Chapter 523

"Dim the lights. I've stressed it many times. Even if Edith has settled down in Paris, she's still just a street singer. This must be highlighted and compared to her future life. Keep this in mind, understand?!" On the set, Adriaan was giving instructions loudly. "Locus, write it down. Everything here has to be changed to a French-style building similar to the one in Act 23."

"Yes, sir!" Locus, who had been called, immediately replied loudly, then quickly took out his notes.

Not only him, but all the staff were also busy working. Although Adriaan was not particularly serious, his tone was faintly stern. No one could tell if he would lose his temper in the next second. After all, so far, in the middle of January 2003, the shooting progress of "Life as a Rose" was far behind schedule.

Although Adriaan was known as a miracle director who was "full of energy," he could produce a movie very quickly. A movie that would normally take three months to complete might only take him two months, or even one and a half months. Otherwise, he wouldn't have released two commercial blockbusters and a low-budget literary movie at the end of last year. However, if the actors were not in good condition, the director would not be able to speed up the production no matter how good he was.

It wasn't that Sophie's acting was bad. After constant practice, she had basically grasped the characteristics of Edith Piaf. Plus, after putting on makeup, especially after putting on old makeup, it was impossible for people to associate her with her beautiful appearance. With these two factors working together, it was very possible for her to become the best actress.

It was just that Adriaan hoped that she could do better. Many times, in the eyes of Sophie and others, the scenes were already very good. In fact, it was not a problem if they wanted to pass it. However, Adriaan could see that Sophie still had room for improvement. Needless to say, the goal of this movie was to give her as many trump cards as possible before the shooting. Therefore, it was okay to spend some time to shoot the scenes repeatedly for the best effect.

Anyway, there weren't many plans this year, so this little waste wouldn't affect anything. The actors might be a little tired, but Sophie didn't say anything. She always tried her best to cooperate.

Because the main reason for the delay was himself, Adriaan didn't blame the crew. However, this didn't prevent him from using this opportunity to spur them on. Knowing this, Sophie didn't care. In private, she also used the prefix "full of energy" to tease him. Of course, Adriaan later let her understand what it meant to be full of energy.

But now she wasn't on the set. Adriaan had given her a day off because Piaf's scenes weren't in today's shooting. Well, that's not accurate. It should be the adult Piaf's scenes.

"Are you done, Renado?" After making sure that there were no problems, Adrian looked at the dressing room.

Little Dakota was now dirty. She was wearing coarse clothes, and her hair was messy. She looked confused but mature, but her bright eyes were still very lively.

"I won't say anything more to you, Hannah. You're a very smart and outstanding child. I believe you can do your best," Adriaan said to Dakota and patted her on the head.

"No problem. I've wanted to work with Director Miracle for a long time. I'll definitely do my best," Dakota replied crisply. Even the ugly makeup couldn't hide her sweet smile. "That way, we can continue to work together in the future."

"No problem. I've wanted to work with Director Miracle for a long time. I'll definitely do my best," Dakota replied crisply. Even the ugly makeup couldn't hide her sweet smile. "That way, we can continue to work together in the future."

What a smart child. Adriaan raised his eyebrows imperceptibly. As a child, saying this kind of thing would only surprise people, and then it would turn into cuteness and leave a deeper impression. But … but he didn't think too much about it. It wasn't a big deal, as long as she could play the young Piaf well.

Dakota didn't disappoint Adriaan. Many of her scenes only took four or five takes, and the longest one didn't exceed two digits. Of course, this had to do with her lack of scenes, but she did perform very well. She didn't become a popular child star just by luck alone.

After praising her, Adriaan immediately asked someone to bring over a younger girl about five years old. In "La Vie En Rose," the young Piaf had two periods. One was around ten years old, and the other was around five years old. Although Dakota wasn't even ten years old yet, her outstanding acting skills made up for it. So, other than Dakota, Adriaan also asked someone to find an even younger girl.

"Hello, Ms. Duke. Nice to meet you." Adriaan shook hands with the girl's mother first, then leaned over and smiled at her daughter. "You must be Colo Moritz?"

"Yes, sir. You're the famous Miracle Director?" The little girl was not afraid at all. She replied in a soft voice and stared at him without blinking. She wasn't beautiful, but she was very cute. Even Adriaan couldn't associate her with what she would look like a few years later. That was probably why no one thought that she would change so much in just a few years.

It was purely a coincidence that Colo Moritz was cast as the younger Piaf. The role wasn't particularly important, so Adriaan didn't give too many instructions when casting, and the crew didn't take it very seriously. Then, Colo's mother, Teri Duke, brought her daughter to Los Angeles for the weekend. When they visited the Universal Studios, they saw the audition for "La Vie En Rose" near the studio. Colo was curious, and her brother, who had acting experience, often bragged to her, so she begged her mother to go for the audition.

