I was just thinking about taking the arts exam and you said I've been playing supporting roles

Chapter 346 Accidentally Got a Big Move...

inside the room.

The lights and camera angles were all focused on Chen Jin, who was sitting there.

Filming has begun.

Chen Jin seemed lost in memories; his beloved wife had recently passed away from illness, and Long was clearly not yet used to living alone.

Although he had walked alone for many years.

Meeting his wife seemed to bring him salvation, which is why he retired from the underworld.

Snap!
Chen Jin tapped lightly on the table beside him, his fingers long and slender with tiny scars, each movement precise and controlled; he seemed somewhat bored, and these seemingly casual, habitual movements were actually conditioned reflexes formed through years of training, revealing an extreme pursuit of control.

The next second, another dagger appeared in his hand, which he wielded with incredible skill.

Breathing rises and falls with the chest, almost imperceptible.

The rhythm seemed to blend into the surrounding environment, even synchronizing with the swinging frequency of the pendulum. This extraordinary self-control even made Jonathan, who was behind the camera, slightly turn his head.

He's just an actor, but he gives off the vibe of a killer sitting there. Even after retiring from the entertainment industry, he still exudes a powerful presence on camera.

He still had some stubble and looked to be around 30 years old, wearing old-fashioned makeup.

This performance, which has no dialogue, was not written out in the script at all.

However, it is the protagonist's first appearance scene at the beginning of the script.

Anyone present could tell that the man sitting there was no ordinary person.

Even when sitting alone in a corner of the room, their presence still creates an invisible vortex of energy.

It is no easy feat to project such a killer aura solely through posture, technique, and the inherent charisma cultivated by Chen Jin herself.

It takes many veteran actors years of experience to develop this kind of feeling.

Just like Chen Daoming and Chen Baoguo!
It's actually very difficult for young people to act like that.

This requires experience and time to mature.

Chen Jin's acting skills, being a veteran actress, truly shocked many of the foreigners present.

Because it was also their first time seeing Chen Jin act, they didn't expect that he would be already in the play in his very first scene.

This is a killer through and through.

Of course, Chen Jin's ability to deliver such a performance is partly due to her skill, but the system experience also played a significant role.

He was being clever.

Many of the actions are almost subconscious behaviors.

For example, his sitting posture involves choosing a position with his back against the wall, his legs naturally spread apart in a defensive posture, and his elbows always in a defensive state—an instinctive vigilance formed from years of being in dangerous environments.

It's actually very difficult to get other actors to come up with so many details in an instant.

Moreover, they also have to take care of the performance.

But Chen Jin is different.

He has experienced it, so many of his actions are actually just habits.

Just like many actors playing themselves, why can they portray the feeling of a student or an ordinary person as a farmer? Because they repeat many of the things they perform almost every day.

This kind of repetition allows him to complete the many details that the director needs very well.

Professional actors cannot possibly portray every aspect perfectly.

Unless you're like Wong Kar-wai, meticulously refining every take, filming a single scene dozens of times until the actors deliver a natural performance.

Zhang Manyu and Liang Chaowei were molded into their current forms by him.

It's not that their acting skills are particularly high, but rather that the director is a monster; of course, they also gain experience and improve in the process of acting.

That's why many actors who have worked with Wong Kar-wai have seen their acting skills improve to varying degrees.

But now, Chen Jin is relying on herself... and the system.

Not only Guo Fan, but also David and the others, all thought it was Chen Jin's performance, which surprised them.

What an amazing actor it must be to film such a perfect first scene!
"cut!"

Chen Jin suddenly spoke up, making everyone watching his performance seem to snap out of their daze.

"what happened?"

Guo Fan asked in Chinese.

Chen Jin, however, said in English, "David, Jonathan, I'm wondering if this scene at home could be filmed in one take?"

Chen Jin didn't get enough of filming.

"Or, use more long takes and less editing; that will create a stronger impact!"

The home life of a hitman whose wife has just passed away.

This is also the story at the beginning of the script.

To fully immerse the audience in the story.

The stronger the impact, the better.

"You're the director and screenwriter, so you call the shots!"

David Leitch did a good job of being a hands-off manager, but Jonathan frowned and said, "The effect of a single take is definitely better, allowing the audience to more directly feel your sadness and helplessness after losing your wife!"

"but--"

Jonathan shrugged: "This kind of shooting isn't difficult for you, the difficult one is... the photographer!"

Yes, a one-shot film certainly tests an actor's performance, ensuring that there are no mistakes in the performance within several minutes of footage, but in fact, it is a greater test for the cinematographer.

Chen Jin's opinion seems quite ordinary, because in the movie "The Big Events of Life," Tian Zhuangzhuang used several one-shot sequences.

But the photographer at that time was Hou Yong.

This is a four-time winner of the Golden Rooster Award for Best Cinematography, and his films have been shortlisted for the three major European cinemas multiple times, so Tian Zhuangzhuang felt there was no problem.

