Chapter 130: Studio 25

[Chapter 130: Studio 25]

"She has to fit the traditional look of a blonde beauty, she needs to be comedic, and drop-dead gorgeous..."

"Amber Heard, you must be looking for her. She checks all your boxes: blonde, a stunning beauty, and she just starred in the comedy movie, The Rum Diary, playing a fun-loving high school girl," Fizz immediately thought of a name.

Amber's comedic talent would shine years later on live court television, especially when faced with the absurdity of a public display of feces on the bed. The brief flicker of surprise on her face, quickly masked by mock seriousness, followed by a pained expression, "My dog stepped on a bee..."

Fizz recommended a few more candidates to Ryan.

"You happen to know quite a few actresses?"

"Just acquaintances, really. I crossed paths with Amber at a fashion event hosted by Dior this year."

"Did she exhibit... any odd behavior?"

"She's much more normal than you, at least she seems to be."

"If possible, let's have them all come in for auditions," Ryan said, casting a wide net to find the actress who would best embody the image of Caroline in his mind.

As for the other candidate for Max, even though Daddario might have lacked a spark in her eyes, Ryan still intended to choose her. As his former assistant, she didn't have much credit but had put in her fair share of hard work. She had been a nobody before, relying solely on herself -- in other words, Ryan found her easier to manage.

...

When he met with Daddario again, she excitedly shared all the preparations she had been making to portray Max. She had adopted a quick-witted style reminiscent of Amy Schumer, with a faster pace of speech, as well as inspirations from Courteney Cox in Friends and Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City.

It was clear she was putting in the effort and didn't want to waste a single ounce of Ryan's creative energy.

"I've moved all my stuff over. The place is really close to Burbank High School. The bed is super spacious and soft, and the kitchen is well-stocked... you can come over anytime," Daddario gushed, emphasizing her last point.

Filming a TV series was a long-term commitment, so Ryan had her move to Los Angeles, with the rent covered by him, a way to keep his star close.

On the way to the shooting location, Daddario threw her arms around Ryan. It had been a while since they'd seen each other.

"I have to cherish every second we have together. Once we get there, I won't be able to touch you," her face pressed against his chest.

To avoid getting spotted by intrusive paparazzi, Ryan insisted she maintain a distance from him in public places.

"I'll be in Los Angeles for two extra days," Ryan reminded her.

"Really? That's awesome! What do you want to eat tonight? I'll cook for you," Daddario immediately replied.

If it had been Taylor, she would probably have just said, "I want to eat XYZ tonight, make it for me." Taylor always had a whirlwind schedule and never lingered in Florida for long, while Daddario seemed to have a more intuitive understanding of Ryan's busy life.

...

About half an hour later, their vehicle stopped at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. As Ryan stepped out of the car, he spotted the iconic Warner Water Tower in the distance, adorned with the blue and gold emblem before AT&T's acquisition.

If you asked who the most frustrating client was in Hollywood, opinions might vary, but DC fans usually shared a common sentiment.

At that moment, however, Warner Bros. wasn't as notorious as it would later become. While things were problematic from top to bottom, the remnants of The Lord of the Rings were still lingering; the Harry Potter franchise was booming, and The Dark Knight was highly likely to clinch the title of the year's box office champion.

But all that didn't concern Ryan. His presence there was merely because of Julie's connections with CW, and Warner owns half of the shares of CW TV station, allowing her to set up the shoot there.

The CW stands for CBS and Warner.

As for why CBS came before Warner, that was simply for a catchier name.

Julie and Trey personally picked Ryan up; as he was the "money man," there had to be a level of formality. All the budget came from his wallet, after all, and the numerous crew members depended on him for their livelihoods.

Inside the studio lot, massive industrial buildings formed a sprawling complex, hence the name soundstage.

"This is where Friends was filmed. Although the show ended four years ago, there are still crew members working on some post-production stuff. Want to take a peek inside?"

"Last month, Gossip Girl shot some interior scenes here. The lead actress lives very nearby."

"Hi! Angus, is the filming going well this season? Yeah, this is Ryan; you can talk later, I need to take him elsewhere..."

"That's Jake Harper from Two and a Half Men!" Daddario exclaimed as she turned around.

"Yep, that show was filmed here too," Julie nodded.

As they rode on the golf cart, Ryan also spotted Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory dash past. The Big Bang Theory was filmed entirely at Warner Bros. Studio's Stage 25, which had only premiered the year before.

...

Ryan's rental stage was also Stage 25, where both The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men were filmed.

Upon entering the massive metal warehouse, Ryan saw that the interior was illuminated with indoor lighting. It was divided into several sections; some had already been built out while others appeared dilapidated -- leftovers from past productions that shot there.

"Once you cross this yellow line, that's our shooting area," Julie informed everyone.

Ryan noticed the yellow line beneath his feet, with the name of 2 Broke Girls scrawled in marker on it.

