Chapter 160: An Impatient Mindset

Standing in the studio, Matthew looked at the bow and arrows in his hand, patiently waiting outside a tent. Inside the tent, a scene was being filmed, and he was supposed to burst in soon. Since he couldn't see inside the tent, an assistant director wearing headphones stood nearby, waiting for a signal to cue him.

After a long wait without any signal, the assistant director shrugged and mimed a few words.

Matthew understood—the scene inside had failed.

He set down the bow, holding it with one hand on the ground, and skillfully placed three strangely shaped arrows back into the quiver on his back.

From inside the tent, the voice of Chuck Russell giving directions to the actors could be heard. Matthew knew it would be a while before filming could resume.

Suddenly, a chair was placed behind him, and the voice of assistant Mira Wang followed, "Take a break, you've been standing for half an hour."

Matthew didn't refuse, handed the bow to Mira, and sat down.

He was definitely tired. He had arrived at the studio before 4 AM for makeup. Even with highly skilled makeup artists and assistants, it was nearly 8:30 AM by the time his makeup was done, and shooting began promptly at 8:30. More than half an hour had passed, and the first shot was still incomplete due to various issues.

Not to mention the equipment he was wearing, from the simple leather armor to the quiver and the longsword. Even without counting the longbow, the gear weighed about thirty pounds.

Luckily, he had trained in weight-bearing cross-country running, or he would have been out of breath by now.

After waiting a bit, Matthew waved the assistant director over and asked, "What's happening inside?"

The assistant director pointed to the tent, "The actor tied to the pillar keeps messing up."

Matthew nodded, deciding to wait patiently.

Though he didn't know the actor tied to the pillar, he was aware that the actor was also a client from the Angel Agency.

Shooting quickly resumed, Mira Wang took away the chair, and Matthew, holding his bow and arrows, was ready to go. This time there were no mistakes, and he soon saw the assistant director's signal. He stepped into the tent with a quick pace, drew his bow, and shot the three arrows bound together.

Matthew didn't know if shooting three arrows at once was possible in reality, as he couldn't do it himself. Thus, the prop master fixed two additional arrows onto one arrow.

Even so, the shot was wildly inaccurate, and with the bow being soft, the arrows fell to the ground after flying about ten meters.

However, this didn't affect the shooting. The scene only required footage of the character shooting arrows, with the enemies being killed edited in post-production.

The shooting didn't end there. Matthew followed the choreographed moves, dodging a longsword thrust at him and striking the attacker's head with his longbow. The actor fell to the ground just right, thanks to careful rehearsal.

Matthew then discarded the longbow, drew his blade, and blocked a strike before kicking another soldier away and turning to slash another, looking incredibly dashing. This wasn't part of the choreographed routine.

Although there was a planned routine, being a long take, it required some improvisation from the actors.

This film was intended to be PG-13, so there was minimal use of artificial blood, and scenes of dismemberment or gore were avoided.

"Cut!" Chuck Russell called the end of the scene, announcing, "This scene is good!"

Matthew handed his weapons back to Mira, and Chuck Russell came over, complimenting, "That action scene was very good."

Action director Tim Madison, who was nearby, received praise from Matthew, "It was all thanks to Tim's excellent design."

This wasn't just flattery. Tim Madison had tailored the action sequences to fit Matthew's physical attributes, making them perfect for shooting impressive action scenes.

After a brief rest, shooting resumed. Matthew had no dialogue scenes, only action, facing many enemies. He moved around the spacious set, with the actor tied to the pillar as the focal point, defeating one enemy after another.

Matthew's action scenes went smoothly, with most shots completed in one or two takes, thanks to his thorough preparation.

Helen Herman and Stephen Somos, watching from a corner, noted Matthew's potential to be an action star, citing his natural talent and professionalism.

However, Stephen Somos remarked on the decline of traditional action films, while Helen suggested the rise of action combined with other genres, like sci-fi and fantasy.

After a few hours of shooting, Chuck Russell noticed Matthew's fatigue and called for a break. Matthew rested, relieved of his heavy gear by the costume designer and refreshed by the makeup artist.

This was the privilege of being the lead actor, the focal point on set.

Matthew's humble and cooperative attitude, despite his leading role, was noted by all.

After resting, Helen Herman approached Matthew, hinting at his potential inclusion in a major upcoming project but advised him to focus on his current role.

Matthew responded thoughtfully, advising Helen not to be too hasty and to maintain her usual composure.

Grateful for his perspective, Helen left Matthew to concentrate on his work, ensuring him that they would discuss future opportunities after the completion of the current film.

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