Booting Up

"Have you heard? Irene Coppola took a leave of absence recently to film a movie! And she's even going to be shooting on our campus!"

"She's a freshman and she's already filming a short? That's way too intense..."

"What short? She's filming a commercial movie with an investment of tens of millions!"

As soon as the words "tens of millions in investment" were uttered, a buzz of discussion erupted throughout the classroom. It hadn't even been two months since the semester started, yet a classmate was already directing a multi-million dollar film; such a gap was hard to process. For a moment, all sorts of sour remarks rose one after another.

"Isn't director Coppola spoiling his daughter too much? Irene hasn't even directed a short film, and she's jumping straight to a feature? Can she even handle it..."

"Maybe it's actually Coppola directing it, and he's just using his daughter's name to build hype."

"God, having a famous director as a father is just too awesome!"

"Throwing tens of millions at his daughter to 'practice' on—the Coppola family is truly generous..."

Irene lived off-campus and wasn't particularly close to her classmates, with only Hannie Charles and Vivian Taylor talking to her more often. Consequently, everyone swarmed around them, trying to dig for more information.

"Did Irene mention what kind of movie she was making before she left?"

"Does her crew need people? Can we go intern?"

"Is she really the director? She isn't just going there to do grunt work, right?"

"Irene is the director, the lead director of a commercial film!" Vivian Taylor couldn't help but stand up for her friend.

"Vivian, what kind of movie is it, anyway?"

"I'm not entirely sure... I heard her mention a few things while she was on the phone, but we'll know the specifics once it's released."

"Did she invite you guys to visit the set?"

"Of course!" Hannie Charles said with particular ease, as if she had already made plans with Irene. "Irene said we can go anytime once filming starts. If we want to intern, she'll definitely save us a spot."

Vivian quietly tugged at the hem of Hannie's skirt; Irene hadn't explicitly promised them any internship opportunities.

But Hannie completely ignored her hint and continued on her own: "If you guys want to go, just let me know in advance!"

"Awesome! You have to tell me before you go; I want to see it too!"

"Me too! I want to go as well!"

Irene had no idea her classmates were discussing her so heatedly, but even if she did, she wouldn't take it to heart. At this moment, she was focused entirely on the auditions.

Sometimes, there is a reason why an actor isn't famous. Watching the flailing, over-the-top actress in front of her, Irene kept a blank expression, though she was already complaining internally.

"Alright, thank you for your performance. We will notify you of the results as soon as possible. Next, please." Jack Harris interrupted the exaggerated performance at just the right moment.

Irene had been hesitant about whether to choose Reese Witherspoon, but now it seemed there was no one more suitable.

After all the actresses had finished auditioning, Irene didn't hesitate any longer and said directly to Shelly, "Let's go with Reese. She's okay with dyeing her hair blonde, right?" Many actresses in Hollywood seemed reluctant to dye their hair.

No one had any objections. Reese's performance was clearly superior to the others, and they weren't actually making a trashy film, so of course, they had to choose someone with reliable acting skills. Even if Reese's salary was slightly higher, it was still within a controllable range.

"I will go and finalize it with her," Shelly promised.

They grabbed a quick lunch, and in the afternoon, they began the selection for the male lead.

Compared to the female lead, for whom she already had a clear image in her mind, Irene hadn't remembered the face of the original male lead even after watching it three times. This time, she absolutely could not repeat that mistake; she had to pick someone handsome.

After auditioning several male actors in a row, she finally saw a familiar name: Ryan Gosling.

But honestly, she had never really "gotten" his looks, even during his peak popularity.

In the end, they chose a newcomer recommended by Jack, James Franco—the future "Green Goblin"—to play the female lead's ex-boyfriend.

Ryan Gosling was also kept on, landing a minor role.

Because most of these young actors had little experience, their salaries were kept very low, staying well within the budget.

After two or three more meetings, all the location rentals and set design plans were confirmed one by one.

Irene adjusted the script based on the actual situation and instructed the stage manager and assistants to draw up a daily shooting schedule, clarifying details like required camera angles, actor emotions, and background changes. Everything was laid out clearly to avoid the final product looking like the work of an amateur crew.

These trivial matters made her grateful countless times over: from the assistant director to the stage manager and the cinematographer, they were all "Coppola's own people." She didn't need to spend extra time communicating; she just had to give orders. Otherwise, if anyone didn't cooperate, it would have invisibly increased the communication costs significantly.

Despite the crew being united, the pre-production still exhausted all of Irene's energy, leaving her no time for classes. Due to her lack of experience, some minor mistakes were inevitable, which delayed quite a bit of time.

The originally scheduled mid-November start date was pushed back again and again. Although no one blamed her, the pressure in her heart grew day by day.

Francis watched his daughter become increasingly quiet, but he didn't rashly intervene; this was the path every Hollywood director had to walk. She already had it much easier than others due to her family advantage; he couldn't hold her hand forever.

