[Chapter 158: Liv]
In front of the villa, police lights flashed, casting red and green light against the walls. A few officers were busy in the yard.
The protagonist, Alex, ran up to the front yard, panting with sweat-soaked hair and a t-shirt.
"What happened? Where's Tod?"
The police ignored him, while an FBI officer eyed him suspiciously.
"Alex, you need to get out of here."
Clear, the female lead, called softly from behind a large tree.
At that moment, the police wheeled a stretcher out of the villa, carrying a wrapped package that contained Tod. His parents emerged shortly after.
"What's going on?"
"Didn't you see?"
Tod's father approached furiously. "Because of you, Tod committed suicide. He felt too guilty over George's death and chose this way to end his life."
"That's impossible!"
Alex glanced at the black package covering Tod's body. "Listen to me, he wouldn't have taken his own life. He said once things settled down, we would still be friends. If he was going to end it all, why would he invite me out?"
Mr. Wagner, Tod's father, didn't respond and instead turned back to his wife.
"Mr. Wagner!"
Alex called out several times, but Tod's father refused to believe him. The police placed Tod's body into the police car and shut the door, driving away.
Alex's face fell in disappointment and sorrow.
...
"Cut!"
In this scene, the background actors performed reasonably well; however, the two leads were slightly lacking. Ryan Phillippe struggled with his emotional delivery. He felt flat and lacked the power needed, like a singer who can't hit the high notes. Link needed a C5, but Ryan only reached a C3, missing a few notes.
Liv Tyler's performance was barely passable; she could get away with it under relaxed circumstances. Yet, Link wanted to push her further to see how much potential she had.
Link called the two over and explained to Ryan how to evoke emotions and increase tension. He advised Liv on how to perform more naturally for better effect.
In addition to these two, Link also brought over Mr. Weston, who played Tod's father, and asked him to act angrier to put some pressure on Ryan, which would help elevate Ryan's acting.
Mr. Weston was a professional actor and was better than the leads; it wasn't difficult for him to do.
...
With the third take starting, this time Ryan and Liv performed relatively well, meeting most of Link's requirements. However, wanting to ensure the quality of the shots, he shook his head, stating it wasn't good enough, and had them perform again.
...
This particular scene took two days to wrap up.
"Being a director isn't easy," Ben Affleck mused, sitting on the steps, observing the busy crew and Link pacing around.
"What's got you all deep in thought?" Joaquin asked exasperatedly. The crew members were only arriving now, but Ben insisted on being there early every day, just watching Link work and singing his praises nonstop, almost as if he were trying to curry favor.
"Look at Link! In this sweltering heat, he's still busy directing actors, designing camera shots, checking the situation -- it's exhausting. Other directors are just lazy compared to him."
"It's Link who takes on too many jobs -- screenwriter, cinematographer, makeup artist, acting coach, art director, the whole nine yards. He doesn't have to do all that. Oh, look, there's Liv. Why is she crying? Haha, interesting."
Joaquin lifted his chin toward the front, spotting Liv Tyler sniffling and crying about how harsh Link was, vowing she didn't want to perform anymore, while Bebe Buell comforted her nearby.
Hearing Joaquin laugh at her, Liv turned and shot him a glare before wiping her tears with her sleeve and storming off with her little bag in tow.
Joaquin shrugged, chuckling, "See? Being an actor isn't that easy. If they don't perform well, they get ridiculed."
"Link means well. This is her first film, and he's trying to lay a solid foundation. If that foundation isn't right, it can affect future opportunities. He's willing to spend time guiding her, teaching her the ropes. For a newcomer, this chance is invaluable. Even if Liv complains now, she'll thank him later."
Ben nodded, and Joaquin didn't counter his argument.
Link patiently guided Liv and Ryan, hoping they would improve. If they grasped Link's intentions and followed his advice, their skills would quickly elevate, making them professional actors.
If the film became a hit, they could ride that wave into stardom as actors known for their talent. This would save them years, even decades, of struggle -- something many aspiring actors dreamt of.
Of course, if they failed to understand Link's effort and squandered this opportunity, they would be the ones regretting it in the future.
...
"Link is so annoying! No matter how I perform, it's always NG. He must be targeting me," Liv fumed in the car, her eyes red.
"You two don't have any issues; why would he target you?"
Bebe said calmly as she drove.
"Is he dissatisfied with my performance?"
"Absolutely not. Link is not just the director; he's also the investor. If he were unhappy with you, he would've replaced you already. Don't forget, he's a millionaire author-director, and his time is valuable. He wouldn't waste it on just anyone. Him mentoring you means he sees potential in you -- it's a compliment."
Liv blinked, considering her mother's words. It made sense, even if she felt frustrated from being scolded repeatedly in the crew. No one had ever criticized her so pointedly before.
Link was only a few years older, yet he treated her that way, which embarrassed her.
Feeling wronged, Liv pouted. "He is just targeting me. I don't want to be part of this movie anymore."
"Have you thought this through?"
"I don't need to think. I said I won't perform, so I won't."
"Fine. I'll call Link now and tell him you're out; he can recast. There were plenty of girls your age who wanted this role -- Sarah Michelle Gellar, really pretty and fits the character; Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cameron Diaz -- they're all good options. Let them have their turn at becoming big stars."
Bebe stopped the car and pulled out her phone, preparing to call Link.
"Mom, what are you doing?"
Liv yanked the phone away and hung up, angry. "We signed a contract. If I don't perform, we owe him money. Where would we get that kind of cash? Forget it; I'll stick it out and finish this film."
"Are you sure?"
Bebe laughed. "The call has already gone through. Link and his people know we contacted them. Do you want to call him back, thank him, and promise to do better moving forward?"
"After he's scolded me ten times today, I'm supposed to ask him to keep scolding me? I'm not a masochist!"
"What you say could ease the tension between you two. If you show appreciation, Link might ease up on you later. If you want this to be easier for yourself, that's the way to go."
"Really?"
Liv blinked, considering.
"Come on, I've lived more than forty years. I've seen all kinds of men; Link is just a kid a few years older than you. Don't overthink it -- he's easy to handle."
Bebe said confidently.
After hesitating for a moment, Liv ultimately didn't call. It was how stern Link had been during filming that had unnerved her. He was different from the guys she had known before, and she didn't know how to talk to him now.
"Too scared to call? Looks like you're actually afraid of Link; that's rare -- you have someone to fear."
"Who's scared? I'll call!"
Gathering her courage, Liv dialed Link's number.
*****
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