Huayu Entertainment: Tianxian really wants to improve

Chapter 293: I Saw a Lonely Soul
"I understand, I won't worry about these things anymore!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei nodded.

She has never been one to argue with the world.

If it were someone with a stronger personality, they might question, "Just because it's always been this way, does that mean it's right?"
But for her,

Now that the pattern has been discovered,

Then she will do her job well.

I'm no longer paying attention to this issue.

"That's good."

Gu Bei also breathed a sigh of relief, as he was really afraid that she would continue to get stuck on this dead end.

The two lingered for a while longer.

Then Liu Yifei had to go home first.

She still needs to prepare for the second round of auditions for Gravity.

The two of them probably wouldn't be able to see each other for the next few days, and they were a little reluctant to part ways.

Two days later.

Kyoto, Huairou.

China Film Digital Production Base.

"Teacher Gong Li, it's been a long time!"

Gu Bei entered the dressing room and greeted Gong Li.

"Director Gu!"

Gong Li looked at Gu Bei in the mirror, a complex expression in her eyes.

The last time I saw Gu Bei was at last year's Cannes International Film Festival.

The two only exchanged glances and didn't even speak. Gong Li, on the other hand, talked more with Liu Yifei, who is also an actress.

Unexpectedly, more than a year has passed.
Gu Bei, who once needed her to hold his own, is now an internationally renowned director.

Liu Yifei, who is old enough to be her daughter, has become her direct competitor.

"No need to get up!"

Gu Bei interrupted Gong Li's attempt to get up, saying, "I'm here to supervise the makeup. The location for this shoot is very different, so I need to personally check the makeup effect."

finished,

Gu Bei carefully examined Gong Li's face.

It must be said that there are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names.

The nickname "Empress Gong" perfectly encapsulates Gong Li's facial features.

His entire face was extremely dignified.

Although she has an oval face and almond-shaped eyes like Liu Yifei...

Gong Li's oval face, with its prominent cheekbones and wide jawline, gives her an air of grandeur, making her a natural fit for playing empresses.

Her phoenix eyes are even longer and deeper, giving her a more resilient look, typical of Eastern women.

After examining Gong Li's face,
Gu Bei had an idea in his mind.
He said to the makeup artist, "I need you to make Ms. Gong Li look younger, and add more angularity to her contouring to make her appear more decisive."

Gong Li watched Gu Bei and the makeup artist discuss makeup details with a sense of novelty, as it was the first time she had seen a director pay attention to such details.

quickly,

She then understood the differences in filming that Gu Bei had mentioned.
It was a completely black, cube-shaped photography studio, each side of which consisted of twenty-five square LED light source panels, and inside these light source panels were thousands of tiny LED beads.

Front, back, left, right, up, and down

All six walls of the photography studio are covered with LED light source panels.

In the middle of the studio,

It is a white cylinder with armrests.
It's just big enough for a person to stand in; I guess that's where she was filming.

"This……"

Gong Li looked troubled.

"Ms. Gong Li, don't worry. There won't be any big movements in today's audition. You just need to stand there and you don't need to do any movements."

Gu Bei offered a word of comfort.

Gong Li felt that she was not comforted at all.

Is this how science fiction movies are filmed?

She felt that this was completely different from her previous filming experiences, as if she had entered a whole new world.

at this time,

A familiar voice came from behind.

"Director Gu, and...you're here too!"

When Zhang Yimou saw Gong Li wearing a half-spacesuit, he showed a slightly embarrassed expression.

Although the two collaborated again in "Curse of the Golden Flower" two years ago, seemingly reconciling, their unexpected meeting still created a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

"Ok!"

Gong Li replied calmly.

Then, she greeted the people behind her: "Chairman Han, Director Chen, Director Jiang..."

Led by Han Sanpin, a group of people from China Film Group, along with renowned directors such as Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, and Jiang Wen, paid little attention to Gong Li, instead focusing on the futuristic-looking film studio in front of them.

"Where did you get such a thick swing arm?"

Jiang Wen looked curiously at the robotic arm equipped with a camera.

"The camera was taken off the car production line and its movement trajectory was controlled with industrial-grade precision. It's just that adjusting it every time is a bit too troublesome."

Gu Bei patted the mechanical arm, which was thicker than his own thigh, and said with great pride.

For men, manipulating this kind of large toy is the purest form of pleasure!
"Is this photo studio just for adjusting the lighting?"

Looking at the studio filled with LED lights, Zhang Yimou also showed curiosity, "With so many LED lights, what level of performance can you achieve?"

"We can simulate day and night. In space, the alternation of day and night is very fast. In 24 hours, you can only experience a few days and nights. Every shot requires precise adjustment of these LED beads by computer."

