Hollywood: The Greatest Showman - Chapter 255: Universal Studios

Chapter 255: Universal Studios

Located in the northern part of Los Angeles, Universal Studios is world-renowned, attracting visitors year-round without any noticeable difference between peak and off-peak seasons. This is not only because it’s a theme park similar to Disneyland, but also because it remains one of Hollywood’s most important film studios.

Currently, the most extensive and centralized film studios in Hollywood are in Burbank, where major production companies like Disney and Warner Bros. have their own specialized studio areas. Besides these, Universal Studios stands out.

There are over forty sound stages here, along with a series of outdoor shooting locations that include modern city streets, Western-style townships, and rugged mountainous areas, accommodating various filming requirements. Productions such as “Desperate Housewives,” “War of the Worlds,” and “Jaws” have all been filmed here. Every day, crews are busy working, and if you’re lucky, running into top celebrities is a common occurrence.

Movie enthusiasts flock to Universal Studios, breaking through the barriers of reality to explore the world of cinema. Especially when the scenes on the screen come to life right before their eyes, the blend of reality and fantasy is enough to excite anyone.

“Good morning,” Nathan Priest greeted skillfully, taking the daily paper pass from the security guard and placing it behind the windshield before driving into Universal Studios.

Nathan slowed down, adhering to the rules of Universal Studios. For the safety of visitors, vehicles entering the studio must limit their speed. The engine’s roar quickly quieted down, replaced by the sound of bustling crowds. On the adjacent road, a tour tram filled with passengers passed by slowly, accompanied by a burst of excited shouting.

“Oh my God! Oh my God! That’s Simon Baker!”

One voice triggered a chain reaction, leading to a series of uncontrollable shouts. The girlish screams pierced the morning sky, making the early morning sun feel even hotter as the surroundings buzzed with life.

Nathan couldn’t help but look in the direction of the voices. Although it was their eighth consecutive day at Universal Studios, honestly, Nathan hadn’t yet had the chance to see other crews at work, nor had he spotted any of the actors said to be everywhere. Now hearing the commotion, he was naturally curious.

Unfortunately, due to a few large trees obstructing the view, he didn’t see Simon. Simon starred in the TV series “The Mentalist,” which premiered two years ago and became a breakout hit of the year. After two seasons, its popularity remained high. However, it was unclear whether the “The Mentalist” crew permanently filmed at Universal Studios or was only there for location shots today.

Though he didn’t catch a glimpse of Simon, Nathan became more excited. It seemed Universal Studios indeed had other crews filming there; more importantly, today, Renly was also about to begin shooting his first scene since joining the crew. This was Nathan’s first time observing Renly’s acting, and he was eager to see it.

Seven days ago, Renly officially joined the “Fast Five” crew. Officially, Renly was the third lead, but it’s worth noting that the crew hadn’t altered the script to give Renly more screen time; he was only given the third lead spot in the promotional materials.

If it were Tom Cruise, even as the third lead, the script would have been revised to give him more screen time. Even if Tom didn’t request it, the crew would want to maximize his star power. But Renly wasn’t Tom.

So, during the first week, Renly had no filming tasks.

He joined the crew early for a simple reason: Renly was the last to be cast and was far behind the rest of the cast in terms of progress. He needed to start from scratch and catch up quickly.

First, Renly had to finalize his look, including costumes, makeup, and overall style. The design needed to stand out yet reflect Renly’s unique character, even though this wasn’t a film like “Alice in Wonderland” where costumes play a significant role. Still, the styling was essential for character development.

Next, Renly needed to quickly get accustomed to various props, including firearms, sports cars, and most importantly, stunts. The “Fast Five” crew had previously halted production, but Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, and the other main actors had already completed their data collection. Now, it was Renly’s turn.

Of course, there was also the work of Renly as an actor. He needed to adjust to the pacing of an action movie shoot and the different style of a big-budget film.

