Into the crew

Upon hearing Lyman's suggestion to join the set early, Mason had no further intention of staying. After exchanging a few words with Jake, he prepared to return to Los Angeles. Before departing, he took a moment to bid Lyman farewell. "Director Lyman, if you encounter any issues, WMA might be a good option. Here's my personal number."

Well, WMA (William Morris Agency), as a talent agency, was certainly eyeing directors like Lyman who held considerable value.

Lyman accepted the number with a smile but didn't say much. For now, he was satisfied with CAA; he hadn't considered switching agencies.

However, having a backup wasn't excessive. What if CAA had other ideas? He wouldn't be pleased then.

Following this, Mason waved his hand and left with his briefcase.

In the room, only Lyman and Jake remained. Lyman beckoned, saying, "Here's the script. Take a look."

Jake took the script and hurriedly responded, "I will."

A few days later, after bidding farewell to Ang Lee, Lyman took Heath and Michelle, who had a slightly stronger supporting role compared to extras, to film the movie. Since they were in the honeymoon phase of their relationship, they were willing to cooperate. Then there was Jake. The group boarded a flight and flew to Paris.

Interestingly, Lyman hadn't left his country in his previous life, but in this life, he seemed quite eager to travel abroad, frequently shuttling between France and America.

Upon arriving at the set in Annecy, Lyman gathered the cast members for a meeting.

After all, many of these key creatives were unfamiliar with each other. It seemed quite fitting for them to foster a sense of camaraderie before shooting commenced. This way, they would also have a good feeling while working together.

The arranged meeting place was a hotel in the small town.

Among strangers, it was obviously easier to get acquainted through casual conversations and a meal or two.

By the time Lyman arrived, everyone had assembled.

Sophie Marceau had specially traveled from Paris.

"Director."

"Lyman."

Greetings were exchanged, and Lyman responded to each one.

For him, of course, they were all relatively familiar faces.

Heath and Eva had collaborated with him more than once, and their relationship was more intimate.

As for the remaining individuals, he had personally selected them.

Soon, the food and wine were served.

After a few rounds of drinking and toasting, the atmosphere became lively.

As they chatted, Lyman did his best to outline his filming ideas and the effects he aimed to achieve.

Everyone had read the script, and Sophie and Eva had pondered over it for a long time.

On the second day, "Effervescent" officially began shooting.

...

Inside Château d'Annecy, artificial warm-toned filters, soft white light, and faint yellow light combined to cast a warm and cozy ambiance throughout the room, creating a very picturesque scene.

Unlike some film directors who favored natural light or the authentic and documentary-style approach that many artistic directors liryaked to employ, Lyman leaned towards artificial lighting.

He enjoyed using the interplay of warm and cool lights, as well as changes in brightness, to emphasize the characters' emotions or advance the plot.

"Thomas, for this shot, we'll need a medium shot to capture the room's general layout. This one is a close-up. You'll control this angle later to capture the characters," Lyman explained his camera requirements and then turned to the actors waiting nearby. "Alright, you can rehearse a couple of times. It might take a while."

After giving his instructions, he called out without looking back, "René?"

Thomas had to set aside his current task to respond, "He just went down the hill. The generator we needed hasn't been brought up yet."

Lyman moderated his tone and raised his right hand to rub his forehead. "Thomas, have you talked to the set design team? When your camera starts moving, they need to coordinate with you."

"Yeah, I know. I'll handle it right away."

Just as Lyman was about to give more instructions, a stagehand approached from the side. "Director, is this arrangement for the plate okay?"

"Break it into smaller pieces, and scatter some porridge on the floor. It should look more disheveled..." Lyman replied.

Once the set was ready, Lyman directed the placement of audio equipment, ensuring it wouldn't be caught by the camera.

Then, Jake walked in wearing casual home loungewear, his face lightly made up to give the impression of weakness.

According to the script, he lay on the bed, furrowing his brows.

The surrounding curtains and drapes were quickly drawn, enveloping the room in dimness.

"Ready."

Lyman called out, then promptly returned to his position behind the director's monitor.

Even though this was his fifth project, he still displayed great enthusiasm.

The scene shifted to France in 2003, where a wealthy young man had become permanently paralyzed in his lower body due to a car accident.

His mother intended to hire a caretaker to look after her son.

Though it was daytime, it was pouring rain.

Of course, during filming, it wasn't actually raining outside. The relevant sound effects could be added later during post-production through computer editing. This wasn't troublesome.

It could be said that with the continuous development of technology, the visual effects of Hollywood blockbusters would only get better, and that's why they became a powerful charm that sold globally.

Naturally, this wealthy young man was portrayed by Jake, and he acted opposite Eva.

As for the other minor roles, like the young man's parents, two French actors had been chosen as recommended by EuropaCorp. They were frequently in touch with local actors, so they knew well which actors were suitable for which roles, saving Lyman a lot of effort in casting.

Although there were four people in this scene, the focus was on the two leads. The others had minimal dialogue and screen time; they simply appeared in the frame, executed some actions and expressions, and introduced their characters' identities.

Perhaps this was Eva's first time truly starring in a film, making her nervous. The rehearsals she had done privately hadn't fully translated, and she even forgot lines frequently.

On the other hand, Jake, who was accustomed to theater, had honed his acting skills, displaying precise expressions and delivery, both spoken and unspoken.

Lyman didn't mind. After all, it was the first day, and an adjustment period was normal.

Furthermore, in a sense, Eva was still a newcomer, and her previous roles hadn't carried the weight and complexity of this one.

Taking Eva aside, Lyman encouraged her, "You don't need to be so nervous. Relax. Think about how you felt during rehearsals. This scene isn't a big deal. You want to be a good actor, so you need to let go. Understand? Loosen up a bit. You're actually very good; you have the potential to act..."

After calming her down, Eva gradually released the tension she had been holding, and the film production smoothly continued.