Chapter 90

Damien Chazelle was completely numb. Although he wasn't the director, he had at least been in Hollywood for several years.

A 5-minute dialogue and dance scene—how could it be done in one take?

Even with optimal conditions, it would likely require several NGs, taking at least two hours to film.

A few minutes of footage could potentially take several days to film.

The rumor in Hollywood was that Xu Can liked to "gamble" and was the most radical adventurer in filmmaking; it was true.

This often led to two extreme consequences: either fame and fortune, or sudden death.

Damien had to admire him; every time he could win the bet—was it luck? Probably not...

"It’s coming, it’s coming!"

The cameraman smoking on the side suddenly shouted in surprise. Everyone looked up, and sure enough, the distance was dyed blue-purple by the last rays of the sun.

The whole of Los Santos was dreamlike; it was indeed as Xu Can said, truly beautiful.

"Go go go! All units move! Let’s push hard and strive for a one-take!"

"Okay!"

Xu Can stood up to motivate the crew members, letting everyone get ready, and then he reached out to pull up Stone beside him.

"My Lady, shall we? A dance?"

Stone smiled sweetly: "My lord, it’s an honor."

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

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

However, those who had read the script and knew the ending sighed endlessly.

"Scene 31, Take 3, Attempt 1!"

"Action!"

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

Under the streetlamp, he looked deeply at Emma Stone.

"...We encounter this charming scenery, it’s a pity these two are you and me."

"...You’re not my type, no sparks in our eyes, it’s a pity for this beautiful night."

Originally, these lyrics were from when they first met,

where the lead, Seb, deliberately said he had no feelings for Mia,

and Mia retorted with song, the two temporarily in a bickering-couple state.

Perhaps because Xu Can was in a god-tier acting state of soul fusion, he was simply Seb himself;

he expressed the emotions so realistically that Stone herself was a bit carried away.

Do you really like Taylor Swift and don't like me at all?

Carrying this emotion, the Mia played by Stone was also vivid, her singing voice slightly tinged with defiance.

"Wearing a cheap suit, thinking you’re all that..."

"You’re right, I will never fall in love with you!"

"Maybe this night view can fascinate a girl who fantasizes about romance, but I have no ripples in my heart."

As they sang, they walked side by side to the bench.

The flavor of clearly having feelings for each other but being tsundere and bickering had broken through the sky.

The crew was stunned,

especially assistant director Damien; when he first saw the script, what he imagined was exactly this scene.

Yet Xu Can and Emma Stone had perfectly replicated this scene!

"Wow, my God, as expected of them, the chemistry is too perfect!"

Then on the bench, the two finished filming the tap dance scene in one long take, all in one go!

There wasn't a single flaw!

You have to know, the two had only rehearsed in the dance studio once!

"Cut! That’s awesome!!"

Damien couldn't help but whistle, and the rest of the crew applauded to congratulate them.

This meant they didn't have to work overtime; the complex long take was finished, and the blue-purple night scene hadn't disappeared yet!

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

Xu Can also breathed a sigh of relief; completing a 5-minute long take without an NG was easy for him to master.

But Stone didn't have god-tier acting skills after all; that she could coordinate so perfectly with him,

it seems there really was chemistry between them.

"Was what you just said true?"

"What?"

Xu Can was stunned, then quickly reacted.

"Those were the lyrics in the script; how could they be true?"

"But I felt you were sincere." Stone looked into the distance, her mood a bit low.

"Come with me."

Xu Can caught Stone off guard and took her hand, jogging all the way to the Griffith Observatory viewing platform.

This was exactly the place they came to for the first time before they were dating.

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

"Emma, I’ve never brought anyone here; this is a night view that belongs only to you. Do you understand?"

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

"You mean..."

"That’s right."

"Baby..."

Emma Stone’s big eyes were already a bit misty.

Before Xu Can could say anything, she had already excitedly hugged him, burying her head in his chest.

It looked like he had bluffed his way through; in Stone’s eyes, Xu Can had already given her a promise.

As for what to do later, soldiers come to block, water comes to cover; a solution could always be found.

After the two confirmed their relationship, the film happened to be filming Seb and Mia officially dating.

The warmth and sweetness could be felt by the crew from hundreds of meters away, making it impossible to tell if it was real or acting.

"Can only say, their rapid rise to fame is a manifestation of their strength."

"That’s right." Assistant director Damien nodded.

"I think both of them have a chance to win an Oscar. Xu has already been nominated, and Emma has hope with this film."

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

The crew’s chief cinematographer, Linus Sandgren, was quite optimistic about *La La Land*.

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

he didn't know how much careful design went into them behind the scenes.

As a rookie director, Xu Can’s control over lens language was no worse than world-famous directors!

Plus his acting, dance moves, ability to play various instruments, and composing...

He was simply a monster!

During the few days *La La Land* started filming, the most influential film festival in Hollywood, the Oscars, officially announced the nominations for the 80th Academy Awards.

The biggest hits were the Coen brothers’ *No Country for Old Men* and *There Will Be Blood* starring Daniel Day-Lewis, both receiving 8 Oscar nominations.

Films like *American Gangster*, *Into the Wild*, *The Dark Knight*, and *Atonement* all received nominations for some awards.

Among them, *The Dark Knight*, which fans had high hopes for, indeed failed to gain recognition from the Academy judges.

This film clearly had enough strength, but unfortunately, due to the comic book adaptation factor, plus Xu Can’s debuff as an Asian, it wasn't favored by the conservative judges.

It didn't receive nominations for major awards like Best Director, Best Picture, Best Actor, or Best Adapted Screenplay.

It only received technical nominations like Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects.

The only thing worth mentioning was Best Supporting Actor,

where Xu Can successfully entered the Oscars with his indisputable performance!