Even the longest preparation eventually comes to an end. On November 28th, the day before Irene turned 17, Legally Blonde officially began filming.

For the first scene of the first day, she chose a relatively simple plot: the female lead, Elle Woods, having a heart-to-heart with the supporting character Vivian in the dorm. The scene was enclosed and the cast was small, making it easier for her, a rookie director, to manage.

"Cut!"

Irene's voice was clear but not sharp, yet in the slightly noisy set, it was like hitting a mute button—everyone's movements paused. It hadn't even been ten minutes since they started, and this was already the third time she had called cut.

Irene stood up from behind the monitor and walked to the center of the dorm set in a few steps. The lighting technician and camera assistant instinctively cleared a path for her.

She frowned slightly, her gaze sweeping across the entire scene: the single bed with pink sheets, the desk piled high with fashion magazines and law books, the clothes hanging in abundance on the rack...

Reese Witherspoon and the other actress looked at her with some trepidation, not knowing if the problem was with their performance or something else.

Irene didn't speak immediately; she just looked around in silence. That focused aura made the already relaxed set tighten up in an instant.

Assistant director Jack Harris wanted to step forward to ask, but seeing Irene's expression, he chose to remain silent for the time being.

Suddenly, Irene's gaze locked onto a corner of the desk. She reached out a finger and tapped the open, brick-thick Contract Law textbook.

"Props department," her voice was steady yet unquestionable, "this textbook is too new. It's so new it looks like it was just brought back from the bookstore. Elle is a law student; she needs to pull all-nighters to grind through her studies. There should be notes in the book, signs of wear from flipping through it, and even... right here," she traced a line in the air along the edge of the pages, "there should be a coffee stain or some dog-eared corners. I need to see proof of her hard work, not a prop."

The head of the props department froze for a moment before immediately reacting, "Understood, Director! We'll handle it right away!" He hurriedly waved for his assistant to fetch tools for distressing the book.

Irene's gaze shifted away, landing on Reese. "Reese," her tone softened slightly, "in the blocking just now, you walked from the door to the desk—what was your motivation?"

Reese thought for a moment, "I wanted to put down my bag and then talk to Vivian."

"The motivation isn't strong enough." Irene shook her head and demonstrated it herself with crisp, clean movements. "You don't just 'want' to put down your bag; you 'must' put down this heavy burden immediately because you just returned from an exhausting seminar. Your shoulders are sore, your pace is hurried, and the moment you drop the bag, there's even a sense of relief. Only then do you see Vivian, and your rhythm slows down, switching from the academic world back to a social state. Do you understand the layers in that?"

Reese's eyes lit up, and she nodded immediately, "I understand, Director! It's exhaustion and urgency, followed by the switch."

"Very good. Let's do it again." After saying this, Irene turned to the lighting crew, "Paul, make the side light by the door a bit softer. The current angle casts too harsh a shadow on her face. I want her to look tired, not haggard; she is still the radiant Elle Woods."

"Copy that, Director, adjusting now!" the gaffer responded immediately.

"Script supervisor, pay attention to continuity and the connection to the previous shot."

"Makeup artist, keep an eye on the touch-up for Reese's forehead; it was reflecting a bit of light just now."

Her speaking speed was not fast, but her instructions were delivered one after another, clearly and precisely to every relevant department.

The entire film crew functioned like a precision instrument, operating efficiently once again under the command of this suddenly incredibly skilled "operator."

No one harbored doubts because of her youth anymore. At this moment, she stood there with a piercing gaze, and her exacting demands for every detail and precise grasp of character psychology made it clear to everyone that the person in control of the set was Director Irene Coppola.

Jack Harris stood to the side, a subtle, imperceptible smile appearing on his face.

Many of the assists and reminders he had originally prepared seemed to be of no use now.

This youngest daughter of the Coppola family was clearly much better prepared than her father had imagined, or even than she herself had thought.

"Alright, all departments, positions!" Irene returned behind the monitor, her voice returning to a calm state. "We start from Elle entering the door. Action!"

This time, the world inside the lens seemed to truly come alive. The distressed law book, the subtle exhaustion on Reese's face followed by her vivid change in expression, the light perfectly outlining her—everything felt natural and seamless.

Irene stared intently at the monitor until the take concluded perfectly, and only then did she finally reveal the first smile since the start of filming.

"Good! Nice job everyone! Prepare for the next scene!"

The atmosphere on set relaxed instantly, accompanied by a slight, relieved sigh, followed by the sounds of people engaging in their work with even greater enthusiasm.

They knew this young director was not someone to be trifled with. But working with a director who clearly knew what she wanted was, in fact, quite satisfying.

Reese was somewhat surprised. This director looked even younger than she was, yet her grasp of detail was quite spot-on. This crew didn't seem as unprofessional as she had initially feared.

If you like this book, please remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time.