Chapter 100: Visiting the Set

Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Visiting the Set

For the next few days, Venice enjoyed clear, sunny skies.

The azure sky was reflected in the canals, the water shimmering with ripples, and the air held the sweltering heat of the sun.

The filming schedule moved faster than expected. By the afternoon of the fourth day, only a few simple establishing shots remained, giving Irene a rare moment of free time.

She leaned back on a bench in the temporary break area, took out her phone, and sent a message to Loren.

"The filming schedule isn’t heavy today. If you’re free, you can come visit the set. I’ll show you the filming location in Venice and let you see some of the footage we’ve shot."

Not long after she sent it, Loren replied: "I just wrapped work for the day. I’m heading over now and should arrive in about half an hour. Do you need me to bring anything? Cake or something?"

Irene looked at the screen, couldn’t help but smile, and replied, "No need. Just come over." She put her phone away and stood, heading toward the set.

She needed to let the crew know in advance so that when Loren arrived, no one would feel uncomfortable because of his status and let it affect their work.

When Loren arrived, Irene was giving instructions to the cinematographer on the establishing shots.

He didn’t step forward to interrupt. He just stood not far away, watching her work intently. Sunlight fell on her, outlining her silhouette with a golden edge.

She tilted her head slightly as she talked to the cinematographer, occasionally gesturing with her hand, her expression focused and serious.

It wasn’t until Irene turned and saw him standing there that she smiled and walked over. "You’re here. Have you been waiting long?"

"No, I just arrived," Loren said, shaking the bag in his hand. "I brought you some macarons. That shop’s desserts are quite famous. You can try them when you’re done."

Irene took the bag, said "Thank you," and led him toward the set.

"I’ll show you the footage we’ve shot, especially the chase scene from a few days ago. The result is even better than I expected. And if you’re interested, you can also take a look at the yacht we modified. Edward and the others added some small touches. It’s pretty interesting."

Loren followed beside her, listening as she enthusiastically described the filming details, nodding occasionally in response.

As they walked to the monitor, Irene handed the bag to Vera and asked her to distribute the macarons to the rest of the crew.

Vera looked at the desserts and passed them out without saving any for Irene.

In truth, she still couldn’t adjust to that level of sweetness. Vera, as her assistant, knew her taste well, so she hadn’t set any aside for her.

Loren, however, thought Irene simply wasn’t in a position to eat right now. He didn’t realize she wouldn’t like them. After all, he had asked before coming, and this was the most popular flavor among young people.

When Irene led Loren to the monitor, Matt Damon and Johnny Depp were standing in front of the temporarily built dock set, rehearsing lines.

There were no elaborate special effects backdrops. Behind them were only unfinished scaffolding and stacked prop boxes. There was no intense soundtrack, only the distant sound of canal water and the occasional whisper of the crew.

The two stood in front of the camera, running lines back and forth, yet the tension in their delivery remained undiminished.

Loren stood beside Irene, his gaze fixed on the image in the monitor, his eyes full of curiosity.

He had watched plenty of movies, but he had never observed the raw state of film production from this close.

"Is this... what it looks like before editing?" he asked softly, surprise in his tone.

"No background effects, no soundtrack, just two people standing there talking. It feels a bit ’dry’ no matter how you look at it, but at the same time, you can feel the tension between them."

Irene smiled at that and pointed at the monitor to explain. "This is the most interesting part of making movies."

"It might look plain right now, but once post-production adds the right soundtrack and the editing shapes the rhythm of the shots—for instance, cutting to close-ups during their dialogue to amplify the emotions in their eyes, or inserting establishing shots of the canal at critical moments to enhance the atmosphere—the texture of the entire sequence will be completely different."

She paused, looking at Loren’s focused profile, and continued,

"Like that indoor scene earlier. During filming, there was only simple lighting and set dressing, but after color grading in post, it can create a tense, oppressive atmosphere that pulls the audience into the characters’ emotions."

Loren nodded thoughtfully, his gaze returning to the monitor.

"It’s so amazing," he couldn’t help but exclaim. "Even though I know it’s acting and there are no effects, I’m still drawn in by their performances. Once the editing is done and all the music and effects are added, what the audience sees will be even more stunning."

"Yes," Irene said with a smile.

"Movies are about taking these scattered fragments and, through the efforts of countless people, piecing them together into a complete, moving story. That is the charm of cinema."

When work finished in the evening, Irene accepted Loren’s invitation to dinner. She turned and found the assistant director, Jack Harris, and handed him the shooting schedule.

"Shoot tomorrow’s establishing shots according to the original plan. If the light fades too early, get the close-ups of the dock first. I’ve marked it on the schedule. Call me if there are any problems."

Jack took the schedule and nodded with a smile. "Go ahead with peace of mind. Leave this to me."

As the two left side by side, Loren was still enthusiastically talking about the signature dishes at the specialty restaurant they were heading to.

Irene responded occasionally. The evening breeze brushed her long hair, and even the usually tense line of her shoulders softened.

This scene caught the eye of Johnny Depp, who was not far away. He nudged Edward beside him with his elbow, gestured with his eyes toward the two leaving, and said with a hint of teasing,

"Hey, is that our director’s boyfriend? He looks pretty gentle. I’ve never seen him before. He doesn’t look like he’s from the industry."

Edward had just finished putting away his racing gloves. He raised an eyebrow at that.

"He’s a veterinarian, but he’s the son of Fox’s current CEO. Irene mentioned it to me once. She said he has no interest in Hollywood and just likes working with small animals."

"A veterinarian? The son of Fox’s CEO?" Johnny was a bit surprised. That identity was certainly uncommon.

"No wonder he looks so even-tempered. He complements Irene’s decisive, efficient style. But seriously, you’ve worked with her for a long time. Have you ever been curious about how she relieves stress?"

He paused, recalling Irene’s calmness when unexpected situations came up during filming, and added, "No matter what happens, she always acts like nothing’s wrong. I even thought directors never got tired."

Edward laughed at that and leaned against the yacht railing, remembering.

"When we were shooting Mean Girls, there was a stretch where we were rushing the schedule and stayed up for three days straight. She was in the editing room in the middle of the night, eating instant noodles in front of the computer. I caught a glimpse and saw a stress-relief toy next to her computer a plush rabbit, the kind that squeaks when you squeeze it."

Johnny listened with great interest and couldn’t help but smirk.

"That won’t do for our director. She needs to find a partner to properly release that stress."

He looked up toward the two figures gradually disappearing into the alleyway, a mischievous smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"I hope this veterinarian can help her relax more. Otherwise, if she keeps bottling it up, she’s going to burn out sooner or later."

#Note, we reach 100 Chapters, thank you everyone who read, leave comments or give power stones so far. Appreciate it