Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 425 Metamorphosis

Warner Bros. Studios is very large, with a complete range of film shooting and post-production facilities, including 30 sound stages and 8.1 hectares of outdoor shooting locations, as well as multiple mixing studios and audio/video editing rooms.

The parking lot is a bit far from the film studio that Cao Yang needs to use.

When he and Bing arrived at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles, Ning Hao was already waiting in a four-wheeled electric vehicle from the film set.

"You've arrived quite early."

Cao Yang got on the electric scooter and said to Ning Hao.

Ning Hao didn't seem surprised that Pang Bing and Cao Yang came together. He first smiled and nodded at Pang Bing before replying:

"It won't be long. It's the first day of filming, so I definitely need to come to the set to check for any omissions... Sit tight."

He started the electric scooter and joked with a smile, "If there's anything I've missed or that's not done properly, you'll definitely be the first to scold me."

"Heh, you have a problem with that? Don't want me to yell at you?"

Cao Yang looked ahead and said casually.

"Hey, look at what you're saying. You're scolding me for my own good. It must be because I haven't done a good job. I'm not making this up, go ask around, there are so many people who are green with envy for me, haha..."

Ning Hao said with a smug look on his face as he drove the electric scooter.

Fat Bing covered her mouth and laughed. She thought Ning Hao was so interesting, and her liking for him was off the charts.

Well, the main reason is that Ning Hao privately calls her "Little Martial Aunt"...

Sigh, look at this title, all this "little master's wife" stuff, it's unnecessary, completely unnecessary!

Of course, if Ning Hao is willing to call him that in private, there's nothing I can do. It's his freedom to call someone whatever he wants, and we can't restrict his freedom of speech, can we?
As they approached the filming location, Ning Hao stopped in a relatively open and sparsely populated area.

He hesitated for a moment, then said to Cao Yang, "Jin Carrey arrived earlier than usual today. I felt something was off about him. You know I've known him for about two months now, so I know a little about his personality..."

Cao Yang's heart skipped a beat. His first thought was whether he had gone too far in getting into character yesterday, which might have caused Jim Carrey's unexpected situation.

"what happened?"

Ning Hao whispered, "As soon as he arrived at the film set today, he greeted everyone he met with a strange expression, and he also made a lot of... a lot of weird expressions and behaviors, which was very unusual."

He gathered his thoughts and explained, "It's similar to the situation in those comedy movies he used to act in, like 'The Shapeshifters'... Anyway, something's not right."

Cao Yang thought about the content of "The Shapeshifters" and asked, "Was it because Jim Carrey got into character, or was he deliberately imitating Joker-like behavior to prepare for filming 'Joker'?"

Ning Hao thought about it carefully for a moment, then said somewhat uncertainly, "Jim Carrey suffers from depression. He once said that his depression stemmed from his rigorous pursuit of his work. I'm afraid... I'm afraid that his depression might have worsened?"

Are you worried that his depression might worsen in order to play the Joker well?
Cao Yang knew that Jim Carrey had depression, and he was also aware of what Ning Hao had said.

In a 03 interview, Jim Carrey talked about his own depression and said that he was particularly obsessed with his film roles in his early years.

Before filming a movie, he would even come up with more than ten different ways to perform a single line of dialogue or a single action of the character.

Even later, when he became more famous, he would perform all ten-plus different acting styles in front of the camera to find the most interesting one.

Therefore, many people who have worked with him say that he is sick and difficult to get along with.

He said his depression stemmed from his demanding requirements for his work. If he didn't bring out all the different ways he had come up with, he would definitely have insomnia at night and would be preoccupied with the matter.

He also joked that he would reduce the number of his works in the future because he is not as popular as before, and many directors and actors may not be able to tolerate his repetitive filming behavior.

Yes, he did reduce the number of films he made after 03, from two to three films a year to one film a year...

Cao Yang, however, felt that it wasn't that Jim Carrey deliberately reduced the number of his works, but rather that before, he was Hollywood's hottest superstar, and any film he made could become a box office hit.

