"Cut. It's a wrap."
Lyman waved his hand, ending the shooting of this scene.
Inside the large iron barrel, Kate Beckinsale was finally liberated.
Honestly, being tied up was quite uncomfortable, and, most importantly... it was hot.
Lyman turned around and saw that all the crew members had left.
There was no way around it, so he hurriedly walked over to Kate's side and began trying to untie her.
As he untied... he couldn't get it undone.
Awkwardly, he truly hadn't learned how to undo this type of binding.
Just as he was wondering if he should go out and call someone to help, Tom Cruise noticed Lyman's dilemma.
He immediately came over and lent a hand.
Believe it or not, Tom was quite experienced; he knew how to untie it right away.
Quickly, the ropes on Kate's body were loosened.
She didn't seem embarrassed. Though there was hardly any fabric covering her body, and there were some marks from the binding, she still politely thanked them.
Lyman quickly took off his coat and helped her put it on.
Kate gave Lyman a somewhat strange look.
Without saying anything, she returned to the dressing room alone.
Before long, the crew members waiting outside returned to the set and resumed their busy work.
Lyman waved over James Wan and René, discussing the next shooting arrangements with them.
In filmmaking, scenes aren't necessarily shot in the same order as they appear in the final film.
Jumping between scenes or focusing on specific scenes is a common practice.
The shooting schedule for the upcoming scenes was quite chaotic; the locations were scattered, and many of the larger scenes had to be shot in France. Naturally, arrangements needed to be made on how to wrap up the parts that could be handled in Los Angeles first.
"I suggest we split into two groups. Tomorrow... James," Lyman turned to James, who was quietly listening, and instructed, "You'll continue shooting the remaining scenes with Kate. This includes a few shots around her house with surveillance. You should be able to finish it in a day. That way, she can wrap up and leave the set a bit earlier."
James nodded, "Alright."
"René," Lyman's gaze shifted to René. Handing him a shooting schedule, he said, "I'll need you to make a trip. Tomorrow, head to France to communicate with EuropaCorp about the remaining shooting. Make sure they're prepared."
"Understood."
"Then, that's it."
Lyman waved his hand, and both James and René went about their tasks.
Kate, who had been on the side, immediately walked over when she saw Lyman alone.
Lyman sat behind the monitor, holding the storyboard script and contemplating shot compositions. Suddenly, the light to his right was blocked.
He turned his head and saw two long, beautiful legs standing right in front of him.
High heels and stockings... their impact was astonishing.
Kate lightly adjusted her skirt and smiled at Lyman.
"How was my performance just now?"
"Very good." Lyman gave her a thumbs-up. It really was good. Being able to endure such discomfort, especially for a young woman, demonstrated her professionalism.
Her mood brightened even further upon hearing this.
...
Someone once said that women have a sixth sense, and it's particularly accurate.
Where is it accurate? It's in being able to tell whether a man has any interest in them just by his gaze.
Kate also had a sense of this. From the beginning, during the audition, she had a vague feeling that the director had ulterior motives for choosing her. When a man has ulterior motives for a beautiful woman, everyone knows what they're likely to be.
But she didn't mind; she was prepared for this aspect as well.
After being on the set for so many days, she had developed some favorable feelings toward Lyman.
From the initial complexity to calmness, and then to acceptance... and even further, she had begun to feel proactive.
She really liked a director like him. Not only for his talent, but also because he was willing to communicate with the actors and provide patience in shaping their roles.
Of course, her speculations weren't solely based on feelings; they also involved some analysis.
As one of the many female actors in Hollywood, and the lead who had just messed up a major production, "Pearl Harbor", she was a source of fear for others. Even her agent was indifferent to her; she was well aware that her situation wasn't optimistic.
However, the opportunity for a turnaround had landed in her lap.
Amid her delight, she began to question Lyman's intentions.
After all, during that audition, there were younger and more beautiful actresses, as well as those who were more skilled in acting. It seemed like she wasn't the best in any aspect, and when considering the overall evaluation, she was basically at the bottom of the auditionees.
So, only one possibility remained, otherwise, what could it be?
Status determined resources.
Being given the important role of the leading actress in this new film was surprising, even to her agent.
He merely conveyed this news to his artists as a routine, and didn't show any intention to fight for her. Otherwise, he would have personally accompanied Kate to the audition, and he wouldn't have just informed her with a single phone call.
