novellhall Chapter 52 Go for it, my warrior!
Chapter 52 Go for it, my warrior!
The agency contract with Rob was signed very quickly.
The two met in the small office that Rob rented, signed the documents, and shook hands.
Rob's smile was more genuine than usual, and his favorability rating remained firmly at [70].
"Welcome to the team, Chen."
Rob carefully put away his contract: "Now let's talk about your first big test: Thor!"
He handed Chen Xun a few pages of paper: "These are audition clips that the casting department just sent over."
"That's just how Marvel is; they treat spoilers like thieves!"
Rob's rant!
"But this should be enough for you to ponder!"
"The key is Fandral's agility, loyalty, and a touch of Asgardian arrogance and humor."
"Branner likes actors to have a touch of drama, but not too much of an over-the-top feel. After all, this is Marvel, not a real Shakespearean stage!"
Chen Xun took it and quickly browsed through it.
One segment features a conversation between Vandal and two other warriors during practice, with a touch of banter between brothers.
Another passage is his monologue, showcasing his swordsmanship and determination when facing intruders.
There is also a brief exchange with Ms. Sif, in which a subtle appreciation needs to be expressed.
There aren't many lines, but there's a lot of information!
He needs to bring to life a warrior who has lived for thousands of years in a fictional divine world, and make the audience believe it.
Tremendous stress!
For the next two days, Chen Xun almost went into seclusion.
His large house in Beverly Hills became his private rehearsal room.
He moved the furniture aside to make room and practiced his posture and sword-wielding movements in the reflection of the French windows.
Unable to find a suitable prop, Chen Xun used a long-handled umbrella that he had temporarily found.
"Relax your shoulders, engage your wrists, and imagine you're not wielding an umbrella, but a longsword imbued with the power of the Asgardian gods..."
He gestured and muttered to himself, feeling like a person with severe chuunibyou (middle school syndrome).
When Christine returned and saw this scene, she almost burst out laughing:
"Hey, Umbrella Man of Asgard, need me to call Heimdall to open the Bifrost for you?"
Chen Xun rolled his eyes at her, annoyed: "Don't disturb my cultivation!"
Tucao returns to Tucao.
Christine did provide substantial help.
She knew a seasoned drama coach who had worked on several historical epic films and was responsible for training actors' demeanor and lines.
One phone call was all it took to bring them to my home.
My mentor was a British woman in her fifties with a serious demeanor, named Isabella.
When she saw Chen Xun, she didn't waste any words and directly asked him to act out the audition scene.
Chen Xun gritted his teeth and finished acting out those scenes with an umbrella in hand.
Isabella finished reading with her arms crossed, her brows slightly furrowed.
"stop!"
"Fandar is an Asgardian, so his manners should be more graceful and elegant, with an innate sense of superiority and an almost instinctive fighting spirit."
"This isn't pretense; it's something ingrained in our bones!"
She hit the nail on the head.
The [Power Generation] and [Control] techniques that Chen Xun absorbed before were more based on human biomechanics, while the warriors of the Divine Realm need a style that transcends the laws of physics.
"Come on, look at me!"
Isabella demonstrated a simple turn and sword-holding stance.
Her movements were fluid and graceful, carrying a sense of power, as if the surrounding space subtly changed with her movements.
Just as she was demonstrating, a purple attribute orb fell to the ground.
[Physical Attributes - Elegance and Power +5]
Chen Xun's eyes lit up, and he immediately absorbed it.
An insight into how to coordinate core strength with extremities to project an air of composure flooded my mind.
He tried to imitate Isabella's movements.
This time it felt noticeably different!
His body seemed to automatically adjust its center of gravity and the way it exerted force. The umbrella in his hand was no longer a comical prop, but rather looked like a real weapon.
A hint of surprise flashed in Isabella's eyes:
"Oh? Not bad, you've already gotten the hang of it so quickly? Looks like you're a quick learner!"
She then offered a few more pointers on the rhythm of the dialogue and the use of breathing. While she was explaining in focus, another blue attribute orb fell to the ground.
[Dialogue Attributes - Classical Rhythm +3]
Chen Xun listened intently, absorbing the information rapidly.
After two hours of instruction from Isabella, Chen Xun felt as if he had attended a high-intensity training camp and gained a great deal.
After seeing his teacher off, he didn't rest and continued practicing in front of the mirror to consolidate the attributes and insights he had just absorbed.
Christine, holding a cup of coffee, leaned against the doorframe watching him practice, occasionally interjecting with a comment:
"Relax your expression. Fandral is going to fight, not to attend a royal banquet."
"Hey, when you talk to Sif, you can look at her with more appreciation, but don't be too obvious. Asgardian gentlemen don't do that kind of lewd stuff."
Having worked on film sets for so many years, she has a keen eye and can always offer very practical advice.
When Chen Xun practiced that monologue in front of the invaders, he couldn't find that firm feeling of fighting for his homeland; it felt a bit weak.
Christine looked at it several times, put down her coffee cup, walked over and stood in front of him, staring into his eyes:
"Imagine someone breaking in right now, trying to destroy this place, trying to hurt me, what would you do?"
Chen Xun was taken aback.
Looking into her earnest gray-green eyes, I instantly pictured that scene in my mind, and a surge of protectiveness and anger instinctively welled up inside me.
"That's the look in your eyes right now!"
Christine pointed at his face: "Remember this feeling!"
Chen Xun suddenly realized and recited the monologue again.
This time, his voice carried an undeniable determination and strength.
A blue attribute orb [Emotional Attribute - Sense of Belief +3] is generated from him and quickly absorbed by him.
"pretty!"
Christine clapped: "Looks like I did a pretty good job as the temporary director."
In addition to professional guidance, Chen Xun also put in a lot of hard work.
He repeatedly watched clips from epic films with classical or fantasy elements, observing how the actors portrayed non-human characters and studying their body language and dialogue delivery.
He also pulled Christine along to practice her lines and had her randomly role-play other characters to train her improvisational skills.
With intensive and targeted preparation, Chen Xun's progress was clearly visible.
His understanding of the character of Fandral deepened, no longer remaining merely a few adjectives on paper.
He could feel the unique aura of an Asgardian warrior slowly forming in his every move.
In the attribute panel, although the base level remained unchanged, the purple and blue rare attributes he had absorbed were being digested and becoming part of his performance ability.
The night before the audition, Chen Xun finished his final practice session, his T-shirt soaked with sweat.
He looked at himself in the mirror, his eyes sharp and his posture upright, and took a deep breath.
The intensive training exercise has ended.
Whether we can secure a ticket to the Celestial Palace depends on our performance tomorrow.
Christine walked over and handed him a bottle of water: "Ready?"
Chen Xun unscrewed the bottle cap, took a big gulp, wiped his mouth, and said, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate."
"Not bad, very Asgardian mindset!"
Christine smiled and patted his arm: "Good luck tomorrow, my warrior."