Chapter 55: Punk Spirit

No matter how much Mike looked down on Ethan, Avril Lavigne's new album *Let Go* and the music video for its lead single *Complicated* had already begun shooting.

This was also Ethan's first time serving as both the director and cinematographer for a music video. The lighting and props crew were people he had worked with before—Nord and Jeff, from when he filmed Nelly's new song.

When Nord and Jeff found out that Ethan had taken on the role of director, they weren't surprised. After all, if it had been a more assertive director, there would probably have been a big argument on set. But neither of them doubted that Ethan would win the argument if it came to that, having already experienced his intimidating presence before.

For this reason, the preparation for the shoot went smoothly, with everyone following Ethan's instructions to the letter.

Cindy and Kaden also showed up on set, strictly following Ethan's orders to claim they were models for Angel Declaration Company, without mentioning that Ethan was their boss.

However, the moment they arrived, their beauty caught the attention of everyone on set, including the members of Avril's band, who couldn't help but glance over at them.

Luckily, Ethan was present, and as soon as any of the men had thoughts of approaching them, Ethan would grab the mic and quickly put an end to it.

Soon after, the shooting officially began.

The initial shots were relatively simple. The band members were chatting on the street, while Avril was skateboarding and doing graffiti. However, the group seemed somewhat relaxed, their postures sloppy. Perhaps they thought the music video was just capturing everyday moments and didn't require much effort.

But Ethan was extremely strict with his filming requirements. He wanted the camera to pan smoothly from Avril on her skateboard, past her friends, and finally to the graffiti wall. So, if Avril went off course, or if a band member made the wrong facial expression, he would call for a retake.

This frustrated Avril and the others. In her mind, a music video should be as simple as possible, focusing on creating a fun atmosphere with her friends. Why was it so complicated?

She couldn't help but speak up, "Ethan! Why don't we just start the shot with my hand? If we keep going like this, we might spend the whole morning on one scene. I've seen other people shoot music videos, and it's never this complicated!"

Ethan, sitting behind the camera, responded, "Like you said, that's other people's music videos, Avril. I'm not other people."

"But why focus on one movement so much? Wouldn't it look the same if we shot it separately?"

"Of course not. It's completely different. Avril, I thought you were a different kind of girl."

"What?" Avril was confused by that remark.

Ethan stood up and said, "I mean, your music is punk, but you... you're not really punk."

"Bullshit!" Avril immediately raised her middle finger, trying to prove her punk attitude.

A few of the boys in the band rushed over. "What the hell are you talking about?"

The crew didn't know what to do and instinctively gathered around Ethan, with even Cindy and Kaden coming to his side.

Just as the tension was about to escalate, Ethan continued speaking calmly, "You guys are nothing but a bunch of posers. You're not punk at all. Do I need to say it more clearly?"

"What gives you the right to say that? FXXK!" Avril pushed Evan aside, looking like an angry wildcat.

"Because you don't have the punk spirit! You're not extreme enough! You're always compromising! Just like you, Avril. You get a little tired from a few takes, and you think it's okay to slack off? FXXK! If this is what punk is, then why did the original punks make so much noise to express their dissatisfaction with society?"

Ethan's voice grew louder. "And you guys! Each of you was raised in comfort, with guitars and basses to play with from a young age. You had the luxury of forming a band. What does that have to do with punk? Do you think just singing a few rebellious lyrics makes you punk? It's pathetic! If the people who started punk could rise from their graves, the first thing they'd do is bury you all in their coffins!"

"You don't get it at all, Ethan! You're the one who doesn't understand punk! We express our attitudes through our songs! Punk is all about rebellion!" Avril shouted, flipping both middle fingers at him. The others joined in, yelling, "Yeah, punk is rebellion! It's about going against the mainstream!"

Ethan sneered. "So your way of rebelling against the mainstream is to be lazy? Is this how you treat your work? If your music video were a baby, it would've jumped out of its stroller by now and shot you all."

"I put a lot of heart into this, Ethan—both the music and the video!" Avril bit her lip, her voice softer than before.

"All talk?" Ethan mocked.

Avril grabbed her skateboard and stood in front of him. "FXXK YOU! I'll prove it to you!"

"Then let's shoot!"

Perhaps because they were now competing against each other, no one slacked off anymore, and the video's progress quickly reached the scene where the group was causing chaos in a shopping mall.

In this scene, Kaden and Cindy took on the roles of a clothing store clerk and a McDonald's employee, respectively.

Ethan increased their screen time in these scenes. Although they were always positioned behind the band members, their faces and actions were clearly visible.

Ethan even designed a few specific actions for them to coordinate with the band.

Sometimes, it doesn't take many shots to make a supporting character stand out. A single unique and memorable gesture can do the trick.

After finishing the mall scene, they moved on to the band's performance shots.

This is where Ethan became even more vocal.

"Avril! You're not in the right position! Stop always looking straight ahead. Can't you see where the camera is?"

"Evan, stop acting so shy! Show some swagger like when you're at school dances trying to pick up girls!"

"No, this part's wrong! We're redoing it! You're all off-beat!"

"Flipping me off won't help! Avril, my ears don't lie! Don't think I can't hear what's wrong!"

"And you extras! Start paying attention! If I see anyone looking down again, you're out!"

Ethan wasn't just in charge of the camera work—he was also managing the entire set. And no one could get away with slacking off under his watchful eye.

It was as if he were a god overseeing the shoot, with complete control over every detail. No mistake went unnoticed by his sharp eyes.

Even Avril seemed to glance at him more often after their argument.

Ethan suspected she was waiting for the shoot to end so she and her bandmates could gang up on him.

Finally, by 6 PM, before it got completely dark, they finished shooting for the day.

"Wrap it up!" Ethan shouted, and everyone sighed with relief, feeling as though a sword had been lifted from over their heads.

But when Ethan announced that they would be continuing the shoot early the next morning, everyone gasped again, feeling the noose tighten around their necks once more.

Just as Ethan sat down to rest and sip some water, Avril suddenly walked over to him.

.....

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