Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 299: Casting Up - Li An vs. Wu Chen
In mid-September, the sun in Los Angeles was still blazing.

That morning, the audition for the lead role in "Black Swan" took place in Studio 3 at Paramount Studios.

This studio is one of Paramount's most frequently used audition venues, surrounded by black soundproof curtains, and the lights are bright but not glaring.

A temporary black stage was set up inside the shed, with white dance positions marked on the ground.

Several director chairs were placed in the center of the venue, with a row of cameras and monitors on one side and a dressing room curtain on the other.

Today's audition was kept strictly confidential. No external media were allowed to enter. Only a few official studio staff quietly filmed behind-the-scenes footage.

Outside the gate, paparazzi stood guard on the driveway, trying to glean some clues through the iron gate.

"Wu, this is Benjamin Milpier, the choreographer we hired for the production."

Paramount's Rebecca Sarkin then introduced Wu Chen to her, and Wu Chen shook hands with her.

Benjamin Milpier is a highly accomplished contemporary ballet artist, possessing both a classical ballet background and exceptional skill in modern dance choreography.

However, if he remembered correctly, during the production of the original "Black Swan," Benjamin Milpier met Natalie Portman on set, developed a romantic relationship, and later got married.

Paramount clearly attaches great importance to "Black Swan," not only bringing in Benjamin Milpier to handle the casting but also Debra Zane, who was involved in casting for films such as "Requiem for a Dream" and "Goodfellas" and is hailed as one of Paramount's most capable casting directors.

Wu Chen held the audition script and confirmed the selected scenes with the others: a psychological drama about a phantom in the mirror and a dialogue with oneself, and a scene of the "Black Swan" erupting during stage rehearsals.

“Let’s choose these two passages; you can see their layers and tension,” Wu Chen said in a low voice, his expression focused.

The door was pushed open.

The first actress to audition, Natalie Portman, walked in, dressed in a black ballet costume. Her slender waist was ramrod straight, and her every move exuded the solid foundation of an academic training.

Natalie pursed her lips and breathed softly.

Her performance was devoid of unnecessary extroversion; her cold gaze and slightly trembling lips conveyed a sense of vulnerability and darkness in the first monologue.

However, in the second burst of energy, Wu Chen still noticed a hint of overexertion.

"How was it?" After Natalie Portman left, the group started discussing, with Rebecca Sarkin being the first to speak.

"good!"

"It's alright. Although the height is a drawback, the character's temperament, psychological tension, and physical performance are more important. The height can be compensated for through filming."

Benjamin Milpier and Debra Zane both spoke up, and then everyone's attention turned to Wu Chen. After all, the director of this film is very artistic, and it depends on whether the director likes this style.

“We can include her in the list of candidates.” Wu Chen nodded in approval. Natalie Portman’s acting skills and suitability were indeed there; the only thing that wasn’t quite perfect was her height.

Anne Hathaway followed, delivering her usual elegant and poised performance, but her first psychological scene felt somewhat superficial, and her acting was a little lacking.

Scarlett Johansson entered with a confident expression, her sexy and outgoing temperament carrying a layer of dangerous beauty.

In the first paragraph, her dreamy gaze sends a chill down your spine.

However, once she entered the rehearsal segment, the sexiness became a burden, and her physical movements appeared clumsy, lacking agility and restraint. Nevertheless, Scarlett Johansson was indeed very alluring and voluptuous when dressed in ballet attire.

Keira Knightley was the last one, tall and slender, with a cool, white glow.

Her phantom image in the mirror was like a wisp of smoke, a mysterious interplay of reality and illusion, instantly evoking a sense of disorientation, like a split personality, and possessing an inherent morbid quality.
As the audition progressed into the evening, Wu Chen took off his headphones and rubbed his temples.

"When Scarlett Johansson plays the role, she feels sexy, provocative, and outgoing, with a kind of instinctive desire; the boundary between psychological thriller and desire is blurred."

"The Anne Hathaway version is too sweet, gentle, and compassionate, leaning towards a healing kind of tragedy. Viewers feel more 'sympathy' and 'heartache' than 'fear' or 'suffocation'."

As Wu Chen analyzed the situation, Debra Zane was also surprised. She hadn't expected that Wu Chen could sense the overall tone of the film just by looking at the actors' performances, and that he could tell almost immediately after the four actors finished performing.

She had only analyzed one person temporarily.

“The rest are Keira Knightley and Natalie Portman,” Rebecca Sarkin said, noticing their furrowed brows.

