King of Hollywood-Chapter 284 - 11 Setting Sail
Chapter 284: Chapter 11 Setting Sail
Chapter 284 -11 Setting Sail
“No, no, no, that won’t do, JoBeth, this is simply Soviet Union-style Great Hall, not Chinese style,” Adrian shook his head as he looked at the large cleared-out set within the studio, where three long red flags with five stars hung from the walls, while on another wall hung a giant portrait of Chairman Mao.
“I provided you with ample material, why did it turn out like this?” he questioned his prop master, “Don’t tell me you didn’t even look at that material closely.”
“How could that be,” JoBeth said with a touch of grievance, “I carefully analyzed those materials. If we arrange the setting according to them, it would make Forrest Gump’s extraordinary performance look somewhat ridiculous, and you thought so too.”
“You thought so too?” Adrian looked perplexed, “Did I really think that?”
“Of course, right at the bottom of the third page of the memo, you wrote it yourself.” No sooner had JoBeth finished speaking than Charlize, standing behind Adrian, had already handed over the document to him.
After flipping to the third page and seeing that it was indeed written there, Adrian remembered carefully and said nothing as he handed it back to Charlize, then nodded to JoBeth: “Then so be it.”
The reasons JoBeth wrote on the memo were quite sufficient, with explanations ranging from color schemes to potential camera angles. Adrian had conducted a detailed analysis based on this before the start of shooting, and at that time, he hadn’t thought too much about it. But it didn’t really matter, as the segment would be cut out for the release in China anyway, so there was no need to be overly concerned.
What followed was the official shooting, but Hanks and the Chinese-American extras had to swing the paddle at the air; in reality, the ping pong ball’s trajectory would never be as fierce as imagined, so the trajectory could only be added in post-production. In fact, all the super ping pong played by Forrest Gump in the entire film was like this.
But this didn’t mean Hanks could just wave the racket around wildly while shooting. The team had specially brought in a coach to design some movements based on the ping pong’s trajectory. It couldn’t be said to be entirely accurate, but at least it looked the part.
In addition to this, the other post-production work needed was for the major events Forrest Gump participated in, such as the riots caused by the Alabama desegregation, Kennedy meeting the All-America College Stars team, or Nixon presenting medals to the Vietnam War heroes. Hanks had to stand in front of a green or blue screen and shake hands and converse with thin air, as if those historical figures were standing right in front of him.
“Every time you shout ‘Action,’ I have to imagine many people standing around me, trying hard to look like I’m talking to them, which really isn’t easy,” Hanks said during a break when talking about this part of the shooting.
“Come off it, Tommy, if that counts as difficult, then Harrison or Sam must have already collapsed,” Adrian retorted, saying that compared to performing completely based on imagination in front of a blue screen, imagining scenes within constrained sets—like ‘Star Wars’ or ‘Jurassic Park’—was definitely more troublesome.
This sequence took about three days, then the crew moved to San Jose to shoot Forrest Gump’s shrimping scenes. This was an important part of the script, as Lieutenant Dan found his purpose because of Forrest, whether it was Lieutenant Dan’s “I never thanked you for saving my life” or Forrest’s “I think he made his peace with God,” these lines and scenes all came across as classic and deeply meaningful.
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Adrian had initially planned to shoot this part in Alabama, but the conditions there were not as good as Los Angeles. California was also a coastal area, and with a little editing in shot selection and post-production, the audience would be unable to tell the difference.
This was another story about the American Dream; Forrest, initially catching nothing, gained a rich reward persevering through the storm. Of course, the film aimed to depict more than just that, including the friendship between Lieutenant Dan and Forrest, and the transformation under the influence of this man who seemed so simple and foolish. But it was here that Lieutenant Dan really stole the spotlight, especially in the shot where he climbed to the mast and shouted defiantly during the storm.
“At that moment, he thought he was going to die, finally freed, no longer living like a zombie. But unexpectedly, not only did he and Forrest make it through, but they also made a fortune from shrimping. Lieutenant Dan finally understood that a person’s worth does not disappear due to setbacks, what matters is that you haven’t gone looking for it. But he also knew that Forrest didn’t care about these things at heart; his only wish was to help a friend to the best of his abilities, so he stopped short of speaking in the end.” Adrian was explaining this to Gary Sinise and Tom Hanks on a shabby fishing boat the crew had purchased.
Meanwhile, the crew members were busy around the set, setting up necessary equipment, such as the large spotlights towering on both sides. It was now the afternoon, and the sea sparkled brightly in the sun, a scene full of beauty, but the film needed to capture the environment just after a storm, so intense light was needed to create a dim atmosphere in the camera, and then add in the receding storm clouds in post-production.
“Alright, guys, let’s get started,” Adrian clapped his hands to signal the beginning of the shoot after Sinise and Hanks were done with makeup and everyone was in place. The scenes here were short, and as long as the actors’ emotions were on point, everything would proceed smoothly. Of course, the storm scenes would not be shot here; such effects could only be produced within a studio set.