Seeing that her daughter was so interested, and the audition didn't seem to have a high requirement, Duke brought Colo for the audition. After that, she didn't think too much about it. It was just that the audition had to be reported to Adriaan, and the person in charge of the audition had a good eye and added her information to the audition. So, when Adriaan saw it, he remembered.

"If no one else is called Miracle Director, then it should be me." Adriaan smiled. "This is your first time acting in a movie, right? Don't worry, just do as I say. "

After that, he got Duke's permission and patted her head. The little girl immediately stuck out her tongue and made a face at him.

"You have a very cute daughter, Ms. Duke." Adriaan smiled, then asked the people to get ready and began to explain to little Colo.

Since there was a star of the future that came knocking on his door, why would he let it go? Whether it was from the perspective of the development of the entertainment industry, or from the perspective of talent discovery, it was meaningful. Just like Dakota, so Colo Moretz got the role. When his family received the call, they didn't believe it and thought it was a scam.

"You just need to show a painful expression. Do you understand what pain is?" Adriaan asked after a simple explanation.

"Like … Mom threw away my Barbie doll?" The little girl tilted her head and thought for a long time. Then, she realized something and covered her mouth, looking at her mother worriedly. Her mother was a little surprised, but she didn't say anything. She just stared at her, amused. Colo stuck out her tongue and looked at Adriaan with a smile. "That's about it."

Not bad. Cute, funny, and smart. Adrian nodded with a smile as he thought to himself, It's basically decided.

"Are you interested in letting your daughter be an actress, Ms. Duke?" Adriaan asked Colo's mother after the simple scenes were shot.

"Be … an actress?" Teri Duke's eyes widened. It wasn't that she didn't understand, but she couldn't believe it.

"Yes, in my opinion, your daughter has a lot of potential," Adriaan said and squatted down in front of Colo. "Is it fun to shoot a movie, Colo?"

"It's very fun." The little girl nodded. She basically followed the rules during filming. Even though like many young actors who acted in a movie for the first time, she did a good job most of the time. At least for a child acting in a movie for the first time, it wasn't bad. She tried her best to express her emotions as Adriaan asked her to.

But as long as the filming stopped and it wasn't time for a break, she would curiously look around and ask people about this and that. She was a typical curious baby.

"So, are you willing to act in movies often and become a superstar?" Adriaan asked with a smile.

"Can I?" Colo tilted his head and asked hesitantly.

"As long as you work hard, you will." Adriaan nodded seriously.

"Can you give us some time to think about it?" Duke asked.

"Of course, no problem." He then made an inviting gesture.

Adriaan wasn't worried. Putting aside his current fame, before Duke's family agreed to let his daughter act in a movie, they would definitely collect information about directors and producers. Faced with his long list of achievements, most people would make the same choice. When Adriaan was trying to persuade Colo, Duke didn't say anything unnecessary. That was enough to prove the point.

Then, the talent scout or agent would keep coming to his door to persuade him, and the final result wouldn't be out of Adriaan's expectations.

Okay, that's all for the filming of Life as a Rose. Although it hadn't stopped, it was as low-key as She-Devil. After all, only half of January 2003 had passed. Whether it was "The Matrix 2", "The Lord of the Rings 2", or "The She-Devil", which had increased to 300 theaters, they were all attracting attention in different fields.

Other than that, many other movies were also gaining momentum. For example, Scorsese's Gangs of New York received mixed reviews, Pirates of the Caribbean's North American box office had exceeded 250 million, Chicago's theater and box office were basically proportional, and The Hours, which was released on a small scale, was well received.

This film was adapted from Michael Cunningham's novel, and starred Richel, Sophie, and Streep. At first, it was only released in 11 theaters, and it hadn't increased yet. The plot was slow, and the content was loose, but the critics loved it and gave it high marks.

However, in terms of acting skills, the three main leads had their own strengths, especially Sophie. She might not be as good as the other two, and it was a bit strange for a Frenchwoman to play an American village housewife, but in terms of acting skills, she did have a lot of highlights. This also proved that it was the right time to release Life as a Rose.

As for Richel, the media said that this was her best work after The English Patient, and she was closer to the Oscars. She was the favorite to win the award, if not for Gwyneth and She-Devil. Therefore, Adriaan took some time to "comfort" her.

Although the film industry was very lively, and Adrian had three completely different kinds of movies online, he was still the same as before. Unless there was an important event, he would not appear in front of the media. Explaining for "The Female Devil" was still an exception, because it was the only way to make things more convenient, such as arranging Gao Yuanyuan's accommodation and studying and living for the next few months.