Yet, indeed, his client got the role. He had covertly and overtly probed to see if Kate knew Lyman or had any other means of exchanging favors.
When even onlookers thought this way, it wasn't surprising that the person involved might have misconceptions.
However, Kate knew she didn't.
So... there was only one truth, he was interested in me.
Alas, Lyman ended up being misunderstood this way.
On that audition day, he had only chosen what he thought was most suitable, without any other thoughts.
When a group of women with alluring appearances stood together, it was their demeanor that truly stood out. Lyman was attracted by the aura of the "British Rose", which was why he chose her.
Kate was naturally unaware of Lyman's thoughts, but her favorable impression of him had gradually accumulated.
Only upon truly entering the set of "Miscreant" did Kate personally experience the allure of this director, Lyman.
Despite overseeing such a massive crew, the production never appeared chaotic; it was organized and systematic. His several works were successful, with consistently good reviews. This all added to his impression. He could manage the cast well; after all, hadn't big names like Tom Cruise and Nicolas Cage taken his advice?
Filming on a set is a mentally, physically, and energetically demanding endeavor, especially for the director.
In such circumstances, being patient enough to help analyze roles and explain plot structures when actors stumbled or made mistakes, showed remarkable temperament.
...
When you have favorable feelings toward someone, you can find praiseworthy aspects in whatever they do. Oh, Nicolas the wise. This girl was quite thoughtful. For Lyman, he simply enjoyed the filming process. It wasn't just about not being too tired; it was about feeling fortunate to do what he loved, earn money, gain support and recognition from others. Isn't that a form of enjoyment?
...
Late at night, as usual, Eva Green finished her shower and headed to Lyman's room.
Just as they were getting intimate, a knock on the door interrupted them.
"Knock, knock, knock."
"Who's that?" Eva beneath him asked in confusion.
"I don't know. Let me check."
Lyman got off the bed, put on his shoes, and walked toward the door.
Eva seemed to realize something and quickly covered herself with a blanket.
Upon opening the door, oh, Kate stood there, wearing a shirt and hot pants underneath. She looked particularly cool and had a well-proportioned figure.
"Is there something you need?" Lyman casually closed the door.
Huh, why isn't the situation developing as she had imagined? Kate felt somewhat puzzled. Still, she politely said, "I wanted to discuss the script with you. Is that possible?"
"Of course. Is there something you don't understand?" Lyman knowingly asked.
Damn, discuss the script? You could at least bring a script with you. What's the meaning of this, showing up unprepared?
It wasn't that Lyman was clueless, he hadn't led a sheltered life. Even if he hadn't encountered such a situation, hadn't anyone in the industry mentioned it?
The problem was, he didn't dare. Eva was still inside.
Kate gave Lyman a meaningful glance and continued, "Could we discuss it inside the room? It's a bit cold outside."
You know it's cold, yet you're dressed so thinly.
Lyman naturally declined this proposition, firmly rejecting it. "No, thanks. You only have a bit of filming left tomorrow, I'll take some time to explain it to you. Keep the same state as today during the shoot, and there shouldn't be any problems."
Then, Lyman actually spent over ten minutes going through the scenes to be shot the next day.
Kate was on the brink of going crazy.
Couldn't he see what she meant?
Or perhaps, she had misunderstood him. A director, this kind of creature, could he really be that clueless?
Or maybe... gay?
But he didn't look like it at all.
Kate returned to her room in a daze, feeling as if she was in a dream.
Had she become ugly, unattractive? Otherwise, why would she proactively approach someone, only to have them resist temptation?
Oh dear, what a frightening reality.
Ignoring Kate's bewildering thoughts, after finally sending her off, Lyman opened the door.
He got into bed and gently embraced Eva.
Eva still had some doubts in her heart. She felt that Lyman hadn't told the truth, but she couldn't refute these matters. Thus, she didn't ask further.
A woman's intuition can be terrifying.
Lying on his side, Lyman was restless again after a while.
His enthusiasm had been interrupted by the knocking, and the timing couldn't have been worse.
"Ugh, ugh, ugh." The train was set in motion.
Tonight, Eva had also transformed into a female knight, displaying her supple waist.
To be honest, it was exceptionally pliant.
The battle lasted a long time, until...
Indeed, this was an ordeal primarily faced by men.
Moreover, women's recovery speed was too fast, it was practically like being bestowed with a buff...