Dunn recruited 42 people from the grassroots to be his core team, but two of them were just hopeless—lazy and useless—so they got fired.
Even with these people, it wasn't enough to shoot a high-quality Hollywood movie. So, Dunn ended up using AA's "half-packaged" service.
AA handled filling in the gaps for extras and crew members, but the production had to pay an extra $2 million for it.
Sofia Coppola got into the *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* crew through AA's connections, all thanks to her family ties.
The reason was simple: she wanted to see what Dunn Walker, Hollywood's hottest young director, was all about.
Sofia comes from the top-tier Coppola family in Hollywood. She started acting young, but *The Godfather Part III* pretty much ended her acting career.
Now, at 26, Sofia's determined to switch gears and take up directing, following in her father's footsteps!
Actually, three years ago, she wanted to make the switch, but her family was totally against it. A young woman like her? Directing? They thought there was no way she could make a good movie.
That all changed this year when an 18-year-old kid's *Titanic* hit theaters and took the world by storm. It completely shifted the Coppola family's perspective.
Times have changed.
Young people deserve a shot!
That's how Sofia finally got her chance to direct. But she's cautious and humble, knowing she lacks experience and control. So, through her dad's connections, she joined Dunn's crew to see firsthand how this young director runs things and learn from him.
Once she got to the set, Sofia was shocked and impressed—everyone on the *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* crew revolved around Dunn Walker.
Sofia's job is as a director's assistant, which basically means running errands for the director, assistant directors, and others.
But she's way too famous for that. Besides Dunn and Nicole, she's got the biggest name on set, so no one dares boss her around.
Right now, Sofia's shadowing assistant director Andy Thompson, quietly studying how he coordinates actors and directs lines.
Andy, a nearly 50-year-old guy, is surprisingly kind. Sofia couldn't help but question him, "Andy, they're just extras. Shouldn't you be stricter? Otherwise, how do you keep them in line?"
Sofia grew up around her dad, so she's not clueless about directing.
Andy smiled and shook his head. "Sofia, extras have it tough. They have dreams but no hope in sight. If we intimidate them, sure, we can get the shots done, but stiff emotions easily seep into the performance. A gentler approach, inspiring and guiding them, often leads to unexpected results."
Sofia was stunned—this was something she'd never heard from her dad. "Andy, your methods are really impressive!"
Andy waved it off with a laugh. "Nothing impressive about it. Two months ago, I was an extra myself!"
"Wha… what?"
Sofia thought she misheard, blinking a few times. "Andy, you're joking, right?"
Andy frowned, dead serious. "Sofia, I'm not joking. Two months ago, we were all scraping by at the bottom of Hollywood. The boss handpicked us for the company."
Sofia froze, her face stiff. She didn't believe Andy at all!
Even if Dunn Walker is a genius, there's no way he'd be reckless enough to mess around with a movie backed by tens of millions of dollars.
She went to talk to cinematographer Alice Moore next.
Sofia studied cinematography, so she could see how skilled and professional Alice was. A few times, Alice's framing suggestions even got high praise from Dunn Walker.
There's no way she's from the bottom, right?
Female cinematographers are rare enough, and someone at Alice's level? No way she'd go unnoticed.
"Alice, your work is amazing! If you don't mind me asking, what was your job before this?" Sofia tried to phrase it carefully—she really respected such a talented female cinematographer.
Alice looked puzzled. "Before? I was a cinematographer. Why?"
"Have you shot movies before?"
"Yeah, I have."
"How many?"
"Dozens, probably."
"No way!" Sofia secretly rolled her eyes—she didn't buy it. But she smiled happily. *See, I knew it! A cinematographer this good has to be a pro. No way she's from the bottom.*
"It's nothing, just curious. Andy said everyone here's from the grassroots, but I didn't believe him."
"Oh, that!" Alice laughed self-deprecatingly. "Andy's right. I'm from the grassroots too."