"Since this is your first time in the United States, I've arranged for you to live with Xlei, so you can take care of each other. Anyway, her villa is not small." After taking Gao Yuanyuan to Lin Xlei's seaside villa in Santa Monica, Adriaan put down their luggage and showed her around while explaining.

"Yes, I've always felt that it's too quiet here, so most of the time I sleep at the company. It's just nice that you're here." Lin Xlei, who had been warned earlier, was very enthusiastic. "It just so happens that Zhiling is resting now. Call her over for a gathering when you're free. Be it me or her, we're both very easy to get along with."

Throughout the entire tour, apart from being surprised and curious, Gao Yuanyuan only smiled timidly. She basically didn't speak much. It was her first time in Los Angeles, and she lived in such a place, so it was normal for her to be shocked.

Her choice was not beyond Adriaan's expectations. Just like what had been said before, everyone wanted to come to Hollywood to develop their career, even if it was just to act in a TV series.

Huayi was also very understanding. This arrangement required their cooperation, so Adriaan did not hide anything. They then fought for Gao Yuanyuan's management contract and were very polite to her.

Then, after the filming of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre was completed, they rested for a while, said goodbye to their family and friends, and applied for a visa. Finally, in mid-January, they arrived at the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

"Don't be too nervous. This place is not completely different from China. Rest for a few days first, adjust to the time difference, call home, and familiarize yourself with the environment. I'll ask Xlei to find some time to give you some guidance and teach you some general knowledge about life in America. I'll also visit you often during this period. In short, don't worry. It's just like coming out for a vacation. After you've adapted, we'll talk about the English and acting classes. Even if the TV series is going to start filming, it'll have to wait until April or May. "After the tour ended, when it was just the two of them, Adriaan comforted Gao Yuanyuan.

This was a good opportunity. Why would a person miss home when they were alone outside? Because everything that she was familiar with had changed. There was nothing that she could rely on, nothing that could make her feel safe. In this kind of situation, she would unconsciously rely on whoever could give her a sense of security. So, Adriaan spent a little time waiting for her to adjust to the time difference and get used to the environment. Then, he took some time to invite her to go shopping, have a meal, and introduce her to the city. So, he easily got her into bed again.

Although it was not necessary to put her on the shelf, facing such a young, beautiful, and delicate girl, how could he not play with her a few more times?

"Don't think so much. It's just an observation period now. Let's talk about it after a while." Faced with Lin Xilei's hint, Adriaan said so.

"No problem, boss." Lin Xilei shrugged indifferently.

"Also, keep an eye on Lin Zhiling. Don't let her do anything stupid." Adriaan reminded again.

After all, Shuang Lin was a Taiwanese. Lin Xilei was fine. She more or less knew his thoughts and did things with propriety. However, it was hard to say for Lin Zhiling. Especially in the past year, he had spoiled her too much. If she and Gao Yuanyuan had any conflicts because of territory or other things, it would be a little troublesome.

"No, boss. Lin Zhiling is actually very smart. She will get along well with Miss Gao." Lin Xilei answered immediately and even gave a little hint.

Adriaan did not take it to heart. He knew that Lin Xilei had been trying to expand their circle of friends. Otherwise, she would not have recommended Liu Yifei to him in the first place. He had also advised Lin Zhiling many times. It was also because of this that Adriaan arranged for Gao Yuanyuan to stay in her villa. With her as a lubricant, there should not be any big problems.

That was one thing. In the middle of January, there was another thing that deserved his attention. It was an accident, and a surprise like Chloe Moretz's.

Because of Britney, Christina, and Avril, Adriaan had come to Universal Records many times. Usually, he would stay until after work. However, he had to leave early today because of some matters. As soon as he came down, he heard a sharp voice from the reception room. "Why can't I? I'm the best. Why can't I? Have you guys even listened to my music? "

Actually, he could have just left, but he suddenly felt that something was amiss. The voice was very sharp and crisp. It should be a girl, and she was not very old. Even though she only said a few words, he could basically tell that her voice was not bad.

Who was so arrogant? Adriaan's curiosity was aroused. He walked to the transparent reception room and knocked on the door. Then, a tall girl standing in front of the coffee table turned around. At first glance, he couldn't help but be stunned. This girl was quite different from what he had imagined. She was quite tall and looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. However, there was a hint of childishness between her brows. She was about thirteen or fourteen years old.

That was not the main point. The main point was that there was still some baby fat on her face. Her long blonde hair was combed back, and her forehead was completely exposed. This way, her facial features, which should have been pretty, made her look a little ugly.

"You're Miracle Director? The Miracle Director who can write songs! " Before Adriaan could ask, the girl had already exclaimed. Then, she puffed out her chest and introduced herself proudly. "I'm Taylor, Taylor Swift. You should sign me. I'll be the most famous country singer!"