“One has a stronger sense of desire, and the other has a stronger sense of morbidity. Both are suitable for winning awards,” Debra Zain said, seeing that Wu Chen had not spoken.

The group was conflicted because both of them had indeed performed very well.

Meanwhile, Scarlett Johansson, who had just left the house, was on the phone with her agent and sighed, "I feel like I'm finished."

After filming, she felt her figure was a major problem for the movie unless she could lose weight quickly and become more slender. But Paramount and Wu Chen obviously couldn't wait. "It's okay, the hype hasn't diminished, and 'Now You See Me 2' has already been greenlit and is in the pre-production stage. You'll have this blockbuster next year."

Remember to maintain a good relationship with Wu Chen. I've heard he has quite a few big projects on his plate. Sometimes you could help out with a cameo role, like in his film "The Martian."

The agent immediately offered advice: as one of the few big directors in the industry who can negotiate with Hollywood, all the projects they have are closely watched by major agencies.

“Of course,” Scarlett Johansson nodded in response.

Inside the studio, Wu Chen lightly tapped the table with his fingers, mentally reviewing the performances of the two actors. After much deliberation, he finally wrote down one of their names in the "Female Lead" column.

"She'll do, Keira Knightley."

He thought about it for a long time. Keira Knightley herself had a stronger artistic aura, and her physique had the lines of a ballerina. She also had a foundation in that area, and her mental morbidity seemed more alluring.
In the solo dance scene, the other person is clearly more stunning than Natalie Portman, and may create a more classic scene.

Everyone looked at each other and nodded.

Since Wu Chen has made his choice, and everyone agrees with it, there's nothing to hesitate about.

Rebecca Sargent's lips curled slightly, revealing that Hollywood-style charming smile: "Keira's coolness and introversion are a perfect match for Nina. We've had preliminary discussions about her schedule and contract, and they're a great fit."

She changed the subject, her expression becoming serious, "However, we hope this matter can be kept secret for now. Paramount will choose a time to release the news later."

Wu Chen smiled; he certainly understood the intricacies involved.

Paramount also intends to capitalize on the popularity of several auditioning actors, continuing to leak information and generate buzz in the media to squeeze out even more exposure.

"Okay, you can make the arrangements here."

Outside the iron gate of the photography studio, the reporters had been waiting eagerly.

As soon as Wu Chen and the others came out, microphones and recorders sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

"Wu, have the audition results come out yet?"

Can you reveal the final candidate?

"Will you consider an actress whose style is completely different from her previous works for the female lead this time?"

Under the protection of Paramount staff, Wu Chen smiled, waved, and without responding, quickly got into the car with his team, leaving a group of media people looking at each other in bewilderment.

The next morning, the sky over Los Angeles was still a clear, bright blue.

The casting of the female lead for "Black Swan" remains a mystery, but this has not dampened the enthusiasm of reporters; on the contrary, it has fueled even more speculation and discussion.

The casting for the female lead in director Wu Chen's "Black Swan" remains a secret; who will ultimately win the role?

[Auditions for four people have concluded, and the internal dynamics within Paramount are shifting; the lead actress for "Black Swan" remains the biggest suspense!]

【.】

Fans are still speculating, trying to generate buzz for the film.

Paramount, meanwhile, continued to leak information in the media, hinting that "all four could be the female lead."

The public relations department also released a set of behind-the-scenes photos, capturing key actions and expressions of each actor during their auditions, further fueling speculation among fans and the media.

As for the casting of the second female lead, Wu Chen chose Mila Kunis without hesitation.

Just as the casting controversy surrounding "Black Swan" had not yet subsided, the domestic film industry was instantly ignited by the news of the Oscar bid.

Taiwan was the first to announce that "Lust, Caution," which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, is officially competing for this year's Oscars.

Not to be outdone, Hong Kong announced late at night that Johnnie To's "Exiled" would be officially submitted as its submission for this year's Olympics.

The most eye-catching development, of course, is the progress of the mainland's Olympic bid. Although many people understand that there is no suspense regarding the mainland's Olympic bid this year, the same post is displayed on the homepages of major forums, online communities, and portal websites:
Will Wu Chen participate?

Because if Wu Chen participates, it will be a showdown between Li An and Wu Chen—the two most sought-after directors in the current Chinese film industry.

One just won the Golden Lion at Venice and is a regular at the Oscars, while the other won the Grand Prix at Cannes and swept the Golden Globes and Oscars.

Just as everyone was anxiously waiting, at midnight, the official website of the State Film Administration quietly updated:
The Chinese mainland entry for the 80th Academy Awards' Best Foreign Language Film is "Black Peony".
(End of this chapter)