Chapter 86 of 100

Chapter 86

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In the dilapidated and old large warehouse, the lights on the ceiling gradually went out, leaving only the lights David Robie set up for the shoot still flickering. Under the lights was a huge iron cage. On the left side of the cage, at two 45-degree angles, two 35mm cameras were set up, with Murphy and cinematographer Philippe Lachelle each standing behind one.

Looking through the lens, the iron cage inside was covered with sharp barbed wire. These fake items made of rubber by Baker Klebert looked very real.

A fat man wearing only a pair of shorts came out of the temporary makeup room. James Franco whistled at his bulging muscles. The fat man turned around and gave the middle finger, then walked briskly to the entrance of the iron cage and looked at Murphy.

This was not the official shoot, just a rehearsal to test the props, lighting, and makeup effects. Murphy didn't say anything, just gave the fat man an 'OK' sign.

The fat man lowered his head and crawled into the iron cage as if a fatter woman were chasing him, desperately trying to get inside.

The barbed wire stuck to his body one by one, and the fat man let out a惨嚎, as if being raped by a she-wolf. The places where the wire pierced his skin oozed a bright red liquid, which was very striking.

Then, the silicone attached to the fat man's body burst open as planned, revealing gruesome "wounds."

"Cut!" Murphy turned off the camera, walked to the other camera, and exchanged a few words with Philippe Lachelle, then said loudly, "The iron cage and wire are okay, the set is okay..."

The fat man had already exited the cage and was looking at Murphy. Murphy nodded at him, "Jonah's performance was also good."

The fat man didn't bother to wipe the red liquid from his body and grinned widely.

Murphy was never the kind of person who was overly strict. He preferred to encourage actors rather than scold them.

After praising the good points, he also pointed out the shortcomings. He first addressed the lighting team, "David, this is a noir film, the lighting you used is still a bit soft. I want the lighting to be harder. Also, during the official shoot, add a background light for Jonah to make him look paler in the shot."

He turned to Jack Watson and said, "When Jonah's character dies, the makeup should be even whiter."

The barbed wire wouldn't directly kill someone; Jonah would die from excessive blood loss. In that case, the body would definitely be paler than with other methods of death.

The others noted down Murphy's requirements and began discussing with their assistants how to address the issues.

"That's it for today," Murphy checked the time. "Before the official shoot, solve all the problems that came up this afternoon."

He returned to the camera, where Philippe Lachelle was still reviewing the footage of the fat man. Because the barbed wire was made of rubber, some parts looked fake when it stuck to the body.

Editor Jody Griffiths was also standing there. He looked and said, "This part can use jump cuts. We'll keep the close-ups of the barbed wire, then show a wide shot of the actor crawling forward, ignoring the process of the wire sticking to his body, and directly switch to the terrifying wounds on his body."

The barbed wire looked real as long as no one touched it, and Jack Watson's makeup effects were guaranteed. This was undoubtedly a good solution.

Murphy nodded, "We can do that."

The day's work was over. Murphy packed up the film and walked out of the set. When he arrived at the security room and temporary office near the warehouse entrance, three men, two fat and one thin, were sitting on the chairs, laughing loudly.

"You don't know, Seth."

The fat man who had crawled into the cage had already taken off his makeup, wearing a large T-shirt and jeans, with a bulging belly. He gestured wildly and said, "During the rehearsal of the scene where the father loves his daughter, that despicable, low-down, and shameless Jim, multiplied by ten, was staring at Lily's eyes."

James Franco wished he could shut the fat man's big mouth, "Jonah, shut your dirty mouth!"

Since most people had left, the fat man named Jonah spoke without restraint, spitting out words, "Jim, don't deny it! You can't say you didn't get hard then."

He made an exaggerated gesture, "If you didn't, I'll cut mine off and throw it into Seth's mouth!"

"Hey! Hey! Jonah..." Seth Rogen jumped up from his chair, "You faggot! Don't drag me into this."

Murphy stood at the door and knocked on it. The three men saw Murphy. Except for the not-so-familiar fat man Jonah, the other two weren't embarrassed and continued to laugh without restraint.

"Hi, Director Stanton." Jonah turned to greet him.

"No need to be formal," Murphy nodded and smiled at him, "Just call me Murphy."

James Franco wasn't the least bit formal with Murphy. He walked over, grabbed him, and said, "Alright, guys, someone's buying dinner tonight. Let's think of a place."

Murphy looked at James Franco, who pulled him out, "Don't hesitate, workaholic. You need to relax to be more efficient."

Jonah followed, "I know a great place in Venice. The shows there are excellent."

Seth Rogen walked last, shouting to the front, "Jonah Hill, you faggot, are you taking us to a gay bar?"

"You fatso!" Jonah Hill turned around, cursing, "You're the faggot! You fat faggot!"

The next day was the crew's day off, and Murphy didn't refuse.

It was clear that these three had a good relationship. Murphy drove his car, with James Franco in the passenger seat and the two fat men squeezed in the back. As he started the car, Jonah Hill chattered, pointing the way and not forgetting to insult Seth Rogen and James Franco a few times.

Listening to their unrestrained and dirty mouths, Murphy suddenly felt his tense nerves relax. Over the past period, he had been too tense, even when resting alone, his body could relax, but his mind remained tight.

Since the day he left prison, he knew time was incredibly precious. To achieve his goal of becoming a top director, whether as a freelance journalist covering social news or transitioning into the film industry, Murphy had very strict requirements for himself and put a lot of pressure on himself, leading to frequent headaches.

People can't always be tense and busy; sometimes they need to relax.

The car didn't go far before Murphy realized that the 20-year-old Jonah Hill was the most outspoken.

Of course, the others weren't much better.

Among the four, James Franco looked the most proper, but beneath his elegant and handsome appearance was a very unconventional personality. His behavior was sometimes absurd, and his biggest flaw was being too timid, always hiding behind others when faced with unexpected situations.

Seth Rogen looked honest and simple, but his dirty jokes were endless, and calling him a jerk wasn't an exaggeration.

Following Jonah Hill's directions, the black Ford sedan slowly stopped in front of an underground strip club.

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