HWI 103

Hollywood What If Chapter 103

Filming in the US was much easier than in France. At least this was their turf and they speak their own language. 

The only scenes they need to shoot in the US was the first part of the movie. 

'There is one action scene but it's not that difficult to shoot.'

Now that most of the scenes were already shot and they still have $5 million in their budget, Kazir had a better time working. At least he was confident that the money was enough to film all of the scenes. 

After that, they have to enter post-production and edit the movie. 

Because the first part didn't rely on action scenes, Kazir had to give way in acting. Thankfully, most of the actors in this part were experienced. Even Scarlett Johansson could keep up with the adults.

'If there's one thing that impresses me, it's Brianna Evans. She turned into a rich mother just by a glance. I wonder how much she prepared for this?'

He knew that Brianna is a method actor and she do extensive research for her role. Now, just by watching her, Kazir immediately thought that she was a rich mother. With her poise and her facial expressions, he was convinced. 

On top of that, while having scenes with Liam Neeson and Scarlett Johansson, Brianna easily overpowered them. 

However, Kazir didn't want too much of that because Liam Neeson was the protagonist of this film in the first place. So they had a few NGs. 

The movie only had one protagonist, the movie focus on Bryan Mills. Of course, Kazir didn't give Brianna Evans a hard time. He gave her time to shine,  as long as she didn't overpower the other cast. 

In fact, even Scarlett Johansson stuttered whenever she was acting with Brianna. She was mesmerized by the woman. 

Overall, everything was within their expectations. If the shooting continued at this pace, they could finish all of their scenes in June. 

"Then we can edit the shots in July."

Kazir muttered. His assistant, Erica Mendez, was standing next to him. The woman was watching the shooting with curiosity. This was the first time that she entered a production crew. 

"What do you think? It's bleak, right?" Kazir asked. 

"To be honest, yes. I never thought that shooting a movie will be boring."

What they did was shoot different shots that only last a minute at best. Then Kazir would yell cut. 

Erica Mendez thought that shooting a movie was like watching a theater play. Where actors would act their roles perfectly. 

Yet now, Erica saw many NGs. Sometimes the cast would blunder and say their lines wrong. Sometimes the cast could not keep up their expressions and laugh. 

Well, the atmosphere in the crew was relaxed and Kazir didn't like giving too much pressure. Laughing was a common occurrence in the filming. 

This was different from what Erica expected. In fact, they spent half of the day filming Kim Mills' birthday party. This scene only lasts a few minutes yet the crew spends so much time for this one-minute scene... Then, they have to demolish the set once the filming was done. 

'A waste... It's a big waste.'

Erica could not believe that the crew spend over $25 thousand just for this scene. They even rented a pony, a small breed of horse, a real living pony. 

"Let's wrap the shooting for the day."

Kazir announced and the crew was happy to hear that. The shooting ended early today and they have time to rest or play around. 

The reason why Kazir ended the shooting for today was because of one thing-- the movie premiere of Napoleon Dynamite II. 

"Sir, let me take you there." The woman stepped in. 

"Are you sure? Are your kids going to be fine?"

"Don't worry, sir. My Mom loves taking care of my twins."

Erica smiled. She was already thankful that Kazir hired her. She wanted to work hard to prove to Kazir that his choice was not wrong... She wanted to work hard because she wanted a salary increase too. 

"Again, just call me Kazir. You don't have to keep this formality. I'm not used to it."

"Yes, sir-- I mean, if that's what you want, Kazir."

He just chuckled and entered the car. He let the woman drive since she was enthusiastic about work.

Kazir would meet Reese in the theater later. First, Kazir had to wear his suit. 

He was the type who was not extravagant. In fact, he is very cheap. He didn't like cars, so he only bought a Honda car. Well, Japanese cars were long-lasting. 

He didn't want to buy a house and even the apartment he rented was rarely used. He had millions in his bank account yet he didn't bother to buy things for himself.

Still, he understood that appearance was important so for this important day, he decided to open his wallet and buy a $10 thousand worth of suit. 

If this was four years ago, Kazir might wince buying it. 

Erica took him to Grey Pictures first. Kazir changed his clothes and wore his suit. Then, he called the makeup artist in the company to take care of his face. 

Unlike women who had long preparation, men could easily finish changing clothes. They didn't have to bother to adjust their appearances. As long as they look alright, they didn't have a problem. But it was different for women, they wanted to make sure that they were beautiful in different angles. So much that they spent so much time in makeup. 

"Let's go."

Erica stepped on the pedal and the car sped up. 

Because Kazir had an important connection to the creation of Napoleon Dynamite, he had to attend the red carpet. 

The entrance of each actor/actress had time intervals so that each of them could have their limelight. 

The first to show was the director, Hugo Lameire. He spent a few minutes on the red carpet, taking pictures, and getting interviewed. Then the next actor showed up and did the exact thing. It all depends on how famous they were.