Classmates

Before officially directing, Irene had watched her father, Francis, on set and seen how George Lucas directed.

Perhaps their effortless command of the job had given her the wrong idea about what it meant to be a director, as if all she had to do was give instructions and the crew would carry them out perfectly.

But behind that ease lay years of understanding and trust. She still had a long way to go before reaching that level.

Every light, every extra's movement, even the slightest shift of the camera had to be adjusted and checked again and again.

Though she kept patiently reassuring herself that this was a stage every production had to go through, and that everyone made mistakes, the relentless communication and constant corrections left her physically and mentally drained.

Every day brought new challenges, and plans never kept up with changes. Irene's nerves grew tighter and tighter, nearly to the breaking point.

Just as Francis was about to step in, with his daughter on the verge of losing control of the production, the second week of filming brought an unexpected turn for the better.

Perhaps the crew had finally learned Irene's rhythm, or perhaps her directions had become clearer and more effective. The repeated problems with muddled blocking and missing or incorrect props gradually diminished. It was as if the whole crew had suddenly found its rhythm and was getting on track.

The inexperienced actors certainly had plenty of shortcomings: awkward expressions, missed marks, and frequent bouts of laughing or forgetting their lines.

But they had one rare advantage: while their director was still finding her feet, they didn't throw tantrums, walk off the set, or overuse stand-ins.

They adapted together and grew together, and no one was quick to blame anyone else. Since they were all around the same age, a sense of camaraderie quietly took root as they faced challenges side by side.

By the time filming moved to the campus scenes, December had arrived.

Irene's classmates had heard the news early that morning and gathered in a crowd around the edge of the set, hoping to say hello.

But Irene had no time to spare for anything else. George Lucas had suddenly announced that he was coming to visit the set, and she was a bundle of nerves.

"You never get this nervous when I come to visit," Francis said, unable to hide a hint of jealousy.

"That's because I see you every day, Dad." Indeed, even after the production had gotten on track, Francis still showed up on set every single day without fail.

"So someone's starting to find me annoying? You used to chase after me every day, asking me questions about everything."

"I'm not, Dad." Irene sighed helplessly. Whenever Uncle George was involved, it was as if someone flipped a switch and turned her father into a child. He seemed like a different person.

"Quiet on set!" Irene had no desire to keep up the pointless bickering, so she quickly turned her attention back to filming.

The scene showed Elle arriving at Harvard for the first time, and her appearance needed to contrast sharply with the atmosphere around her. Her hairstyle, clothes, and pet dog were part of the look, but an eye-catching sports car would be the crowning touch.

Parked in the scene was the hottest Ferrari F355 on the market, with its low-slung body, blazing red paint, and signature square headlights. The deep growl of its engine made it a showstopper, drawing everyone's attention every second it was there.

Irene had originally planned to rent an ordinary sports car from a dealership. But a young actor in the cast named Edward Nelson had volunteered that he had a new car sitting unused and would lend it to the production for free.

Trying to save wherever she could, Irene had taken Edward up on the offer. She hadn't expected that the "sports car" he mentioned would be one of only twenty in the world—and the hottest model around.

Irene clearly remembered the fiery looks in some people's eyes when Edward drove it onto the set.

Probably another rich kid here to experience ordinary life.

But the Coppola family spending millions to make a film for their daughter had already raised everyone's "envy threshold." A luxury car seemed far less conspicuous by comparison.

Still, the nonchalant way Edward had handed over the keys was enough to make anyone jealous.

"Hey, student in the blue hoodie, you're blocking the camera."

The extras had all been recruited at short notice, and they'd spent an hour just practicing their marks. It wasn't easy to make Elle stand out while still blending naturally into the crowd, creating that subtle mix of contrast and harmony.

They filmed the same blocking several times before Irene finally caught the feeling she was looking for and called cut.

By the end, Reese's lips had turned purple from the cold. She only warmed up after wrapping herself in a blanket. Not everyone could pull off looking beautiful while freezing.

Once they moved indoors to film the classroom scenes, the set finally became much more orderly. Sometimes, paying for extras really was worth it.

During a break while they changed the camera setup, the assistant finally managed to squeeze over to Irene, who had a brief moment to herself, and told her that her classmates wanted to visit.

Irene thought it over and didn't refuse. Still, she was surprised when she saw that nearly the entire class had shown up.

"Hi, Irene! Long time no see! We waited outside for hours before they let us in!" The moment Hannie Charles saw her, she hurried over and took Irene by the arm, speaking so familiarly that it was almost as if she were scolding the assistant for not being more accommodating.

Irene used the pretext of picking up some papers to smoothly pull her arm free, then motioned for the assistant to get back to work.

Hannie seemed not to notice and still tried to draw close, making a show of how intimate they were. Irene gave her no chance, instead inviting her classmates to take seats in the lecture hall. The cameras were still being adjusted, so there was a little time.

"What brings everyone here? I told Vivian there was no need to make a big production of it. It wouldn't be good to miss class."

Before anyone else could answer, Hannie spoke up first. "What could be more informative than seeing it for yourself? Didn't you say you'd show us around the set when you had time? We didn't have class today, so I brought everyone along."

Before filming started, Irene had indeed mentioned to Vivian and Hannie in passing that they could visit. But once she joined the production, she was too busy to think about it. She'd also sent a message explaining the situation, but clearly they hadn't understood—or had chosen not to.

Irene looked at Vivian, her gaze questioning. Vivian only pressed her lips together and glanced in Hannie's direction. That said it all.

She sighed inwardly. Ambition wasn't a flaw; in the entertainment industry, it was practically a necessary skill. But being pushed into something by someone else wasn't pleasant, especially when it came from a friend she thought she got along with.

She waved over the assistant and asked if all the extras were in place. He wasn't new to the job. One glance at those eager faces was all it took for him to understand. He answered at once, "Director, we're still short a few."

Hannie immediately jumped in. "Sir, would we do? We don't need extra pay. We can just help Irene out!"

What could Irene say? She could only wave for the assistant to take them to makeup.

Vivian didn't follow them. She stayed where she was, seeming to want to explain, but stopping herself before she could speak.

"If you don't want to be on camera, stay with me. They're just a few extra bodies. It's fine." Compared with managing the production, her classmates' little schemes were no more than a flock of chirping sparrows—annoying, perhaps, but easy enough to shoo away.

By the time the entire crew was finally in place, two hours had passed. She'd even had a boxed lunch in a fairly good mood before getting back to the afternoon shoot.

"Cut! The male student in the black windbreaker in the upper left corner—your expression is too hostile. Tone it down. You don't have to agree with her, but she's your classmate, not your enemy. Okay?"

"Let's do it again! Watch your expressions, everyone! If you really don't know what to do with your face, just open your eyes wide and stare into space!"

By the time filming wrapped for the day, the sky was already pitch-black. Her classmates left satisfied; one of them had even managed to get Reese's contact information. She'd probably only given it to him out of consideration for the director.

George Lucas had planned to visit the set, too, but the company had urgently called him back to handle editing.

Irene returned to her place and sank into a hot bath, finally bringing her long day to an end.