However, since the beginning of the new century, although his films have maintained stable box office performance, very few have achieved high box office returns, and he has become somewhat "outdated".

Hollywood is also a very realistic place. When you are at the peak of your career, directors, producers, and actors will all fawn over you and cater to you. But when your glory days are over, it's hard to say what will happen.

Using ten or more ways to perform the same storyline may seem like a wonderful and dedicated act, but don't forget that ten or more ways certainly won't guarantee a successful performance on the first try.

Even if Jim Carrey can act very well, what about his co-stars?
Even if everything goes smoothly, and you can succeed on average in two takes using each method, this shot would take twenty takes!
To put it bluntly, acting is not child's play. Every roll of film costs money, every co-star has their limit of patience, and every crew member has their own temper. Every scene has a budget and a plan...

It's just a matter of looking at the issue from different perspectives.

For example, from Jim Carrey's perspective, what he said in the interview was a kind of self-deprecation and helplessness, and perhaps also his dedication to acting.

But what about from the director's perspective?
What about from the producer's perspective?
What about from the staff's perspective?

Or perhaps from the perspective of the actor playing opposite you?

Cao Yang was also curious whether Jim Carrey would come up with ten or more ways to perform some scenes that he considered important in his own film crew.

Actually, Cao Yang wasn't too worried about Jim Carrey's depression.

In the US, to put it bluntly, depression, especially depression like Jim Carrey's without suicidal tendencies, isn't considered a very serious illness.

There are countless people like Heath Ledger who take various "drugs".

Jim Carrey's depression is not scary; what is scary is his abuse of various drugs, which ultimately led to his death by "overdose".

"Let's go and see how things go."

Cao Yang said to Ning Hao.

"Oh my goodness, look who's here! Our most respected director, and the beautiful Miss Bingbing."

Seeing Cao Yang get off the electric scooter, Jim Carrey walked over in a few steps, put his hands in front of his chest in a salute, and said with a smile.

The reason we say he's smiling is because the corners of his mouth turn up so much that it looks like his "mouth" is smiling.

This is an expression that most people would find difficult to make.

Cao Yang observed Jim Carrey for a while, but apart from his eccentric behavior, he couldn't discern anything special about him.

"How are you preparing?"

Cao Yang asked casually.

"Dong dong..."

Jim Carrey straightened his back, pounded his thin chest with his fist, and said in a very serious and loud voice, "Don't worry, sir, it's better than ever before. I can feel it. I am Arthur, with a Joker living inside me..."

Cao Yang frowned slightly, and an inappropriate joke came to mind: "Ever since I got mental illness, I've become much more energetic."

The immersive experience seems to have brought about a different change in Jim Carrey.

Logically speaking, once you've immersed yourself in the role, even if you're not actually acting, you'll more or less become like the character.

This is especially evident for those who have become even more immersed in the role.

Arthur in "Joker" is not a "high-profile" person; it is the Joker who is "high-profile."

But looking at Jim Carrey's transformation, he's very "high-profile," yet he lacks the malice of the Joker and the mediocrity and silence of Arthur.

Such a change makes it seem difficult to portray Arthur's cowardice, introversion, and sensitivity.

Cao Yang even began to suspect that he had gone too far in immersing himself in the role, resulting in an overreaction.

Let's take some photos first and see how they turn out.

The first scene is very simple; it's just a fleeting shot of Arthur banging his head against the door of a mental hospital while he's receiving counseling from a social worker.

This shot doesn't need to show the face; all you need to do is show the head hitting the door.

Although it was Arthur who broke down the door, Jim Carrey should have been the one to do it, and Jim Carrey was eager to try, but he definitely wouldn't be the one to act in that scene.

All you need is someone with a similar build to him, a stand-in.

Originally, Jim Carrey was supposed to perform this scene himself, but Cao Yang was worried.

Given Jim Carrey's current state, if he suddenly gets the urge to slam his head against the door a few times, even if he doesn't get hurt, a bump on his head would be a real problem.

The first one went smoothly and I passed it on the first try.

