Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 380 Reborn
"Brother, Amin is fine. It's all fake, it's all fake. You just had a nightmare."

The assistant gently patted Cheng Long's back, comforting him as if he were a child.

"As the saying goes, what you think about during the day, you dream about at night. You probably care too much about the movie and want to act well in it, so you projected yourself onto the male lead and had a similar dream."

Cheng Long has stopped crying, but now he looks numb, his eyes are unfocused, and he seems lifeless.

The assistant had been trying to persuade him for a while, and seeing Jackie Chan's current state, she was also at a loss and didn't know what to do.

What kind of nightmare must he have had to make his older brother so heartbroken?

The assistant thought for a moment. It seemed that her older brother had said the child was gone. Thinking about the plot of the new movie, she felt that having Ah Ming call her older brother seemed like a good idea.

A phone call from Amin to offer comfort and reassurance would be more effective than anything else.

"Brother, shall I have Ah Ming call you?"

As the assistant spoke, he took out his phone, preparing to call Amin again.

Cheng Long seemed a beat slow to react. It wasn't until his assistant had already called, and even Ah Ming's somewhat impatient voice came through the phone, that he finally asked in a hoarse, confused voice:

"Who is Amin...?"

The assistant paused for a moment as he handed over the phone, unsure of what to say.

Could this be your son?

What a joke! How could the elder brother not know that this is his son?

Uh!
Judging from the older brother's expression, he didn't seem to be faking it.

This is utterly baffling.

At that moment, the assistant really wanted to laugh.

She didn't know why she wanted to laugh, she just wanted to laugh.

Of course, her professionalism and the honor of being "Cheng Long's assistant" helped her to suppress her thoughts.

He opened his mouth, but could only awkwardly emphasize, "Brother, it's A-Ming, your son A-Ming."

Cheng Long frowned, seemingly lost in thought, before finally saying after a long pause, "Ah Ming? He's my son too?"

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he muttered to himself, "Oh, right, Ah Ming is my son. I'm filming Director Cao's new movie, that's right! But..."

Then, he frowned, a look of disgust on his face, and waved his hand casually, saying, "Never mind, I'm busy right now, I won't answer the phone, I have to go to the film set."

He got up and went to the washroom with a blank expression.

The assistant, somewhat helpless, could only say into the phone, "It's alright, Ming, that's all."

On the other end, Ah Ming looked at his phone with a puzzled expression, listened to the beeping sound, and said a very beautiful Hong Kong greeting.

Anyone who is sound asleep with a beautiful woman in their arms in the morning and is woken up by two consecutive phone calls, without saying what it is, would be furious, even if it was their father's assistant.

Cheng Long stared blankly at himself in the mirror, closed his eyes, as if the laughter of his three children was still ringing in his ears. When he opened his eyes again, they were already bloodshot.

He turned on the tap and splashed water vigorously on his face.

He let out a long sigh, looked up at the mirror again, and muttered to himself, "I am Jackie Chan, actor Jackie Chan, international superstar Jackie Chan. I don't have children... uh, I think I do, I have... my three children..."

At that moment, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart. Even though his reason told him that it was all fake, he couldn't help but miss those three "children," feel guilty, feel heartbroken, and feel a pang of heartache!
Something seems off on set today.

Old Gu and Old Tian arrived a bit early. They saw with their own eyes that Zhu Yilong, the acting student who had an important role, arrived with a gloomy face, as if someone owed him money.

Old Tian nudged Old Gu with his elbow, gestured towards Zhu Yilong, who had been sunny, polite, and shy just a day before, and whispered, "What's wrong with that guy? He looks like his dad just died."

Old Gu opened his mouth as if to curse Old Tian for his harsh words. Although he felt the same way, he thought, "You can't say that, really... huh?"

Old Gu glanced at Old Tian, ​​then looked at him again, and then chuckled to himself, making Old Tian wonder what was going on.

What are you laughing at?

Old Tian couldn't help but retort.

"Ah."

Old Gu glanced at Old Tian with some disdain and said directly, "You're right, yes, you're right. In the movie, his father died, haha..."

