Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 234 There Are Many Smart People

Huang Xiaoming is a very interesting person.

After Cao Yang decided on him, he asked him to join the team by mid-April at the latest, and he readily agreed.

The two leading actresses joined the crew as early as late March, so this time is actually considered late for him.

The problem is that Huang Xiaoming is still filming "The Return of the Condor Heroes", and according to the plan, the filming will last until the end of April.

This is also the reason why Cao Yang did not choose Chen Shu to play the other female lead. Chen Shu also has the same problem. The filming of "The Counterfeiter" she is currently filming will not be completed until around April.

Lu Yi does not have this problem. She is only a minor supporting role in "The Fairy From the Other World". Before her scenes were filmed, Chen Gufang had already solved it for her.

Huang Xiaoming’s solution is also very simple.

He found producer Zhang Jizhong in the evening, chatted with him for a while, then handed a bank card with a password written on it to Zhang Jizhong, and explained with a smile:
“Director Zhang, this is my advance payment for taking on the role of The Return of the Condor Heroes. Please don’t be in a hurry to refuse. To be honest, I have learned so much from working with you. Not only has my acting skills improved a lot, but I have also learned very valuable ways to deal with people from you.

I have always been grateful to you, so I wanted to repay you. I know you have everything you need, and I really can't think of how to do it, so I might as well just star in this TV show for free..."

Until he left, Huang Xiaoming did not make any requests, nor did he mention that he wanted to join "Black Swan".

Although the director of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" is Yu Min, the copyright of the TV series is in the hands of Zhang Jizhong, and the producer is also Zhang Jizhong. Zhang Jizhong has the final say on everything in this drama.

Zhang Jizhong was still confused until Huang Xiaoming left.

No one knew better than him how Huang Xiaoming won the competition with Nie Yuan for Yang Guo.

But what is Huang Xiaoming singing today?
He first called director Yu Min and asked about Huang Xiaoming's recent performance.

Upon learning that Huang Xiaoming had been performing very well, Yu Min finally mentioned that Huang Xiaoming had taken a day off a few days ago due to something, but had worked overtime in the past few nights and had caught up with the progress. He also treated the crew to midnight snacks every day.

Because Huang Xiaoming has always been a good person on the crew, everyone did not show much resistance to working overtime.

Did you take a day off?
Then Zhang Jizhong made a few more phone calls and got a general idea of ​​the situation.

In the domestic film and television circles, especially the TV drama industry, Zhang Jizhong is considered to be one of the few people standing at the top of the pyramid. Cao Yang did not deliberately conceal the news, so it was easy for Zhang to find out.

Then, Zhang Jizhong felt relieved and couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

"This kid is so lucky!"

The next day, Huang Xiaoming's scenes were concentrated for filming. Originally, he was scheduled to stay with the crew until the end of April, but on April 6, all his scenes were finished.

After Huang Xiaoming finished filming, he treated the entire crew to a big meal, saying that it was to thank everyone for their help in recent times.

During the meal, Xiaolongnu and her mother also came, and several main actors sat at the same table.

"Brother Xiao Ming, I heard that you got another role from Director Cao?"

Xiao Long Nu asked in a low voice.

"Oh, why are you pinching me?"

Xiao Longnu glared at her mother. Her mother had just twisted her arm and it was very painful.

Her mother smiled awkwardly at Huang Xiaoming, "Xiaoming, Xixi is still young and doesn't know much. She speaks without restraint. Don't mind it."

Who knows whether others want to keep this kind of thing secret, or if they were just candidates but not selected, wouldn't that offend people?

"It's okay, Sister Li. It's not a secret. I'll be joining the crew the day after tomorrow. Director Cao will explain the play to us during this time."

Huang Xiaoming said softly with a smile on his face.

Xiao Longnu and her mother both showed envious expressions.

"Brother Xiao Ming, is it Inception?"

Huang Xiaoming shook his head and said with a smile: "It's not that one, it's an art film called Black Swan. Director Cao said it will be shown at the Venice Film Festival."

"ah!"

This year's junior Xiao Long Nu may have great respect for art films and the three major European films because she studies at the Beijing Film Academy.

Nowadays, domestic commercial films are just starting out, and most actors who graduate from academic institutions are almost all like this. They attach great importance to awards, especially the three major European awards.

"Congratulations, Brother Xiao Ming. Don't forget your aunt when you become rich."

Xiao Longnu was just envious and didn't have too many thoughts. After all, when the news came out, she was too young and didn't meet the requirements.

"Go ahead, that's rude."

