novellhall Chapter 353 An Unexpected Live Broadcast from the Film Set
Chapter 353 An Unexpected Live Broadcast from the Film Set
Chapter 352 An Unexpected Live Broadcast from the Film Set
The filming of "Spider-Man: Homecoming" was not conducted in a Hollywood studio, but instead took over the entire campus of a local public high school in Atlanta.
From lockers covered with club posters to classrooms with old desks and chairs, and playgrounds with synthetic running tracks, all were filmed on location.
The goal was to recreate the most authentic American high school campus atmosphere and solidify Peter Parker's neighborhood hero persona.
In the dressing room, Chen Xun looked at himself in the mirror and couldn't help but smile.
Wearing a simple hoodie and jeans, with wispy bangs hanging casually down his forehead and only a very thin layer of foundation on his face, he exudes the youthful shyness of a sixteen-year-old high school student, Peter Parker.
The talent of the Spider-Man Trinity Character Card is already ingrained in his bones. He doesn't need to act; he just stands there and is Peter Parker who has stepped out of the comics.
It has the responsibility and tenderness of Toby's version, the brokenness and agility of Garfield's version, and the youthful spirit and naivety of Tom Holland's version.
These three qualities blend perfectly, yet remain as one, belonging solely to him.
"Are you ready? We're about to start filming the first scene."
Christine pushed open the door and walked in.
She wore a loose black washed denim jacket over a simple white T-shirt, ripped jeans, and Doc Martens boots. Her hair was casually curled, and she had no makeup on, not even lipstick. Yet, she exuded a cool and aloof vibe, perfectly matching the MJ image the two had previously agreed upon.
Chen Xun turned around, raised an eyebrow at her, and said, "We've been prepared for this for a long time. Let's see if our MJ can see through Peter's little scheme at a glance."
Christine walked over with a smile, reached out to straighten his askew hoodie, and said with a hint of mischief, "Don't worry, my portrayal of MJ is spot on. After all, I've seen you in real life for so many years."
The two exchanged a smile, their unspoken understanding evident in their eyes.
This scene is Peter Parker and MJ's duel in the library, and it's also the first time the two have officially appeared together on screen in the film.
In the original script, the character of MJ only had a mere five scenes, and was more like a decorative supporting character, without even a complete character arc.
But after Kristen Stewart was cast, Jon Watts and his writing team rewrote MJ's scenes overnight.
Not only were the number of scenes increased to 12, but a significant amount of crucial screen time was also added to the character.
She is no longer just Spider-Man's girlfriend in the background, but the first person in the entire film to vaguely realize Peter Parker's secret.
Her sharp insight and clear-headedness became one of the most important supports in Peter's growth.
In Jon Watts' words, "The chemistry between Christine and Chen Xun was so strong that it practically overflowed the screen. It would be a waste not to flesh out this storyline."
The film set has been set up, and the library is filled with old bookshelves. The afternoon sun shines through the high windows, falling on the yellowed pages.
The extras were all real students recruited from this high school. They were wearing school uniforms and sitting at their desks, either looking down at their books or talking quietly, creating a strong sense of campus atmosphere.
Chen Xun and Christine took their positions, while Jon Watts, sitting in front of the monitor, picked up the walkie-talkie and shouted, "Attention all departments, first scene in the library, prepare!"
"Action!"
The moment the clapperboard fell, Chen Xun's entire demeanor changed.
He hurriedly emerged from behind the bookshelf, clutching several books.
Having just survived a small-scale street arrest, my hair was a mess, my hoodie sleeves were dirty, and my face showed barely concealed panic. All I wanted to do was find a place to sit down and calm my racing heart.
He looked up and met Christine's gaze.
MJ sat at his desk by the window, one leg propped up on the chair next to him, holding a book with an obscure cover. He glanced at him, a half-smile playing on his lips, and spoke in a sharp, sarcastic tone: "Parker, where have you been gallivanting off to again? Looks like you've been chased by a dog for three blocks."
Peter froze instantly, instinctively putting his dusty hands behind his back, his eyes darting around, and stammering, "No—where did I go? I just—ran two laps in PE class and got sweaty."
His performance was spot-on, perfectly capturing the boy's panic as he tried to hide his secret and his shyness and nervousness when facing the girl he cared about.
MJ raised an eyebrow, closed the book, leaned forward slightly, stared into his evasive eyes, and spoke in a light tone, yet every word pierced through his pretense: "Really? But our PE class today is in the morning."
One sentence left Peter speechless, his face flushed red, and he stood there helplessly, like a naughty student caught by the teacher.
Seeing him like this, MJ couldn't help but laugh. The sharp edge instantly disappeared, revealing the softness hidden beneath. He patted the empty seat next to him: "Sit down. If you keep standing, the security guards will come over and ask if you've stolen something."
Peter paused for a moment, then quickly sat down, sitting upright with his hands and feet unsure of what to do, which made MJ chuckle again.
Jon Watts, watching from the monitor, stared wide-eyed, forgetting to even touch his pen, muttering repeatedly, "That's the feeling!"
That's exactly the feeling he wanted.
Peter's youthful awkwardness and panic, MJ's sharp insight, the subtle and ambiguous pull between the two, and the most touching tests and heartbeats between the young boy and girl were all portrayed vividly by the two actors.
