The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1114: Fine Rain Moistens Everything
"I can't confirm the accuracy of the news, but in the past, there were all kinds of performance venues, including cinemas, theaters, bars, and clubs. Naturally, the audiences were also of all kinds. In some occasions, if you encounter drunk people, they may tease the performers, regardless of whether they are men or women."

"Yes, yes, yes. After my research, it seems to be the same. Even Elvis Presley is no exception. Frank Sinatra also faced many similar situations back then."

"I have a guess that it has something to do with the type of music."

"How to say?"

"If it's country, then the audience may be mainly farmers or blue-collar workers. In the 1950s, most of them may be illiterate and vulgar; if it's swing or rock, women who have always suppressed their emotions may indulge themselves in screaming and shouting in the theater."

"Ahaha, so Elvis Presley's performance was called vulgar and obscene? He was even banned from television for a long time?"

"That might require some in-depth research into history, and I'm not an expert on that, but I guess it's a possibility. So, imagine the audiences that June Carter and Johnny Cash faced."

"But these contents did not appear in the script."

"Yes, indeed. But the absence of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. When June Carter appeared in these performances, she knew what she was facing. Maybe in the memoirs and scripts, they beautified those memories; but at that time, her clothes, her manners, and her expressions might reveal these details. I think this is very important for you to understand the state of the character."

"Ah, what a pity. Video technology was not well developed back then, so it's hard to find the footage."

"My agent found some audio. Even though there are no pictures, at least I can feel the atmosphere of the scene and the status of the performers from the sound. In addition, I believe the director and producer also have some information that you can refer to."

"Ahhh, really? I thought I had lost it completely."

Chirping, you come and I go——

Reese had no idea that the atmosphere had changed completely, and the heated discussion could not be stopped.

In the end, it was Anson who first realized the time.

"Sorry, I need to go to guitar lessons, so I might need to go first."

Reese was very surprised, "Guitar lessons?"

Anson nodded. "Yes. Mainly studying country music, especially Johnny Cash. The director should have told you that he hopes that the movie can use real voices, not only the actors singing in person, but also live synchronized sound tracks. They even hope to use the equipment of that time to complete the filming."

Reese's eyes widened, "What?"

Anson shrugged slightly. "Yes, they want actors to perfectly recreate the performances of Johnny Cash and June Carter. I'm not sure if this is professionalism or madness, but at least I hope to be prepared and not go to a gunfight with a dagger."

Reese stood there in a daze, watching Anson drive away.

Things seem to be a little bit wrong.

It wasn't until Anson was completely out of sight that Reese finally came to her senses. She should have secretly followed Anson and questioned his qualifications for the role. She should have tried to persuade Anson to quit the crew, but how did things end up like this?

The whole atmosphere was completely wrong.

Who am I, where am I, and what am I doing? These three critical hits hit me straight to the heart.

But what exactly is going on with that uncontrollable joy and excitement?

Anson ignored Reese.

When it comes to guitar lessons, he’s serious.

Whether as an actor or a singer, Anson always has a learning and adventurous mindset. Rather than looking forward to success, it is more about enjoying life. Therefore, Anson has never really studied acting and music systematically.

I had previously enrolled in an acting academy and studied two courses intermittently, but I didn't stick with it and it ended up happening.

But the situation this time is slightly different.

Anson needed to play Johnny Cash and really capture the magic of Johnny Cash's live performance in the movie. If it was Anson's own performance or the performance of the August 31st Band, it would be fine; but this is a performance of Johnny Cash in the movie, and the two are completely different things.

It has been mentioned before that Joaquin Phoenix played Johnny Cash in his previous life, but his singing always lacked a unique charm. Although everyone knows that actors cannot be expected to be as good as singers; but as a biographical film, it failed to perfectly present the Johnny Cash in the minds of the audience, which is a regret that cannot be ignored.

What's more, the fundamental reason why the crew wanted Anson to play Johnny Cash was because of his singing skills, so the pressure was immediately obvious.

Therefore, it is not enough to just understand the role through acting skills. Anson also needs to further hone himself as a singer.

Not only singing skills, Anson plans to study Johnny Cash's performance style, his singing, his performance, and his interpretation.

Although he doesn't want to imitate Johnny Cash exactly, Anson hopes that he can capture the energy and style of Johnny Cash and present a new charm through his own understanding.

I was a little nervous, but more curious, excited and happy.

This is another brand new challenge, and Anson can't wait to embrace everything that is about to happen.

So, just as "Spider-Man 2" was completed, Anson was busy again.

Exactly two weeks later, TMZ broke the latest news:
Following Anson Wood, Reese Witherspoon has also confirmed to join "Walk the Walk", playing June Carter in this Johnny Cash biopic.

According to Hollywood sources, the cost budget of this film, which is invested and produced by Forest Pictures, is between 20 million and 25 million US dollars.

For a biographical film, this is a very low number.

For reference, the production cost of "The Hours" was $25 million, and the production cost of "The Aviator" was as high as $110 million.

The difference is obvious.

One of the important reasons lies in the scenes and styling. Since this is a biographical film, the crew often needs to restore a past time and space. The more they invest in this aspect, the better the production effect will be; but at the same time, this is a bottomless pit and you can always strive for perfection.

Of course, actors' salaries are also an important expense for biographical films.

For a newly established company, injecting 20 million US dollars into its first investment project is a huge deal.

According to various rumors, the crew invested most of the costs in scenes and styling, and both actors reduced their salaries, taking on the project for less than one million dollars, ensuring that all production costs would be spent wisely and that the film would perfectly restore the essence of the fifties and sixties.

Precisely because of this, the "Walk with Me" crew has been recruiting in Hollywood, including talents in scene, styling, design, makeup and hair, etc., which has indeed attracted a lot of attention.

The noise is no less than that of "The Aviator" starring Martin Scorsese and Leonardo Dicaprio.

However, everything happened just as Reese expected.

No one cares.

(End of this chapter)