"Thank you, thank you for little Debbie's performance, Ms. Burton. You have a very cute daughter." After clapping her hands twice, Adriaan said to the little girl's mother, and then made a "you may leave" gesture.
The mother then pulled her daughter away, and the little girl could be vaguely heard asking her mother if she had succeeded. Adriaan shook his head imperceptibly, and after listening to the others express their opinions without batting an eyelid, he waved for them to call in the next candidate.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen." The little girl who came in bowed slightly to everyone. She had a head of bright blonde hair, a pair of big light blue eyes, and a faint dimple on her cheeks. Coupled with the pink T-shirt that most little girls liked, she looked very pretty and cute.
"I'm Hannah Dakota Fanning from Georgia, and I've just turned six. Although I don't have much acting experience, I believe I'll be a very good actress." She put her hands behind her back and introduced herself confidently, without the slightest hint of stage fright. Many people were amazed.
Many children were still in the stage of imitation and discovery when they were six or seven years old, and it was very difficult for them to express the meaning they wanted to express clearly in a very organized manner. Even if she had memorized the speech, it was not easy for her to speak it so fluently without any expression.
Adriaan smiled. "Hello, Hannah. You should be familiar with the script, right? Let's begin."
As he spoke, he pointed at the small camera next to him, and the little girl began to act in front of the camera. The scene was not long. Because the eldest daughter had to leave home to find her father, and the mother was a delirious patient, she had to temporarily teach her younger brother and sister how to use a shotgun to protect themselves. Of course, there was no gun for her to use here. It was just a few lines of dialogue, and the key was whether the little actress could capture the feeling.
Frankly speaking, Hannah's performance could only be said to be average, and not particularly outstanding. However, considering that among the final few candidates, the other children had more or less made cameos in some TV series, her performance was not bad.
"Very good. Thank you for your performance, Hannah. May I ask you a few questions?" After she finished her performance, Adriaan looked at her mother, who was standing by the side. "You have to answer."
After hesitating, the little girl nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Then," Adriaan gestured, "please tell me, Hannah, why do you want to be an actress?"
Hannah didn't say anything. She bit her lip and thought for a while, then slowly said, "I'm sorry, sir. I can't give you a specific reason. But I really like performing, and my parents support me. Last year, I shot a commercial with Mr. Ray Charles in Georgia, and then about — six weeks ago, my parents and I came to Los Angeles to shoot a commercial for Tide. Then my parents decided to move to Los Angeles. They thought it would provide me with more opportunities here, and then I met my current agent, Mr. Mark Briggs. He thought the same, so I believe I will become an outstanding actress. "
Although it was a little long, and there were a few pauses in the middle, it was already very good for a six-year-old child. She did not turn back to look at her mother, as expected of the precocious little girl in his memory. However, when he heard the name Mark Briggs, Adriaan glanced at the casting director, Carlos Parker, who was sitting not far away. The latter sat upright, as if he had not heard anything.
"Thank you for your answer, Hannah. You are outstanding." Adriaan clapped his hands again to encourage her. "The second and last question. Your hair and eye colors are different from our requirements, so if you get the role, we will have to dye your hair and wear contact lenses to change your eye color. This is very likely to damage your hair and your eyes. Are you still willing to play this role? "
The little girl bit her lip again, but this time she thought for a lot less time than before. "Yes."
"Oh?" Adriaan raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"I have an aunt who works as a broadcaster for ESPN. She once told me that impressive performances require sacrifices." She spoke softly, without pausing once. She also did not turn back to look at her mother. Then, she smiled, and there was a hint of slyness in her eyes. "And I believe that the crew can help me avoid these injuries."
What a clever girl. Adriaan could not help but laugh and clapped again.
"You have a very outstanding daughter, Ms. Arrington." He then stood up and extended his hand to Hannah's mother. Although he did not explicitly state his position, this action, which he had never done before, showed that if everything went well, the role would be given to Hannah Dakota Fanning.
Sure enough, most children who could make a name for themselves in Hollywood, especially little girls, were precocious. Hannah Dakota Fanning was like this, and so was Leighton Meister. Adriaan clearly remembered the girl who had played tricks on him in order to get a role in "CSI." When she was auditioning for "A Very Small Agent," he purposely mentioned her in a private conversation. Unexpectedly, she calmly agreed.
"Yes, I did lie to you, Mr. Adriaan. But I think you should have investigated my family. For a girl like me, what else could I do?" There was a hint of helplessness in her tone. Although there were traces of acting — Leighton had obviously underestimated Adriaan's observational skills — half of it came from the bottom of her heart.
