Hollywood:Starting out as an MV director

"What's wrong, Ethan?" John looked up, stepping away from the monitor, his face filled with confusion.

Everything had been going smoothly according to their previous rehearsals, so Ethan's sudden call to stop left everyone puzzled.

"Adjust the camera higher. Yes, just like that. Let's try again!" Ethan instructed Dion to reposition the camera slightly.

"Alright," Dion shrugged.

Ethan was personally responsible for a challenging tracking shot, while Dion had been assigned a follow shot that trailed the actors as they moved forward. It was a simple yet crucial sequence, serving as the backbone that connected the entire scene. If this shot wasn't done correctly, the stage's visual flow would fall apart.

However, Ethan had just noticed that Dion's camera angle deviated slightly from the agreed-upon position. That was the reason for the sudden halt.

But this was only the beginning. Each time the dance performance reached a third of the way through, Ethan noticed Dion subtly altering the camera's planned trajectory. Though the changes were small, they didn't escape Ethan's keen eye.

"Cut! Dion, your camera—"

"Cut! Dion! That's wrong again!"

After halting the shoot three times, Ethan could no longer tolerate Dion's repeated errors. He marched directly over to him.

"What are you doing?" Dion glared at Ethan's expressionless face, clearly irritated.

"Are you asking me? Why not ask yourself?" Ethan replied coldly.

"So, are you accusing me now?" Dion paused for a moment before raising his voice, ensuring everyone on set could hear him.

"Have I offended you or something?" he added, throwing up his hands in frustration.

Ethan ignored Dion's evasive remarks and instead asked, "Do you really think this shot is acceptable?"

"What's wrong with it, Ethan? Isn't this exactly what you instructed?" Dion retorted defiantly. "I've been following the storyboard angles precisely for three takes now. If anyone's disrupting the shoot, it's you! Cut, cut, cut—honestly, I have no idea why you keep stopping us."

"Because your camera work is off!"

"What's wrong with it, Ethan? Is it too high or too low? John's been watching from the monitor, and he hasn't spotted any issues. So, whose fault is it?"

The crew and John nodded silently, indicating they hadn't noticed anything wrong either.

Could it be that the pressure of directing was making Ethan overly tense, causing him to make mistakes?

Ethan narrowed his eyes, sensing deeper hostility in Dion's attitude.

"Are you suggesting I'm wrong?" he asked.

"Of course! Ethan, I've been shooting exactly as instructed. There's nothing wrong!"

Dion walked over to John, pointing at the electronic monitor. "If you don't believe me, let's check the playback!"

The footage on the electronic monitor matched what the film camera captured, though the two differed significantly in color rendering.

Many directors preferred film cameras over digital for their richer, more natural color transitions.

Since Ethan insisted there was an issue with the camera angle, reviewing the playback on the electronic monitor seemed like a fair way to confirm.

The crew nodded in agreement and gathered around the monitor.

"Go ahead, John. Play it back," Dion said confidently, as if certain he hadn't made a mistake.

John complied, and everyone watched the footage. Nothing seemed amiss.

The angle and composition appeared flawless. It seemed Ethan had indeed called it wrong.

In that moment, all eyes turned to Ethan, their gazes filled with doubt. Dion's innocent expression only added to the unspoken tension in the air.

Breaking the silence, Catherine Zeta-Jones spoke up to defuse the situation. "Maybe the issue lies with our dancing. Let's recheck our positions and give it another go, Ethan."

Colleen nodded in agreement, addressing the crew. "The sun's about to set, and we still have a lot to shoot. Let's keep moving."

John patted Ethan on the shoulder, signaling him to resume directing.

Dion smirked inwardly. He hadn't expected so many people to side with Ethan, throwing a wrench in his plan.

Just as the situation seemed to settle, Ethan unexpectedly smiled and approached Dion again.

He leaned in, locking eyes with Dion before turning to the on-set film developer, Kid. "Could you please process the film from Dion's camera? I need to see the footage."

"Process the film now?" The crew was stunned.

Due to the nature of film photography, the crew carried a makeshift darkroom and a few developers to ensure the film could be processed immediately, avoiding risks like light leaks.

But processing usually happened after the day's shooting wrapped up. Ethan's request to do it now meant significant delays, throwing their schedule into disarray.

Despite their hesitation, Ethan's authority as the assistant director left no room for argument. With Rob in the hospital and Bert unavailable, Ethan had the final say on set.

"What are you trying to do, Ethan? We're already behind schedule!" Dion seized the opportunity to press his case. "Do you really need to prove me wrong just to save face? Fine! I'll admit it—I messed up. There, are you satisfied?"