The most common settings, the diner and the apartment scenes, had already been erected and were mostly complete. Some workers were busy hammering and sawing away. In a stage setting, these bars, tables, and kitchens only had one side; they weren't constructed to be fully real, which made for faster building times.

"Not bad," Ryan remarked as he stood in the diner, feeling that while some details were a bit different from what he envisioned, it wouldn't affect filming. The bedroom setup was similar.

As for some minor scenes, like Han's office, they were only halfway done.

The main purpose of this visit was to observe the set construction. At this moment, Julie and Trey approached Ryan, smiling.

"Ryan, everything good?" Julie asked with a grin.

As an executive producer, she oversaw matters like logistics, location, and budget; for her, what they filmed wasn't as important. There were always plenty of projects in the pipeline, so when Trey contacted her, she was quick to agree.

Trey, aside from directing, also carried the title of co-producer, as half of the crew, including the assistant director, cinematographer, makeup, and sound, were her trusted team.

Seeing Ryan nod, Julie quickly gave Trey a knowing glance. Trey appeared a little self-conscious but finally steeled herself to speak, "Uh, we're slightly over budget..."

"How much more?" Ryan didn't inquire about specifics since finances were Trey's area to handle.

"We need an extra $100,000 right away to pay the set supplier, and then there's the crew's wages coming up," Trey explained with a smile.

"I'll approve another $300,000, and if that's not enough, just ask for more," Ryan replied, feeling generous. Anyway, all the expenses were paid by Taylor.

After all, his earnings depended on the quality of the show, not on being stingy; if his crew wasn't well-fed, how would they perform their best work?

"Ryan is incredibly generous; I'll say thanks on behalf of the other crew members," Julie remarked gratefully.

Trey could barely contain her excitement, practically wanting to shout "yes."

"Where are we doing the auditions?" Ryan asked.

"In my office, it's not far from here," Julie stated.

Ryan had Julie contact Fizz directly to arrange the audition schedule.

...

"Teresa Palmer, 22 years old, stands at 5'6", from Australia..." a blonde girl introduced herself in front of Ryan.

Trey and Julie sat beside Ryan, while Daddario stood aside, preparing to act alongside the auditionee.

High-quality production area for blonde actresses - Australia.

Nicole Kidman (with dyed hair), Cate Blanchett, Naomi Watts, and other Australian stars were well-known.

Ryan thought this one was not far behind the Australian actresses of yesteryears.

"Have people ever told you that you resemble Kristen Stewart?" Ryan asked.

This girl before him could definitely be considered a blonde version of Kristen, her features strikingly similar. Ryan thought her nose was even more elegant than Kristen's, and overall she seemed like a fusion of Kristen and Scarlett Johansson -- combining both delicacy and appeal.

"People say that all the time," she responded with a slight shake of her head, appearing a bit resigned.

If you were too much like another actress, it could actually be a negative, especially if that actress was currently at the peak of her fame.

"Let's get started with your audition," Trey interjected when she noticed Ryan wasn't probing further.

Teresa had received the character sketch and a few pages of the script ahead of time, and she immediately went into a scene with Daddario.

The segment was only a few minutes long. Since there had already been seven or eight "Caroline" auditions, they had seen this scene too many times and had memorized the beats, making it hard to be genuinely amused.

"If possible, I'd like to perform it again, I don't think I represented the character well," Teresa expressed.

"Once is enough. Regardless of whether you get selected or not, we'll call you," Julie assured her.

...

After Teresa left, Ryan began discussing with the two women.

"I think she's pretty good, definitely better than the previous applicants," Julie noted.

"And she fits well, even though she hasn't done much comedy. But she does have some comedic flair," Trey added in.

"I think she's good too, it's just that she looks too much like Kristen," Ryan said, feeling a bit of frustration.

"Comedic Kristen? I think that could actually be a selling point, don't you?" Julie suggested.

"There's still one more Caroline to see, we can wait to decide after we see her performance," Trey reminded him.

Ryan checked the time; there were only fifteen minutes until the stipulated audition session was over. Logically, this "Amber" should have been scheduled before Teresa.

...

Fifteen minutes later...

"Wrap it up." Ryan stood up right on schedule, concluding the auditions for the day.

Showing up late for an audition, even if it was just for a rehearsal, was frankly unprofessional. He wouldn't work with someone like that no matter how talented they might be.

Just as Ryan got up, the door swung open suddenly, and a breathless blonde woman rushed inside.

"I'm... I'm not late!" Upon seeing Ryan stand, she quickly improvised, "There were no parking spots outside; I got delayed a few minutes."

"That's not an excuse," Ryan said, walking towards the exit.

She stepped forward, trying to block his path, but he easily pushed past her, causing her to crash against the wall.

Looking at Trey and Julie, who were both just watching, Amber realized they were powerless to help; Ryan alone had the final say.

"Wait..." Amber chased after him.

*****

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