In fact, filming in one continuous shot is far more than just having a camera fixed in place and letting the actors improvise.

Photographers also need to move around.

Not only do the bodies move, but the camera also has to move, and various lenses have to be adjusted.

The cinematographer has to carry the camera, operate the camera crew, and capture the actors' performances; the lighting and other equipment also have to move along with them. The actors' performances cannot be blurred, the focused lens cannot be shaky, and no detail can be missed... In short, it is extremely difficult.

It is one of the most difficult types of film shooting.

Zhang Yimou later attempted to film "Man Jiang Hong" in one continuous shot, but ultimately failed because it was too difficult.

Jonathan's photography skills are very good, but they can't compare to Hou Yong's.

He's just a commercial film cinematographer, while Hou Yong is a rare master in the field of art films in China; they're on completely different levels.

In industry terms, it's a "dimensional reduction attack".

Art photographers can easily handle commercial films; but the reverse is a completely different story. Capturing beauty in a shot is not something every photographer can do; there's an absolute technical hurdle involved!
Just like boudoir photographers, who are at the very bottom of the photography hierarchy.

Art films > Commercial films > Documentaries > Television > Commercials > Wedding dresses > Photobooks... Layer upon layer, clearly defined class.

Jonathan belongs to the second chain and has not yet graduated.

He will be at the top of the commercial film industry in the future.

"Sera, you should actually give it a try!"

David Leitch suddenly suggested, "It's difficult to take a single shot with multiple people moving in one take, but these scenes with Chan are actually not too bad, as most of them are still performances!"

Sitting still makes it easier for the lens to focus.

"Yes, Sera, actually many photographers can't shoot a single take well because the actors' performances are inconsistent!"

Chen Jin's words were clearly quite comforting in this respect.

The previous scene gave Guo Fan and David the ambition to film it in one continuous shot.

An actor's mistake leads to a failed one-shot take; a poor cinematographer also results in failure.

Therefore, numerous flaws would greatly increase the difficulty of achieving a single take; and now that the actors are fine, only the cinematographer remains to be addressed.

The time has come to test the photographer's limits.

"let me see!"

Jonathan Sera was clearly somewhat persuaded. What photographer doesn't want to show off their skills?

Especially for photographers like Jonathan who are eager to prove their photographic abilities, they need to go all out.

Otherwise, how could he have made a name for himself in the industry?

For the photographic portion of his work to be seen, he must possess genuine skill.

Otherwise, why would anyone want to cooperate with you in the future?!
While movies are a consumer product aimed at a broad audience, with many viewers only interested in the plot and actors, they also cater to professionals and peers, who are the ones who discover the behind-the-scenes team.

The long credits at the end of the film are for industry professionals.

Those in the industry and those in the field can see many details that ordinary people cannot observe, such as the photographer's skill level, the editor's level, the dubbing and music, and so on.

A movie is a work created by a group of people, and everyone can see the division of labor among the various roles in the movie.

"Then give it a try!"

"Chan, if the filming isn't good, you need to cooperate more!"

The issue isn't about the actors needing to retake scenes, but rather... Jonathan.

If he shakes the camera to blur these areas, it will affect the one-shot shooting, and we'll have to start over; so Chen Jin has to cooperate with him again and again to avoid any mistakes.

Therefore, any single-shot scene requires both the actors and the cinematographer to be exceptional.

In "Life's Big Events," Tian Zhuangzhuang recognized Chen Jin's abilities, which is why he made that suggestion. Now that Chen Jin is bringing it up, it's clear he has high hopes for Jonathan. As for Jonathan himself... Chen Jin never worries about his acting skills.

This is the absolute confidence that comes from the system experience.

"First round, second round, action!"

The clapper quickly struck the clapperboard, and the script supervisor began recording the shot information and shooting order.

This is the Hollywood filming process.

In China, the script supervisor handles everything, while abroad, there are three positions for stencil making, recording, and coordination: stencil maker, script supervisor, and second camera assistant.

Gong Ge'er is currently working with the second photography assistant to revise the call sheet.

This Chen Jin is so unpredictable, it's tough on him as the producer, he has to revise the announcements again; but he can't say anything, Chen Jin is doing this for the quality of the film, and he's also the investor and director, so he can only make adjustments.

The filming, done in one continuous take, proceeded smoothly and methodically.

As Long sat there missing his wife, he suddenly heard the doorbell ring. After he got up and went out, he received a package that his deceased wife had prepared for him after her death.

The package was, of course, sent to her husband, Long.

It was a letter and a dog.

Chen Jin slowly pulled out the envelope, glanced at the cute little dog inside the box, and his face showed his longing for his wife again.

These few minutes of filming kept Jonathan very busy.

