"Margot Robbie just turned 17 this month. While that age is actually closer to the character’s intended age..." In the shot breakdown room, Anna Prinz stood in front of the projector screen, pointing to a projected photo of a young actress. "But we all know that if the actress is under eighteen, work and scenes with some mature content will be problematic." Last time, Duke hadn’t really paid attention to the actress’s age. What Anna Prinz said made sense. He gestured for his assistant director to continue. Anna Prinz nodded toward the camera behind her, and an assistant quickly switched to another image. "Amber Heard has previously starred in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane and The Beautiful Ordinary, so she has some acting experience," she turned to look at the projected image, "Her looks match our requirements perfectly, and she was born in 1986, so her age is also a big advantage." Tina Fey, sitting next to Duke, spoke up at this moment, "I also think Amber Heard is suitable for the role." Seeing that both of the people hosting the second audition agreed, Duke nodded slightly and said, "Then let’s go with her. Notify Nancy as soon as possible." Amber Heard was already a signed actress under ICM. Likewise, for the male lead, Tina Fey and Anna Prinz were of the same opinion, both recommending the newly signed ICM actor, Andrew Garfield. There was certainly some favor owed to Nancy in this. That was totally normal, and Duke trusted his two assistants. He confirmed Andrew Garfield would play the male lead, Sam. As for the other less important actors, the casting was basically finalized as well. As per Duke’s request, they specifically brought in Peter Cullen, who had voiced Optimus Prime in the animated version, to voice Optimus Prime in the film. Although the male and female leads didn’t require the kind of rigorous professional training someone like Channing Tatum had to go through, they still had to work out actively and build up their physical endurance. There would be a lot of running scenes in the movie. With the leads confirmed, the production entered a new stage. Duke stayed in Los Angeles to oversee the big picture and sent John Schwartzman with a filming crew to military bases thanks to the Pentagon’s cooperation to shoot footage of fighter jets and various advanced weapons needed for the film. Staying in Los Angeles wasn’t easy for Duke either. He had to constantly communicate with the two VFX teams from Industrial Light & Magic to convey exactly what effects he wanted. He also had to review their test work to catch any shortcomings early. Then there were the explosion scenes. The filming would feature a large number of explosive sequences. Joss Williams’ team had started designing those back in July. Duke required them to do an on-site survey in Las Vegas. For some road explosion scenes, they needed to carefully control the explosive power if they actually destroyed a street in Las Vegas, the gambling city would probably go crazy. And then there were the sponsors. One by one, the cars that the Autobots would transform into were transported to the Hughes Aircraft facility in Los Angeles. The hangars there were also being used for set construction, mainly to shoot the interior scenes of Hoover Dam. The most eye-catching piece, without a doubt, was the Megatron model under construction. "Building one at home doesn’t sound bad either." Looking at the huge Megatron model at the end of the hangar, Scarlett Johansson’s eyes were practically glowing. "I still prefer Megatron over Optimus Prime. It always feels like the Autobots only win because the director and writers are helping them out, not because they’re actually stronger." She turned her head toward Duke and asked, "Can we let the Decepticons win?" Duke had just walked around a yellow Chevrolet Camaro and, hearing Scarlett’s question, replied grumpily, "What do you think?" Scarlett rolled her eyes. "The audience would never accept the Decepticons winning." If the Decepticons won, it would mean they got the AllSpark and could create a large number of Transformers. Humanity would then face a brutally grim situation. Very few audiences would want to see that kind of ending. For a big commercial production to be filmed like that would be disastrous. Taking her eyes off Megatron, Scarlett walked over to Duke and stood next to him, looking at the sedans in front of them. In fact, only Camaro Bumblebee’s transformed form—and Jazz’s Lamborghini had been delivered here. As a luxury sports car, the Camaro didn’t impress Scarlett. Her gaze quickly fell on the latest version of the Lamborghini, clearly showing her interest. Duke understood his own mindset—he was old-fashioned and didn’t really care about cars. But Scarlett was different; she really liked cars. "In about three days, a high-end Lamborghini of the same model will be delivered to Los Angeles," Duke said slowly. "You can just drive it home then." "For me?" Scarlett smiled. "Yeah..." Duke nodded. "I had it custom ordered for you from Lamborghini." "You didn’t get one for yourself?" Scarlett walked closer. Duke shook his