NOVEL NEXT Chapter 163: The Strongest Man
"Cut!"
On the set, Chuck Russell's voice first called for a halt, followed by, "Relax, Matthew, can you make it more natural?"
Matthew pushed himself up from the half-tent's sheepskin rug, with Kelly Hu sitting up beside him, whispering, "You're too stiff."
This was already the fourth NG (no good take), and Matthew felt somewhat embarrassed, apologizing, "Sorry, this is my first time shooting this kind of scene..."
Shooting scenes like this wasn't simple. Director Chuck Russell waved his hand, loudly declaring, "Reset, we'll shoot again in fifteen minutes!"
Two costume designers came over to help Matthew and Kelly Hu dress in the clothes they had ripped off during the scene. Tearing off the clothes was easy, but putting them back on, especially Kelly Hu's costume, which resembled a few torn pieces of fabric, was quite complicated for non-professionals.
Matthew noticed Kelly Hu looking at him and quickly apologized, "Sorry, Kelly."
With his Eastern mindset, he felt such scenes were unfair to female actors since each NG meant he had to rip off Kelly Hu's clothes again...
Not to mention other intimate contacts involved.
But Kelly Hu, with her Eastern looks but thoroughly American identity and over a decade in the industry, didn't mind much.
"You're just too tense," she reassured Matthew with a smile, "Just relax."
Matthew nodded, taking several deep breaths. If Kelly Hu, a woman, wasn't bothered, why should he be tense?
During the most intense scenes, he at least had boxer briefs on, while Kelly Hu had nothing but a tiny pair of underwear, and she didn't request a closed set.
Not to mention the actual shooting, even now, Kelly Hu stood casually on set in her underwear, letting the costume designer dress her, seemingly indifferent to showing off her good figure.
Of course, Matthew was well aware that Kelly Hu indeed had a great figure.
The shooting soon resumed, and perhaps because of his relaxed mindset, this take went smoothly. After a passionate prelude with Kelly Hu, Matthew successfully pinned her beneath him.
"OK!" Chuck Russell was largely satisfied, "That's it for today!"
Matthew got up from Kelly Hu, who wrapped herself in a blanket handed over by an assistant, her eyes momentarily drifting over Matthew's bulging briefs.
She was just curious, given their physical contact during the shoot...
After this segment, Matthew also breathed a sigh of relief. Such scenes might appear glamorous and desirable, but for the actors involved, it was far from being so straightforward.
These scenes couldn't be genuine, leaving no room for excitement or thrill.
With cameras and a crew watching, performing alongside a newly acquainted acting partner, and the director judging every caress and moan, ready to yell cut at any moment, Matthew could attest that filming such scenes was the exact opposite of hot and sexy; it was an awkward and tense experience.
However, audiences enjoyed watching and imagining themselves in the scenes.
For example, some male viewers might fantasize about being Matthew, getting intimate with Kelly Hu.
Stephen Somos had detailed descriptions for this scene in the script, and perhaps due to his directorial background, his scripts occasionally included something akin to shooting guides.
However, Chuck Russell didn't follow these to the letter, such as the passion scene they had just completed, which was more about his own on-the-spot design.
Matthew knew Stephen Somos was observing from the outskirts of the set, but the shooting went uninterrupted, indicating Somos wasn't overly concerned.
Thinking it over, Matthew could understand the difference between written and performed passion scenes. A screenwriter can provide detailed acting directions, but many changes can occur on the day of shooting such delicate and challenging scenes for actors.
However, Matthew felt no excitement during the shoot, unlike his time with Britney, which was a completely different matter.
After wrapping up for the day, Matthew headed to the makeup room, with Kelly Hu following.
As they walked and talked about the day's shoot, Matthew sought advice on how to relax for future similar scenes.
"I'm someone who's pretty uninhibited about these things," Kelly Hu explained casually, "Being nude in front of a camera isn't a big deal for me, so it's never been an issue."
She laughed, "The problem is with the crew. Scenes like this are interesting. I don't mind, like today, we controlled it very well, but the crew isn't the same. Matthew, did you see how they looked at me? They looked like wolves, but they're actually quite fragile inside."
Matthew smiled without responding, recognizing Kelly Hu as a very strong-willed actor.
As they turned into the hallway leading to the makeup rooms, they ran into the crew's PR officer and Sean Daniel, greeted them, and then entered their respective makeup rooms.
The PR officer looked back, asking, "Matthew and Kelly Hu seem to get along well?"
"They seem quite familiar with each other," Sean Daniel continued walking forward, "Matthew is good at managing relationships."
"I just had an idea," the PR officer followed, "Our promotion has been lacking a heavyweight news piece, especially for the crucial pre-release phase next year. We haven't found the right material yet."
Sean Daniel, an experienced producer, caught on immediately, "We should consult the actors about this. I'll inform their agents to discuss it."
The PR officer nodded, then urged, "Sean, let's hurry."
"There's more," Sean Daniel recalled shaking hands with Matthew, "We can also use Matthew's hands as a promotional point, especially for online promotion."
He instructed the PR officer, "Tell the photographer to take a few close-up shots of Matthew's hands for the official website of 'The Scorpion King'."
The PR officer was puzzled, "Matthew's hands?"
"You'll understand when you see them," Sean Daniel assured.
Returning to the makeup room, Matthew got ready and returned to the studio for a photoshoot against a green screen, following the photographer's directions for various poses for promotional posters.
Though he didn't see the photos, Matthew guessed they would portray him as powerful and masculine.
Unexpectedly, near the end of the half-hour shoot, the photographer focused on his hands, explained by the PR officer as a promotional angle.
Matthew cooperated, understanding the benefit to his personal fame, humorously thinking the studio wouldn't advertise them as "the hands of a master."
Leaving the shoot, he saw Duff Billa, Clark Bernard, and Steven Brand, noting their unfriendly looks but not dwelling on it, quickly returning to change and leave Warner Bros. Studios.
Opting for a Chinese restaurant over cooking, Matthew enjoyed a Westernized Chinese meal before heading home.
After calling Britney, who was busy with an MV shoot in Irvine, and discussing promotional matters with Helen Herman, he checked the official website of "The Scorpion King."
His blog's traffic had surged thanks to the website's promotion, finding a new post titled "The Strongest Man of 'The Scorpion King' Crew" featuring him.
The post highlighted his calloused hands as a testament to his dedication, contrasting with those who wear gloves in the gym, celebrating the durability of a man's rough hands.
The next day brought more media attention, and in the afternoon, Helen Herman called Matthew to discuss upcoming promotional plans, marking another day in the life of Hollywood's emerging star.
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