Old Tian was stunned for a moment before realizing that he was indeed playing his father in the movie, and that he was indeed "dead".

"Oh shit!"

Old Tian cursed, then moved on to ask Old Gu.

"That Hong Kong international superstar does have acting skills, but he has been performing in the same fixed pattern for so many years. It has become a fixed routine. Even if he has talent and acting skills, it is estimated that he has almost exhausted them."

After smacking his lips, Lao Tian continued, "Do you think Cao Yang can train him in just one day? I think it's a bit difficult; decades of ingrained habits are hard to change."

"Hehe, hehe!"

Old Gu scoffed at Old Tian's words and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

What the hell do you know, Lao Tian?
Can people be compared to each other?

You know absolutely nothing about genius!
Don't think you're a Golden Lion director just because you just won the Venice Golden Lion.

Ha, don't you know how you got this Golden Lion Director title? Compared to Cao Yang, you're like a star compared to the sun.

You need to understand that the difference between people can sometimes be greater than the difference between a person and a dog.

"Don't apply your habitual thinking and self-righteous logic to Cao Yang. Geniuses don't need logic, at least not the logic you think they have. Maybe he does have logic, but ordinary people just can't understand it."

Old Gu patted Old Tian on the shoulder, saying with a mix of pride and certainty:
"How many movies have you filmed with Cao Yang? I'm sure that even if that guy has long since developed a fixed acting routine, with Cao Yang, all acting routines and techniques are useless. You just have to get into character!"

Just wait and see. Cao Yang put in a lot of effort yesterday, trying to get him into character. Today, that guy's performance will absolutely surprise you.

Old Tian smacked his lips again, wanting to refute, but then he remembered that this was Cao Yang's movie, and felt from the bottom of his heart that Old Gu was right.

But if I don't argue, I get angry just seeing Lao Gu's face.

What do you mean I've only made a few movies with Cao Yang?
Uncle's.

You son of a bitch, have you forgotten that the reason you became Cao Yang's photographer was because I recommended you to Cao Yang?

Winning two Oscars for Best Cinematography makes them act like they're something special.

Damn it, two Oscars for Best Cinematography are nothing special, but this son of a bitch followed Cao Yang and made movies that won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and other honors.

If we say that the Oscars don't really represent "art films" in the domestic film industry...

The worst part is that this son of a bitch even won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Golden Lion at Venice with Cao Yang, not to mention he also won Best Director at Cannes and Best Director at Venice.

Damn it!

Old Tian grew angrier the more he thought about it. If only he had stayed with Cao Yang as a photographer back then…

Pooh!
That damn old Gu, what a lucky bastard!
"What's Cao Yang doing? Why isn't he here yet?"

Old Tian forcibly changed the subject, fearing that if he continued to talk to Old Gu about awards and training actors, he might lose control and resort to violence.

"I don't know, but that person has arrived."

Old Gu said softly.

Old Tian turned his head and saw that Jackie Chan was stepping out of the car... Well, the famous international superstar, known worldwide for his kung fu, stumbled as he got out of the car and almost fell flat on his face.

It's just that Cheng Long still had his kung fu foundation; at the crucial moment, he subconsciously slid and straightened his back, managing to stop himself from falling. If it had been anyone else, they would definitely have fallen.

In the past, after such a blunder, Jackie Chan would definitely have pulled off a few more stunts to finish the situation with a dashing gesture, and would have even smiled and clasped his hands in thanks, turning the blunder into a display of coolness. But today, he expressionlessly pushed away his assistant who tried to help him up, his face full of indifference and disregard for worldly affairs, giving off an attitude as if the sky were falling and the world were ending and it was none of his business.

It's not that he has a detached, indifferent attitude, but rather that he's indifferent to living or dying.

Old Tian and Old Gu exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise and admiration in each other's eyes.

Given Jackie Chan's current state, for the movies he's about to film, it's not just a matter of acting; it's as if the lead actor has already "emerged."

