras. Three fixed cameras will cover the front and sides. John, you'll monitor the footage."
The crew had five cameras for this scene, and Ethan intended to use them all.
He also coordinated with the stage team and carefully briefed each department.
It was then that everyone realized Ethan wasn't inexperienced with musicals. In fact, he seemed almost too adept.
From lighting to set design, his suggestions were mature and insightful. He even gave advice on the actors' positions.
This reassured the crew and disappointed Dion, who had been waiting to see Ethan struggle.
Though Ethan had never filmed a musical before, he had spent his time on set learning from department heads and absorbing the necessary knowledge.
Since they had already rehearsed and the dancers were experienced, replicating the choreography wasn't too difficult.
The real challenge lay in using the cameras effectively, maintaining quality, and ensuring seamless continuity.
This was where the director's skill came into play, and it was Ethan's forte.
When it came to making women look stunning on screen, Ethan had more expertise than most directors.
Catherine Zeta-Jones could attest to that. So, she had no doubts about Ethan's direction.
With the lead actress on board, the other actors followed suit, cooperating with Ethan's instructions and taking their places on stage.
"All right, let's do a walkthrough first... Stagehands, move the iron frames with the actors. Lighting team, keep the spotlight directly overhead—no drifting."
"Action!"
Music played, and the stage came alive with a spectacular performance.
Women dressed in black, seductive outfits sang and danced against the prison bars, showcasing their sultry or powerful moves. They moved with the rhythm, "killing" their male dance partners one by one.
The entire scene was bathed in a mix of deep blue lighting, interspersed with red and warm tones to convey different emotional nuances of the stories being told.
Ethan watched the footage carefully from the monitor, noting issues as they appeared. After the trial shoot ended, he worked with the team to correct various aspects and made adjustments.
Before long, the official shoot began.
But just three minutes into filming, Ethan's frustrated voice suddenly rang out: "Cut!"
