Chapter 251: Visiting Ang Lee on Set

Chapter 251: Chapter 251: Visiting Ang Lee on Set

"Irene, I’ve heard so much about you!" Mark stepped forward quickly to shake hands, his smile warm.

"I’m Mark Davis, and I’m here specifically to receive you. Director Ang Lee is currently filming a key scene, so let’s head to the set first. I’ll introduce you to the base along the way."

"Thank you for the trouble, Mr. Davis," Irene responded with a smile. She couldn’t help but think that the name Mark really was everywhere.

Along the way, Mark talked incessantly about Universal’s strengths: "Our base has 12 extra-large soundstages. Among them, Soundstage 3 was specifically built for special effects blockbusters, equipped with the latest motion capture equipment and green screen systems.

Most of the special effects scenes for Hulk were filmed there. Universal’s resources in special effects production are absolutely top-tier in the industry. Whether it’s physical effects or post-production compositing, we have dedicated teams following through."

He also made a point to mention their interest in collaboration: "Your previous films, The Italian Job and Mean Girls, both achieved amazing box office results.

Universal has always wanted to work with you. If you have any commercial film projects in the future, especially those requiring special effects support, we are always willing to provide the highest quality resources and the most favorable terms."

Irene responded politely, well aware that Universal’s proactive attitude was both a recognition of her past achievements and an attempt to seize the opportunity to win her over for a partnership.

Soon, the group arrived at Soundstage 3. The stage was a hive of activity, with green screens occupying most of the space. Staff were adjusting giant mechanical devices, and in front of a monitor in the distance, Ang Lee was focused on the screen, his brow slightly furrowed.

Mark signaled for everyone to be quiet and led Irene and Vera Cecil to stand in a corner to observe.

The scene being filmed was a confrontation between the Hulk and a villain. The actor, wearing a performance capture suit covered in sensors, performed various fighting moves with the help of mechanical apparatuses.

Ang Lee would stand up from time to time, using a gentle yet firm tone to guide the actors in adjusting their postures:

"Make your gaze a bit more determined. The range of motion can be larger, but pay attention to maintaining a stable center of gravity." His directing style was meticulous, not letting even a subtle change in expression slip by.

Mark added in a low voice from the side: "Director Ang Lee has extremely high requirements for detail. This film has over 800 special effects shots, and every single one has to be polished repeatedly. We’ve invested nearly $150 million in production costs, all to create a superhero movie that combines visual impact with emotional depth."

About half an hour later, Ang Lee called "Cut," ending the filming for that scene.

He turned around, his gaze scanning the corner. His eyes lit up when he saw Irene, and he immediately walked over.

Seeing this, Mark smiled tactfully and said, "You two talk first. I’ll go arrange the preparations for the next scene. Call me anytime if you need anything."

Watching Mark’s retreating back, Irene finally breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward with a smile to greet him: "Director Ang Lee, I hope I didn’t interrupt your filming."

"It’s fine, the workload isn’t as heavy now," Ang Lee said with a gentle smile and a friendly tone.

"I haven’t congratulated you yet on the incredible success of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Compared to The Italian Job, your directing skills have clearly improved. I didn’t expect someone so young to have such a keen narrative talent."

The two of them walked to the lounge area outside the stage and sat down, while Vera Cecil tactfully stood a short distance away to wait.

"Does filming a special effects blockbuster feel very different from filming Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Eat Drink Man Woman?" Irene chose a light topic.

Ang Lee picked up a water cup from the table and took a sip, his eyes calm and steady. "Every genre has its unique charm and challenges. A special effects blockbuster needs to balance visual presentation with an emotional core. This is essentially the same as the films I’ve made before. They are all about telling human stories."

His tone was composed, yet there wasn’t much excitement. Irene keenly sensed a hint of imperceptible exhaustion, or perhaps even a touch of helplessness, hidden deep in his eyes.

Perhaps the filming process for a blockbuster was too tedious, or perhaps there was a tug-of-war between commercial demands and artistic expression. However, Ang Lee didn’t say it explicitly, and Irene didn’t press further.

"True, no matter the genre, the story and characters are the core," Irene agreed. "I believe you will definitely be able to balance the special effects and the plot perfectly."

"Thank you for your trust. Although the Hulk’s image is presented through special effects, his emotional changes and inner struggles all need to be manifested through the actors’ performances and the progression of the plot.

I hope that after the audience finishes watching, they won’t just remember the shocking fight scenes, but also feel the character’s growth."

Ang Lee set high standards for himself, but this movie might fail to live up to his expectations.

After chatting about their filming experiences for a while, Ang Lee stood up and said, "Let me introduce you to the main cast and crew. They are all excellent actors and staff members."

Irene followed him into the lounge and met the main cast, including Eric Bana, who played the Hulk, and lead actress Jennifer Connelly. Everyone was very warm toward this young and promising female director, and as they chatted about interesting anecdotes from the set, the atmosphere became very harmonious.

During the small talk, Irene instinctively looked around and didn’t see any familiar Marvel logos or any Marvel-related staff. She asked curiously, "Director Lee, why don’t I see any Marvel staff? Logically, since Hulk is a Marvel IP, shouldn’t they be involved throughout the process?" 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Hearing this, Ang Lee explained gently, "Filming is nearing its end, and post-production is mainly handled by Universal, so the Marvel staff aren’t here every day.

During the early stages of preparation and script polishing, they did send a team to participate, mainly responsible for controlling the core elements of the IP to ensure it didn’t deviate from the Marvel Universe settings."

He paused and added, "However, they do come to watch the dailies periodically and offer suggestions for revisions. After all, this is an important IP for Marvel, and they have high requirements for quality."

Irene nodded, understanding the situation. As they were talking, an assistant hurried over to remind Ang Lee that the next scene was about to begin.

Ang Lee smiled apologetically. "I’m sorry, Irene, I have to get back to work. I enjoyed our conversation today and hope we have the chance to collaborate in the future."

"I look forward to it too!" Irene stood up to shake his hand. "I wish you a smooth shoot and a huge success for the film! By the way, if you encounter any difficulties later, you can come to me."

Ang Lee didn’t take her words to heart. After all, in his mind, she was just a junior. He could hardly imagine a time when he would need to ask Irene for help.

After saying goodbye to Ang Lee, Mark reappeared and warmly invited Irene to visit the base’s special effects production center.

By the time the tour ended, it was already 2:00 PM. Irene thanked Mark and left the Universal Studios lot with Vera Cecil.

Sitting in the car, she reflected on her exchange with Ang Lee and Universal’s proactive attitude.

Filming a special effects blockbuster was indeed not easy, and Universal’s strength had left a deep impression on her. Perhaps in the future, a collaboration really was possible.