Echoes of Hollywood

On May 1, 2009, "The Wolf of Wall Street" officially began filming. However, for promotional purposes, the crew held a brief press conference in the open space in front of the warehouse set before filming started. Since Robert Downey Jr. and others needed to do their makeup in advance, Murphy was the only heavyweight present at the press conference.

Inevitably, Murphy became the focal point of the media reporters' questions.

After Kara Faith, the producer, briefly introduced the basics of the film, the Q&A session began, and a barrage of questions was directed at Murphy.

The first to stand up was a reporter from The Wall Street Journal, who asked loudly, "Murphy, can you tell us why your new work is about Wall Street and features a notorious character like Jordan Belfort?"

"Because I really like this story. That's why I secured the adaptation rights to Jordan Belfort's autobiography 'The Wolf of Wall Street' back in 2007."

Murphy had no trouble answering this question. After a moment's thought, he said, "I also collected a lot of first-hand materials related to Jordan Belfort. The reason for doing this is that I have always been interested in books or stories that I find fascinating. I believe Jordan Belfort's story holds significant cautionary value."

Murphy deliberately said these words and then paused briefly before continuing, "Another factor is the global financial crisis around 2008. While the culprits on Wall Street are undoubtedly detestable, greed, as an eternal virtue, is rooted in the hearts of people worldwide, not just Americans. On the topic of greed, it's impossible to blame any specific historical period, civilization, or individuals. It is a fundamental characteristic of survival. In this era of dramatic changes, humanity appears omnipotent, yet unfortunately, human nature itself has not evolved much."

"Director Stanton," another reporter asked, "Will you portray a realistic Wall Street?"

Murphy shrugged. "I can only say I'll try my best. After all, movies are artistically processed based on the original story."

Murphy answered a few more routine questions before returning to the studio to start filming.

In front of the two cameras already set up was a set arranged as a large office. After coming in, Murphy first walked around the set, then went to Philippe Lachel to check the camera's test shots and used a light meter to check the lighting on the set.

"David!" He waved to the lighting crew. When David Roby came over, Murphy said, "The light is too harsh. Soften it a bit."

David Roby nodded and went back to make adjustments.

Soon, Robert Downey Jr. and a group of extras, all fully made up, arrived in the big office. Robert Downey Jr. was dressed in a suit and looked quite dashing, like a successful person.

Murphy put down the light meter and walked over, asking, "Downey, how are you feeling?"

"Great!" Robert Downey Jr. replied confidently, "Fantastic! Just wait and see."

"Don't turn this character into Tony Stark," Murphy added.

During the early rehearsals, Robert Downey Jr. had often unconsciously brought elements of Tony Stark into Jordan Belfort. Although the two characters share certain similarities, they are fundamentally different.

After all departments were ready, Murphy gave Robert Downey Jr. a final reminder, "Your body language, expressions, gestures, and tone need to be on point. Show an innate confidence."

Robert Downey Jr. nodded firmly.

Apart from worrying that Robert Downey Jr. might bring too much of Tony Stark's traits into the role, Murphy had great confidence in him.

Robert Downey Jr. sat among a group of extras, and Murphy announced the start of filming.

The main camera, following the laid track, moved from afar to a close-up, first giving a panoramic view of the office before switching to a close-up shot, focusing on Robert Downey Jr., who was on the phone.

This was why Murphy had given that final instruction.

The crew had conducted thorough research, revealing that during a speech, the audience typically remembers less than 30% of what the speaker says, aside from the beginning and end. However, they remember the speaker's expressions, gestures, and tone vividly.

Even during phone conversations, when the other party can't see you, maintaining passion and using gestures and expressions naturally reflect in your voice, instilling trust in the other party.

"Remember the postcard you sent to my company a few weeks ago inquiring about high-potential, low-risk stocks?" Robert Downey Jr., using confident expressions and ample body language, effectively conveyed the character's confidence. "I just saw a stock that is the best I've seen in six months. It's a high-end technology company based in the Midwest. The approval is about to go through, introducing a new generation of radar detectors widely used in both military and civilian sectors. Your profit is, with an investment of just $6,000, you can make... $60,000!"

