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

Chapter 392: A Superb Cast for the New Work!

Night, hotel.

After their romantic candlelight dinner, which was just the two of them, and the usual barrage of words, Chen Jin didn't smoke afterwards, but she did take out her phone.

The idea that men have a uniquely sacred moment only reinforces stereotypes.

"Aren't you going to rest for a few days before joining the crew?"

Zhu Yanmanz leaned against Chen Jin and asked.

"I've been resting for two days. I was just lazing around at home yesterday, and I came to visit the film set today..."

It's not that Chen Jin doesn't want to rest for a few months, but once a person has a career, they start to feel uncomfortable after a few days of rest; conversely, once they have free time, it takes a long time to get used to working properly again.

Human inertia and resilience are sometimes both organic responses.

You can't be too idle, but you also can't work too hard.

Taking a few days off after filming a movie is Chen Jin's way of adjusting to life; perhaps when Zhu Yanmanzi has time, the two families going on vacation would be a good idea.

If you just stay at home and do nothing, lying in bed for 2-3 days, you'll start to feel all sorts of uncomfortable.

To put it bluntly, it's still because there are too many moral constraints.

Thinking about how many people are waiting on set and how much business there is to handle at the company, these are perhaps some of the worries that come with reaching a certain level of ability.

"I'll need about another week... and a few more days to read the script!"

In "Grandma", Zhu Yanmanzi plays the protagonist's cousin. Her role is not large, but it is very important. The whole movie is more artistic and mainly revolves around the protagonist, A'an, and his grandmother, Mingzhu.

The combined screen time of the protagonist A'an's mother, grandmother, and cousin is probably the same as that of the protagonist played by Chen Jin.

But Grandma, that's the core.

Mother, driving the plot forward.

The cousin taking care of her grandfather is the central theme of the entire film.

It was because of her reference that Ah An initially took care of his grandmother Mingzhu and wanted to obtain her inheritance.

But in the end, during their time together, Ah An suddenly realized his mistake and began to genuinely accompany his family in their later years.

This is a film about family and redemption, reflecting the real situation of many Chinese families and the elderly.

It's not just China.

It contains both commercial and artistic elements; it all depends on how the director films it and how they find the right central theme.

Chen Jin had read Wen Muye's script. There were some minor changes compared to the original work. Of course, since the story was told to him by Chen Jin, it was normal for it to have some directorial bias.

It mainly deals with some social phenomena related to the elderly, and the script portrays them very realistically.

This is a deeper point than the original work.

There must be an award factor involved. Also, as a new director, Wen Muye has his own ideas and pursuits, and he definitely wants to compete for the three major awards.

……

The next morning, Zhu Yanmanzi got up and started work, while Chen Jin still needed to sleep for a while.

He took a 1 p.m. flight to Shanghai, where the filming location for "Grandma" was in the alleyways of Xujiahui.

If we're talking about plot points that are closest to the original novel "Grandma," then Beijing and Shanghai are definitely the most relevant, especially since housing prices in these two cities were at an unaffordable level at that time.

So if the old lady owns a property, it would be exactly the same as in the original story.

Grandson, son, daughter-in-law... all of them will have their eyes on this house.

The alleyways of Shanghai are more like the southern architecture of Chinese communities in Malaysia and Thailand, unlike the many courtyard houses and small two-story buildings in Beijing, which have lost that local atmosphere.

Actually, many cities in the south could have served as filming locations, such as Chongqing, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen... but Chen Jin ultimately decided on Shanghai!

"Let's go!"

Chen Jin sent a message to Zhu Yanmanz, got into the car, and headed towards Beijing International Airport.

Around 4 p.m., Chen Jin finally arrived at the set of "Grandma's Grandson".

Filming for "Wen Mu Ye" has been underway for over a month, and the main actors have all finished filming their scenes. They are just waiting for Chen Jin to arrive so they can film the remaining scenes together.

Several key characters in the drama, such as the grandmother, the two uncles, and the mother... Although Chen Jin was not in charge of the auditions, he was the one who ultimately decided on the casting.

The actress playing the maternal grandmother is Wu Yanshu, a national first-class actress and a famous actress who specializes in playing grandmothers. She has played many famous roles, such as Grandma Jiang in "The Golden Years" and Grandma Xie in "Go to the Windy Place".

Both her temperament and appearance perfectly match the character of "Grandma".

The feeling of a sophisticated old lady in Shanghai.

The protagonist, A Jin, is the same person as A An in the original novel. Chen Jin changed the name in the script, and the role of his mother is played by Yong Mei, a future Berlin Film Festival Best Actress winner.

The disappointing second uncle was none other than Wang Jingchun, the future Berlin Film Festival Best Actor whom I had known since the filming of "Jinling".

And there's my maternal uncle, Wang Yanhui.

