America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz-Chapter 815 - 808: Peace Only Within the Range of the Cannon

"The director is the commander in chief on the set, and doesn't need to be involved in everything personally."

During a break in filming, Chad discussed the director's role with Martin, "For example, this gunfight scene inside the Continental Hotel, I told the set and art design teams what kind of battlefield I wanted. I don't get involved in the specifics, they turn my demands into concrete scenes."

Martin was already aware of this but still listened intently.

Chad continued, "So, communication is a very important skill for directors. They understand what I need, set up the scene, and then I check it. If I'm satisfied, it's fine; if not, they start over."

Martin nodded, "On set, you must arrange all the tasks well."

"Exactly, I manage everything, and there are specific people under me." Chad pointed at his assistant director, Hassel, busy on the set, "He is my executive director. Usually, he handles everything on set, and I only personally step in for scenes involving you, the male lead."

Following that logic, Martin added, "With action and gunfight scenes, you also tell Tiger and Marcus the result you want, like the scene from the last movie where I and my opponent fell down the stairs. You made the request, and Tiger was responsible for the design—how to make it realistic and visually appealing, safe, yet effective—that was all Tiger's responsibility."

Chad added, "Having a team that can effectively communicate with you and execute your commands is very important."

Martin asked, "If a film has only a few main characters and three to four main scenes, and simpler plots than what Jonathan encounters, would it be easier?"

Chad thought for a moment and replied, "It's a very realistic question. The larger the crew, the bigger the scale, the more scene changes, the harder it is to direct. A film set isn't an army, and for a director to command a team of hundreds like a group of a dozen, it's hundreds of times harder. And such scheduling ability requires talent."

He didn't want to mislead Martin and emphasized, "Even natural talent is more important than effort."

Martin then thought of those genius directors, many famous ones who lived life indulging in drinking and women, yet when they got to work, they created masterpieces.

Many other directors worked diligently and tirelessly, but led mediocre lives and made films that no one would remember.

Martin was aware of his own capabilities, "I have average talent in this area; let's start with a low-budget production with a simple plot and few scenes. Even if I mess it up, it wouldn't cost much."

Chad looked at Martin and said, "In terms of the market, sometimes marketing is more important than movie quality."

There were too many cases of bad Hollywood films that sold well.

Martin smiled, "I don't plan on making one of those."

At that moment, Mene came over and said, "The boss wants to be the next Spielberg."

Martin responded, "If I had Spielberg's talent, I wouldn't be acting."

The three of them laughed together.

Including Chad himself, who wasn't exceptionally talented as a director.

He started as a stunt actor in the early '90s, later moving into action direction and working on several movies, including "The Matrix," for over a decade. It was only through his collaboration with Martin on "Assassins' Guild" that he finally became a well-known action director.

After so many years of struggle, it was only with Martin's strong support that Chad was able to direct a movie on his own.

Even then, he was heavily criticized by reviewers who thought he could only shoot action scenes and that his drama scenes were terrible.

But Martin and Chad didn't care; what they wanted from the "John Wick" series was sheer excitement.

When the break ended, Martin and Mene reapplied their makeup, took the shotgun Bruce had given them, and re-entered the set of the Continental Hotel New York.

A large team of stunt actors wearing helmets and bulletproof vests gradually entered the set.

Shooting resumed with Martin, playing Jonathan, and Mene, playing Winston, cooperating and fighting fiercely against the assassins invading the hotel.

Compared to the fully armored assassins, the two were more agile; their shotguns were powerful, and armor-piercing slugs easily shattered helmets.

The camera focus remained on Martin, the male lead, but also gave significant portrayal to Mene.

According to Chad's plan, they would later shoot a spin-off focusing on the Continental Hotel New York.

Mene might become the male lead in it.

Gunshots continuously rang out through the studio; Martin and Mene took turns on set.

This way, both of them could also get adequate rest.

The action scenes designed by Chen Hu and Marcus weren't difficult for Martin to perform, but they were physically demanding.

Action scenes require excellent physical fitness from actors.

Hollywood stars who participate in action movies typically start their fitness and physical training three to four months in advance.

Some even start half a year earlier.

Martin moved swiftly, adept at close-quarter combat mixed with gunfights, showing a flair for gun-fu.

On the other hand, Mene's parts were mostly focused on gunfighting.

During lunch, Martin, Chad, Mene, and Marcus gathered together.

