They looked at each other in silence, not a single sound was made.
No one dared to speak.
Not even Heath.
It was the first time they'd seen Anson angry. There was no yelling or furious outburst; his calm words bloomed like a rare night flower, but the calmness in his tone sent a chill down their spines.
The first instinct was to shut up, making every effort to disappear, terrified that they'd accidentally meet Anson's deathly stare.
Eric was on the verge of tears.
Eric looked helplessly at Mackie, his mouth moving but no sound coming out, his puppy-dog eyes pitifully pleading with him.
But Mackie was in no shape to help Eric out.
Forcing himself, Mackie hesitantly called out, "Anson..."
The next second, Anson's voice drifted over.
"So, what exactly are we waiting for?"
Mackie, "Huh?"
Anson's smile curled up slightly, revealing a hint of menace. "Heh heh, Tommy, looks like we might need to settle our score again."
Mackie: ...
Eric: "Anson, please don't smile like that. I think I just peed a little."
Pfft.
Rachel couldn't hold back and burst out laughing—
The tension finally broke.
At this point, if they didn't realize Anson was just joking, they'd be complete fools. Yet, his earlier display was so real, so terrifying, that both Mackie and Eric still couldn't shake the lingering fear. They sneaked glances at Anson, hesitating, unsure of what to expect.
Anson glanced at them, "If rumors about me start spreading in Hollywood, I'll know exactly where they came from."
Mackie, "Heh heh."
Anson, "Directors, this is your first time directing a movie, and it's my first time as a producer. We're all bound to make mistakes."
"So, making mistakes isn't a problem. What's important is learning from them."
"Reshooting once or twice is no big deal; that's just part of our job. But you can see that all three of us are getting a little tired, and our performance might get shaky. If you want the camera to capture everything clearly, you directors will need to plan things out carefully."
"Don't just shoot carelessly and waste great opportunities."
"Think it through. What shots do you need to capture? How should the camera move? What scenes need to be reshot? Then we'll start again and work efficiently to get it done."
If shooting a movie could be done in one continuous take, wrapping up all the work in one go, acting would be so much easier. The actors would just need to deliver one perfect performance amid all the chaos.
But that's not how it works.
Filming often involves repeated takes, switching between different angles, and carefully crafting each scene over and over again. The performance and the energy are broken into fragments, which the director pieces together like a Lego set.
For this reason, the British academy style doesn't favor method acting—
Method acting demands that actors fully immerse themselves into the role, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. But this out-of-control state can't always be harnessed at will. Each performance may end up being different, making it hard for the final cut to feel cohesive.
So, they lean toward the presentational style, where actors deliver precise, controlled emotions and performances while staying fully aware, doing exactly what the director needs.
But that's a side note.
Different acting styles yield different results; there's no one right answer, just the one that suits the actor.
Like what was happening now.
The three actors were fully immersed in their roles, capturing the essence of method acting. Even though each take might have slight differences in detail, their overall energy remained consistent, and they were able to slip back into character instantly.
The filming went smoothly.
From close-ups to extreme close-ups, various angles and compositions were used. After much thought, Mackie and Eric resumed filming, capturing all the details they were aiming for.
Until—
"Cut!"
Behind the monitor, Mackie jumped to his feet, beaming with excitement. He raised his hand and waved it through the air like a conductor finishing the final note of a symphony.
"Perfect!"
All eyes turned to the monitor. On the small screen, Anson's handsome face, smeared with blood, appeared frozen in shock. His eyes, wide with confusion, glistened with tears that slipped from his lashes, mixing with the blood on his face as his soul seemed to fade away.
The impact was overwhelming.
It felt like magic.
Suddenly—
The entire crew erupted into applause.
They exchanged looks, their faces alight with joy and admiration. The initial indifference and casual approach most of the crew had when they joined had completely vanished. Slowly but surely, before anyone even realized it, they'd thrown themselves wholeheartedly into the project.
The filming was finally back on track.
Nearly everyone in the crew had thought this was a quick-money job, but after fully committing, they realized it was an unexpected treasure.
Leaving aside the directors' skills and post-production work, the filming experience itself had been so captivating that it was impossible to stop.
Led by Heath and Rachel, the young actors showed immense professionalism and, more importantly, talent, diving deep into their scripts and roles. The set felt like a performance workshop at a film festival, buzzing with energy and enthusiasm.
Even the younger actors, like Aaron and Logan, picked up on the mood. They followed the lead of the older actors all day long, bringing a childlike wisdom to their roles, which added an extra layer of depth to their characters.
But at the core of it all, there was Anson.
For years, there had been endless rumors about Anson, who had become a star at a young age, soaring to fame. Many dismissed him as just another pretty face who charmed his way to the top. If that were true, why Anson and not one of the many other "pretty faces" in Hollywood?
Much like "The Butterfly Effect" as a strategic production choice and the filming of "The Elephant," all of it was part of a calculated plan to polish Anson's image step by step.
But it wasn't until you worked with him firsthand that you realized he was far more than just a pretty face.
Indeed, in Hollywood, you should never trust the rumors. If even one-tenth of them are true, that's already a stretch. At the end of the day, you have to experience things for yourself.
Bit by bit, the crew of "The Butterfly Effect" came together.
What started as a disjointed, half-hearted effort turned into a united front. The film's production and atmosphere had transformed completely.
Originally, the filming schedule was set for forty days, but everything went much more smoothly than expected. In just twenty-five days, the entire movie had been shot, wrapping two weeks ahead of schedule.
Things couldn't have gone better.
For Anson, it was his first time as a producer, and everything went smoothly. At least, the movie was already halfway to success.
Next up: post-production.