Xiao Longnu's mother gently hit her daughter, then asked, "Xiao Ming, is Black Swan a ballet movie?"

There is nothing to hide, Huang Xiaoming nodded.

"I don't know the specific content, but Director Cao told me that this is a movie about ballet dancers, and almost all the actresses in the crew are former dancers."

After hearing what Huang Xiaoming said, Xiaolongnu's mother was no longer just envious.

ballet!
I am best at ballet and I have never given it up.

If I could act in Director Cao's movie and have a good relationship with him, would Xixi be able to develop better?
What a pity! It’s so difficult to meet Director Cao, and even more difficult to star in his movies.

According to Xixi, the only people in China who could get face from Director Cao were Teacher Situ and Tian Zhuangzhuang, but it was not easy for mother and daughter to establish a good relationship with these two.

Ugh!
If I were ten years younger... maybe I could think of a solution.

The notice Chen Shu received also required her to join the team before mid-April at the latest.

She doesn't have to go around in circles like Huang Xiaoming did.

After receiving Ning Hao's notice, she was a little disappointed but more excited.

That was Cao Yang's movie. Many people were vying to be in it. Even if it was just a role with not many lines, it was what domestic actors dreamed of.

In the domestic film and television circles, it is well known that Director Cao is good at promoting people, winning awards, and has a global box office that far outstrips domestic directors.

Another point that makes domestic actors love and hate it is that Director Cao likes to use "old people"!
As long as you have been in Director Cao's film once, even if it was just a small supporting role, he will think of these "old people" first when there is a role in the future.

Only when these people are not suitable will he look outside.

So, even though she didn't have many scenes, Chen Shu was still very excited.

After considering it, she told the news to Liu Yunlong, the director of "The Counterfeiter". After all, Liu Yunlong had supported her audition before.

Speaking of disappointment, Liu Yunlong was much more disappointed than Chen Shu, the person involved.

If Chen Shu can be chosen as the female lead, she will definitely become popular, and the first TV series he directed, "The Counterfeiter", will also reap the benefits.

Now...it might be a bit difficult to reap the benefits.

However, since Chen Shu could appear in Cao Yang's movie, she would have more opportunities in the future, and who knows, she might become a big star. Liu Yunlong felt that there was no need for him to offend her.

What's more, if I had to block Chen Shu's schedule, not to mention what would happen to Chen Shu, would I offend Cao Yang?
As a Beijing Film Academy student, how could I offend Cao Yang?

I am not that brave, nor that stupid. Isn't this cutting myself off from the Beijing Film Academy?

Liu Yunlong thought for a moment and cursed himself for being an idiot. Isn’t this a good opportunity?

When Cao Yang first won the Golden Lion Award a few years ago, Beijing Film Academy was making a big fuss about "coders". As an actor, he was not particularly famous and had no qualifications to participate. Now that he is a director, he must want to get into the core circle of Beijing Film Academy.

So, taking advantage of the Chen Shu incident, he called Cao Yang.

The content is simple and polite.

It roughly means:
Chen Shu is currently filming in my crew, and the filming was originally scheduled to end in May. Since she is participating in Director Cao's movie, as a Beijing Film Academy student, I will definitely give my full support.

Give me a week, I will shoot her scene first, and then let her report on time after a week.

If a week is too long, I will suspend the crew and wait for Chen Shu to finish filming Director Cao's scene before filming mine!

Don't despise Liu Yunlong's little thoughts. There is nothing shameful about doing so.

Besides, he would indeed shoot Chen Shu's scenes first, so that she could report to the Black Swan crew earlier.

If the crew could suspend filming to let Chen Shu Neng take over so that Cao Yang could accept the favor, Liu Yunlong would definitely suspend filming immediately without saying a word.

On May 1st, after more than a month of rehearsals, preparations for the film were ready and Black Swan officially started shooting.

Generally, the first shot in a movie shoot will be a very easy one, so there will be no NGs, which means everything will go smoothly.

The first shot Cao Yang chose was the shot of the heroine played by Dong Xuan waking up in the morning. It was only ten seconds long and very simple.

"Open your eyes, look forward and smile, turn your head and smile, lift the quilt, and sit up. That's all. Remember it?"

Cao Yang reminded Dong Xuan, and after thinking for a while, he said: "Think about something happy in your heart, so that people will first feel that you are a cheerful, simple, and happy girl."

This is the first scene after the "magic" dance at the beginning of the movie. It is meant to create an illusion and form a contrast with the following images.

Dong Xuan nodded, indicating that he remembered it.