The next shot definitely needs to "use up" this room, which resembles a room for holding mental patients; it's impossible to just shoot one shot and then move on to film the place where this room is used later.

The second shot will be a real test of Jim Carrey's acting skills.

The next scene is a conversation between him and his psychiatrist. Before the conversation, they film him laughing, which is his signature smile throughout the movie.

Although this kind of laughter is caused by illness and loss of control, it is laughter that cannot be suppressed and may even be so intense that it is almost suffocating. The laughter must be filled with helplessness, pain and sorrow.

Therefore, we can tell from Jim Carrey's subsequent "laughter" whether his immersion in the role was indeed "increased".

"For the next part of the story, I need warm lighting. The light shining on Arthur's face should be warm, and the light shining on the psychiatrist's face should also be warm."

Cao Yang told Lao Gu and the lighting technician his requirements: "However, in the warm yellow light shining on the actors, I need a cool blue light overall, so that the yellow light and blue light are mixed together."

The use of warm and cool light blurs the boundaries of the "world," making it difficult to distinguish whether it is Arthur's imagination after his "illness" or whether he was locked up in a mental hospital after killing someone.

If the lighting technician works with the photographer to create specific lighting during filming, then adjusting the lighting in post-production becomes much simpler, and the resulting light and shadow effects are more harmonious.

"Ready, go!" "Ha ha, ha ha, aha, ha, ha..."

The camera zooms in, focusing on Jim Carrey's facial expression.

At this moment, he was no longer arrogant. He was laughing loudly, and his face showed a smile, but strangely, one could sense that he was crying through that smile.

It's a very contradictory state.

Cao Yang not only experienced the helplessness, pain, and sorrow he desired, but he even went a step further.

"Click, excellent! Pass."

Cao Yang shouted something, then looked at Jim Carrey, wondering if he would ask to film a few more shots of different smiles.

After Cao Yang yelled "cut," Jim Carrey's lips twitched upwards at both corners, as if a force was pulling them upwards, and he maintained this "smile" without saying a word.

Ning Hao stood beside Lao Gu, and the two exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness and despair in each other's eyes.

Just know it is!

Damn it, he was all "fierce and aggressive" and "whining and whining" before filming, but how come he completely changed as soon as he was in front of the camera?
Based on Jim Carrey's "laughter" and facial expression just now, Ning Hao thought for a moment and felt that Depp could probably do it, and Jackie Chan seemed to be able to as well. Among male actors, who else could do it?
Perhaps Duan Yihong could do it too?

He couldn't think of anything else.

But look at these people, weren't they all trained by Director Cao?

Old Gu had a similar idea to Ning Hao.

The next scene to be filmed was the one between Bing, who plays a psychiatrist, and Jim Carrey.

He has very little screen time, just a few lines.

Because of the limited screen time, we didn't give Fat Bing any role-playing experience.

But judging from Jim Carrey's performance, he's genuinely worried that Bingbing won't be able to keep up with Carrey's acting.

Cao Yang thought for a moment, then beckoned to Pang Bing. When she got closer, he gave the order again:

"When we're rehearsing later, don't look into Jim Carrey's eyes. Look a little higher, like at his hair. In other words, don't focus on his face."

Fat Bing nodded and said, "Okay, director."

"what's so funny?"

After filming began, Bingbing looked at Jim Carrey with a curious expression, but she remembered Cao Yang's instructions and, while seemingly looking at him, actually looked down at Jim Carrey's hair from a "higher" angle.

"Crack!"

Cao Yang said to Pang Bing, "You're here to confirm Arthur's condition. You're a professional psychologist, so you don't need to be too curious about Arthur, understand?"

"Come on, one more."

"what's so funny?"

These words were like flipping a switch; Jim Carrey, handcuffed and with a cigarette between his fingers, began to sizing up his "prey."

Throughout the film, whenever someone says to Arthur, "What's so funny?" it's like turning Arthur into the "Joker" and killing the person who said that.

Through these shots, Jim Carrey's transformation is clearly visible.

He hummed a song, his laughter neither sinister nor evil, but it still gave off a chilling feeling.

