PNB Chapter 317 This girl is pretty good.
Chapter 317 This girl is pretty good.
Chapter 316 This girl is pretty good.
Los Angeles.
The entrance to Marvel's Atlanta filming location.
Xin Zhilei stood by the roadside, her body trembling slightly.
This was her first time in Hollywood.
After flying for thirteen hours from Beijing, she didn't even touch a bed in the hotel after landing; she dragged her suitcase straight to the film set.
Before my eyes stretched rows of standardized film studios, Hollywood staff coming and going, and English conversations rushing past my ears.
Everything felt like another world.
This made her, a nobody who could only play minor roles in China, feel uneasy from the bottom of her heart.
Only when a familiar figure appeared at the door did her heart finally settle down.
Chen Xun had just finished his morning rehearsal.
Turning around, she saw Xin Zhilei pulling a suitcase at the door, looking tense all over, and immediately went to greet her.
He took the suitcase from her: "You must be tired from your journey. Why didn't you call ahead? I would have had someone pick you up from the airport."
"Teacher Chen Xun, it's no trouble for you. I can get here by myself."
Xin Zhilei quickly waved her hand, her cheeks slightly flushed, and her tone was trembling with nervousness: "Thank you—thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. I—actually, I'm really unsure of myself, afraid that I won't perform well and will embarrass you."
"What's there to be afraid of?"
Chen Xun led her to the lounge, opened the door, and poured her a glass of warm water: "I dare to recommend you because I believe you can act well!"
"You were able to bring out the divinity of Anlu in 'Crosscurrent,' so you can definitely handle the role of Ayesha."
He pulled up a chair and sat opposite Xin Zhilei, opened the script, and without discussing lines or techniques, asked her a question first: "Tell me, in your eyes, what kind of person is Ayesha?"
Xin Zhilei held her water glass, pursed her lips, and whispered her understanding: "She is the high priestess of the Sovereign race, very noble and arrogant, looks down on the Guardians of the Galaxy, thinks they are all inferior beings, and is a very bad villain."
"wrong!"
Chen Xun shook his head, his fingertip pointing to Ayesha's character biography in the script: "You only saw the surface, you didn't dig into the root of this character. Ayesha's arrogance is not the arrogance of a villain, but perfectionism engraved in the genes of her race."
He looked into Xin Zhilei's eyes and dissected the character's core bit by bit: "The Sovereign race is the most genetically perfect race in the entire universe. Every member of their race is a perfect being created through gene editing. Ayesha, as the High Priestess, is the most perfect of all. Everything she has come into contact with in her life has been seamless and flawless."
"So in her eyes, the Guardians of the Galaxy's recklessness and disregard for rules was a challenge to the perfect order she had upheld her whole life."
"Her arrogance wasn't a feigned queenly demeanor, but a sense of detachment from the imperfections of all beings, a feeling that she alone held the reins of power. She wasn't arguing with anyone; she was judging them."
"Just like Anlu, whom you played in 'Crosscurrent,' who stands on the banks of the Yangtze River and looks at all living beings with divine compassion, while Ayesha stands on the palace and looks at the universe with divine judgment."
"The core principles of both are the same!"
One sentence instantly cleared up the confusion that had been lingering in Xin Zhilei's mind for days.
She suddenly looked up, her eyes lit up, and her pen flew across the paper as she jotted down notes.
The previous unease and anxiety dissipated almost entirely in an instant.
She always thought about how to portray nobility, but never thought deeply about the logic behind that nobility.
Seeing her look of sudden realization, Chen Xun continued, "This character is not a one-dimensional villain; her perfectionism hides a neurotic vulnerability."
"Once the perfect order she controls is broken, she will lose control, become hysterical, and display the paranoia and anger of a little girl."
"It's this contrast that brings the character to life!"
He spoke for a full two hours.
From the character's underlying logic to the emotional nuances of each line, to the details of eye contact and body language, and even taking into account Xin Zhilei's acting habits, we helped her adjust to find the most suitable way to express herself.
Xin Zhilei listened intently.
After discussing the character, Chen Xun explained the differences between Hollywood and domestic auditions to alleviate her final concerns: "In China, auditions mostly involve finding an empty room, rehearsing a scene with the assistant director, and relying more on the director's subjective feelings."
"But this audition is conducted according to the standards of live-action filming. We'll provide you with all the necessary equipment, including lighting, camera positions, and sound recording. We'll even set up simple sets for you to fully immerse you in the atmosphere of live-action filming."
"Don't be nervous, and don't try to please anyone."
"What they want is your unique understanding of the character; you just need to portray Ayesha."
Xin Zhilei nodded vigorously.
He memorized every word Chen Xun said.
My heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, finally settled down.
She looked at the person in front of her, her heart filled with gratitude.
In the entertainment industry where everyone wants to climb the ladder, she, an unknown nobody with no background, was able to receive such unreserved guidance from Chen Xun, who even handed her a Hollywood opportunity.
She will never forget this love in her lifetime.
"Thank you, Professor Chen Xun!"
Xin Zhilei stood up, bowed deeply to Chen Xun, her eyes slightly red: "I will definitely prepare well and will not let you down."
"I trust you!"
Chen Xun smiled and helped her up: "Just relax during the audition tomorrow. I'll be there too."
The next morning.
A Marvel-exclusive dressing room.
Xin Zhilei sat in front of the makeup mirror with her eyes closed, letting the makeup artist spray metallic gold paint onto her body.
This is Ayesha's custom-made look.
The golden skin of the Sovereigns requires a special film-grade gold paint.
