Global Film Emperor

Chapter 31 Interview
There was a faint aroma of tea in the room. Lu Ze's nose was quite sensitive, and he could smell the faint sweetness. The window was covered with blinds, but the apartment faced the sun and did not feel dark.

There were three people sitting in the room. The one in the middle was Guo Mingde, while Lu Ze didn't recognize the other two.

"Um, Lu Ze, a freelance actor, right?"

Guo Mingde leaned back in his chair, looking tired after interviewing over a hundred people that day. He took a puff of a cigarette between his fingers, held Lu Ze's file, and asked a question with his head down.

"Yes, a freelance actor."

His throat was a little tight. After all, he was a top-tier director of domestic TV dramas, and this was the first time he had seen him speak in person. Naturally, he felt some pressure.

Although he had met clients with even more impressive backgrounds than Guo Mingde during the course, he didn't really care about signing a deal with such a high-profile person. But now, he desperately needed this role.

"Sit down. I'll give you one minute to prepare, and then we'll begin."

Upon hearing Guo Mingde's words, Lu Ze sat on the stool, only occupying two-thirds of the seat, with his hands on his knees. He didn't sit up straight, but rather relaxed.

How long did you stay in Hengdian?

"Two years."

"Then why have I only seen your performance records from the last two months or so? You haven't performed in any major productions before?"

After flipping through the files, Guo Mingde frowned, feeling somewhat displeased. It was aimed at the Actors Guild. They had only been filming a major production for a little over two months when they started pushing it onto his side, and what kind of roles were they playing? They were all minor characters, and in some of the productions, he, as a fellow actor, had never even heard of the directors.

Lu Ze didn't answer, nor did he know how to answer. He could only gather his emotions and wait to try out the role.

"Ready? Let's begin, Zhang Lixian."

"Have!"

Lu Ze immediately stood up from the stool and answered loudly, his voice very loud, but the three interviewers couldn't see anything else in his voice yet.

"You will take over the second main force regiment."

Guo Mingde sat down and delivered his lines in a calm tone, leaving Lu Ze to improvise.

"Yes! I request that white phosphorus bombs be used to bombard the Japanese second line of defense, and I believe that American aircraft can carry out a second air raid."

The voice had a distinct pause and was full of tension. The three nodded to each other in agreement. With just one sentence, an expert could tell a lot about an actor's delivery skills.

"Okay." Guo Mingde picked up the teacup, blew on the steam, took a sip, recited his lines again, crossed his arms, and waited for Lu Ze to finish.

Lu Ze began to walk slowly around the room, head down, as if he really had a map to observe. Then, with a confident expression, he revealed a slightly mocking smile: "I hope the American plane was carrying a high-explosive gasoline incendiary bomb."

"No, the remnants of your First Main Regiment are still here, entangled with our army."

"I know, but so what?"

Lu Ze's confidence and pride grew stronger, and Guo Mingde noticed this. He wasn't expressionless; he was using his tone to enhance the feeling.

He observed Lu Ze's expression, which gradually changed. His eyes conveyed a sense of pride without appearing exaggerated, a rare quality for a 24-year-old high school graduate working as a background voice actor. Lu Ze didn't have time to observe the expressions of the three interviewers; he was completely immersed in the role, his performance remaining remarkably stable. He looked down at the "topographical map" and enunciated each word clearly.

"The entire regiment, with their blood and flesh, had just won back every inch of ground, and now it's all about to vanish into thin air."

His brows furrowed, but his posture remained ramrod straight. His powerful and resonant narration, as if convincing himself, delivered his final line with a tone that even convinced himself.

"To die for one's country is a fitting endeavor."

The room fell silent. The three of them didn't speak. Guo Mingde reached out and pressed down, gesturing for Lu Ze to sit down. He was filled with questions, and when he looked at the other two, their eyes conveyed the same meaning.

"You've studied acting, haven't you? You've received systematic training, so why isn't that listed in your file?"

Many directors have asked this question, and Lu Ze still gives the same answer: "I've read a few books; I'm self-taught."

"fart."

Guo Mingde didn't say those two words aloud, but he just thought to himself, "It would be a miracle if he believed that this was self-taught. From the lines to the movements, to the changes in facial expressions, to the virtual creation of the environment, most of the new generation of actors who graduated from colleges and universities are probably not as good as him. How could this be self-taught by reading books? Then what is the point of offering a performance major?"
He doesn't believe that any performing genius can learn without a teacher and reach a high level by reading a couple of books. Even if you are a genius, later learning and training are equally important, which is why it is difficult for ordinary people to get ahead.

Let's leave that topic aside, because whether he studied it or not, what Lu Ze is hiding from him is none of Guo Mingde's business, as long as he has no criminal record. By the way, I'll have to check that later.

Currently, all he needs to consider is whether Lu Zehe is suitable for the role.

First, let's look at his appearance. He's young, handsome, and has a decent appearance, which fits the role. His hairstyle is a buzz cut, but he can grow it out later.

While charisma is a mysterious thing, it certainly exists. Lu Ze had spent two years working his way up in Hengdian, so he naturally carried a bit of a peasant vibe. However, his acting skills were enough to cover up his original old, shabby appearance, and he could still pass the test.

As for acting skills, he is one of the best among all the new generation actors he has ever seen. His lines are solid and well-structured, his movements are natural and never dragging. He has a perfect grasp of emotion and rhythm, and his level of subtlety is very high. What needs to be considered now is his sense of camera presence and ability to maintain his state during actual filming. He shouldn't be so inconsistent, performing well one day and then having a bad day the next, which is a common problem for many young actors.

After taking a sip of tea, I glanced at the expressions of the other two interviewers. Their opinions were written all over their faces; there was no need to ask, they were clearly satisfied.

"Okay, go back and wait for news. I'll give you an answer in about three or four days. You can go now. Be careful on your way back."

Although the three of them were very satisfied with Lu Ze, there were still many other actors to choose from, so they had to compare different options. However, they were also pessimistic about whether the younger actors could surpass Lu Ze's performance. They were just waiting to see how it went, as it was basically a done deal and there wouldn't be any changes.

"Thank you, Director Guo, thank you so much."

Lu Ze stepped forward and extended his hand. The three of them politely shook hands with Lu Ze. They gave him encouragement by shaking hands with both hands on one palm and patted the back of his hand with their other hands.

"This kid is good. His acting skills are solid, and he's polite. He's much more sensible than those other kids from the academy."

The producer took a sip of tea and praised Lu Ze, saying that, putting aside others, the young man Lu Ze had interviewed before, a recent college graduate, had only been interviewed for a small role. After hearing that he would have to wait for news, he nodded, patted his behind, and ran away. This infuriated the three of them, who wondered how the school teachers had taught their students.

"He's polite, but he's also quite cunning."

Guo Mingde flipped through the list of actors to be auditioned next, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and squinted. It wasn't that he was holding a grudge against Lu Ze for hiding his systematic training in acting, but he just felt that this kid was trying to hide something.

"After spending two years in Hengdian, you'd be a fool if you didn't have some cunning. Sigh~ How much more is there to come? My old back is aching."

(End of this chapter)