Chapter 27: The Essence of Acting

Although the makeup was a bit exaggerated, Richard Kelly was quite satisfied. He asked Mark Case to lighten it up a bit, which solved the issue.

The dark, twisted, and seductive style made Richard Kelly feel very connected to the character. After that, Evan Bell put on the T-shirt that had been selected, transforming into a high school student from the 1980s right before everyone's eyes.

Evan Bell had only just started talking with the crew when he heard Richard Kelly call to start filming. There was no special ceremony; once everything was ready, the crew went straight into filming.

This left Evan Bell with no time to dwell on the nuances of acting. He had to rely on his own understanding and methods.

Filming a movie is vastly different from what it looks like on screen. The placement of cameras and lighting is crucial, which means actors need to be aware of their movements, where to focus their gaze, and how to block and connect scenes.

When acting with others, the positions for standing and blocking while talking also need to be rehearsed. Typically, before formal filming begins, the production manager briefs the actors on their movements and the camera positions, with the director stepping in for specific guidance on the acting.

This was a new experience for Evan Bell. Even though he had seen filming on set as an entertainment reporter in his previous life, being in the midst of it was entirely different from just watching.

Once filming started, Evan Bell realized that his Broadway experience which he initially thought to be helpful, was actually an obstacle. Performances on Broadway require exaggerated expressions to be seen by the audience.

However, movies need the opposite; the camera captures every subtle expression, requiring restraint and control. Evan Bell did well in this regard during his interview with Richard Kelly, showing he could control his expressions and eyes.

However, another challenge was capturing the camera. On the Broadway stage, actors scan the audience to create a sense of eye contact, but movies need focused attention on the camera.

Actors must know where the camera is at all times and how to present their expressions accordingly. This takes time to master, and it was a challenge for Evan Bell.

This resulted in the first scene of "Donnie Darko" taking up a lot of rehearsal time. When filming finally started, Evan Bell was too focused on finding the camera and lost the essence of his performance.

The agility Richard Kelly had seen during the interview was gone, and the bad start made the crew a little irritated.

"Stop." Richard Kelly's voice echoed clearly in the empty canyon. This was the first scene to be filmed, also the first scene in the movie, setting the audience's first impression of the character Donnie Darko. "Bell, do you remember how you felt during the interview? Sensitive and fragile, helpless and withdrawn, yet still young and innocent. That's the feeling we need now. If possible, add a hint of weirdness, like you know something no one else does."

Though there had only been three NGs so far, Evan Bell was under a lot of pressure. The main source of pressure was not knowing how to perform in front of the camera, being either too restrained or overly focused on the camera.

On the Broadway stage, while eye contact with the audience is important, the distance makes direct communication less frequent. In contrast, in front of the camera, every action and expression communicates with the audience. Presenting the essence of the role naturally is an art.

Acting involves more than just performing. It includes resonating with the audience and creating sparks with co-actors. These aspects of acting were new challenges for Evan Bell, making him realize the depth of the craft.

However, this also made acting more interesting and engaging, akin to his passion for music.

Evan Bell asked Richard Kelly for some time, then sat down to think. The question of what acting is can be profound, but understanding a character is relatively simpler.

A character is a person with personality, connections, strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. Scripts tell a story, and actors make characters three-dimensional.

Realizing this, Evan Bell felt unprepared. He thought he could just act, but good acting required more depth. He needed to create a detailed backstory for Donnie Darko, constructing his life, relationships, and experiences in his mind. Essentially, he needed to write an autobiography for the character.

Writing a person's life story is a massive task, but Evan Bell knew he had to at least visualize Donnie Darko's life in his mind. Fortunately, his life experiences helped him quickly identify the shortcomings in his performance.

Besides being overly concerned with the camera, he was detached from Donnie Darko's character. This mentally unstable child had a lonely, helpless, and fragile look in his eyes, living in his own world. This weirdness was what Richard Kelly wanted.

With a clear mind, Evan Bell returned to the camera after calming down. Filming started again. Although there were still two NGs, his performance improved noticeably. He was more natural and regained the level seen during the interview. This relieved Richard Kelly.

"Cut." Richard Kelly's voice finally sounded less tense, and the crew breathed a sigh of relief. "Bell, let's take another take. The smile on your lips is good, but if you tighten it a bit, the effect will be better." 

(A/N: To be honest, this chapter is kinda boring in my opinion)