Murphy watched the monitor, noting that Robert Downey Jr.'s face looked a bit dark on screen.

Robert Downey Jr. isn't particularly fair-skinned, and in the current shot, he looked much darker than in person, which didn't align with Murphy's and the film's requirements.

"Cut!" Murphy immediately halted the crew and said directly, "The lighting is off!"

He raised his voice, shouting, "David, the light is still too harsh! Soften it more!"

As a director, he had to consider the skin tones based on the actual situation.

When shooting darker-skinned actors, you need to use large areas of soft light on the actor's face because dark skin absorbs light. Hard light sources create harsh highlights and can result in pitch-black shadows.

In this appearance-centric world, filming dark-skinned characters presents a challenge. While makeup can address skin color issues, good control of skin exposure during filming makes actors appear fairer on screen.

Considering skin color, besides the actor's inherent complexion, you have to account for the character's image. They might look pale, lively, tormented, or optimistic and healthy. For instance, Jordan Belfort in "The Wolf of Wall Street" should look well-dressed and slightly fairer.

After adjusting the lighting, filming resumed. With Robert Downey Jr. full of passion, it was the best time to shoot these speech scenes. After this shot, Murphy immediately led the crew to another set arranged as the Stratton Oakmont office.

More extras joined the shoot, and Robert Downey Jr. continued his fervent speech.

"See these little boxes? They're called phones. I want to tell you a secret about phones: they don't dial themselves. Without you, they're just a piece of useless plastic, like an M-16 without a well-trained Marine."

Standing on a high platform at the front of the company, Robert Downey Jr. shouted hoarsely into a microphone at the top of his lungs to an audience of over a hundred extras, including crew members, "A phone's value depends on each one of you, my well-trained Strattonites, my uncompromising killers, my warriors. You won't hang up the phone until your client buys our stock or dies!"

Three cameras rolled simultaneously: one shooting the wide shot, one focusing on Robert Downey Jr. during his speech, and the third capturing the equally passionate Jonah Hill below.

These people acted as if they were not normal.

Robert Downey Jr.'s outstanding performance carried the scene. After just one take, Murphy called it a wrap. Then, still in the same set and with the same actors, they filmed another inspiring speech by Jordan Belfort.

These speech lines weren't randomly written but were the result of collective efforts by numerous screenwriters, reflecting American social realities.

Unfounded, exaggerated speeches would feel fake, but these speeches resonated deeply with the audience, touching on issues like being evicted by landlords due to lack of money, being looked down upon by girlfriends due to lack of money, and more—problems commonly faced in real life.

Jordan Belfort's solutions naturally motivated his employees to unleash their full potential.

Apart from a minor lighting issue, everything went exceptionally well today, especially Robert Downey Jr., who was in an incredible state.

Perhaps, like Tony Stark, this role could fully showcase Robert Downey Jr.'s eloquence.

As Murphy mentioned, roles make actors, but roles also need suitable actors to shine.

"In this world, it's shameful to be poor. I've been rich, and I've been poor, and I choose to be rich every time. At least when I face difficulties with money, I'm sitting in the back seat of a luxury car, wearing a $2,000 suit and a $14,000 gold watch!"

Seeing Robert Downey Jr. in excellent form, Murphy handed over the filming to Philippe Lachel and joined the extras as one of Jordan Belfort's employees. Watching from below, he found Robert Downey Jr.'s speech even more impactful.

"If anyone thinks I'm shallow or materialistic, go get a job at McDonald's, because that's where you belong. Before you leave this room full of winners, take a good look at the people around you. In the not-too-distant future, when you're driving a beat-up old car and stop at a red light, that person will be driving a brand-new Porsche with a busty wife next to him, while next to you is a disgusting old hag who hasn't washed her hair in three days, wearing a sleeveless shirt..."

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