Chapter 248: I’m Not Acting Anymore
Chapter 248: I’m Not Acting Anymore
Eric immediately understood why the little loli had appeared here. Donald Teplang must have brought her along. Still, the surrounding staff members had been far too negligent. Even if they allowed the little girl to stay here, they should not have let her casually touch the film equipment.
Just as he was about to scold the staff members who continued working as if nothing was wrong, static crackled from the walkie-talkie.
“Eric, everything’s ready. Can we begin?”
“Oh, of course,” Eric replied, temporarily setting the matter aside as he hurriedly put on his headset and walked behind the monitor.
The scene began.
Kevin entered the hotel lobby, looked around, then started walking along the corridor toward the main hall. The camera followed the boy’s movements, slowly retreating step by step.
“Cut! Nickell, what’s going on over there? Didn’t you notice the framing was too high? Again!”
After only a few steps, Eric immediately shouted into the walkie-talkie.
Nickell’s apologetic voice came through the device. Then, after spending two minutes repositioning everyone, including the extras, filming finally resumed.
“Cut! Royce, in the section you’re responsible for, that guy in the blue knit jacket—tell him to focus. I seriously can’t believe someone would stare directly into the camera lens. If it happens again, kick him out. Again!”
“Cut…”
“Cut…”
No one knew how many times they had gone NG. After Eric once again pointed out the mistakes and was about to continue, Nickell’s voice suddenly came from the walkie-talkie.
“Eric, I can’t do it anymore. My strength’s about gone.”
Eric froze briefly, then remembered there were no camera tracks this time. Nickell was carrying the heavy camera by hand while filming the tracking shot.
Helplessly removing his headset, Eric said to a stagehand nearby, “Notify everyone. Ten-minute break.”
“You’re really dumb. Even such a simple scene took you so many tries and you still couldn’t get it right.”
Just as Eric sat down in the director’s chair and accepted a cup of water from his assistant, Ivanka—who had been peeking around behind him the whole time—suddenly said this.
The mouthful of water Eric had just swallowed sprayed straight out.
The sudden situation startled the little loli beside him so much that she let out a cry of surprise.
“Cough, cough, cough…” Eric pounded his chest several times before saying, “Ivanka, didn’t you see? This really wasn’t my fault.”
The little loli stuck both hands into her coat pockets and arrogantly raised her chin. “Sir, please address me as Miss Teplang.”
A black line seemed to appear across Eric’s forehead. He instantly thought of that famous phrase: Please address me as Your Majesty.
Just as he was about to say something, Nickell, Stuart, and several other important crew members gathered around.
“Daddy.”
Seeing her father appear, Ivanka walked over to Donald and grabbed his hand.
“Ivanka, what were you talking about with Eric just now?” Donald had already noticed Eric talking with his daughter earlier, so he curiously asked.
“Nothing much. You kept saying how amazing he was and all that, but after watching for so long, he couldn’t even properly film such a simple walking scene. He’s way worse than those directors you brought me to meet before.”
Eric had not even reacted yet, but Nickell already could not keep face.
After all, most of the mistakes in that scene had come from him, the cameraman. Yet now Eric had ended up being mocked by a little loli in front of everyone.
“Eric, I’m really sorry,” Nickell apologized.
“It’s fine. Everyone knows this scene isn’t easy,” Eric said reassuringly as he patted Nickell’s shoulder. “Go rest for a while. Have someone massage your arm. We’ll try a few more takes in ten minutes. If it still doesn’t work, we’ll shoot other scenes first.”
Nickell nodded and turned away.
“You’re Kevin?” Eric soon heard the little loli’s voice again.
“My real name is Stuart Runkel,” Stu introduced himself proactively. It was rare for him to meet someone around his own age on set.
“I heard you’re eight too. Why are you so much shorter than me?” The little loli stepped in front of Stu charmingly. Her small hand brushed across the top of the boy’s head and reached only as high as her own nose.
Because Stu matured early, his awareness toward the opposite sex had already started awakening a little. Being openly mocked for his height by a beautiful doll-like little loli immediately upset him.
“I’ll definitely grow taller than you in the future,” he argued.
“You’re not even taller than me now. What future are you talking about?”
Everyone immediately burst into laughter.
Although Donald Teplang was laughing too, he still pulled his daughter back and said, “Ivanka, don’t be so rude. Actually, Stu’s very impressive too. He already filmed a movie last year.”
“What’s so impressive about that? Just walking around like before—I could act that too,” Ivanka retorted unwillingly.