Previously, in “Buried” and “Like Crazy,” the filming followed the chronological order of the storyline, with the directors having a clear grasp of the script’s framework and direction, which allowed the actors to follow a discernible rhythm. But commercial films were different.

The shooting method of “Fast Five” was more like “The Pacific.”

The entire crew was divided into two or three, or even more, teams, each led by an assistant director. Different teams worked on different scenes, sometimes at completely different locations, sometimes right next to each other. Some scenes required actors, while others didn’t. The same actor might spend a whole week shooting at one location or might need to switch between three different sets in a single day.

However, “The Pacific” had a large ensemble cast, so it still followed the story or character line in filming, while “Fast Five” was organized by set usage, making the acting more fragmented and difficult to maintain continuity.

This kind of filming led to two typical styles of performance in commercial films: either a lack of acting skills, like a pretty face with no depth, or a repetitive, one-note performance. Although it’s true that commercial films have different demands for acting, as the audience goes to theaters for excitement, not necessarily for great performances, this approach can easily turn actors into formulaic products, reducing them to mere commodities.

Jennifer Lawrence’s nuanced and compelling performance in the “Hunger Games” series was subtle but enough to leave a lasting impression, which is commendable.

For Renly, the acting itself wasn’t the challenge. Delivering the right performance at the right time is the essence of representational acting, something he could do effortlessly. However, unlike in stage performances, where actors have ample time to prepare, commercial film shoots don’t give actors much time to build emotions. So, Renly needed to adapt to the different shooting pace, observing and participating on set—a valuable learning experience.

From “The Pacific” to “Buried” to “Like Crazy,” Renly had been continuously exploring different methods and depths of acting. This time, he decided to let go of his burdens and enjoy the fun of acting, or more accurately, the fun of filmmaking—turning his fantasies into reality and experiencing adventures he could never have in real life.

The first week passed in a fulfilling way for Renly, and today, he would have his first shoot. For Nathan, this was an entirely new experience.

“Does Universal Studios really open this early?” Renly’s lazy voice, tinged with a slight nasal tone, came from the passenger seat.

This snapped Nathan back to reality. It was only 8:15 AM, and indeed quite early. Renly clearly hadn’t gotten enough sleep, as he had been sleeping on the way over, and it seemed the tourists’ commotion had woken him up.

“Yes, the opening time varies daily, but today it’s 8:00 AM.” To ensure everything went smoothly, Nathan had done a lot of preparation, including gathering seemingly trivial information, such as the opening and closing times of Universal Studios.

Renly pursed his lips to show he understood, but couldn’t suppress a yawn. The crew had scheduled the first scene for 8:30 AM today. It wasn’t Renly’s scene, but to get into the groove, he had arrived on time with everyone else.

He rubbed his eyes, slowly becoming more alert.

In fact, Renly had never toured Universal Studios. Having completed three films already, his curiosity about film sets had diminished, and so had the attraction of Universal Studios. However, hearing the tourists’ excited shouts, he could still relate to their enthusiasm.

Even as an actor, deep down, he was still a dedicated movie fan, a passionate film enthusiast.

The tour tram’s noise gradually faded into the distance, while Nathan turned the wheel, heading straight for the sound stages.

Most of the scenes in “Fast Five” took place in Rio de Janeiro because the movie begins with a prison break, after which Dominic and Brian become fugitives and have to escape to Rio. However, the crew planned to film all the exterior scenes on location, while the interior scenes without iconic landmarks would be shot in Los Angeles.

Compared to Rio, Los Angeles had more advanced equipment and a more professional crew, making the work smoother and more cost-effective. More importantly, the complex interplay between government and gang forces in Rio made filming there risky without the right connections. Even Universal Pictures couldn’t avoid this.

So far, the crew still hadn’t secured the necessary filming permits in Rio, for exactly this reason.

The car gradually slowed down as the sound stages came into view, but Nathan looked in surprise at the parking lot outside the sound stages, then turned to Renly with a puzzled expression.

The parking lot was completely empty—not a single car in sight.