head, "I don’t like that kind of car." He rarely drove anymore. And even if he did, it definitely wouldn’t be a flashy sports car like that. Scarlett opened her mouth but swallowed her words. She’d known Duke for years and naturally understood what kind of person he was. Seeing Duke about to dive back into work, she said, "I won’t bother you then. I’ll go chat with Tina for a bit and come back after work." Time slowly edged into October. Transformers’ production gradually reached its final stages. By late October, the film officially began shooting at Warner Bros. Studios. Duke, along with Hasbro and Warner Bros., held a large press conference to support the film’s publicity efforts. There’s no denying that Transformers has a massive fanbase in North America. When the press conference was held, not only did nearly five hundred reporters crowd into the lobby of the Warner building, but also thousands of Transformers fans gathered outside. These people held up various versions of the toys, as well as large posters of Duke himself, to show their support for the film. However, no one knows how many childhood memories have already been ruined by Hollywood. A small group of "Transformers fans" held protest signs opposing the adaptation of Transformers into a live-action film. Stubborn traditionalists exist in every country and every era. It’s perfectly normal to have both support and opposition. None of this would hinder the normal proceedings of the press conference. "There are so many reporters outside. I’m really nervous right now." In the lounge on the first floor, Amber Heard was pacing back and forth. "I need to breathe. I need to stay calm. I need to act like a mature star!" On the other side, Andrew Garfield was sitting in a chair. He rolled his eyes at Amber Heard’s long legs but didn’t say anything. He was nervous too, though he wouldn’t show it easily. Knowing how to present your best side to the media is a required skill. He had been studying under ICM’s guidance for quite a while now. The door to the lounge was pushed open from the outside, and Nancy Josephson walked in. She glanced at the two actors under her wing and said, "It’s about to start. Do you remember what I told you?" Amber Heard and Andrew Garfield both nodded. Nancy reminded them again, "There’s no need to be overly nervous. The media’s focus will definitely be on Duke." Just as the agent predicted, after the press conference began, Amber Heard and Andrew Garfield found that the media only asked them a few inconsequential questions, then threw all the real questions at the film’s director. "They’re just a couple of lucky kids." In the back row of the press area, a female reporter said to the cameraman, "No need to put too much effort into them." The cameraman seemed new and asked in confusion, "Why do you say that?" "Don’t talk to me about good-looking young actors." The female reporter snorted and said, "Even a pig would become a massive star if Duke Rosenberg picked it." Just like the reporter said, the media’s focus remained squarely on Duke. However, Duke was experienced and handled it with ease. He also revealed some information appropriately so the media had material to hype up. "Without a doubt, the lead of the film will be Optimus Prime." Duke didn’t hide the fact that humans were merely side characters to the leader of the Autobots. He said, "Optimus Prime is the most popular Transformer. His steady, wise, brave, and compassionate character is what makes him so beloved." He adjusted the microphone slightly and continued, "In the movie we’re about to begin shooting, whether it’s his six-wheeled truck head form or his robot form, even his transformation process and sound effects will be exactly like those from the cartoon twenty years ago. The only difference is that the old cartoon was 2D animation, and today’s film will be fully 3D. With Industrial Light & Magic’s advanced special effects technology, every transformation of Optimus Prime can be clearly seen." A reporter stood up and asked, "Director Rosenberg, it’s rumored that you will be using 3D technology to shoot Transformers. Is that true?" "3D technology isn’t just some gimmick to fool kids. It allows the audience to be more immersed while watching, as if they’re really there." Duke answered seriously, "I don’t want the audience to just watch the movie, watch the world of Transformers. I want them, through 3D technology, to enter that world. It will create a stark difference between watching at home and in the theater. I hope 3D technology will draw everyone into cinemas to watch Transformers." If you want audiences to go to the theater, you must present something they can’t see on the small screen. Amber Heard and Andrew Garfield were somewhat disappointed with the press conference. It was completely different from what they had expected. The media paid very little attention to them. Fortunately, neither of them was dumb they knew everything would change after the film was released. For now, what they should do was fully dedicate themselves to the upcoming shoot. 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