Marcus brought up the subtitle of the movie, "Parabellum," and asked, "What does that mean? I remember there's a gun named that."

Chad explained, "The term comes from Latin, meaning 'If you want peace, prepare for war!'"

Mene, who wasn't educated on this topic, asked, "Isn't preparing for war meant for fighting?"

Marcus, a veteran of war: "Peace is achieved through battle; without ample armaments, you can only take a beating, like Afghanistan and Iraq."

Martin took a sip of water and said, "I've heard a saying that makes a lot of sense, peace only exists within the range of cannons."

Marcus nodded, "It makes sense. Take America, for example. With powerful adversaries, we wouldn't directly deploy the military. Even if there are real confrontations causing friction, we would back down when necessary."

Chad joined the conversation, "Are you talking about the Bear?"

"It surely isn't Iraq." Marcus shrugged.

Bruce interjected, "So if America accuses you of having weapons of mass destruction, you better have them. If not, that's when the real trouble starts."

Mene scratched his head, "Why don't I understand any of what you're discussing?"

"Because you don't care much about politics." Martin casually added, "All your spare time goes into practicing the art of persuasion."

Mene was unashamed, "Like Boss Martin, this skill is also my foundation in Hollywood."

Chad redirected the conversation to the main topic, "This subtitle means, for Jonathan, the male lead, to return to a state of peace with the high table, he first has to hit them hard."

Martin agreed, "In Morocco's scenes, I made changes where Jonathan will go on a killing spree."

Originally, he had thought of framing part of the high table's forces as Jews.

Jonathan goes to the Middle East in pursuit of peace, fails, and resumes his rampage.

However, after discussing this idea with Bruce, he abandoned it.

They say Hollywood has freedom in filmmaking, even the government can be portrayed as the villain, but there are very few mainstream films that dare to depict Jews as major antagonists.

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Think about Mel Gibson in "The Passion of the Christ," and the subsequent treatment he received after a few critical remarks.

The drunk driving anti-Semitic outburst was just the catalyst that intensified things.

Due to a chain reaction triggered by a kidnapping in Morocco, Nolan held deep prejudices against the Jews, but in his films, he simply ignored them.

The group discussed the movie topic for a while, mentioning "Lone Survivor," which was adapted from Marcus's real experiences.

The film had a strong response in North America and grossed $138 million upon concluding its run.

Compared to the $40 million investment, it was a huge success.

However, the film's reception was quite bland outside North America, with international box office totaling just over $31 million.

But a global box office of $169 million was enough to generate significant profits.

After lunch, everyone returned to their respective trailers, especially Martin and Mene, who needed to restore their energy during the midday rest for the afternoon action scenes.

To conserve his energy and focus, Martin declined Clara's offer to join him.

The action scenes in Continental Hotel New York were highly demanding and physically draining.

In the afternoon, Martin and Mene switched to AR-15s and continued battling assassins in full body armor.

The sound of gunfire never ceased in the studio.

The crew enforced strict safety protocols with the firearms, preventing any accidents.

When the shooting wrapped up that afternoon, Martin was covered in the smell of gunpowder. Even after changing clothes and showering, the scent lingered.

On his way back to the hotel, he received a call from Taylor Swift.

"Hi, Martin," Taylor's voice conveyed exhaustion, "I heard you're filming in New York?"

Martin replied, "Just finished at the production site, heading back to the hotel now."

After Taylor confirmed the hotel, she said, "I'll be passing by in about half an hour. Do you have time for a private chat for a few minutes?"

Martin checked his watch, "No problem, I'll wait for you in the hotel lobby."

"See you soon," Taylor hung up.

Martin arrived at the hotel and settled into an unoccupied spot in the lobby, sending Taylor a message.

Within less than five minutes, Taylor hurried in, accompanied by a few assistants. Spotting Martin, she signaled her assistants to wait and walked over to him.

She pulled up a chair and sat next to Martin, stating, "I have a concert in New York this weekend."

Martin responded, "I saw the ads, they've generated a strong response."

"Concerts are exhausting," Taylor's meticulously done makeup couldn't hide her tiredness, "It's a tremendous test of stamina, vocal skills, and the voice, especially halfway through the concert when it really affects the voice."

Guessing her needs, Martin asked directly, "How do you want me to help you?"

Taylor leaned in closer, her voice lowered to a whisper, "Attend the concert this weekend. Around the middle of it, come backstage and help soothe my throat."

She pleaded, "Martin, please."

How could Martin, such a good person, refuse?