From the face to the neck, and then to every inch of exposed skin, I sprayed the product layer by layer, waiting for each layer to dry completely before spraying the next. This process alone took a full three hours.
After the gold paint dries completely, my skin feels tight and uncomfortable, as if it's wrapped in a thick, airtight film, and even breathing feels like my skin is tightening.
Immediately afterwards, the costume designer brought in Ayesha's costume.
The entire gown is made of liquid metal coated fabric, with the skirt adorned with fine metal tassels, and weighs a full 20 kilograms.
Once you put them on, they're not only not breathable, but they also restrict your ability to bend over and take steps.
Xin Zhilei gritted her teeth and, with the help of two costume designers, put on the entire costume.
The heavy skirt made her waist and abdomen ache, and after taking only two steps, beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
She looked at herself in the mirror and froze instantly.
The person in the mirror had long lost their usual gentleness and awkwardness.
The sharp and delicate bone structure of the Eastern face is made even more striking by the gilded skin. The eyes are slightly upturned at the corners, the eyebrows are sharp, and the towering gold headdress gives off an innate sense of aloofness that keeps strangers at bay.
The 20-kilogram metallic dress draped over her body, but instead of weighing her down, it accentuated her straight back and sharp shoulder and neck lines, making her look like a gilded statue that had stepped out of a temple.
"My God, it's so beautiful!"
Looking at Xin Zhilei in the mirror, the makeup artist couldn't help but exclaim, "She's practically Ayesha herself!"
Xin Zhilei took a deep breath.
She remembered what Chen Xun had told her yesterday.
Ayesha's pride was ingrained in her very being; the very presence she embodied was the rule, the perfection.
She slowly adjusted her breathing, suppressed her nervousness, and gradually immersed herself in the role of the high priestess.
The door to the dressing room was pushed open, and Chen Xun walked in. When he saw Xin Zhilei in front of the mirror, a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes.
He smiled and nodded, his tone full of affirmation: "Excellent, that's exactly how it is!"
"Remember, when you walk, use your waist and abdomen to drive your legs, take steady and slow steps, and the swaying of your skirt will make you look like you are floating."
"When you speak, keep your breath steady and don't let your emotions fluctuate too much. Even when you're angry, speak with a condescending judgment."
"I understand, teacher."
Xin Zhilei nodded, her eyes no longer showing any tension.
The audition was held in Studio One.
The palace set of the Sovereign tribe has been completed, with lighting, camera positions, and sound recording all arranged to the standards for actual filming.
Director Gunn, producer, casting director, and Guo Fan all sat in front of the monitor, waiting for the audition to begin.
Gunn was flipping through audition materials in his hand, chatting with Kevin Feige beside him: "To be honest, I trust Chen's judgment, but I'm still a little worried. This Chinese actress has never acted in a Hollywood film before. Can she carry off Ayesha's aura?"
He hadn't finished speaking.
The lights at the entrance to the photography studio suddenly dimmed.
Everyone's eyes were drawn to the entrance.
In the shimmering light and shadow, Ayesha, played by Xin Zhilei, slowly walked in.
The 20-kilogram metallic dress didn't feel heavy at all on her.
Her back was straight, her steps were slow and steady, and her waist and abdomen caused the skirt to sway gently, with the golden tassels swaying slightly with each step.
From a distance, it really looked like it was floating on the ground, without a trace of human activity.
His gilded skin gleamed with a delicate sheen under the light, and his sharp features and the divine aura of the Sovereign people were perfectly blended together.
Her gaze swept across the entire room without the slightest ripple, as if she were looking at a group of insignificant ants, naturally exuding a condescending aloofness and arrogance.
The entire studio fell silent instantly.
Gunn's coffee cup froze in mid-air, his eyes wide with disbelief, his words abruptly cut off as he stared intently at Xin Zhilei walking toward the camera, his eyes filled with unbelievable amazement.
Kevin Feige sat up straight, looked at the monitor, and couldn't help but nod.
Guo Fan sighed in a low voice, "This girl is amazing. She exudes confidence and presence. You wouldn't guess it's her first time auditioning in Hollywood."
Xin Zhilei walked to the marked point and stood still.
Without any unnecessary movements or deliberate expressions, she simply raised her chin slightly, her gaze fixed off-camera, as if the Guardians of the Galaxy, who had caused the trouble, were standing in front of her.
Gunn shouted into the walkie-talkie, "Action!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Xin Zhilei blurted out her lines.
Her voice was not loud, even carrying a casual languor, but every word was clear and without the slightest emotional fluctuation: "Your recklessness has desecrated the genetic temple of the Sovelin race and tainted the perfect order that we have upheld for thousands of years."
"Do you think that just because you helped us eliminate the dimensional monsters, you have the right to run rampant on our planet?"
"In Sovereignty, imperfection is the original sin."
She turned her head slightly, glancing at the camera with the corner of her eye, her gaze devoid of any anger, as if nothing in front of her was worthy of provoking her.
This is exactly what Gunn wanted.
Speak as if you are judging!
What he wanted was a high priest who would uphold perfect order.
Every word she uttered was a judgment upon lower beings.
"Cut!"
Gunn abruptly shouted "Stop!" and then jumped up from his chair, clapping wildly.
"Perfect! This is the Ayesha I wanted!"
Applause erupted throughout the entire studio.
Xin Zhilei instantly detached herself from the role.
Seeing the applause from the audience, his tense shoulders instantly slumped, and his eyes immediately welled up with tears.
She subconsciously looked at Chen Xun, who was standing next to the camera, smiling and clapping at her, his eyes full of satisfaction.