Global Film Emperor

Chapter 243 Daiding's Play

"Want a couple of bites? Want to have some fun?"

Lu Ze took out a catnip ball from his bag and started teasing the cripple. He hadn't brought this with him when he came to Hangzhou; he had bought it at the pet store where the cripple was being fostered.

The cripple, being a seasoned cat smoker, recognized the catnip ball immediately, even though he had only ever smoked it in bunches before. His eyes lit up instantly, and then, with a speed completely opposite to his usual slow pace, he pounced on Lu Ze's arm, snatched the catnip ball, and happily sniffed and licked it.

Lu Ze put it on the table and ignored it, closed the script, and focused his attention on Ding Zhiyi and Dai Xilu, who were preparing to film on set.

"Your cat has a very unique appearance, ugly-cute, ugly-cute."

Sitting next to Lu Ze, Xiao Fengying turned her head to look at the cripple. Seeing it enjoying itself so much, she smiled. She used to own cats too. After all, it's hard for women to resist such creatures, especially someone like Xiao Fengying, a director of romantic films with rich inner emotions. Naturally, she couldn't escape the clutches of cats.

But later, her big ragdoll cat passed away. The feeling was no less than that of watching a child she had watched grow up die in front of her. She felt she didn't want to go through that kind of sadness again, so she never kept a cat again.

But her fondness for cats still remained. When Lu Ze appeared with the cripple, her attention was drawn to him, but she really didn't understand why Lu Ze would keep such a cat.

Logically speaking, with his current income, Lu Ze could easily afford to raise not only a cat of excellent quality, but also a whole litter. However, he chose this pure black mixed-breed cat that looked ugly, with forehead wrinkles deeper than an eighty-year-old man, slanted eyes, and a limp. It had absolutely no good looks.

Hearing Xiao Fengying's words, Lu Ze just smiled and didn't reply. He had never thought he would keep a pet before. He had a strong resistance to all kinds of cute kittens, but after meeting the cripple, he didn't know why he fell in love with it. You can't be sure. No matter how beautiful other cats are, they are not as important as fate.

I put the script aside, picked up a few tissues and used them to pouch the mouth of the lame man who was lying motionless on the table with his tongue sticking out, so as to prevent him from drooling all over the table.

Lu Ze shifted his gaze to Ding Zhiyi and Dai Xilu, who were preparing to film in the camera. This was the first time Lu Ze had seen them filming, and he had never even seen their previous works. After all, they either acted in modern romance dramas or period romance dramas, which happened to be the type of drama that Lu Ze was least interested in.

"The recorder is on the board."

Xiao Fengying gave a shout, and the script supervisor entered the set, pointed at the camera, and announced the start of filming. Lu Ze also raised his attention and began to observe the two's every move.

Both of them were dressed in a youthful and fashionable style. Compared to Lu Ze, who was perceived as older by the public, they were obviously more suited to this style. The handsome young man and beautiful woman standing together were indeed a feast for the eyes.

"Why do you always look like you're sleepy? Are you that tired? Sit up straight, the teacher is watching us, and I don't want to get scolded because of you."

Seeing Dai Xilu yawning repeatedly, Ding Zhiyi felt a headache coming on. He let her walk ahead while he followed behind her, glancing at the homeroom teacher who wasn't giving the two of them a friendly look.

"What can I do if I don't get enough sleep? Yes, yes, I was wrong. I woke up late and made you late with me. I'm sorry, okay?"

It must be said that Dai Xilu's physical movements are acceptable, but her delivery of lines is somewhat lacking. Her lines are drawn out a bit, making her speech sound somewhat unnatural.

Lu Ze glanced at Xiao Fengying, but only saw her frown slightly. She didn't say to stop, probably because Dai Xilu's performance flaws were within Xiao Fengying's acceptable range.

After all, Dai Xilu is not an actress, but a popular idol. Her training before her debut should have focused on music and dance, and acting was not part of her training.

For an "amateur" actress like this, it's impossible to compare her to artists who are trained as actors. It's normal for her to have flaws. In fact, in Lu Ze's opinion, it's already quite good that she can memorize her lines. She's much better than Han Tian, ​​whom Lu Ze had worked with before. Seeing that Xiao Fengying didn't call for a stop, Lu Ze didn't say anything and continued watching.

"Do you stay up late every night? You always seem listless. Maybe you should go to the hospital for a checkup; you don't look well either."

"Don't worry, I'm really fine. One of my greatest hobbies in life is sleeping. I don't need to eat, go shopping, or put on makeup, which saves a lot of money. Plus, getting more sleep makes me healthier, so it's great."