Even without dramatic lines, just a glance can instantly draw the viewer into the story.
"Cut!! One take!"
Jon Watts excitedly yelled "Cut!" and started clapping. The crew on set followed suit, their eyes filled with admiration.
"My goodness, Chen Xun and Christine's chemistry is absolutely amazing!"
"Chen Xun is amazing! Just a few days ago I saw him play Liu Peiqiang, a composed and restrained astronaut. But today, standing here, he looks like a sixteen-year-old high school student. There's not a single sense of incongruity! His acting is incredible!"
"Kristen is absolutely amazing! She is MJ herself! Cool yet gentle, sharp yet not annoying, this role is sure to win over countless fans!"
Upon hearing the applause, Chen Xun and Christine exchanged a smile, the tension and distance from their earlier scene vanishing instantly.
Unbeknownst to them, in a corner of the library, a young girl playing a student was secretly livestreaming, her phone hidden inside a textbook with holes cut out, the camera pointed directly at the camera.
The live stream title boldly proclaimed: "Family members! Spider-Man is filming at our school! Chen Xun and Christine are right in front of me!"
At first, there were only a few hundred netizens who clicked in by chance in the live broadcast room, but as the clips were recorded and forwarded, the number of people in the live broadcast room skyrocketed like a rocket.
1, 5, 10 —
The peak number of visitors reached 12.
The screen was filled with a dense barrage of comments, making it almost impossible to see the live stream clearly.
"Holy crap, it really is Chen Xun! His hoodie makes him look so youthful! He doesn't look 24 at all, I'd believe you if you said he was 16!"
"Kristen Stewart looks so much like MJ, she's stunning even without makeup!"
"The chemistry between them is amazing! They're so sweet together both on and off screen! I'm already incredibly excited for the movie!"
"I'm so envious! Who knows what it would be like to have Spider-Man attending my school?!"
"Marvel's casting this time is absolutely brilliant! Just watching this ten-second clip, I can already imagine how strong the chemistry between the main characters will be!"
The screen recording of the live stream was widely shared on platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Weibo.
This secretly filmed footage from the set is going viral online.
The hashtag #SpiderManOnSetLeaks# quickly became a global trending topic within just one hour.
This led to a threefold increase in online pre-registrations for "Spider-Man: Homecoming".
Marvel's PR department was completely baffled!
They were still preparing the first wave of promotional materials when a student's candid live stream gave the film free global promotion.
It generated ten times more buzz than a paid press release!
The publicity director couldn't stop smiling as he looked at the soaring popularity data in the background. He immediately called Jon Watts and exclaimed, "This casting was absolutely worthwhile!"
-
On set, it wasn't until the scene was finished that the crew noticed the student secretly filming a live stream in the corner and quickly went to stop him.
When Jon Watts found out, he wasn't angry at all. Instead, he smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It's okay. As long as we don't leak the core plot, it's fine to film some everyday scenes. It's free publicity, so why not?"
He knew perfectly well that the entire internet's expectations were now at their peak, all thanks to Chen Xun and Christine.
The subsequent filming went even more smoothly than expected.
Chen Xun's mastery of the character Peter Parker has reached a level of unparalleled skill.
In dramatic scenes, he portrayed the naivety of youth, the confusion of growing up, and the deep-rooted sense of responsibility with remarkable depth.
In action scenes, he doesn't use a stunt double. Even for difficult web-swinging and close-quarters combat, he does it all himself. His smooth and clean movements have impressed the stunt coordinator, who says he's practically a born Spider-Man.
Kristen Stewart's portrayal of MJ became the biggest surprise on set.
She portrayed the character's coolness, clarity, and gentleness with distinct layers, making the character stand out even with a simple line or an unintentional glance.
Especially her scenes with Chen Xun, every scene was full of sparks, and even the screenwriter couldn't help but revise the script while filming, adding more exciting interactive scenes for the two.
In the afternoon, they finished filming the highlight scene where Peter talks to MJ on the rooftop. The two actors perfectly portrayed the tentative feelings, the attraction between teenagers, and the loneliness hidden behind their masks.
After the director yelled "Cut!", everyone on set had tears in their eyes, and the applause lasted for a long time.
Just then!
Several glowing attribute orbs fell one after another before Chen Xun's eyes:
[Perfectly portraying the core traits of the Peter Parker character +30]
[Ability to seamlessly switch between youthful and heroic qualities +25]
[Chemistry and Atmosphere Control in Scenes with Opponents +22]
[Live-action adaptation of manga characters reaches its maximum suitability ceiling +28]
[Accuracy of lifelike performance in campus scenes +15]
Absorb it all!
Chen Xun silently recited in his heart.
A wealth of performance experience instantly merged into his body, completely integrating with the talents of the Spider-Man three-in-one character card.
Immediately afterwards, a new prompt popped up on the system panel:
[Project Name: Spider-Man: Homecoming (In Filming)]
[Current project completion rate: 15%]
[Performance Rating: B+]
Director's satisfaction rating: A+
Teamwork: A
[Global Audience Expectations: S— (Not yet released, already breaking the record for pre-release anticipation for a Marvel solo superhero film)]
Overall Rating: A+
Phase Reward Distribution:
[Historical Progress] Realm Progress +1%, Current Progress 25%