Oh shit!

Ning Hao couldn't help but curse.

I have seen perverts, but never such perverts.

"Click, very good."

Cao Yang is no longer worried about Jim Carrey's acting skills.

The immersive experience is truly amazing. Even when Jim Carrey becomes so "unconventional," as long as he's on camera, he's the clown in his true form.

"Transition".

The scenes in the mental patient's private room have been filmed.

The scene transition was actually to "match" Jim Carrey's mental hospital suit and to make the storyline more coherent during filming. The next scene was to show him walking through the mental hospital corridor and performing his "traditional" dance after he had killed someone.

"The corridor is still in cool tones, while warm light shines in from the windows in the distance to simulate sunlight, but warm light is used."

Cao Yang said to Lao Gu and the lighting technician.

Once everything was ready, filming began.

Jim Carrey, dressed in a mental hospital uniform, walks from in front of the camera towards the end of the corridor.

He swayed and looked ridiculous, like someone dressed in a clown costume, but bloody footprints appeared on the ground where he stepped.

This made his comical appearance not funny at all.

Light shone in from the end of the corridor, seemingly symbolizing "light," but it was the clown's light.

The warm yellow light was unusually dazzling, and Jim Carrey danced a "joyful" dance at the end of the corridor, looking extremely comfortable.

Then he glided away and disappeared at the end of the corridor.

The camera zooms in at the end of the corridor. The warm yellow light, which should have been comforting, now appears increasingly eerie and glaring.

"Click, excellent!"

Cao Yang used the word "very good" again.

He originally thought that this long take would require several takes to achieve the effect he wanted, but to his surprise, Jim Carrey's performance made him extremely satisfied with just one take.

Of course, Lao Gu's steady camera work is essential; otherwise, many details would be impossible to capture.

The coordinator came over to remind us that the filming for this morning's schedule was complete.

Cao Yang checked the time; including the setup for the transition, it hadn't even taken two hours.

Today was the first day of filming. The number of shots originally planned was less than usual, and with Jim Carrey's perfect performance, the morning's work was finished in less than two hours ahead of schedule.

Ning Hao ran over and asked, "Director, are we continuing this morning?"

Cao Yang thought for a moment and said, "Forget it, let's stick to the plan."

Okay, we need to readjust the shooting schedule tonight.

However, for Cao Yang's old crew, adjusting the shooting schedule every few days is a very common and "normal" thing in Cao Yang's production team.

However, this time, the plan seems to have been adjusted a little too early.

"What do you think?"

Ning Hao nudged Lao Gu with his shoulder and asked in a low voice in Chinese.

“I’ll watch it with a camera,” Old Gu muttered.

"Go away."

Ning Hao nudged Lao Gu with his shoulder again and said, "I feel like that guy's acting is a bit abnormal, he seems to be better than any of the male actors I've ever seen."

Old Gu glanced at Jim Carrey, who then raised the corners of his mouth in a comical smile, like... like a particularly comical clown.

He couldn't help but shudder, clicked his tongue twice, and said in agreement, "It is indeed a bit perverted."

However, after thinking about it for a while, he said to Ning Hao, "It's not that his acting skills surpass those of Depp and Jackie Chan, but that the character he plays is a pervert."

We all know that all the actors who have been directed by Director Cao, especially the lead actors, seem to have stepped right out of the movie during filming; they bring their characters to life.

Ning Hao nodded in agreement.

"That's true."

However, he then frowned.

This time, he spent more than two months giving acting instructions to the actors in "Joker," half of which was spent giving instructions to the actors.

Ning Hao doesn't believe he has the ability to bring an actor's performance to that level.

Just like when I was filming "Pieta" with Lao Tian last time, he was the one who gave the actors a lot of acting instructions, and he did it for more than three months.

However, during filming, neither the male lead, Fu Dalong, nor the female lead, Kara Hui, could achieve such a "silky" experience.

Therefore, he once again exclaimed that Junior Uncle Cao Yang was the most talented director on Earth at training actors!

Yeah, an exceptionally abnormal genius.

(End of this chapter)