"Cao Yang is awesome!"

Old Gu glanced at Old Tian and sighed silently with pride.

"Cao Yang is fucking awesome!"

Old Tian pretended not to see Old Gu's expression and sighed.

However, both of them were a little puzzled. It was almost time to film, so where was Cao Yang? Why hadn't he arrived yet?
Cao Yang is in trouble.

Since Yu Feihong doesn't have any scenes to film these past few days, she hasn't come to the set.

However, even though she didn't come to the film set, Cao Yang was extremely worried.

Listening to Yu Feihong crying her heart out on the phone, Cao Yang... had been listening to her cry for almost forty minutes. She didn't say a word; she just started crying as soon as the call connected.

First she cried feeling wronged and sad, then she probably got tired of crying and started sobbing softly.

No matter what Cao Yang asked, she wouldn't answer; she just kept crying.

This left Cao Yang with no way to hang up the phone.

At first, Cao Yang wondered if Yu Feihong had been bullied. But then he thought about her character and personality. If someone really dared to bully her, given her abilities, she wouldn't just cry like that, so weak and helpless.

Cao Yang was almost certain it was because of the added immersive experience she had received.

"Sister, tell me what happened? Did someone bully you? Don't worry, I'll give the crew a break right away and come over to get revenge for you. Where are you now? I'm coming right now."

Cao Yang's words seemed to show concern for her, and of course, they were genuinely concerned for her.

But there's another layer of meaning: I'm still filming, so if you're bullied, I'll definitely stand up for you. Don't just cry, say something, okay?
Realizing that Cao Yang was filming, Yu Feihong sobbed, "I...I'm so sad right now. We have three children, but...but they...they...sob..."

This is indeed the case.

Based on past experience, once you've immersed yourself in the role, you can generally distinguish reality from fiction when you're not filming. Even if you're deeply immersed in the role, you'll still maintain your rationality.

However, Yu Feihong's situation is a little different.

For the past year, she has been wanting a child, and she is even quite persistent about it.

Because she wanted a child and had a deep-seated obsession with children, when we added an immersive experience for her, we added another one, which completely aroused her maternal instincts.

So much so that I am now extremely sad and heartbroken.

Of course, she could still distinguish between reality and dreams, but she just couldn't help feeling guilty and sad.

Cao Yang felt somewhat helpless, regretting that he had added Yu Feihong's immersion in the role too early; he should have added it when she had her scenes.

"Sister, don't cry. It's all fake. It's just a scene from a movie. You might be getting a little too into it."

"How about this, you come and stay on set, and I'll work twice as hard, day and night, whenever I have a spare moment, to help you become a mother soon and have a child of your own, okay?"

Cao Yang said, trying to comfort and reassure her.

Yu Feihong paused her sobs for a moment, then said, "I...I'm fine. I was probably just a little too into the role. You go ahead and get back to work. I...I'll take a moment to calm down. Don't worry, I'm fine."

After she finished speaking, she hung up the phone first.

Then, she casually tossed the phone onto the bed and sobbed again for a while.

In fact, Yu Feihong can distinguish between reality and acting, but she is just sad, and there's nothing she can do about it.

Then, she seemed to recall Cao Yanggang's words about working twice as hard, working day and night, and working hard whenever she had free time, and murmured to herself, "I hope you, you will keep your word."

Cao Yang was unaware that Yu Feihong had taken his casual remark seriously. By the time he arrived at the film set, he was already ten minutes late.

However, no one in the entire crew mentioned Cao Yang's lateness, as if it didn't exist.

The new crew members and interns thought that today would probably be like yesterday, with the plot slowly progressing as Jackie Chan kept making mistakes.

This is actually the most normal way to film. Whether it's actors or crew members, everyone needs to work together – crew members need to adapt to the director's requirements and pace, and actors need to gradually get into character and bring out their acting skills.

However, today they finally witnessed what it means for the filming plan to fall behind the filming schedule!
If someone were to say that a day's shooting schedule can't keep up with the pace of filming, and that a day's shooting schedule can easily complete two or more days' worth of shooting in one day, that would probably be considered a fantasy.

