novellhall Chapter 133 My Cousin! [4000]
Chapter 133 My Cousin! [4000]
Chapter 133 My Cousin! [4000]
Chen Xun was not surprised by the salary.
Although Jennifer Lawrence is a great actress and well-known in the independent film circle, she was even nominated for an Oscar for her role in "Winter's Bone".
She mostly stars in low- to medium-budget art films.
Its box office performance has not yet been tested in a large-scale market.
Chen Xun's "Green Lantern" has a solid 700 million yuan box office, despite the controversy, the numbers don't lie.
Lionsgate saw huge potential profits, especially from the explosive performance in the Asian market.
The 400 million yuan wasn't just for his performance, but also for the attention and market potential he brought.
Compared to American actors of the same caliber, Chen Xun's salary increase rate is relatively slow.
After all, Green Lantern's box office growth came later, which carried a certain degree of risk!
"Sign it?" Robert asked.
"sign!"
Chen Xun did not hesitate.
After deducting the cost of buying and renovating the house and daily expenses, he currently has about $300,000 in cash available in his account.
The base salary of 400 million, plus the potential box office revenue sharing, will make him much more financially comfortable.
The Hunger Games was a wildly popular movie in the past.
His salary is higher than Jennifer's.
This is a reality in Hollywood.
Behind the actor's salary lies a complex game of capital, there's nothing to be sentimental about.
Chen Xun still wasn't satisfied with this!
The Hunger Games is essentially a female-centric film; Katniss is the absolute core.
Although Peeta is the male lead, his screen time and importance are indeed incomparable to those of the female lead, so this salary structure is reasonable.
The contract was officially signed.
The first thing Chen Xun faced was the film crew's intensive training!
Lionsgate placed great emphasis on physical and skills training for the Hunger Games.
The film features numerous scenes of running, climbing, fighting, archery, and wilderness survival.
Actors must undergo intensive training in advance.
On the one hand, it's for the sake of the shooting effect, and on the other hand, it's to reduce the risk of injury during shooting.
The training camp will be held at a specialized outdoor training camp in North Carolina for one month.
The day before his departure, Chen Xun packed his luggage simply.
Christine leaned against the bedroom door frame, watching him tidy up: "A month of training, sounds even tougher than boot camp."
"More or less!"
Chen Xun packed a few pieces of sportswear into his suitcase: "I need to learn archery, basic combat, wilderness survival skills, and physical training. Although Peeta isn't known for his fighting prowess in the book, he must have basic survival skills."
"Be careful, don't actually get yourself into the arena."
Christine walked over, picked up a copy of "The Hunger Games" from his bedside table, and flipped through it: "This Katniss is played by Jennifer Lawrence, she's great."
"I've seen her in 'Winter's Bone,' her acting was quite good!"
Chen Xun nodded.
He was looking forward to working with Jennifer, whose acting skills and personality were known in the industry as solid and explosive.
The next day, Chen Xun flew to North Carolina.
The training camp was hidden in a forest and hilly area, and the environment did indeed have a bit of the feeling of the wilderness in the novel.
Chen Xun dragged his suitcase into the camp.
His first impression was that this place really did resemble a secluded recruit training camp.
Rows of simple but sturdy wooden dormitories, an indoor training ground converted from a large warehouse, and an enclosed forest and mountain area as an outdoor training zone.
The air smelled of pine needles and earth, which was quite refreshing.
This is a pretty good place for a day trip.
He was put up in a simple wooden cabin dormitory, along with some other young actors who were confirmed to star in the show.
This includes the actress who plays Katniss's sister Sakura, as well as several other actors who are confirmed to appear in other district tributes.
Thor's brother Liam was also among them.
On the first day of the training camp, we gathered in the open space of the training camp.
Chen Xun saw Jennifer Lawrence.
She was taller than she appeared on screen, with blonde hair tied in a simple ponytail, no makeup, wearing a sports vest and shorts, talking to her coach with a serious expression, occasionally bursting into her signature big laugh, which was very infectious.
She also saw Chen Xun, walked over, and extended her hand with a bright smile: "Hey, Chen Xun, I'm Jennifer. We finally meet, our baker boy."
"Hello, Jennifer."
Chen Xun shook her hand and felt its strength: "It's a pleasure to work with you!"
"Me too! I've seen your performance in 'Green Lantern,' and it was absolutely amazing!"
All the actors gathered at the camp on the same day.
At six o'clock the next morning, a sharp whistle broke the silence of the camp.