“Well done, everyone.” With every shot going smoothly, Adrian announced a ten-minute break, and everyone grabbed their pre-prepared chilled beers and found a spot to sit and drink on the boat.
“What could be more comfortable than sitting on a boat floating in the ocean, drinking chilled beer on such a clear afternoon?” Sinise suddenly remarked.
“Of course there is,” someone immediately retorted, “That would be, on such a clear afternoon, walking around the boat in the ocean, drinking chilled beer!”
Laughter erupted from the crowd, and Sinise loudly protested, “Hey, how can you guys make fun of the disabled? Even if he’s just a character in a movie!”
The laughter grew louder, and he could only shake his head and continue sipping his chilled beer. Adrian, leaning against the rail, couldn’t help but laugh as well, shaking his head and then gazing at the calm sea. Of course, there were more comfortable things than the current situation, like drifting on the calm ocean with a beautiful woman, fully enjoying the May sea breeze.
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“Forty degrees to the left, Kate,” Adrian said, and Blanchett immediately began turning the steering wheel in front of her.
“How’s that?” she called out loudly after two turns.
“Well done!” Adrian poked his head out, smiling and giving her a thumbs-up, “Keep the direction you’re going now; I’m going to raise the second sail. Let me know when you are ready.”
Blanchett, holding the wheel, looked around and then signaled, “No problem, Ed.”
Soon, with the creaking and groaning of the wheel, another large sail on the yacht was raised, billowing and flapping in the brisk wind. The speed of the small yacht increased significantly, and if viewed from the sky, one would see a beautiful white wake trailing the fully-sailed little yacht across the azure sea.
“Yo-ho!” Adrian’s infectious cheer came from the bow, making Blanchett, who was helming, feel exhilarated. Although she was wearing a loose white T-shirt above, below was an extremely short pair of hot shorts, revealing her slender figure without obscuring much, especially the hints of her chest becoming vaguely visible without a bra, which was particularly enticing.
“How does it feel, Kate? I told you, whatever unhappiness you have, it all vanishes without a trace when facing the vast sea,” Adrian said, coming back to Blanchett’s side after relaxing at the bow, “You’re quite good at steering.”
“Thank you, you know I am an Australian girl.” Blanchett said with a smile.
Most of Australia’s big cities are on the coastline, so Australians are particularly enthusiastic about water sports, and Blanchett was no exception. Back in Canberra, she often went out to sea with friends by renting yachts, so even though only she and he were on the yacht now, she still handled it very well.
It was strange to her that when Adrian called to invite her to go sailing on the weekend, she had agreed without thinking, despite knowing it was going to be just the two of them.
After sailing for several miles, the breeze began to die down, and Adrian immediately reduced the sails, bringing the small yacht to an almost complete stop, then took out chilled champagne from the ice bucket in the cabin below, poured two glasses, and handed one to Blanchett, “Take a break, have something to drink.”
“Thanks.” Blanchett took it, brushing away the lock of hair blown to her mouth by the sea wind, and sat down side by side with Adrian at the stern. Since coming to Hollywood, she had heard many rumors related to Adrian, not to mention the good ones – her current coworkers Keanu Reeves and Jean de Bont had nothing but praise for him, especially Reeves who talked numerous times about last Halloween’s event; as for the bad ones, mostly were the scandals, particularly the rumors heard at some parties, about Adrian having threesomes with Julia and Monica.
Blanchett was taken aback and couldn’t help but have some unfavorable opinions of Adrian, after all, she was still quite young, and their relationship wasn’t very close since they had met at a party. But in her heart, she didn’t really believe it, who knows how credible the things said at parties were? In comparison, the staff of the “Speed” crew might be,
Most importantly, she had dated Adrian a few times up to now, and he had always made a great impression on her. Charming and well-read, he never hid his appreciation for her—a woman always craves the admiration of such outstanding men.
Especially after this year’s Oscars, Adrian’s fame within the circle had grown even higher, especially his discerning eye, which was the talk of all actors. Many hoped to be chosen by him for a role. So, Blanchett felt a special kind of excitement, or perhaps anticipation, every time she thought about him repeatedly inviting her to play roles; she couldn’t quite describe it.
Or maybe that’s why I readily agreed to the yacht outing? The lady pondered, sipping champagne, her feet stretched out into the sea, gently splashing. She turned her head to glance at Adrian and then furrowed her brows slightly.
“Your eyes, Ed,” she remarked, a hint of admonition in her tone, although it was clear she was feigning annoyance.
“Is there something wrong with my eyes?” Adrian asked back with a smile. The broad t-shirt, thanks to the sea breeze, clung tightly to Blanchett’s body, perfectly outlining the two braless semi-circles of her bust.
The lady rolled her eyes at him, shook her head, and said nothing. This was not the first time since setting sail and changing clothes that Adrian’s gaze was ceaseless, but Blanchett never felt disgusted; instead she occasionally thrust out her chest to give him a better view. Because his gaze always held admiration and astonishment, although there were other elements too, they were limited, and he didn’t hide them.