Faced with such a girl, Adriaan did not say much, but he did not let it go. He frivolously pinched her cheek. "You are a beautiful and smart girl."
Of course, there was a difference between Leighton's precociousness and Dakota's. Leighton's precociousness was due to her different life experiences, which forced her to shoulder responsibilities that did not belong to her at an early age. Dakota, on the other hand, was naturally sensitive to imitation and acting. This was a talent, just like … Natalie. This talent was both a good and a bad thing. Fully utilizing this talent would make her an outstanding actress. But this was Hollywood!
Well, that was a matter for the future. As for now, Adriaan was very happy to get a future star. At least for the next five or six years, Hannah Dakota Fanning would be very valuable. Letting her play the role of the youngest daughter in "Winter's Bone" and then sign her under his banner was definitely a worthwhile investment.
After the audition, Adriaan grabbed the casting director and asked, "Tell me honestly, Carlos. How much did Mark pay you?"
"Nothing at all, I promise, Eide." Carlos Parker quickly raised his hands. "Mark kept recommending that little girl to me. She was pestering me almost every day. I can't call the police, can I? But this little girl named Hannah is really good, isn't she? Don't tell me that's not what you think. "
"You passed." Adriaan smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
Mark Briggs was a talent agent in their agency. He was known for his talent in finding actors, so it was not surprising that he signed Dakota. Talent agents usually had a wide range of connections. Professional talent agents who could not make connections would be eliminated sooner or later. Why was Lin Xilei willing? Because without his support, she could not have done it. The wider the network, the more opportunities there were for actors. Things like Briggs asking Parker for opportunities were happening everywhere in Hollywood.
However, compared to other talent agencies and film and television production companies, MGI's relationship with AC Media was undoubtedly closer, so they had more opportunities. Their agents were also more daring when recommending actors. Because of this advantage, Michael Ovitz had taken over many smaller agencies. Maybe he was still a little behind WMA and CAA, but he had already left Endeavor, ICM, and UTA behind.
If it wasn't for the fact that other talent agencies had secretly stopped him, Adriaan and Claude could not directly support him, and Ovitz was also worried that it would affect his current status. Maybe Endeavor would have been taken over as well.
In short, this was a more perfect chain. Talent agencies would find newcomers, and then it would be more convenient to recommend them to film and television production companies. After they became famous, the agency would become more attractive. Hannah Dakota Fanning was not the first future star to fall into the hands of Adriaan through this chain, and she would definitely not be the last.
On March 2, 2000, Winter's Bone officially started shooting on the outskirts of Kansas City, the capital of Missouri. Unless there were special circumstances, no regular crew would really go to those remote towns to shoot.
No media paid attention to Director Miracle's new movie. At his position, it was very easy to cover up these things for a while. Moreover, the movie's investment was not large, so naturally, the start of shooting was not big. Moreover, the media's attention was now on the Oscars.
Although this year's nominees for Best Film were not as influential as Schindler's List, Argan, or Saving Private Ryan, only American Beauty was talked about. Although La Belle Legend of Sicily was also good, it was too far away from American life. Even so, the Oscars were still the biggest event in the American film industry, and there were still countless media outlets scrambling to report and speculate.
Who was most likely to win Best Film? Who was going to win Best Director? Who was most likely to win Best Actor and Actress? Especially for Best Actress, Nicole could be said to be in the limelight. In addition to the gimmick of "immediately shining after leaving Cruise," Cruise's nomination for Best Supporting Actor was also one of the reasons. Many people hoped to see them meet on the red carpet or on the stage.
Although Monica was behind Nicole, she also received a lot of attention. With Adriaan's support behind the scenes, many people were still optimistic about her. However, there were also some people who thought that Hilary Swank was likely to be an upset. Her performance was the biggest highlight of the whole movie, Boys Don't Cry. Without her, the movie would only be a second-rate work.
Even so, the intensity of the discussion was still not as high as the previous one. After all, last year, two Miracle Girls were nominated, and both of them were works directed by Adriaan. Although many people guessed that Nicole and Adriaan had some connection, and people in the industry knew that Adriaan had intervened in the divorce of Nicole and Cruise, even the tabloids, who were famous for sensationalism, could only touch on the edges, let alone others.
Adriaan had also read a lot of related reports, and the news from Weinstein was also passed on. Although he was still a little worried, as soon as the movie started shooting, all his attention was diverted.
After communicating with everyone in turn, Adriaan immediately clapped his hands and shouted, "Okay, everyone, now take your positions and get ready to start."
The whole crew immediately began to work. For the first time, he chose some scenes of life to let everyone warm up and get the feeling.
