Chapter 25 Intense Collision Action Scenes

The filming location for the new movie was still that farm, but it had moved from the plantation to the breeding area.

The working title was "People from the City".

The story of the script was not a secret; not only the main actors but even most of the extras knew about it.

A young man and woman came to the ranch from downtown Atlanta and had intense emotional collisions with several young men and women who were there.

The supporting character played by Martin was one of the ranch's young men and women.

His daily salary was 500 US dollars, and the role was scheduled for two days of shooting.

In the crew, only three male actors had more parts than Martin, and Martin shared a small makeup room with Kyle, the second male supporting actor.

Kyle was well-built, under twenty-five years old, with a square, stone-like face.

He arrived a little later, and seeing that Martin was a newcomer, he knocked firmly on the makeup room opposite him and said, "Buddy, I like to sit near the door; you go inside."

Sharing the same makeup room with him indicated that their statuses were similar, and Martin had no intention of giving in: "First come, first served."

Bullying was all too common in America, especially with a big guy like Kyle.

Kyle stared at Martin's head: "Do you know what I used to do? A professional British football player! I could explode a football with a single kick!"

Martin had learned to be civil from Bruce, precisely for dealing with situations like this.

He pulled back his coat to reveal the gun holster beneath in a civilized fashion: "I'm a part-time actor; my main job is a cleaner."

Kyle stepped aside and sat down with a thump on the makeup chair inside, hurriedly saying, "I'm a guy who likes to joke around to liven up the atmosphere. See, now we've reached an understanding, and the vibe is good, right?"

Bruce's theory on civilized behavior was indeed effective, as Martin zipped up his coat: "Don't worry, I am a civilized man."

Kyle cursed inwardly, thinking if the crew couldn't find anyone else and had to hire gang members for the shoot, but his face wore a radiant smile as he sweetly said, "You're the boss, just give me the orders."

The makeup team came in to prepare makeup for the two of them, and Martin called Jerome over to temporarily keep the gun.

Thanks to Martin's relationship with Andrew, the members of the Marietta Theatre Company got relatively well-paid background roles this time, and the news would soon spread among Atlanta's extras, allowing the troupe to attract more newcomers and Jerome to collect more membership fees.

Considering his financial future, Jerome didn't mind being a temporary pack mule.

After makeup and changing clothes, Martin was the first to leave the makeup room to familiarize himself with the second shooting location, the grass drying field, and prepare for shooting.

Robert, dressed as a worker, was already in the grass field.

In the following shoot, he would serve as one of Martin's background characters.

"How is that possible? It makes no sense!" Robert circled around Martin: "I asked around; Billy has the 7th biggest part in the crew. Why did they pick you?"

Martin shrugged his shoulders: "Because I'm good-looking."

Robert didn't believe him at all: "Stop joking. If being good-looking got you key roles, there wouldn't be so many ugly-ass stars." He pointed at his own big head: "Logically, I have a better chance of becoming a star than you!"

Martin was curious: "Why's that?"

"Because I have a big head, a very big head!" Robert was serious: "Haven't you noticed? The bigger the head a man has in showbiz, the brighter his future!"

Martin spoke seriously as well: "Actually, my head is bigger than yours, so I have an even brighter future."

Robert didn't pick up on Martin's sarcasm and continued: "Think about it, Stallone has a big head, Bruce Willis has a big head, Russell Crowe has a big head, Schwarzenegger also has a big head!"

Martin couldn't refute that and simply played to his strengths: "Can your head smash the Earth?"

Robert mumbled, "Earth hasn't bothered me."

Martin patted his shoulder, "Buddy, for you, I've decided to stick around on Earth."

"I'm so freaking grateful to you," Robert said with a wry smile.

Martin could tell that Robert's mentality was a bit off-kilter, but the fact that he could keep himself in check was commendable.

Some extras who have suffered together for years would do some unbelievable things when they see a companion land a good role.

The assistant director arrived on set at this time, directing Martin and Joanna, the actress who hurried over, for their blocking rehearsal.

As a romance film targeted at women, Martin had to show off his handsome face and well-built physique.

For Martin, the script was very simple, almost without any lines.

In this scene, all he needed to do was lie in a soft pile of grass basking in the sun, while Joanna spied on him from a distance and, upon being discovered, boldly approached him.

What followed then was the romantic play.

Director Benjamin-Calvin, in his thirties and a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, sported a large beard and had an artistic flair.

He specifically reminded Martin and Joanna about the things they should pay attention to.

Martin was very professional. He didn't eat any heavy-flavored foods that morning and even brought along a breath freshener.

Before shooting, he asked Joanna, "Is there anything I should avoid?"

Seeing Martin spraying the breath freshener, Joanna, quite impressed, smiled and said, "Just go for it."

The dramatic scenes were filmed first, and Martin handled them with ease, quickly getting into character.

On the other hand, his partner Joanna had a slower time getting into character, resulting in several NGs.

After the dramatic scenes were finished, they went to the trailer next door to touch up their makeup and change into protective costumes for the action scenes.

During the shoot, a bunch of people crowded around to watch.

The various film and television regulations of New York and California don't apply to the small rural production in Atlanta, where the crew, from top to bottom, were all non-entertainment union members. Not only were there no special clauses, but there wasn't even the routine procedure of asking whether to clear the set for shooting.

A production with a total investment of just over a hundred thousand US Dollars and a filming period of less than ten days didn't have the time or energy for fuss.

Martin was proficient in the dramatic scenes, but when it came to the action scenes, he kept making mistakes.

In contrast, Joanna, who struggled with the dramatic scenes, turned out to be quite adept at action.

After several consecutive NGs, Martin was also adjusting his state.

Director Benjamin yelled, "Don't freaking tell me you have no experience at all!"

"Don't be nervous, just relax," Joanna said with a softer tone, her eyes showing a different kind of spark. "Imagine I'm your girlfriend and get into the role."

In the following takes, Martin's performance gradually improved, and he even shot some action scenes with cool finesse.

When the scene ended, Benjamin could not help but praise him, "Martin Davis, that was great this time, you're cut out for this business!"

Martin was the type who flourished with a little sunshine. Seeing the director's change in attitude, he immediately went over to make jokes and cultivate a relationship, "Director, am I an acting genius? Or a genius at action scenes?"

Benjamin laughed heartily and slapped Martin's chiseled shoulder, "I have a classmate in Sacred Valley, if you want to go, I'll make an introduction."

Martin said, "I'm afraid those people will never dare to make films again!"