This actor is also an award-winning actor. His portrayal of a murderer in "The Dead End" was so convincing that it felt like the real thing.

These leading actors were all handpicked by Chen Jin.

Auditions were sent out, and these are the few actors with strong acting skills who were ultimately selected.

The problem is that there aren't many roles in this script, and Liao Fan wasn't available. Otherwise, Chen Jin would have liked to bring in Liao Fan, Gong Li, and Xia Yu to form a cast of Best Actor and Best Actress winners from the three major film festivals.

It is absolutely luxurious.

Even so, it still brings together two Berlins and one Venice.

It wasn't that Chen Jin thought the three major universities were highly prestigious, but rather... their cost-effectiveness.

This movie casts some well-known actors, whose salaries are high, but their acting skills may not be up to par; these award-winning actors and actresses actually don't earn high salaries, and even if they win the Berlin Film Festival in the future, their salaries will still be very low.

The world distinguishes between celebrities and actors.

Actors who have both popularity and acting skills are extremely rare, and Chen Jin is one of them.

So with him involved, there's already a guarantee. Besides, this movie isn't for box office success, but rather to compete for the three major awards.

"Brother Jin, I've been waiting for you like the stars and the moon!"

Wen Muye is noticeably more mature than he was when I saw him at the Beijing Film Academy a couple of years ago. Although he is not yet 30 years old, he looks quite respectable with his glasses on.

He's directing for the first time, but the actors he's working with are all veterans. If they look too young, the crew won't be able to get them to work, even though this is his teacher Tian Zhuangzhuang's team.

But while they are teachers, they may sell Tian Zhuangzhuang's account, but they won't sell Wen Muye's.

This is also a test for new directors.

Chen Jin is different. He is the boss, so there is a natural connection between them. Even if they complain in private, they still have to maintain appearances.

Besides, Chen Jin has a certain level of fame now, and they had worked together before, so many people in the crew still have great faith in him.

Upon seeing Chen Jin arrive, Wen Muye hurriedly and warmly greeted her.

He had so much to say to him. Although Lao Tian was nominally a producer, he was actually taking large classes at the Beijing Film Academy. This period of time was indeed a great test for Wen Muye.

Fortunately, we made it through.

Now that the core member of the production team, the investor, and the person in charge has arrived, Wen Muye is definitely much more relaxed.

It's a feeling of inner ease, like seeing your boss come over and being able to put down your burdens.

"Brother Wen, you've worked hard!"

"I brought you some snacks from Shanghai!"

Chen Jin specially asked the driver to buy it, and everyone in the entire crew received one; since she was late, she had to show her appreciation. Although everyone in the crew, plus a few lead actors, didn't complain on the surface, they must have had some thoughts in their hearts.

But if you adopt the right attitude and offer a small token of appreciation, people won't have so many reservations.

Chen Jin has indeed become more and more tactful in her dealings with people since becoming a director. "Haha, then I'll accept it!"

Wen Muye watched as the driver unloaded the bags and packages. Soon after, the main actors, having received the news, also rushed over from the hotel.

Some didn't have any announcements and just rested at the hotel.

"Brother Jingchun!"

Chen Jin and Wang Jingchun gave each other a big hug. Because of his role in "Jinling", he did not participate in the roadshow.

Filming took almost half a month, but Zhang Yimou edited it down to only two shots. Chen Jin almost missed them when she watched the premiere, let alone the audience could recognize them.

"Haha, don't be so polite. What's wrong? Feeling guilty?"

Wang Jingchun knew Chen Jin's personality; she didn't have the frivolity or diva-like attitude of young people. Back in the Jinling film crew, they trained and ate together.

"I really can't get away, my schedule isn't right, I'm so sorry!"

"I'm so sorry, Teacher Yongmei!"

Chen Jin greeted Yongmei, followed by Wang Yanhui, and finally, of course, the lead actress Wu Yanshu, who is 74 years old.

But judging from her appearance, spirit, and condition, she doesn't look like a 70-year-old woman at all.

She resembles a wealthy woman in her twilight years, with an exceptionally well-maintained demeanor and natural beauty.

This old lady was not formally trained, but in those days, many actors did not actually get into the three major theaters. People like Teacher You Benchang, who played Ji Gong, were a minority. Many were self-taught and followed the path of performing arts troupes and drama theaters.

Wu Yanshu is an actress who came from a drama theater. She worked as a stage actress at the Shanxi Drama Theater for more than 50 years and is quite famous in the drama circle.

It wasn't until two years ago, in 2010, that I officially started my career in the film and television industry!

"Grandma Wu, it's me, Chen Jin!"

Chen Jin maintained her politeness and demeanor, primarily displaying the humility of a junior.

Wu Yanshu, however, was not at all distant and smiled, saying, "Chen Jin, speaking of which, we debuted in the same year!"