Direct enough to be captivating, Blanchett told herself. As Adrian was appraising her, she too was appraising Adrian. After setting out to sea, he had changed into shorts, his bare upper body merely donning a little vest. His well-proportioned, muscular torso was quite sexy, giving her a completely different impression from before.
If the previous Adrian had seemed suave and debonair, the current him exuded a wild allure. Yet, the two traits didn’t clash but instead, complemented each other beautifully.
“Yes, yes, I’ve tried all sorts of sea sports, like surfing, diving, windsurfing, and so on. I guess my favorites would have to be surfing and diving,” Blanchett reminisced, holding a champagne glass atop her head and looking at the slightly undulating sea.
“Oh, that’s too bad, I should have driven a high-speed yacht instead of the current sailboat,” Adrian sighed with regret, “This way, we could go diving or surfing.”
“No, no, no, I think this is nice too,” Blanchett said with a smile, shaking her head, “If we did that, we couldn’t be too far from the coastline, and we would miss out on some things.”
“Oh? Like what?” Adrian asked, raising an eyebrow.
Blanchett didn’t answer. She drained the champagne in her glass, and a hint of something different flickered in her azure eyes. Then she stood up, flipped the hem of the t-shirt, effortlessly revealing her soft yet firm breasts to Adrian. She also took off her hotpants, revealing the swimsuit already underneath. After stretching her beautiful body, she dove into the sea with a fish-like leap. She circled gracefully in the water before finally reemerging.
“Wow, that’s really refreshing, I’ve been wanting to try swimming in the deep sea,” Blanchett said, wiping her face and looking ecstatic and pleased, “Won’t you try it, Ed?”
She watched him with a radiant smile, her look both challenging and enticing. Her blue eyes merged with the water, and her drenched hair pulled back, accentuating her somewhat angular features but also adding a different kind of charm.
Adrian laughed heartily and without hesitation threw off his vest and shorts and plunged into the water. The two of them began to frolic and chase around the yacht, going round and round. Blanchett’s swimming skills were indeed outstanding. Though she might not match Adrian in strength, her technique was slightly superior, and she deftly evaded capture numerous times by swiftly twisting her body and sliding under the yacht.
“How does it feel, Ed?” she teased, holding on to the edge of the yacht and looking at Adrian who was wiping his face, a bit out of breath not too far away, “Tiring out already?”
“Do you know, Kate, you can’t say that to a man?” Adrian raised an eyebrow as he spoke, and the look in his eyes suddenly became dangerous.
Blanchett blinked, then realized something and burst into laughter, bending over. Straightening up, she discovered, within the span of those few seconds, that Adrian had vanished from not far away.
She quickly looked around, peered over to the other side of the yacht, and then swam towards the place where Adrian had disappeared. After all that, Adrian was still nowhere to be seen. Blanchett grew a bit tense, but then she thought of a place, turned around to act, but heard a splash—Adrian had already reappeared in front of her, embracing her tightly in his arms.
“How about now?” he laughed.
“You’re just cheating,” Blanchett, obviously not convinced, wriggled as though she was trying to break free.
“See, see, I knew it,” Adrian teased.
“Isn’t that so?” Blanchett, catching the implication in his words, stopped moving, still not ready to concede verbally.
Adrian just smiled without a word, his gaze on her slowly shifting. The lady sensed this change. She opened her mouth to say something else, but he leaned down and captured her dew-covered lips in a kiss. The salty taste of the sea immediately mingled with Adrian’s tongue as it slid inside her, and Blanchett’s weak resistance turned into compliance.
Their agile tongues intertwined, pushing and sucking passionately, fervently exchanging saliva. After a long while, they finally parted, gazed at each other for a moment, shared a smile, and then climbed back aboard the yacht together, treading water.
Without further conversation, they each wrapped themselves in a towel.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” After a short rest, Blanchett suddenly asked.
“What?”
“Inviting me out to sea alone.”
The lady took a seat beside him, her eyes fixed unwaveringly on Adrian.
“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t,” Adrian shrugged noncommittally.
“And if… I refused?” Blanchett asked with a swirling hint of playfulness in her eyes.
“Then… I would only be very disappointed,” Adrian sighed, turning away.
Blanchett immediately burst into giggling, suddenly grabbed his shoulders, and without warning, pushed him down onto the yacht’s floor. Although Adrian was somewhat taken aback, he did not move, just gazed up at her. Blanchett then straddled him, her smile now tinged with lust and desire as she started to grind her hips gently.
Adrian quickly drew in a breath of cold air, and Blanchett felt his response, her smile growing even more seductive and beguiling. She gently lifted her hips, pushed the swim trunks that had not been removed aside, and then took hold of that massive thing, slowly sitting down on it. After fully seating herself, she let out a moan filled with carnal hunger.
(To be continued, for more of the story please visit www.qidian.com. More chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)
