Chapter 157: The Threat of Delayed Graduation

Chapter 157: Chapter 157: The Threat of Delayed Graduation

Jerry continued following Irene’s answer: "So Captain Jack doesn’t just need to be crazy. He needs to be logically crazy. He has to portray the debauchery of a pirate while showing that hint of shrewdness in his eyes. This sense of measured control is exactly what Jim Carrey lacks."

Irene nodded. "Exactly. Captain Jack isn’t a hero in the traditional sense, nor is he a pure villain. He’s a rule-breaker who still has his own bottom line. Jim Carrey’s performance is too ’full.’ He puts all his emotions on his face, whereas Depp understands the art of leaving things unsaid.

Do you remember his gait? Reeling and swaying but not pathetic instead, it has a unique rhythm. That’s how Jack should be: seemingly careless, but actually in control of the whole situation."

A smile of approval appeared on Jerry’s face. "I completely understand now why you wanted to audition both of them at the same time. You wanted to use the contrast to let everyone see Captain Jack’s core traits more clearly.

Jim Carrey’s interpretation is the ’surface,’ while Depp’s is the ’soul.’ Only by laying out both the ’surface’ and the ’soul’ can everyone agree on who the true Jack is."

Irene smiled.

"It wasn’t just for that. I was the one who recommended Depp for the audition. If I had been too forceful, excluding others and only acknowledging Depp, it might have triggered some people’s sensitive nerves.

They might have mistakenly thought I was trying to seize power. After all, as the party with the smallest investment share, taking sole control over the lead actor’s selection would be a bit too dismissive of Fox and Disney’s feelings. That would have a significant impact on my subsequent work."

Jerry couldn’t help but laugh heartily after hearing this. "You’re much more mature than I imagined. I’m even more confident in this project now. I believe that under our production, Pirates of the Caribbean will definitely break the curse and create a miracle."

"It definitely will."

The next day was Monday. Sunlight filtered through the tree-lined avenues of USC. Carrying a canvas bag and wearing white sneakers, Irene appeared in front of the teaching building right on time.

As soon as she entered the classroom, Vivian patted her shoulder from behind. "Irene! Where did you go this weekend? How was the audition?" Vivian was wearing a bright yellow dress with a playful bun in her hair, holding a cup of hot coffee. Her tone was as light as a little sparrow’s.

Irene smiled and found a seat by the window, pulling a notebook from her bag. "Where else could I go? I spent the whole day in the studio watching auditions. The choice for Captain Jack is basically settled. There’s just a final makeup audition next week to wrap things up."

"Wow! Is it Johnny Depp? I knew you’d pick him!" Vivian leaned in, lowering her voice to gossip.

"I saw news about him last week saying he was in seclusion at a beach house. It must be for your movie! Oh, and did Hugh Jackman really audition? Is he even more handsome in person than in the movies?"

"He’s definitely handsome, but he’s too righteous. He doesn’t fit Captain Jack." As Irene spoke, she thought to herself that Depp’s team wasn’t stupid—they were already building hype for the role so quickly.

"Jim Carrey went too. His performance was too exaggerated. I felt like I was watching a pirate version of The Mask. Depp’s vibe is still the most accurate. That crazy yet shrewd energy is simply made for the role."

Vivian curled her lip. "It’s a pity I didn’t get to see it in person. But when the movie is released, you have to save me a VIP seat for the premiere!"

"That’s easy. Once this semester’s junior coursework is over, next semester is basically all internships. Our movie won’t start filming until the second half of the year anyway. You can just come intern with my crew then," Irene said casually.

Vivian couldn’t help but feel a bit shy. "Ah, wouldn’t that be awkward? A lot of classmates in our class want to join your crew. Even the class monitor wants to go, but they’re too embarrassed to ask you. Mainly, no one knows when your cameras start rolling."

"What’s there to be embarrassed about? It’s not like you haven’t been in my crew before." Irene waved her hand dismissively.

"As for the others, you can tally up the numbers. Anyone interested can sign up with you. A movie needs a lot of hands, but there are a few things I need to make clear beforehand.

First, we’ll definitely be shooting on location, and the conditions out there won’t be that luxurious, so they shouldn’t be afraid of hard work.

Second, everyone’s jobs won’t be decided by their own preferences. Everyone starts from the bottom—logistics, assistants, even extras. They do whatever needs doing. If they can follow orders, have them sign up with you first, and I’ll notify them when we officially start."

Vivian was incredibly excited upon hearing this. "Mission accepted!"

As class time approached, she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, right! The department sent out credit warnings last week, and I saw you on the list! Have you not participated in any club activities? You’re still 2 points short of your practical credits for this semester. If you don’t make them up, watch out for a delayed graduation!"

Irene’s hand holding the pen paused, a look of confusion appearing on her face.

"Huh? When would I have time for clubs? First it was The Italian Job, and now I’m busy with Pirates of the Caribbean auditions. I even have to squeeze in time for classes."

She really didn’t have the energy to deal with routine club activities, and she’d much rather spend time on a film set than at weekly meetings and team-building events.

"That won’t do!" Vivian slapped the table anxiously, causing students in the front row to look back. She quickly lowered her voice.

"You can’t let a movie delay your graduation, can you? You’ve finally made it to your junior year, and there are hardly any classes next year. Would you be satisfied with a delayed graduation because of this? The department said long ago that practical credits must be completed, either through clubs or campus activity organization."

Irene responded helplessly, "I’ll see if I can pull some strings." In her heart, however, she kept grumbling: ’Why doesn’t making a movie count as a campus activity? There are so many USC alumni in my film!’

The bell rang, and Irene packed her things, walking out of the teaching building with Vivian toward the commercial street outside the campus.

Vivian’s eyes suddenly lit up.

"I’ve got it! The school is hosting a campus painting exhibition next week, and they’re recruiting organizers and volunteers. You’d be responsible for setting up the hall, guiding the audience, and things like that. If you participate the whole time, you can get 2 practical credits. That’ll fill your gap exactly!"

"A painting exhibition?" Irene stopped and looked at a nearby bulletin board. A brightly colored poster was stuck there, reading: "’Light, Shadow, and Brushstrokes’ Campus Painting Exhibition, Recruiting Volunteers, June 20th – June 25th."

"Yeah!" Vivian pulled her toward the bulletin board. "This exhibition is hosted by the Art Department. I heard there will be many impressive works from graduates, and even people from off-campus galleries will come to visit."

Irene looked at the introduction on the poster, her heart wavering slightly.

She really did need the credits. After all, pulling strings would let people know, which was a bit embarrassing. She didn’t want to receive another call from the Dean of Students.

The preparatory work for the movie wasn’t urgent yet. For the actor auditions, she could leave the less important roles for John Owen and the others to decide. If she did that, she could indeed carve out some time.