Chen Xun and a dozen other young actors, including Jennifer, Liam, and several others who had already been confirmed to play tributes in other districts, gathered sleepily in the open space.
The stunt coordinator in charge of overall training was a bald, muscular man named Hank, a former Marine Corps member, whose face was expressionless.
"Welcome to Panem Preparatory School — Hahaha — Just kidding!"
Hank made a joke that was completely at odds with his dignified expression.
But none of the people standing in front of him dared to laugh.
Hank is just too scary-looking!
Seeing that no one reacted, Hank felt a little embarrassed, but quickly regained his composure: "The next four weeks will be very demanding. Your goal is simple: survive and complete each day's training, and learn enough skills to make you look like real novices in front of the camera."
"Five-kilometer warm-up run, along that yellow line. The last three runners haven't had breakfast. Go!"
A wail instantly erupted, but no one dared to resist.
People started running in a scattered manner.
Chen Xun adjusted his breathing and followed in the middle of the group.
All of his attributes have been upgraded to level 4!
In addition to helping him improve his acting skills, it also further enhanced his physical fitness.
In addition, his previous sparring with Gina and absorption of various body-related attribute balls have greatly enhanced his physical abilities!
While running.
He saw Jennifer Lawrence quickly adjust her pace and run ahead, her strides powerful, her blonde ponytail swinging behind her head.
This girl's physical strength and willpower are indeed well-deserved.
The others weren't as good, and soon several actors started panting heavily and their pace slowed down.
Liam's breathing rate increased, but there were no other obvious changes; his physical abilities were just as strong as his brother's.
After running five kilometers, everyone except Chen Xun and his two companions was panting and drenched in sweat.
Even Chen Xun felt a burning sensation in his lungs and his legs were a little weak, but he could still stand.
Two actors collapsed to the ground, only to be coldly ordered by Hank: "Get up, or you'll have to do more practice!"
Breakfast consisted of simple oatmeal, eggs, and fruit; the portions were generous, but the taste was nothing to brag about.
After a half-hour rest following the meal, formal training begins.
The morning session focuses on comprehensive physical fitness and basic skills.
The training is divided into three rotating groups: basic archery, rock climbing skills, and core strength training.
The initial training was not divided according to roles; everyone had to participate!
On the archery range, the coach was a taciturn red-haired woman named Sarah.
She demonstrated the most basic stance, bow grip, string drawing, aiming, and releasing the arrow, emphasizing stability and breath control.
"You don't need to be Olympic shooters, but you have to look like it, especially in close-up shots. Your hands can't shake, and your posture can't be off."
Everyone took turns trying.
The bow is a specially made training bow with a moderate weight, but it is still difficult for beginners to handle.
Chen Xun's first arrow missed the target and landed diagonally in the grass in the distance.
A young actor playing a tribute from the Third District didn't even draw his bowstring fully, and the arrow fell limply a few meters away, eliciting a murmur of laughter.
Coach Sarah corrected each student's posture one by one.
As she walked to Chen Xun's side and adjusted the angle of his shoulders and the position of his elbows, a purple attribute ball floated out from her body:
[Basic archery stance stability +5]
Chen Xun absorbed it immediately.
A surge of insight into how to maintain stability by using skeletal support rather than simply exerting muscle power flowed into my body.
He raised his bow again and felt a difference.
The body seemed to form a more natural and stable support.
Although the second arrow still missed the target, at least it flew straight toward the target.
"That's better. Keep going, find muscle memory."
Coach Sarah nodded and moved on to the next one.
Chen Xun practiced continuously.
The third arrow, the fourth arrow —
Soon, his arrows stopped missing the target and got closer and closer to the bullseye.
Chen Xun gradually found the technique.
After shooting countless arrows, Chen Xun felt the bow in his hand gradually disappear.
He felt as if his arms were extending outwards, and he could even feel the smooth texture of the arrow as it was nocked onto the bow.
swoosh~
Chen Xunfu felt a sudden inspiration; he loosened his fingers, and the arrow drew a straight line, hitting the bullseye perfectly!
At the same time, a purple attribute orb fell from his body:
Upper limb coordination +8
The attribute ball was absorbed by Chen Xun as soon as it appeared.
A sudden realization gradually welled up in my mind.
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
The applause interrupted Chen Xun's thoughts.
He looked in the direction of the voice and saw it was Coach Sarah.
She clapped as she walked over to Chen Xun.
"That's incredible!"
If I hadn't personally instructed you, I would have seriously doubted that you had studied archery before.
Your movements are not only correct but also aesthetically pleasing; you've made tremendous progress!