The heroine's room is decorated mainly in pink. The rag dolls, bunny and pig behind the bed are pink, her pajamas are pink, the quilt and sheets are pink, and even the carpet has pink patterns.

The lens language here has two meanings.

First, it creates an illusion. Everything in the room is mainly pink, which makes the audience relax and lose their vigilance, thinking that the heroine is a simple and cute little girl.

Secondly, when white and pink tones are the main colors, it implies that the heroine is still a pure "white swan". Later on, the colors including the clothes will change until they all become gray and black, which implies that the heroine has become a "black swan".

This is the application of color in the language of the lens.

Many literary and artistic films use the changes in the protagonist’s clothes and the colors of his surroundings to imply changes in his psychology and personality.

The movie "Black Swan" takes the use of color changes to the extreme.

In the early stages, the heroine's clothes and related items were mainly white and pink.

The only thing is the pink pillow, which has a black vine pattern.

In many overhead shots of the heroine waking up from a dream, her head is always placed right in the center of the tangled black vine pattern, "entangled" in black.

The other heroine, "Black Swan" Lily, including the heroine's mother and former lead dancer, all have clothes and related items that are mainly in black tones.

The shooting this time still followed the old rules. In addition to the main staff, there were two to three interns serving as assistants in each position.

Dong Xuan covered herself with a pink quilt and lay on the bed.

The assistant walked around the bed, checked it and made sure there were no flaws, then made an OK gesture.

The script supervisor checked the film title, scene number, shot number, number of times, director, photographer, date, etc. on the clapperboard again to make sure there were no problems. After Cao Yang shouted "start", he put the clapperboard in front of the camera.

Start shooting.

Dong Xuan opened his eyes, looked ahead for a few seconds, suddenly smiled, then turned his head, and a beam of warm light came over, and the whole room became bright instantly.

She smiled happily again and sat up in bed.

"Ka, not bad."

Cao Yang said.

Dong Xuan was very happy. It was the first time she played the leading female role. The first shot went smoothly and she was praised by Cao Yang. It felt really good.

"Haha, young."

Ning Hao whispered softly beside Gu Changwei.

While the staff was setting up the next scene, Lao Gu glanced at Cao Yang. Seeing that he wasn't paying attention, he asked in a low voice, "Do you think he'll get angry if we shoot a few more shots?"

Ning Hao also carefully glanced at Cao Yang before saying, "A pack of Huazi, the third mirror."

Gu Changwei frowned. Damn Ning Hao, this was also his guess. If he had known it earlier, he would have said it first.

After thinking carefully about the first few shots, it seems that Director Cao is most likely to use the third or sixth shot to exaggerate the topic.

There was no choice left. Lao Gu gritted his teeth and said, "You bastard, I'm going to compete with you in luck today. If you don't believe me, I'll increase the bet!"
"The sixth shot, a bottle of Wuliangye, do you dare to follow?"

Ning Hao sneered. This old man still wanted to scare him. I'm going to drink your wine.

"Follow me."

The two smiled at each other, and at the same time despised each other in their hearts, thinking that they were sure to win.

The next shot will definitely not change scene and will continue shooting in this bedroom.

The second shot is of the feet, a close-up of a few seconds.

When it comes to photographing feet, the most famous person is Quentin Tarantino. He is a famous foot fetishist and he loves it.

In his films, close-ups of feet can be seen everywhere, as he believes that feet are one of the most sexy parts of the body.

Cao Yang has also done some research on this, he often plays with... well, practices it himself, combining many techniques such as composition, light and shadow, modeling and lens language, so he is quite familiar with it when taking pictures.

The third shot is more complicated. It is the heroine played by Dong Xuan narrating the scene in her dream.

Because this is a close-up shot of the face, the two people thought that Cao Yang would use this shot to "torture" the actor over and over again to make it easier for the heroine to get into the role.

This is still a long shot, starting with the shadow in the mirror, then moving the camera to the heroine's feet, and then moving up for a close-up of her face.

"Xiaoyi, how come I noticed during the rehearsal that our clothes are all black, but hers are all pink?"

Chen Shu asked in a low voice.

Although Lu Yi, Chen Shu and the others did not need to shoot today, they still came to familiarize themselves with the situation in advance and to leave a good impression on Cao Yang.

The reason why Chen Shu asked this was not only out of curiosity, but also because she had some other thoughts in mind.

The rest of us are black, but the first female lead is pink, she is different from us, so we are in the same group.

Chen Shu didn't mean to instigate. Dong Xuan was much more famous and influential than these little Karamis. They should unite with a few people to avoid being bullied.

Bullying on set is still very common.

(End of this chapter)