“Then act it for us and let us see,” Stu immediately seized the opportunity. Even though the little guy was only eight, he still knew acting was not as easy as it looked.
“I…” Ivanka looked around, then directly locked her gaze onto Eric. “Mr. Williams, can you let me try that scene from earlier?”
Since she was asking for a favor, the little loli immediately switched to honorifics.
Eric shrugged. “I’m really sorry, Miss Teplang. Our cameraman is resting.”
“What about you? Aren’t you the director? Why can’t you do it yourself?”
“Me?” Eric asked in confusion.
“Yes. Don’t tell me you can’t do anything except direct?”
Other than directing, he could do nothing…
The little loli’s words were lethally effective.
Although the staff who had spent a long time around Eric all knew he was an extremely versatile director, after hearing the little girl’s remark, they burst into laughter and started egging him on.
“Eric, show her what you can do!”
“Mr. Williams, you can’t let this little lady look down on you.”
“Director, if you do it, I’ll help drag the cables for you.”
“…”
Amid the buzzing commotion, Eric helplessly clapped his hands. “Quiet! Everyone quiet down! Don’t forget where this is!”
After the crowd gradually calmed down, Eric turned to the little loli and asked, “Miss Teplang, do you really want to try?”
Ivanka raised her chin. “Of course.”
“Alright then,” Eric said. “You definitely watched Stu’s performance on the monitor just now, so I don’t need to explain how to act it, right?”
“Mm.” The little loli nodded and even repeated it herself. “I come in through the entrance, ask my daddy for directions at the second corridor, then keep walking until I get here.”
“Very good. Then let’s do one take,” Eric nodded.
Since this was only a playful attempt during break time, there was naturally no need for extras to take positions. However, Donald Teplang was clearly very pleased by his daughter’s enthusiasm, so he voluntarily requested to cooperate in the filming and even asked Eric to preserve the footage afterward so he could have it transferred onto videotape as a keepsake.
Inside the entrance hall, Ivanka saw the large group of people behind Eric, who was carrying the camera and staring at her. Although she tried to stay calm, her constantly shifting eyes still betrayed the panic inside the little girl.
“Miss Teplang, Scene One, Take One!”
The clapperboard operator jokingly announced it before quickly darting aside.
The little loli blinked rapidly several times. Looking at the camera lens pointed directly at her and the people watching her, she suddenly felt her hands and feet go numb for some unknown reason. Still, stubbornly, she lifted her foot and started walking forward.
As she walked, she imitated Stu’s earlier performance by looking around curiously. But after only a few movements, Ivanka already felt she could not take it anymore, and her steps unconsciously sped up.
Just like that, when she reached the second corridor and saw her father outside the frame looking at her encouragingly, Ivanka seemed to spot a great savior. At that moment, perhaps only her father could give her a sense of security.
Without any hesitation, the little loli fled the camera in panic and ran tearfully toward her father, her voice carrying faint sobs.
“Daddy, I’m not acting anymore.”
…
“Nickell, how about this? Let’s split the scenes in the first and second corridors into separate shots. That’ll raise the success rate and save us some trouble.”
Although the little loli Ivanka had fled halfway through, Eric had still carried the camera himself and walked through the empty shot once. At the same time, he realized that completing the entire sequence in one take truly was not easy. Since it would need editing later anyway, they might as well split it into two sections.
So after Nickell had rested, Eric did not immediately resume filming. Instead, he began discussing things again with the cameraman.
At that moment, a simple floor plan of the Plaza Hotel was spread out in front of them.
Pointing with a pencil, Eric said, “From here to here will be the first section. The next shot starts here and continues into the lobby.”
Nickell considered it according to Eric’s explanation and said, “Then the extras will also need to split into two groups for positioning?”
“Mm. That’s not a problem. We can arrange it in ten minutes. Stu’s definitely not a problem either. The main issue is still you. How are you feeling now?”
“I’m fine too.” Nickell shook his arm. “If we split it into two sections, then there won’t be any problem.”
“Alright, then we’ll do it this way,” Eric said before raising his head toward the others. “You all heard that. Go get ready. Ten minutes.”
After everyone dispersed, Eric finally returned to his director’s chair.
At that moment, the little loli Ivanka sat there holding a box of undeveloped film reels in her arms like a drenched little phoenix, completely dejected. She no longer resembled the overbearing, sharp-tongued little loli from when he first met her.
Donald Teplang also sat beside his daughter, quietly comforting her.