If you had received training from a young age, you would definitely be participating in the Olympics now.
The surrounding actors stopped what they were doing and looked at the target in front of Chen Xun, unable to help but admire it.
Seeing Chen Xun's performance, Jennifer, who was standing next to him, shook her aching wrist, gritted her teeth, and drew her bow again to shoot an arrow.
Swoosh~~~
The arrow traced a beautiful arc and landed precisely on the edge of the target.
It was Chen Xun's group's turn to climb the rock wall.
It was a scene of utter devastation.
The seemingly simple rock holds actually require extremely strong finger strength, core strength, and coordination to climb.
Several actors were hanging in mid-air, unable to go up or down, grimacing in pain.
Chen Xun was able to complete the basic route thanks to his excellent body control and strength.
But the speed was not fast, and my arms and calves soon began to ache.
The climbing instructor, a lean man resembling a goat, was shouting instructions from below: "Firm footing! Use your legs for power! Your arms are just for balance!"
While instructing Chen Xun, a purple attribute orb dropped:
[Vertical plane center of gravity transfer technique +5]
Absorb directly!
Chen Xun suddenly felt he had a clearer understanding of how to move his body more efficiently on the rock face.
The most grueling part was the afternoon's wilderness survival and basic combat training.
The survival coach led them into the fenced-off woods.
They taught how to make fire using the primitive method of piercing.
How to distinguish between several common edible plants and dangerous plants.
How to find and purify water sources.
Some of the actors looked completely bewildered.
Those who lived in the city were completely unfamiliar with this knowledge.
Chen Xun studied very diligently. Although these skills might be used extensively in filming, they helped him understand the state of mind of Peeta in the wilderness.
The movements you actually make and the movements you perform are very different.
Listen truly! See truly! Feel truly!
As an actor, you need to have enough life experience to portray a character realistically, so that the audience can empathize with the role.
While the coach was explaining how to observe environmental traces, a blue attribute ball dropped.
[Basic Environmental Observation and Clue Connection +3]
Chen Xun absorbed it directly.
He observes plants more carefully, and after many instructors explain a concept, he can connect it to actual plants.
The combat portion was coached by a former MMA fighter.
Learn basic defensive stances, rolling and recovery techniques, and entanglement and escape skills when using bare hands or a training dagger.
The movements are all complex, but to perform them smoothly and naturally requires repeated practice.
As the coach explained, an attribute ball fell: [Close Combat Prediction Awareness +5]
Practice sparring.
Chen Xun's opponent is an actor from District 3.
The young man seemed a bit nervous, and his movements were stiff.
As Chen Xun blocked and broke free, he tried to recall the practical skills he had learned from Gina in the "Green Lantern" crew, and combined them with the attribute balls he had just absorbed, gradually finding his rhythm.
Training ended at 7 p.m. after a day of sessions.
Almost everyone dragged their feet back to the dormitory.
A groaning could be heard from the public shower room.
"My arm feels like it belongs to me again."
An actor named Tomagou complained with a bitter face.
Chen Xun rinsed his sore shoulders and back with hot water.
I'm really tired!
But this fulfilling exhaustion made him feel more grounded than attending parties and giving interviews in Los Angeles.
As I walked out of the public bathroom, I ran into Jennifer, who had also finished showering.
"My hands are covered in blisters!"
Jennifer showed her hand as she drew the bow; her palm was red.
With a smile on her face, she challenged Chen Xun: "I will definitely surpass you in archery training tomorrow!"
The second day, the third day —
Training continued day after day.
The intensity gradually increases.
The five-kilometer run has been extended to eight kilometers, the rock climbing route has become more difficult, archery training now requires greater precision, and combat training has incorporated simple routines.
Chen Xun's physical advantages are becoming increasingly apparent.
He recovered faster than others, and his speed in learning new skills was unparalleled.
Coach Sarah noticed his archery consistency was improving rapidly and had him start practicing on targets at the same distance.
Jennifer is also making rapid progress!
Without the support of the panel, she was only following behind Ren Chenxun.
This person's athletic talent is truly remarkable!
Chen Xun Gong was full of praise.
But unfortunately, Chen Xun is overpowered!
He can absorb relevant attribute ball information from several professional coaches every day.
Although individual numerical values are generally high, mostly +3, +4, or +5, the cumulative effect over time, coupled with its highly targeted nature, allows his abilities in these specific areas to improve rapidly.
Chen Xun felt that he had gained unprecedented control over his body!
Of course, he gets tired too.
Lying on the hard bed at night, my whole body muscles were protesting in hushed tones.
>