But this "fairy tale" actually happened.

According to the plan, apart from the first few shots in the morning, which are the interaction between the male lead played by Jackie Chan and his "brother" Lao Tian, ​​most of the scenes today and the next three days will be scenes between Jackie Chan and his nephew.

The scene between Cheng Long and Lao Tian this morning was in stark contrast to yesterday's; Lao Tian... couldn't keep up and fell short.

Fortunately, Lao Tian's acting skills were quite good, and he adjusted in time, managing to barely get by.

This earned Lao Tian a good laugh from Lao Gu.

This also surprised the new staff and the interns at Beijing Film Academy. They never expected that Cheng Long, who was so lackluster yesterday, would be able to suppress the Golden Lion Director and the head of the Directing Department at Beijing Film Academy today.
It's not that I don't understand, it's just that the world is changing too fast.

Then, they naturally remembered that yesterday, Director Cao had spent several hours explaining the scene to Cheng Long, and it seemed that he had also called on "Lucky Star" Zhu Yilong, while also giving them both coaching.

Unexpectedly, just one night of coaching resulted in a qualitative leap for Cheng Long today. Indeed, Director Cao's skill in training actors is not just empty talk.

Considering that Director Cao has nurtured four actresses who have won the three major European film awards, as well as Johnny Depp winning back-to-back Oscars for Best Actor and Mark Ruffalo winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, then transforming Jackie Chan is not a big deal.

However, what truly surprised them was the scene between Jackie Chan and the newcomer Zhu Yilong, which almost made everyone doubt their own eyes.

What did they see?
The scenes between Jackie Chan and Zhu Yilong, a student at the Beijing Film Academy, were so smooth that they felt like a real uncle and nephew talking, and this was happening within the context of the entire film.

In other words, the two of them seemed to have brought a movie plot into reality; their performance was so smooth it didn't feel like acting.

Zhu Yilong... what the hell do you have that you deserve to be favored by Director Cao, who personally gave you acting instructions yesterday!

What a lucky guy.

As a result, everyone, including Cao Yang's old team, the new staff and interns, and even Lao Gu and Lao Tian, ​​couldn't help but start to envy Cheng Long and Zhu Yilong.

Judging from today's performances alone, Jackie Chan seems to have secured a Best Actor award at one of the three major European film festivals, and Zhu Yilong is also a shoo-in for Best Newcomer.

Don't underestimate the best newcomers from the top three European clubs.

Look at Liu Ye, it was Director Cao who got him the Silver Lion for Best Newcomer. Look at him now, he has not only won countless awards, but has also become a top-tier male star with the best acting skills.

Winning the Best Newcomer award at one of the three major European film festivals is like standing on the shoulders of giants for an actor who hasn't even debuted yet; their future career is sure to be smooth sailing.

Of course, it also depends on who promoted the best newcomer.

If a newcomer is promoted by an ordinary director, their career path will at most be a little smoother, and they will have a slightly higher starting point than others. As for how they will develop in the end, it depends on their personal abilities.

However, the best newcomer promoted by Cao Yang is a definitive assessment of that newcomer's acting skills, which is completely different from those promoted by others, and their career paths and starting points are also completely different.

The filming at the Qingdao Film Studio was originally scheduled for 15 days, but it was completed in just 11 days.

This was because they spent several days filming the scenes before the fire, and then a day was wasted due to Jackie Chan's acting skills; otherwise, it would have been even faster.

Next, we'll be filming in Hong Kong, where the filming schedule is 10 days. We also have scenes in Canada, which will require another 10 days of filming.

Cao Yang left the two most important scenes—the scene where the male lead encounters his ex-wife pushing a baby, and the scene where he breaks down crying while opening the refrigerator with his "nephew"—for the last few shots.

These two scenes are too important. He was afraid that if these two scenes were filmed in advance, the actors would "vent" their emotions prematurely, which would affect the later filming. It was also to accumulate emotions and then release them at the end.

(End of this chapter)