Others joined in, trying to dissuade Ethan.

"Ethan, we can just reshoot the scene. There's no need to process the film right now."

"Yeah, just switch camera positions with Dion. Problem solved."

"Dion, you take the overhead shots instead."

"Ladies, let's reset our positions and start over."

"Ethan, let's aim to get it in one take. There's still so much to shoot."

Amid the commotion, Dion felt a brief sense of relief. He hadn't expected Ethan to go as far as demanding the film be processed. Luckily, the crew's intervention seemed to sway the situation in his favor.

But just as Dion began to relax, Ethan's furious roar shattered the relative calm.

"EVERYONE QUIET!" His voice, commanding and sharp, silenced the entire set instantly.

Ethan's expression was fierce, like a lion asserting its dominance.

"Kid, process the film. I want to see the results in half an hour," Ethan ordered, his tone brooking no argument. Then, turning to Dion, he added, "F*** you, Dion. Did you really think I wouldn't notice what you've done?"

"What are you talking about?" Dion shot back angrily.

"You adjusted the camera angle lower. Of course, it doesn't show on the electronic monitor. But once the film is edited, the shadow over Catherine Zeta-Jones's face will be obvious. Did you think I wouldn't catch such a cheap trick?"

In cinematography, two factors greatly influence the final image: lighting and angle.

While lighting wasn't the issue here, the camera angle had a significant impact on how facial features appeared.

For instance, a low angle could make someone appear heavier, while a high angle might slim them down. Side angles could highlight imperfections in the nose bridge

Even though many light sources were added to the front, to create a darker atmosphere, compromises had to be made, and the character's face remained in the boundary between light and shadow.

Additionally, to showcase the group dance, the camera angle was consistently from below, which made the overall atmosphere darker and more oppressive, resulting in another consequence.

That was, if the camera angle was slightly adjusted, the shadow created by Zeta-Jones' bangs would cover her eyes, merging into one solid dark mass.

Imagine such a shot, where the actress's eyes and hair were engulfed by a heavy shadow. Such a scene could never be approved by Rob Marshall; it would definitely need to be reshot.

So, who would be held responsible then?

Would it be Dion? He could easily shift the blame by saying he was following Ethan's prescribed angles.

If Ethan hadn't spoken up, Dion would have gotten away with it.

As for the electronic monitor, it can only display a limited range of colors, which can't simulate the final film's effect. It only shows the basic framing of the shot.

Thus, Dion's little trick wouldn't be exposed. Even if Rob Marshall were on set, he wouldn't be able to confirm it with his eyes. Only when the film was processed could a judgment be made.

This is one reason why film photography is so expensive — each reshoot costs a significant amount of money.

Upon hearing Ethan expose his trick, Dion's anger became even more evident, like a raging bull: "F**k YOU! You're slandering me! I never did anything like that!"

"Is that so? Well, you don't get to say that! I'm going to show everyone exactly what kind of garbage shots you've taken."

Ethan didn't respond, simply sitting back in his chair, waiting for the film to be processed.

If it were anyone else, facing Dion's forceful accusations and the skeptical looks from everyone around, they would likely have been unable to hold their ground and would have chosen to reshoot.

But the consequence of doing so would be damaging the director's authority. Perhaps anything else they said afterward would be questioned.

But Ethan was no ordinary person. He never backed down and wouldn't let his decisions waver.

Seeing Ethan's words, the others hesitated. After all, Ethan had been incredibly helpful to the crew from the start of the shoot. Even though he wasn't formally trained as a film director, since he pointed out a potential issue with the filming, there might be some truth to it.

So, the crew scattered. The dance instructor continued adjusting the actors' movements, the lighting technician restored the lighting, and only Ethan, John, and Zeta-Jones remained seated together.

Meanwhile, Dion stepped outside for a cigarette.

"Ethan, are you really sure about this?" John asked, feeling helpless about the situation.

"Of course," Ethan replied, glancing over at the darkroom. Then, he heard Zeta-Jones ask, "Is there anything wrong with my performance?"

She had recently taken to asking Ethan for feedback on her acting because Ethan had a sharp eye and could immediately pinpoint her mistakes or areas of improvement.

"I think you could add more anger to your voice," Ethan replied, recalling the dance earlier. "Because you're in prison, it's a cage, and you're all trapped animals. You never think you've done anything wrong, and that's the root of your anger."

"Yeah..." Zeta-Jones nodded and smiled. "Ethan, if you became a teacher, you'd definitely teach a lot of great students."

"Thanks for the compliment."

The group chatted for a while, and soon, half an hour passed before the darkroom door opened.

...

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