Dai Xilu sat down, turned her head and winked at Ding Zhiyi with her left eye. This wink was indeed very charming, but it was obviously out of place and had a kind of cutesy feel to it, which didn't fit the current atmosphere and looked a bit greasy.

Lu Ze looked at Xiao Fengying, and sure enough, she frowned, picked up the handheld horn, and shouted "Cut!" She was also very dissatisfied with this scene.

"Xi Lu, pay attention. You and Zhi Yi are having a little tantrum right now. Control your expression. Don't blink like you did just now. Let's do it again. Be serious this time." Dai Xi Lu seemed to have taken it to heart. When filming started again, she did rein in that charming expression, but this time the cut was even faster because she didn't know why, she suddenly burst out laughing.

Okay, Xiao Fengying tolerated it. After all, what actor doesn't laugh during filming? Everyone's human, it's normal to lose control of emotions. But after the third take, Dai Xilu seemed a bit nervous. When Ding Zhiyi delivered her lines, she stammered and couldn't catch them. Then she just stared blankly at the camera, making Lu Ze cover his eyes.

Adding small gestures yourself is inappropriate, and laughing during a scene isn't the dumbest mistake, but forgetting your lines proves you're not familiar enough with the script, and looking directly at the camera is the most unprofessional thing you can do.

Even Xiao Fengying couldn't hold back this time. She has a good temper, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have one. After all, she is a director.

If he encountered someone with a fiery temper, like Liu Ying, a tyrant on set, he'd probably smash a thermos over his head, followed by a torrent of insults directed at his maternal relatives. Lu Ze could easily guess what the outcome would be.

"Don't look at the camera! That's the most basic quality of an actor! Haven't you studied acting? Didn't the directors of your previous works tell you that?"

"I'm sorry, Director Xiao, it's my problem."

Dai Xilu's acting skills are indeed somewhat weak, but her attitude is commendable. She did not refute, but accepted the criticism and apologized for her mistakes, which prevented Xiao Fengying from venting her anger.

“Reshoot! Remember this time! Even if you make a mistake, don’t look at the camera unless I call stop, understand what I mean? Otherwise, you’ll have to work overtime tonight watching ‘An Actor Prepares’! Never mind, let’s go eat, we’ll start work in an hour and a half.”

Xiao Fengying thought about it and decided to give up. Seeing that Dai Xilu's condition was not very stable, filming it again would only result in the same outcome.

I glanced at the time; it was already 11:30 a.m. I figured I might as well eat first and give Dai Xilu some more time to practice her skills during her lunch break. That would be more efficient than what I was doing now.

Just as Xiao Fengying announced the lunch break, the props crew member who had been lying on the ground pretending to be dead suddenly got up. His voice was incredibly loud, and he quickly asked the logistics department to bring over the boxed lunches. Then everyone scrambled to grab them. Anyone who didn't know better would think it was a war.

Wang Zixuan received three meals as usual, two of which were for Lu Ze. He has a big appetite, and the boxed meals in the south are small in portion size; one box is really not enough for him.

He put the cripple lying on the table aside, broke the disposable chopsticks apart, scraped off the burrs by crossing them, opened the lunchbox lid, took a deep sniff of the food inside, and sighed with admiration.

He hadn't eaten Zhejiang cuisine for a long time, and he hadn't filmed here in recent years. When he heard about the taste again, he still missed it.

The boxed lunch was quite good, with four dishes: two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes. The dishes included Dongpo pork, a piece of smoked fish, stir-fried cowpeas with preserved mustard greens, and chicken oil bok choy. They all suited Lu Ze's taste quite well. Although the boxed lunch was definitely not going to be very delicious, Lu Ze still ate it quite happily.

"Brother Lu, how about we go out to eat?"

Lu Ze stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth. Hearing Dai Xilu's invitation, he looked up and saw Dai Xilu and Ding Zhiyi standing in front of him. He guessed that the two of them had already discussed it.

"Never mind, I've already eaten half of it, so I'm not going."

This wasn't the first time Lu Ze had refused someone's invitation, and he didn't feel embarrassed at all. He put down his chopsticks, shook his head at the two of them, and ignored their second attempts to persuade him. He simply said he wouldn't go. He wasn't particular about food, especially on set.

It's not that actors should go hungry or cold while filming, but Lu Ze was worried that if he ate too well, he wouldn't be able to control his appetite. Even if he only gained a few pounds, it would be obvious on camera. To maintain consistency before and after filming, sacrificing some of his appetite is a professional obligation.

"Alright then, Brother Lu, I'll treat you to dinner."

After saying that, the two turned and left. Lu Ze didn't pay any attention and started playing on his phone while eating. It wasn't until two more boxed lunches were placed on the table that he looked up and made room for the two of them.

"."

(End of this chapter)