Bridge Journal

Irene's hand, which had been cutting her steak, paused for a brief moment before she continued sliding the knife as if nothing had happened.

"How come I haven't seen this novel in any bookstores?" In truth, Irene had also considered this film; the plot was simple, the story heartwarming, and most importantly, the box office potential was high, fitting her criteria for film selection perfectly.

She hadn't seen the original work at the bookstore back then, and had almost written the screenplay herself, but ultimately chose the lower-budget Legally Blonde and Mean Girls as her starting point.

"They say it hasn't been published yet, but the author is a close friend of director Marshall, so he saw the plot in advance and decided to adapt the story. The novel and the movie will be released simultaneously."

Looking at it now, she should be glad she hadn't acted rashly, or she might have been branded with the charge of plagiarism, even though Hollywood directors rarely cared about such things.

But was there a role in The Princess Diaries suitable for Julia Roberts? Should she, at her age, make a cameo as the protagonist's mother? A single mother? That would certainly be a breakthrough, Irene thought irresponsibly.

"So, who was chosen for the role?"

"I heard they're still holding open auditions. No one knows who will hit the jackpot." Jessica's tone was filled with longing.

One was a well-known lead, the other an obscure supporting character; everyone knew the gap between them.

But she wasn't a fool; showing a little envy at a time like this was enough. It was impossible to abandon her existing role to chase after some ethereal future.

"You are all still young; you will become protagonists in films in the future as well."

She wasn't just making empty promises. Among those present, aside from Edward Nelson whom she had discovered herself, every other person was destined to be a big-name star in Hollywood's future.

Even for Edward, as long as he could keep treating Britney well, even if no other director took a liking to his acting, there would always be a spot for him here.

The meal ended amidst everyone's gossip.

After returning to the hotel and washing up, Irene took out the notebook she carried with her and crossed out the line for The Princess Diaries.

This incident served as a reminder: she needed to be more cautious when selecting films in the future. Relying solely on checking bookstores for original works was too prone to errors.

She hadn't had the money before, but now that she did, she could absolutely hire a team to conduct more in-depth research for her.

The internet was currently in a period of rapid development, and the group known as "internet water armies" was still a blue ocean. She could absolutely occupy this space early to secure benefits for her films.

But where should she find the people?

The evening breeze blew into the room from outside the window. Irene sat on the recliner, completely relaxed, her eyes drifting aimlessly around the room until they suddenly stopped at the desk.

Looking closely, it was a stack of obscure entertainment newspapers.

"Entertainment newspapers?!" Irene stood up and took the papers in her hand. They were filled with common Hollywood news, and one paper in particular, titled Bridge Journal, read: Hollywood in October 1999 is at the intersection of a new and old era.

On one hand, traditional dramas like American Beauty are being pushed onto pedestals; on the other, provocative and subversive films like Fight Club are challenging the bottom line of mainstream audiences.

At the same time, the television industry is about to see the rise of cable networks, while the entire industry moves forward amidst the excitement and anxiety of technological change and the turn of the millennium.

The name of this publication didn't look like a tabloid, and such forward-looking commentary was hard to find in nameless rags. Perhaps acquiring a newspaper could be the beginning of her water army enterprise.

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After all, having ready-made staff, facilities, and a sensitivity to Hollywood made it a decent choice.

She recorded the name of the newspaper and then handed it to Vera, instructing her to collect all content published by Bridge Journal in recent years and investigate its background to see if there was a possibility of acquisition.

The next evening, the atmosphere on set was somewhat tense. They were about to film one of the most dramatic scenes in the entire movie: Regina encountering Cady, who had just been invited by Aaron, in the hallway, and using her signature "plastic smile" and carefully woven lies to try and ruin Cady's joy.

"All departments, prepare. We are shooting Scene 137, Regina's 'friendly warning'," Irene announced through the walkie-talkie, her voice very steady.

The set was the familiar hallway. Rachel, who played Regina, had already entered character, a sweet smile hanging on her lips, though her eyes were icy as they swept over Cady.

"Action!"

Regina affectionately stepped forward and linked her arm with Cady's: "Hey! I just saw you talking to Aaron? Did he ask you to the Halloween party?"

A blush rose on Cady's face, and she nodded with a hint of shy joy: "Yeah, he said all his friends would be there..."

"Oh, honey." Regina immediately interrupted her with a tone full of "sympathy," as if revealing an unspeakable secret: "Listen, as your best friend, I feel I have to tell you... Aaron invites every girl to that party. I mean, every girl. Even Susie, who takes out the trash in the cafeteria, got an invite last week. It's really nothing special."

The close-up shot was locked firmly on Cady's face. The light in her eyes dimmed rapidly. The joy that had just sprouted was replaced by embarrassment, disappointment, and a flicker of anger at being teased.

"Cut!"

Irene stood up from behind the monitor. She didn't comment on the performance immediately, but instead walked quickly between the two actors.

"Reese, the layers of your emotional transition are good, but the shift from joy to disappointment is too fast; there's a lack of suspicion in the middle," Irene meticulously analyzed for her. "In that moment, you should first be in disbelief of Regina's words; you would subconsciously look in the direction Aaron left, trying to find confirmation. Only then should the collapse of trust and the influx of self-doubt follow. Let's do another take, add some of your own thinking in the middle."

Then, she turned to Rachel: "Rachel, your layering is also good, but for that last line, 'It's really nothing special,' the tone could be a bit more flippant, with a touch of casual cruelty, as if you're talking about something trivial. That's how you'll sting Cady more. Understand?"

"Understood, Director!"

"Action!"

Afterward, everyone's performance was indeed richer. After hearing Regina's words, Cady's instinctive look toward the distance perfectly expressed her inner struggle and suspicion.

Regina's subtle, condescending mockery was also spot on, especially when she delivered the improvised silent line—"The game has begun"—which caused a satisfied curve to form on Irene's lips behind the monitor.

"Cut! Very good!" Irene's voice carried a hint of excitement. "I announce that today's filming is over! Thank you, everyone!"

With this, taking 54 days and finishing before the arrival of winter, the school scenes and all exterior shots were completed. Tomorrow, they would move to the final location—the villa—to film the scenes for Halloween day.

"Tomorrow we are shooting night scenes. Everyone can rest a little from tonight until tomorrow daytime. Stylists, please work hard today and confirm the costumes with the actors before leaving so there are no mistakes."

Before wrapping up, Irene gave the final task of the day.

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