Sofia frowned, confused and annoyed. "Alice, I'm serious—I'm not joking!"
Alice looked surprised. "I'm not joking either. I really am from the grassroots."
"But didn't you say you've shot dozens of movies?" Sofia was getting mad. Why is everyone in Dunn Walker's crew such a liar?
"I have shot dozens of movies!"
Seeing Sofia's angry, puffed-up face, Alice chuckled. "Alright, Sofia, you've misunderstood. The movies I'm talking about aren't the same as the ones you're thinking of."
"Huh?"
Sofia's frown deepened.
"I'm from the San Fernando Valley." Alice paused, then added, in case this rich girl didn't get it, "You know, the place that specializes in adult films."
Sofia's brain short-circuited. Her entire worldview, outlook on life, and values collapsed!
Stars in her eyes, her jaw dropped so wide you could fit an apple in it.
After a long while, Sofia snapped out of it, muttering, "But… but how could he know you? And why would he bring you in to shoot a Hollywood movie?"
"You mean the boss?" Alice shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe he saw some of my work. I mean… my stuff sold pretty well."
Sofia's face twisted, her pale cheeks turning all sorts of colors.
…
"Yesterday, my brother saw you two kissing in the parking lot! Then he told my mom, my mom told me, I told your mom, and… well, the cat's out of the bag!"
Watching this random bit player deliver such an amazing performance, Sofia didn't even know what to say.
Of Dunn's three assistant directors, the most "qualified" one, David Knight, had only audited classes at USC for two years. But his ability to direct actors? Honestly, better than her dad's assistants.
And Nicole Kidman's acting? It went from clueless at the start to smooth and confident.
Looking at her deliberately uglified face, you'd never guess this was the stunning Mrs. Cruise. Under Dunn's constant criticism and corrections, Nicole Kidman was quietly transforming.
Sofia stared at Dunn Walker, fully focused on directing, her expression complicated.
"Cut!" Dunn shouted. "Great job, Nicole. I really appreciate your professionalism. That's a wrap for this scene. Take a 20-minute break—we're shooting the family meeting next."
Nicole Kidman let out a breath. Despite Dunn's praise, she was fuming inside. She was exhausted, holding on purely by professionalism and sheer willpower.
"Sofia, I've never met such a stubborn director! Your dad… Mr. Coppola, is he like this too?" Nicole didn't want to deal with Dunn and went straight to Sofia to vent.
Sofia looked at Nicole's angry face, feeling a bit down. "Nicole, you've got Dunn all wrong."
"Wrong?" Nicole laughed coldly. "You think I don't know what that guy's up to? He comes to my room every night—you know what that means, right? He's torturing me, trying to break me!"
Sofia froze, then straightened up. "Nicole, you've got it wrong! Sure, Dunn comes to my room every night too, making some demands. But so what? He's 19! Isn't this just typical for a guy his age?"
"You…"
Nicole was stunned, not expecting Sofia to say that.
Sofia got serious. "Nicole, you're an amazing, professional actor—I see that. But please, trust Dunn's professionalism too, okay? He might make some… demands, but that's just personal stuff. It has nothing to do with the movie. Understand?"
"But he's been torturing me! Constantly! Relentlessly!"
Nicole grabbed her hair, looking half-crazed.
Sofia's expression was solemn. As an outsider, she could see things clearly. "Nicole, I hope you don't judge Dunn with malice. Sure, he's got some bad habits, but he's not a bad person, okay? You say he's torturing you, but I can tell you responsibly—Nicole, your performances lately? They're the best I've ever seen from you!"
"Huh? R-really?"
Nicole was stunned. All she felt toward Dunn was frustration, like he was just another industry bigwig hovering around her, threatening her.
Hearing Sofia say this, she suddenly realized… Dunn might actually be different. In private, he never mentions the movie. On set, he never brings up personal stuff.
If anything, he's "using momentum," not "threatening" her.
"Maybe… I really did misunderstand…"
Nicole muttered, dazed.
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