Filming (2)

Annecy, being a remote town, had always struggled to make a significant mark. It lacked distinct economic, cultural, entertainment, or sports characteristics. There were hardly any notable figures, celebrities, or social influences. Except for the locals, many French people probably hadn't even heard of this place.

So, when a film crew came to shoot on location, the town's residents were utterly astonished. After the initial surprise, they were filled with excitement and anticipation.

In this backwater village, where could they ever get the chance to see celebrities?

During the initial preparations, it was fine. The actors hadn't joined yet, so everyone let it slide. But now that actual filming was underway, it was different.

"Hey, Allen, come give us a hand."

Thomas, carrying a camera, called out to a person standing by idly, looking around.

Allen was the set designer. Although his work was done, he reluctantly came over to help with the heavy lifting.

After placing the camera in the designated spot, he turned to look at the curious residents peeking around.

Each person's face bore a look of curiosity, revolving around the film crew, their eyes filled with investigative intent.

Fortunately, the mayor had emphasized not to disrupt the film crew's work, and the residents adhered to that well.

Before long, the actors arrived.

Of course, the most attention-grabbing one was Sophie Marceau.

She was a star known to all in France.

People's gazes were fixed on her, their whispers audible as they commented on her appearance. Those looks didn't carry malice; after all, for them, it was a novel experience to see a celebrity in a different context, offline.

For the individuals at the center of attention, it wasn't something they couldn't tolerate.

She had grown accustomed to such attention and even waved and greeted people enthusiastically.

In this atmosphere, "Effervescent" continued its shooting.

The townspeople were more than happy to serve as background pedestrians to assist in the filming.

Besides that, many other residents who weren't directly involved seized every opportunity to approach the film crew. They voluntarily helped transport costumes and props, allowing them to observe how a movie was made up close. They also got to speak with real-life stars and ask for autographs.

And for the film crew, with just a little expenditure for manual labor, they gained a significant workforce. This resulted in the filming progressing even faster than anticipated.

Originally, they had planned to stay here for half a month to complete all the main location scenes. Surprisingly, it took only ten days to finish filming.

When the film crew was preparing to leave, the townspeople were reluctant to see them go. After all, they had never experienced such a lively atmosphere before. Not to mention making a movie, many people wanted to watch a live football match properly for once, which required them to travel to the neighboring province.

After the "Effervescent" crew left the town completely, life for the residents returned to its usual tranquility.

However, the town's mayor didn't sit idle. He planned to develop the area into a tourist destination. The castle they had used for filming was their ace in the hole for development. Since a movie had used it as a backdrop, when it was released, they might be able to boast about it and gain some recognition.

Sigh, there was no choice. In this day and age, France's economy wasn't thriving either, and the citizens' welfare benefits were too high. In comparison, expenditures and income weren't even close to being proportional.

If they didn't come up with some ideas, generate some revenue, what else could they look forward to? Were they all just waiting for government relief?

Next, the film crew returned to Paris.

They were shooting indoor scenes at a studio under the EuropaCorp.

After the bulk of the crew settled in, they immediately began setting up the props.

On this day, Lyman was directing the stagehands to place the props.

René briskly walked over, "Lyman, M. Besson is here for a visit."

"Okay, I got it."

After speaking, Lyman gave a few instructions to the team and then followed René to the studio's exterior.

From a distance, he saw Luc walking toward them, his belly slightly protruding, a cigarette in hand.

"What made you think of coming to see me?" They shook hands amicably, and Lyman smiled.

"I happened to have nothing to do today. Just thought I'd drop by."

This wasn't the place to have a conversation. Lyman led the way, and Luc and René returned to the set.

Coincidentally, the set was already prepared. Lyman apologized and mentioned that they were about to start filming. Luc nodded understandingly.

Taking advantage of a break after a scene, as the actors returned to redo their makeup and the crew members were busy rearranging the set, Luc sat in a chair, flipping through the script for the different shots. He glanced in the direction of a few actors and nudged his chin slightly toward Lyman, asking, "Where did you find these actors? They look impressive."

"Just a stroke of luck." Lyman smiled. Of course, Luc was referring to Jake Gyllenhaal; the rest of the cast were familiar to Luc.

The rapid progress of the shooting was also due to Lyman's outstanding work. Naturally, this was the case for every actor in the cast.

The reason he singled out Jake was that he was a new addition to the crew, and Luc didn't know him.

His performance had left a deep impression.

Although the heart of a movie lay in telling a good story, it was undeniable that actors were the most crucial component, and in certain circumstances, they were even more critical than the plot itself.

For instance, Luc's "Léon: The Professional" was a great story, but the exceptional performances of the actors elevated it further.

Of course, Jean Reno had always been Luc's ace collaborator. They had worked on countless projects together, and whenever there was a suitable role, Luc turned to him. Their relationship was similar to the one between Lyman and Heath Ledger now. They had met when they were insignificant, and their friendship had deepened over time.

As a director, seeing scenes like this warmed Luc's heart. He also had a purpose for coming today and asked with an interesting smile, "Lyman, if you have time, could you come help me take a look? I'm working on a project."

"Have you already decided to quit directing?" Lyman teased.

Haha, thinking of this was quite amusing. This guy had once boasted publicly that he would only make ten films in his lifetime.

And yet, by the time "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" was released, it was his seventeenth feature film.

He was smacking himself in the face.

It just proved that making movies was truly addictive and hard to quit.

"Come on, this is only my ninth film."

"Isn't "Taxi" counted?"

"I was just a writer and producer, not a director. How can that be counted under my name?" Luc looked exasperated. He could only blame himself for being naive and speaking recklessly. Now he was undeniably regretful.

Okay, fine, you know how to play the game.