Chapter 1494 I Knew She Had It in Her
“What? You dare to do it but can’t stand other people criticizing you for it?” Lisa raised her chin condescendingly. “I’ve been in this industry long enough to know there are only ever a few tricks simple stunt doubles like you can use to climb to stardom.”
“Yeah? Well, Jessie won’t stoop to that level! She’s far too pure for that!” Lexie retorted. “Care to share how you get to where you are now, then?”
“You and I are barely acquainted, let alone friends. So why should I tell you?” Jessie monotoned, taking Lisa aback. “As if you’re worthy enough to be my friend, Silverstein.”
“Huh, it’s Jessie who doesn’t want to befriend you. To think a person can be so shameless!” Lexie fired back again, causing Lisa to turn grimly and glare at her. “Don’t get cocky, Silverstein. The higher you go, the harder you fall.”
With that, she left smugly.
When Jessie stared at Lisa’s retreating figure, she didn’t sense the animosity from the latter but instead reflected on her incompetence. The reason Lisa dared to mock her right now as she stood here was that she wasn’t good enough yet. In this industry, only after one had enough creditable work and fans and was hardworking and aspirant enough could one ignore other people’s derision.
“You alright, Jessie? Don’t let her get to you.” Lexie comforted her.
“I’m good. She can’t get to me; she will only motivate me.” At that, she hooked her arm around Lexie’s. “C’mon, let’s go! Help me with the script after breakfast. I want to memorize it as quickly as possible.”
“Alright. When you become successful, just stand in front of her. I guarantee you’ll be able to piss her off without a word.” Lexie declared.
The noblest way to slap someone in the face was to surpass them.
The following morning came in the blink of an eye, and it was the commencement of the shoot. Jessie’s makeup was perfect as she stood in front of the camera for the first time. She strolled across a flowery field under the green screen while the fan blew at her, causing her long hair to flutter gracefully. The character she was currently playing was a young celestial servant snatching a moment of leisure.
“Cut!” The cameras stopped rolling following Vincent’s cue, and Jessie looked somewhat nervously in the director’s direction as she stood by the field.
“That was great, Jessie, but can we do a couple more shots? Try and express it through different emotions. You’re a carefree young celestial servant, and your greatest pleasure is to steal a sip of your master’s liquor.”
At that, Jessie acted the scene again, and sure enough, the sensation was more intense than the first shot. Though many members of the crew surrounded her, being a stunt double for years had helped her develop her composure.
Julian didn’t have any scenes for the day, so he didn’t show up on set. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to but that he knew his presence would intangibly add to Jessie’s stress. So, he decided not to show up altogether.
Sure enough, Jessie was wholly cheerful when Julian wasn’t on set. She had become acquainted with the crew and also acted alongside a few old troupers naturally and with ease.
Vincent had been pretty nervous that day, but after seeing how well Jessie had done in the first scene and that it was exactly what he was looking for, he was elated. In fact, she was super telegenic and the embodiment of Estelle.
The thing about Vincent’s directing was that he preferred to keep things simple with no added effects and whatnot. Thus, his movies always had a sense of reality, as if the audience was there with the characters.
Julian was in the hotel when he received Vincent’s video recording of Jessie’s acting. The young woman in the recording was dressed in a fantasy costume, and her two dangling headpieces made her look like an adorable, otherworldly, naive girl who was full of hope for life.
Jessie had captured the character perfectly.
“I knew she had it in her,” praised Julian as he chuckled.
The filming continued until the evening. As they wanted to release it by mid-year, the shoot was pretty rushed. Although Jessie felt a little overwhelmed by the quick pace, she had already thrown herself into the character.
