Hollywood:Starting out as an MV director

Chapter 5: On the Film Set

Jimmy drove for half an hour before arriving at a large film set in New York with Ethan The buildings there were in a container style, black and white all over, with gaping doorways like giant beasts swallowing the comings and goings of the crew.

Every day, there are at least 800 to 1,000 film crews working simultaneously in New York. The film industry has been developing rapidly and is flourishing more than ever.

But the downside of this rapid growth is that costs are rising. Major film companies have reduced their number of releases this year compared to before, but the number of small-budget independent films being made has increased annually.

Many film sets are now in high demand, with numerous crews waiting in line to shoot every day.

Besides the film crews, there are also many extras hoping to make it big in Hollywood, wandering around the set.

"Wow, what's going on here?" Ethan said, watching a group of scantily clad women of various races and great figures walk by, some even winking at them.

Jimmy smiled knowingly, blew them a kiss, and explained, "Just like you see, they're all extras!"

"Movie extras?"

Jimmy shrugged, "They're here for everything—advertisements, movies, music videos. There are so many extras every day. You should know, Hollywood doesn't require much from extras. Whether you're part of the actors' union or a freelancer, as long as you look the part…"

Ethan repeated meaningfully, "Look the part…"

"Yeah!" Jimmy laughed, "Do you know who's the happiest in this place?"

"Casting directors!" Before Ethan could respond, Jimmy continued, "Those girls are like bees, constantly buzzing around you until you give them what they want."

"An opportunity?" Ethan understood.

"Exactly, just an opportunity!"

"Listen, buddy." Jimmy put his arm around Ethan's shoulder and whispered, "Opportunities are important for everyone, including us. Once we establish ourselves, those girls will be all over you, and you won't be able to push them away.

"But first, you need to handle today's job. Apollon Bailey, the director of this shoot, got this gig. He used to work for Martin Scorsese, you know? The director of *Casino*."

"Sounds impressive," Ethan said, knowing Martin Scorsese's reputation as a legendary Hollywood director. He also knew that Scorsese had been nominated for ten Oscars this year for *Gangs of New York*.

Although, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis in the cast, they didn't win a single award, and he wondered if the old man had been crushed that night.

"Yeah! Really impressive! Do you know how much effort I put into getting close to him?"

Seeing that Jimmy was about to launch into a lengthy story about his past experiences, Ethan quickly interrupted him, "Stop, stop, just get to the point."

"Alright, the point is that this director Apollon has gone solo, and he recently landed a big gig," Jimmy finally got to the job at hand. "A giant outdoor billboard for Domino's Pizza, and they even hired a famous actress! Isn't that great?"

Ethan nodded and patted Jimmy's back, "So, what are we supposed to do? Don't tell me we're just regular lighting crew, following the director and cameraman's instructions."

"Of course not!" Jimmy shook his head repeatedly, then pointed a finger at Ethan chest, "You, my good friend, are the lighting assistant for this shoot. And I'm the lighting technician!"

Ethan raised an eyebrow, "Wait, I remember you studied directing. You've been in the crew so long you've learned lighting too?"

Jimmy laughed, "Of course, it's not that hard, is it? Just raise the big light high, put a softbox on it, and tilt it 45 degrees onto the background. Then place some reflectors around to focus the light on the actor's face, and you're done!"

As he spoke, he mimicked placing the equipment with his hands as if lighting work was as simple as playing *The Sims*.

Ethan shrugged, not correcting his friend's dismissiveness. If it was just a regular ad shoot, Jimmy's description might be accurate.

But if there were any tricky shots involved, he wasn't sure if Jimmy would still be smiling.

After finishing with the lighting, Jimmy lowered his voice and said, "So, buddy, this is a rare opportunity. Don't offend anyone, got it?"

"Don't worry," Ethan nodded. He was here to make money and build connections, not to mess with his livelihood.

Jimmy gave a big smile, "Good to know. That includes the production assistants, makeup artists, cameramen, assistant directors, actors… Sorry, there are just too many people in the crew. Sometimes I can't remember them all. I'll handle communication with the others!"

After they had discussed everything, they arrived at the second-floor set, which was a roughly 30-square-meter studio in a corner. Inside, workers were already moving various equipment and props.

"Wow, it looks like the set is almost ready. Hey, George!" Jimmy greeted the others as he entered, showing he was well-liked and known by everyone in the crew.

Ethan was curious about how Jimmy convinced the director to hire the two of them. Could it have been through drinking? Or did he go down some forbidden path?

That would be bad. But honestly, this guy did have a nice butt.

"Come on, Ethan, let's check out our gear!" Jimmy's call snapped him out of his thoughts, and he went over to help Jimmy count the lighting equipment.

The lighting equipment on set was quite comprehensive, with various types of studio lights, spotlights, flags, reflectors, foam boards, and more. Ethan couldn't resist touching them for a moment, feeling his memories of photography reawakening, his instincts coming back to life.

"Jimmy, let's start setting them up!" Ethan picked up a light and moved it to the set, which featured a large printed mountain backdrop and rows of paper mountains and forests as the foreground.

"Wait! Buddy!" Jimmy was startled and quickly walked over to Ethan, not daring to let the others hear, "What are you doing? The director isn't here yet. We don't even know what he wants to shoot!"

Ethan shrugged, "Relax, buddy. This setup is simple. Look at that backdrop. The director probably wants the actor to eat pizza in front of it, so the spot should be around here…"

He stepped on a spot, and in the next second, a crew member came over with tape and marked the spot with an X, likely a position the cameraman had already discussed.

Jimmy was stunned for a moment, "Okay, you guessed that right."

"And the effect the director wants is also straightforward. He just wants to bring out the depth of the scene, creating the illusion that the actor is standing on a plain." Ethan pointed to a few spots, "So, just place the lights there, and it'll save some time."

After saying that, he looked at Jimmy and noticed his friend staring at him with wide eyes.