Making a Friend

In early September, Irene should have been attending classes at USC in Los Angeles, but she found herself in Toronto, Canada, for her second film.

Perhaps out of habit, or perhaps for better tax incentives, their film was being shot in the same location as in her previous life.

Therefore, even with an entirely new production crew, she still felt a sense of familiarity.

In the early morning of Toronto, the air still carried the cool, damp chill of the previous night.

The hallways of Avondale High School were already brightly lit, with artificial "daylight" pouring in from the high windows, making the polished floors gleam.

Irene stood behind the monitor, confirming the lighting and camera angles with the cinematography team once more.

"Irene, we're ready." The voice of the assistant director, Jack Harris, sounded from beside her.

She nodded and walked toward the center of the set.

Reese Witherspoon was currently wearing a plaid shirt and jeans, carrying a large canvas backpack, standing quietly.

Her eyes held a unique quality: a mix of wildness and curiosity brought from the African savanna, tinged with a hint of hesitation and unease.

"Very good, keep that feeling. Cady is entering this place for the first time; everything here is completely different from her previous life. This is a strange civilization. There should be apprehension in your eyes, but not fear. You need interest in the unknown, while also possessing the confidence that you can handle anything." Irene didn't lecture too much; she trusted that Reese could play this role well.

Reese lifted those bright, sparkling eyes, nodded slightly, and a tentative smile—one that belonged to Cady—tugged at the corners of her mouth. "I understand, Director. Like walking into a giant, talking zoo."

Irene smiled. Working with smart actors was a pleasure.

She returned to the monitor, sat in the folding director's chair, and said in a calm, unquestionable voice: "Roll camera."

"Camera A rolling."

"Camera B rolling."

"Clapperboard. Mean Girls, Scene 1, Take 1."

The "click" of the clapperboard was a sharp sound, like a starting pistol.

"Action!"

The camera began to move, pushing steadily into the hallway.

Cady Heron walked in from the backlight, her gait hesitant, her hands constantly twisting the straps of her backpack. Her eyes swept over the groups of girls with exquisite makeup wearing trendy clothes she couldn't understand, and over the boys loudly discussing weekend parties, full of confusion.

She had no lines, but all her emotions were in those eyes; a trace of bewilderment and awkwardness isolated her from this noisy environment.

Irene stared intently at the close-up on the monitor. That was the feeling—youthful greenness and ambition, innocence and sharpness, perfectly fused on Reese's face.

She didn't call cut, and the filming continued until Cady walked into the brand-new classroom.

"CUT!" Only then did Irene say directly, "Print!"

The first shot was finished cleanly and efficiently.

The first scene was done in one take, a good start, which was due to Reese's precise grasp of the character beforehand.

Next were her interactions with new classmates and teachers.

Then came the shot for Lucy Liu. Unlike the heavy makeup and eccentric mannerisms of the original, she was portraying a Janis who was cool and aloof on the outside, but helpful on the inside.

If you can't find the book title, you can try searching for the author; perhaps it just changed its name!

Unlike the chaos of her first shoot, today's tasks were completed very quickly. It was all interior scenes with almost no difficulty, and every potential problem had already been run through in Irene's mind.

Furthermore, everyone displayed a basic level of professional attitude, making the first day of filming very smooth.

As Irene finished packing her things and was about to leave, Lucy Liu happened to walk out of the makeup room as well.

This typical Eastern face made Irene feel patient and favorable toward her instinctively.

She took the initiative to show friendliness. "How do you feel today?"

Lucy Liu maintained the humility of an Easterner: "Very good, Director. Everyone is very nice."

Compared to some other crews, Irene's crew not only had many people of color, but there wasn't much difference in terms of racial treatment either.

Except for Reese Witherspoon, who had a separate makeup room and lounge because she was the lead actress, all other supporting actors, including her, were in the same makeup room, handled by the same makeup team.

Not only that, the crew's food, accommodation, and treatment were all equal; there was no situation where white people stayed in five-star hotels while they stayed in ordinary hostels.

This was very rare in Hollywood.

"If there are any problems that the floor assistant can't help you solve, you can go directly to Vera Cecil. She is my assistant. As long as it's not an overly unreasonable request, she will try her best to satisfy it."

Lucy Liu didn't know how others were treated by the director, but since joining the crew, she seemed to have always been the one being taken care of. "Thank you very much, Director. The treatment here is already the highest level I've encountered in Hollywood."

"Oh? Our crew is at most a low-to-medium budget production, and the treatment we give you can only be called average," Irene said, looking puzzled. "Didn't you participate in Charlie's Angels? That kind of commercial blockbuster is much more high-end than us."

Although she didn't know the specific production cost of Charlie's Angels, the three lead actresses were all hot stars in Hollywood, and the film contained many car chases, explosions, and elaborately designed fight scenes, plus it traveled all over the world for location shooting. It didn't take much to know the cost wasn't low.

She would film that kind of movie in the future, but for now, she had to film this one well.

"If I said that the set of Charlie's Angels was far less comfortable than yours, would you believe me?" Mentioning Charlie's Angels, Lucy Liu's expression wasn't as sunny as she had imagined.

"If you say so, I don't quite understand. Did the producers treat you badly? But aren't you one of the leads?"

"There are hierarchies even among lead actresses. And believe it or not, for a commercial film with such a large investment, no one cares about the character's logic or psychological state. It's not even as good as a small supporting role in a teen movie." Lucy Liu's tone was full of disappointment and helplessness regarding Charlie's Angels.

Hearing this, Irene understood. It was nothing more than the usual racial discrimination; it was indeed too common in Hollywood. She gently patted the other woman on the shoulder and comforted her: "At least the paycheck is high, isn't it? You have to let everyone know you and recognize you first before you have the qualifications to choose roles."

"You're the same as my agent. I have to stand up there first before I can see more roles that I like."

"This is it."

"I've said so much, yet I haven't officially thanked you as the director. Thank you for choosing me to play Janis Huang." Lucy Liu stopped in her tracks, looking into Irene's eyes with a sincere tone.

Irene smiled easily, "Instead of thanking me, you should thank yourself. It was your hard work that made me notice you, and that is why I chose you."

"Do you have any plans tonight, Director? Let me take you out to dinner."

"Sure. I'm quite interested in your experiences while filming Charlie's Angels. You know, a director who doesn't want to make a blockbuster isn't a good director, so you can tell me more about it."

"Of course I can, Director."

"There's no need to keep calling me Director. Just call me Irene. I think we're friends now, aren't we?"