Chapter 155

Damien Chazelle was completely dumbfounded; although he wasn't a director, he had at least been around Hollywood for several years.

How could a five-minute dramatic scene and duet dance sequence possibly be done in one take?

Even at peak condition, it would probably require several NGs and at least two hours of filming.

A short few-minute shot could easily take several consecutive days to film.

It's well-known in Hollywood that Xu Can likes to "gamble big"—he's the most radical adventurer when it comes to making films—and the reputation is well-deserved.

This usually leads to two extreme outcomes: either instant fame and success, or instant death.

Damien couldn't help but admire him—every time he manages to win the gamble. Is it luck? Probably not either...

"Here it comes, here it comes!"

The cameraman smoking off to the side suddenly shouted in pleasant surprise; everyone looked up and saw the distant sky indeed dyed blue-purple by the last wisp of the sun's afterglow.

The entire Los Santos was dreamlike, and just as Xu Can had said, truly beautiful.

"Go go go go! All units, get moving—let's push hard and try to nail it in one take!"

"Got it!"

Xu Can sprang up to rally the crew, getting everyone ready, then reached out and pulled up Stone Sister beside him.

"My Lady, shall we dance a number?"

Stone Sister gave a sweet smile: "My Lord, it's my pleasure."

This "best on-screen couple of the 21st century," the Spider-Man & Gwen CP, finally continued handing out sweets to everyone in the new film.

The female crew members all had stars in their eyes, shipping them on the spot.

But those who had read the script and knew the ending couldn't help but sigh ruefully.

"Scene 31, Take 3, Roll 1!"

"Action!"

In the evening twilight, Xu Can in a white shirt and tie looked even more dashing and gentlemanly than the original Ryan Gosling.

Under the streetlight, he gazed deeply at Emma Stone.

"... We encounter this enchanting scene, but it's a pity the two here are you and me."

"... You're not my type, our gazes can't spark anything—what a waste of such a beautiful night."

Originally, these lyrics were about the two characters' first meeting,

where the male lead Seb deliberately sings that he feels nothing for Mia,

and Mia fires back with her singing—the two are temporarily in a bickering-flirts state.

Perhaps because Xu Can was in a soul-fused, god-tier acting state, he was practically Seb himself,

and the emotions he conveyed were so real that even Stone Sister got a little swept up.

Could it be that you really like Taylor Swift, and not me at all?

Carrying this emotion, Stone Sister's Mia was also incredibly penetrating in her performance, her singing tinged with a hint of defiance.

"Wearing a cheap suit, thinking yourself dashing and debonair..."

"You're right—I'll never fall in love with you!"

"Perhaps this night view can bewitch a girl who dreams of romance, but my heart remains utterly unmoved."

The two sang as they walked side by side to a bench.

That flavor of clearly having feelings for each other yet stubbornly trading barbs had already broken through the heavens.

The crew watched, dumbfounded,

especially assistant director Damien—the first time he read the script, this was exactly the scene he had imagined.

And Xu Can and Emma Stone had actually replicated it perfectly!

"Wow, oh my god—it's no wonder it's them two, their chemistry is amazing!"

Then on the bench, the two completed the tap-dance shot in a single unbroken take, all in one go!

Not a single flaw!

Keep in mind, the two had only rehearsed once in the dance studio!

"Cut! Amazing!!"

Damien couldn't help but whistle, and the rest of the crew burst into applause in congratulations.

This meant they didn't have to work overtime—the complex long take was done, and the blue-purple night view hadn't even faded yet!

"Good work, everyone—take a 15-minute break!"

Xu Can also let out a long breath of relief; completing a five-minute long take without any NG was well within his grasp.

But Stone Sister, after all, didn't have god-tier acting—yet she was able to match him so perfectly,

which showed the two really did have chemistry.

"Were you serious just now?"

"What?"

Xu Can was startled, then quickly caught on.

"Those were lyrics from the script—how could they be real?"

"But I felt you were sincere." Stone Sister gazed into the distance, her mood somewhat low.

"Come with me."

Xu Can, without warning, took Stone Sister's hand and jogged all the way to the Griffith Observatory viewing platform.

This was exactly the place they had come to the first time, before they had even started dating.

"Sure enough, the Los Santos night view is beautiful."

"Emma, I've never brought anyone else here—this night view belongs only to you. Do you understand?"

"Huh?" Emma Stone covered her mouth in disbelief.

"You mean…"

"That's right."

"Baby…"

Emma Stone's big eyes had already gone a little misty.

Before Xu Can could say anything, she had already thrown her arms around him in excitement, burying her head in his chest.

Looks like he'd bluffed his way through — in Stone Sister's eyes, Xu Can has already given her a promise.

As for what to do later, meet soldiers with generals and water with earth — he'd always find a way to solve it.

……

After the two confirmed their relationship, the film happened to be shooting the scene where Seb and Mia officially start dating.

That warmth and sweetness could be sensed by the entire crew from several hundred meters away — already making it impossible to tell whether it was real or just acting.

"All we can say is, the fact that they've risen to fame so quickly is a testament to their talent."

"Exactly." Assistant Director Damien nodded.

"I think both of them have a shot at the Oscars. Xu has already been nominated, and Emma, with this film, also has a chance."

"Yes, definitely no problem. I have great confidence in our film."

The crew's chief cinematographer, Linus Sandgren, was quite bullish on La La Land,

only he knew best that, when he raised the camera to shoot those long takes,

countless meticulous designs had gone on behind the scenes.

As a first-time director, Xu Can's command of visual language was no worse than any world-famous director!

Add to that his acting, his dance moves, his skill with various instruments, and his ability to compose music…

He's simply a monster!

In the few days since La La Land began shooting, the most influential Hollywood film gala — the Oscars — had officially announced the nominations for the 80th Academy Awards.

The biggest frontrunners were the Coen brothers' No Country for Old Men and Daniel Day-Lewis's There Will Be Blood, each receiving 8 Oscar nominations.

American Gangster, Into the Wild, The Dark Knight, Atonement and other films each received nominations in some categories.

Among them, The Dark Knight, which fans had placed great hopes on, still failed to win the recognition of the Academy's judges as expected.

This film was clearly talented enough, but unfortunately, due to the comic-book adaptation factor, combined with the debuff of Xu Can being Asian, it wasn't well received by the conservative judges.

The nominations it received did not include the major awards — Best Director, Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay.

It only received technical awards such as Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects.

The only thing worth mentioning was Best Supporting Actor,

Xu Can, with an undisputed performance, successfully entered the Oscar nominations!