"You have to control your emotions, Natalie. This kind of life has been going on for several years. An irresponsible father, an unconscious mother, and an ignorant brother and sister. The burden is all on you. No matter how tough you are, the numbness will still be written on your face. Do you understand?" After two or three scenes, Adriaan said to Natalie after a few NGs during the filming of breakfast.
"So, I'll basically keep serious, and then I'll use some subtle expressions to convey my emotions," Natalie said after thinking about it.
"You can try, but you have to know how serious you are." Adriaan nodded and said.
When it came to being frank, Natalie performed well. She roughly understood Adriaan's plan, and she did her homework. Not only did she quickly get into character, but she even spoke with a slight Missouri accent. The problems that Adriaan raised just now were just small problems.
In fact, in a sense, Lily and Matilda had many similarities. Both of them had encountered major changes in their bodies, and both of them could only rely on themselves. Both of them had people they cared about, and both of them were struggling hard in life. When Natalie read the script, she concluded that they had the same characteristics: like weeds, humble but tenacious.
The difference was that Matilda's experience was short but intense, and full of conflict. Dory's life was calm and steady, like a pool of stagnant water. Only when a stone fell would it splash into countless waves. The two characters had to face different things, so naturally, the stories that happened were different, and the reactions they produced were also different. However, this similarity was enough for Natalie to grasp the characteristics of the character. Her slightly thin and weak appearance was very suitable, and she would only be 19 in two months. This role could be considered as tailor-made for her.
"I can also treat it as a reminiscence." Watching Natalie in a down jacket preparing, Adriaan said in his heart.
As for the other two children, they also performed well. The boy was directly ignored by Adriaan, and Dakota was very lively. Georgia and Missouri were not far apart, and the role was relatively simple. She had no difficulty in portraying her image. To be honest, if it wasn't for Natalie, she could have kept her blonde hair, but it didn't matter. Her hair wasn't long to begin with, and wearing a dark wig wasn't a problem. As for the color of her eyes, as long as there weren't any close-up shots, she didn't have to worry. Even if there were, it could be dealt with in post-production. Dying her hair and wearing contact lenses during the audition was just a test.
"My whole family is Baptist!" During filming, there were one or two scenes where the radio said that the Baptist Church was holding a fund-raising event, and the little girl proudly told Adriaan.
"Really? That's surprising. " Adriaan expressed his admiration. He didn't feel much about Dakota's family's religious beliefs. He just wanted to talk to the little girl. In the luxurious Hollywood, although religion didn't have much influence, it definitely wasn't as big as it was in the hinterlands, even if the Southern Baptist Church was the largest Protestant denomination in the United States.
"Right, Hannah, have you thought about what stage name you're going to use?" Adriaan suddenly asked.
"Stage name?" Dakota raised her head and blinked her eyes adorably.
"Yes, Natalie has a stage name. She used her grandmother's surname as her actress's surname, which saved her a lot of trouble. When she was studying at Harvard, many letters that were sent to her were rejected. There's more than one girl named Natalie in college," Adriaan said with a smile, then looked at Natalie next to him. "Is that right, Natalie?"
"Adriaan is right." Natalie, who put down the script, revealed a faint smile, and no other emotions could be seen on her face. "You can try to choose one, Hannah."
"Hmm …" Dakota tilted her head and thought for a long time. "Eide, help me think of one. I'm sure you're very experienced."
"Well!" Adriaan purposely pondered. "Why don't you use your middle name and surname? In private with your parents or friends, you're Hannah Fanning. When you're an actress, you'll be Dakota Fanning. What do you think?"
The little girl repeated it a few times, then smiled brightly. "I like it that way. Thank you, Eide. I'm going to tell my mom."
Saying that, she ran away quickly. Seeing that she was talking to her mom excitedly, Adriaan retracted his gaze and glanced to the side. Natalie immediately raised the script in her hand.
She probably thought he was up to something again. Really … Adriaan smiled and shook his head slightly, then called the assistant director over to prepare the next scene.
For three consecutive days, the progress of the crew was quite good. There weren't too many NGs, and there were no external disturbances. However, most of the scenes could only be considered warm-ups, such as Dolly peeling potatoes for breakfast, combing her delirious mother's hair, or teaching her younger siblings how to spell. The only problem was chopping wood. With Natalie's petite appearance, every time she raised the axe above her head, it made people sweat involuntarily. Chopping wood was also a technical job, and if one didn't grasp it well, it would be impossible to split it. Therefore, after shooting several scenes in a row, Natalie was so tired that she was panting heavily.
Next, it was time to shoot some difficult scenes.
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