"Forehead……"

Chen Jin didn't immediately understand what it meant.

It was Wang Jingchun, who was standing next to him, who reminded him: "Teacher Wu entered the film and television industry in the same year as you!"

"Hahaha!"

Everyone present burst into laughter.

This way of determining seniority is quite interesting.

"I don't care, I'm still a newbie in this industry!"

Wu Yanshu waved her hand, looking relaxed and youthful, and her eyes revealed a hint of a smile as she looked at Chen Jin.

This young actor, who has become incredibly popular in mainland China in the past two years, is indeed quite different from many other young actors in the industry.

As the saying goes, fame brings trouble, and Chen Jin is indeed very famous, which has brought her a lot of controversy. But many actors who have actually met her feel that she has a maturity that is different from her appearance.

This is certainly related to his system experience, as well as the role he played.

You must be careful about what you say and do.

Over time, a person's overall demeanor changes.

"Grandma Wu, I'll call you maternal grandma from now on, so I don't accidentally let it slip during filming!"

Chen Jin plays A Jin, and Wu Yanshu plays Mingzhu, who is the grandmother and granddaughter of the granddaughter. Other actors, such as Wang Jingchun, may not have many scenes with Chen Jin, and they only filmed for a few days before going back to work.

However, Wu Yanshu will be filming with Chen Jin for about another month, and the two of them will have plenty of scenes together.

So it's fine to chat and get to know other people, but Wu Yanshu needs to have a proper conversation. Ideally, the two of them should have a grandson and grandmother relationship in private, so that the performance will be more realistic.

"Okay, I'll do whatever you say. Whatever makes you act well, I'll cooperate!"

Wu Yanshu patted Chen Jin's hand, just like an elder, with an indescribable gentleness; Chen Jin also had a maternal grandmother, who lived in Kunming, which was next to Shanghai and only a little over an hour away by car.

It only takes about 10 minutes by high-speed rail.

Chen Jin may have had some personal reasons for choosing to film in Shanghai.

He just needs to take some time to visit, because it's been a long time since he last visited.

Being busy with work is just an excuse. Chen Jin is genuinely grateful for this movie, as it sometimes reminds him of the importance of family.

Otherwise, it would be really cold-blooded to only go once a year for the Lunar New Year.

"Spend quality time with the elderly during their later years!"

Chen Jin decided to take some time out of filming to visit her and, of course, her maternal grandfather.

The two elderly people are currently in their 70s, which is about the same age as Wu Yanshu.

When you spend time with your grandchildren, you can observe and understand their psychological state, which is quite helpful for your performance.

Although Chen Jin has experienced the movie "Grandma" and even went inside it yesterday, he certainly has no problem grasping the role. However, this time, he is prepared to step out of the original role and try to play a grandson in his own way!
This is a test and challenge for acting skills and the ability to break out of the system.

However, Chen Jin still wanted to give it a try.

He felt that this role still had room for further exploration, improvement, and better performance.

"Let's go, everyone get together for a meal and discuss the movie!"

Chen Jin was talking, and the whole crew was naturally happy; although Wen Muye would also treat them to meals when he was around, it just felt different.

It seems like the crew has come alive again, or rather... the whole crew is more lively than before.

After becoming a director, Chen Jin has indeed become very good at creating atmosphere.

It's actually quite simple for a film crew to work together as a team.

They have money to earn, food to eat and drink to drink, and all their efforts are directed in one direction.

Looking at the smiles on the faces of many people in the crew, Wen Muye realized for the first time that Chen Jin was completely different from when he met her two years ago.

He's more like a producer now.

Like those Hollywood producers.

He was in charge of the entire production team. He was also the director, the lead actor, and the writer of the script. The entire crew consisted of his people, while I... was just a director hired by the other party.

Although this feeling was quite uncomfortable, Wen Muye knew that he was already much luckier than many of his classmates.

Unlike Hollywood, China doesn't have a producer system where the director benefits as long as the movie is a hit.

Many of his classmates couldn't even afford to film their graduation projects.

If you don't seize this opportunity, plenty of others will.

"Brother Wen, you're under so much pressure, why aren't you saying anything?"

Chen Jin saw through Wen Muye's thoughts, or rather, a young director, taking the helm for the first time, is bound to be a bit inexperienced.

Fortunately, Chen Jin was an experienced person, and on this point, no matter how talented Wen Muye was, he could still offer advice.

After all, his debut film had just finished shooting.

In terms of directing, he was ahead of Wen Muye.

"No, it's just my personality. Teacher Tian always says I'm not suited to be a director!"

It's too dull.

"Don't listen to him, you'll be a great director!"

"Make good work, that's what I mean!"

With "Dying to Survive" alone, Wen Muye is destined to have a place in the Chinese directing circle!
(End of this chapter)