He was already sweating profusely; this was the sixth take of the filming, and he had been staying close to Chen Jin the whole time. Fortunately, Chen Jin's performance was as stable as ever, almost robotic, and she seemed to get better with each take.

Trembling, Chen Jin's lips moved slightly as she slowly unfolded the letter.

The familiar handwriting above instantly brought tears to his eyes.

In this part of the movie, a recording of Zhu Yanmanzi will appear, but Chen Jin's performance of reading the letter will be silent. Zhu Yanmanzi will make a cameo appearance as Chen Jin's deceased wife, with only 3-4 scenes, which could be filmed in a day if things go smoothly.

Jonathan, carrying a camera, first gave Chen Jin a close-up shot as she prepared herself emotionally, her eyes reddening, and then slowly panned across the words on the envelope.

"..."

Chen Jin clenched his fist and pressed it against his mouth, tears already beginning to stream down his face.

His fingers, gripping the letter, turned white and trembled slightly, his emotions fluctuating intensely.

He read the letter word by word, blinking rapidly. His emotions overwhelmed him the moment he finished reading the last word!

The camera then focused on the puppy, while Chen Jin covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

He kissed the letter, still unwilling to believe that his wife was dead.

All the previous silence seemed to give way to an emotional catharsis at this moment... Just like in reality, after a loved one passes away, you may not cry during the cremation, but when you get home and see something or a place, you suddenly break down.

Chen Jin's crying and pain were silent; he kept kissing the letter, as if he were kissing his own wife.

Finally, after calming down, he looked at the puppy.

A cute little dog left to him by his deceased wife.

The wife hoped that the dog would keep her still-living husband from being so lonely.

Wiping away her tears with her fingers, Chen Jin took the puppy out of the box... and tears streamed down her face again.

Seeing the dog reminded me of my wife.

***
One minute later, Chen Jin finally managed to utter the word herself.

"Ok!"

He put the puppy on the ground and then let out a long sigh of relief.

Filming is finished.

They filmed this scene in one go, shooting it nine times in total, which took nearly an hour.

But Jonathan managed to do it in one take. He sat with Chen Jin, watching the scene they had just filmed; David Leitch, Guo Fan, and a few others also came over.

They were clearly very curious about this part.

The somber, dark color palette of the shots, combined with Chen Jin's silent performance, conveyed a palpable sense of sadness to everyone present.

Chen Jin's demeanor when sitting quietly is essentially a spatial projection of her professional qualities. Through the restraint of her body language, the metaphor of her interaction with the environment, and the accumulation of detailed symbols, she transforms "lethality" into a perceptible aura of oppression!
This is far superior to the superficial portrayal of ruthlessness by ordinary actors playing assassins.

It's a bit like the difference between a godfather and a thug.

Chen Jin looks like an incredibly skilled assassin.

Furthermore, the underlying logic, such as the muscle memory formed by training and the behavioral patterns shaped by the philosophy of survival, is vividly highlighted in this section.

"A performance by a world-class actor in an art-house film!"

Chad couldn't help but start flattering again, but this was definitely not bragging.

He genuinely felt compelled to write this after reading it.

That's awesome and so cool.

The atmosphere and feeling at the beginning of this scene are simply unbeatable, perfectly capturing the details of a skilled assassin's longing for his deceased wife within the plot.

If "Killer Dragon" were not a commercial action movie, but an art film like "The Godfather," Chen Jin would be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor based on this scene alone.

"Dude, why are you putting so much effort into a commercial film?"

Guo Fan gasped after reading it, but he still had time to joke.

Chen Jin was also very satisfied with her performance just now, which was full of style: "I haven't been on set for a long time, I'm probably feeling cooped up, so I went a bit too far!"

"Hahaha!"

David and the others burst into laughter after hearing Sun Nuo's translation.

Looking at Chen Jin, he felt even more admiration.

This actor-boss is truly exceeding their expectations.

Talented people can't be hidden no matter what; they radiate a brilliant light.

From firearms and martial arts to current performances, he might also be quite good at car racing.

Since he wrote the script, it should be a work tailor-made for himself.

Before this, David and the others might not have had much of a judgment on whether a movie was good or bad, but now they are certain that just based on Chen Jin's performance, even if it's a bad movie, many people will probably still go to the cinema to buy tickets to support it.

If it's truly well-made, this movie will definitely be a box office hit.

The soul of "Killer Dragon" lies in the protagonist, the dragon. He brought the dragon to life, and that's how the movie became a hit.

"I never thought I could shoot such a high-quality shot..."

Jonathan had watched the five-minute clip over and over again, becoming more and more engrossed in it each time.

For a photographer, capturing an image that surpasses the pinnacle of their abilities should be a momentous event in their career; because perhaps, their entire life will be changed by that single shot!

"Okay, keep going!"

Chen Jin was shouting, urging him to finish filming the scene on set as soon as possible while he was getting into the swing of things!
(End of this chapter)