Gu Bei showed them some clips from previous tests, which were unique technologies in the world.

After watching it, Chen Kaige couldn't accept it: "Isn't this just like making an animated film?"

"no way!"

Gu Bei nodded. "I also want to go to space to film something, but human technology isn't advanced enough yet. However, human imagination has reached that level. Only animation can satisfy the boundless imagination of humankind!"

After the visit,

Chen Kaige and Jiang Wen were both somewhat envious of Gu Bei, but neither of them could accept this kind of filming style.

They envied Gu Bei because they saw his creative needs being endlessly satisfied.
What's unacceptable is that this kind of filming, with its deep involvement of technology, is so different from their traditional filmmaking.

On the contrary, Zhang Yimou's attitude was the best.
He has always been a director who is very open to new things.
Of course, the final result may not meet expectations.

Han Sanpin hopes that these top domestic directors can also produce some sci-fi blockbusters like Gu Bei, and preferably be able to go international, but obviously that is not so easy to achieve.

Gu Bei then proceeded to the second round of auditions.

This round of auditions mainly focuses on how the actors perform in front of the camera. Therefore, it's necessary to replicate the actual filming location as closely as possible.

In this round of auditions, many production teams will also call out the already cast actors to act alongside the auditioning actors, in order to observe the chemistry between the two actors.

However, Gravity is almost a one-man show, so there's no need for Jackie Chan to come over and act alongside them.

"Ms. Gong Li, let's film the first segment."

The audition only had two parts.

One scene is the opening sequence of working outside the cabin.

Another scene involves the International Space Station having to release the male protagonist to see him enter space.

These roles are concentrated in the early to mid-stages, which is also the usual practice in auditions.

After all, the complex emotions in the subsequent scenes...
It's highly unlikely that an actor could portray a scene based on just one page of text.

At this point, it is necessary to refer to the actor's past works to estimate whether the actor can achieve the effect the director wants.

"Action!"

The voice just fell,

Gong Li in the shot exudes a sense of detachment, like a new employee who has just arrived at the company. This is the defensive posture that the female lead initially displays towards the outside world.

Gu Bei watched Gong Li's performance.
It has to be said, an expert's touch is enough to tell if someone is good or bad.
Even with only a one-page script, Gong Li can still grasp a certain quality of the character and bring it to life, living up to the acting awards she has won.

"very good!"

Gu Bei walked to the entrance of the photography studio and looked at Gong Li, who was standing inside, almost suspended in mid-air. "Ms. Gong Li, do you need to rest for a bit?"

"No need, Director Gu, let's continue with the next segment."

Gong Li shook her head.

Gu Bei nodded and walked back to the monitor.

"Action!"

The second relationship needs to be more intense.

"I'll catch you... no, no, no... I've caught you!"

Gong Li was panting heavily.
My emotions changed three times in a short period of time.

Even without any other visuals, it still makes your heart skip a beat, as if you can see Gong Li almost missing the male lead, and your emotions are in sync with Gong Li's performance.

When she finally let go, I could truly feel Gong Li's sadness.

Gu Bei saw this scene,
It's understandable why so many great directors like to use Gong Li.

Because Gong Li is indeed able to bring to life the scenes they envisioned, and even go a step further, creating a depth of meaning that the director couldn't have anticipated.

With an opponent like that, Liu Yifei is really in some danger!

After Gong Li,
Gu Bei then watched the performances of Yang Ziqiong, Liu Jialing, Shu Qi, and Xu Jinglei.
These people's performances were far less stunning than Gong Li's, but they each had their own unique characteristics and highlights, clearly showing that they took this audition very seriously.

Finally, it was Liu Yifei's turn to appear.

"Her makeup needs to be more mature, her skin shouldn't be so good, it should be rougher, and her overall facial contours don't need to have this youthful look."

Gu Bei kept offering suggestions to the makeup artist.

While he wanted Gong Li to be younger, Liu Yifei needed to be more mature.

At 21, Liu Yifei's cheekbones aren't prominent enough, and her face still has too much of a girlish feel, making her seem like a biology PhD in her early thirties as described in the script.

Liu Yifei's appearance ten years from now might be more in line with the description.
At that time, her cheekbones would be more prominent, making her look more like Gong Li now, with a more dignified and elegant air, but in a different kind, more assertive way.

That's why he has the nickname "Heavenly Beauty Attacker".

Because her face shape changes subtly as she grows up.

In fact, all the actresses born in 85 have undergone similar changes. As they get older, their aloofness and sense of authority increase, which is simply a natural part of human physical development.

"No wonder I didn't recognize you back then!"

Looking at Liu Yifei, who was becoming more and more like the Liu she remembered, Gu Bei couldn't help but sigh.

"what?"

Liu Yifei didn't hear clearly and asked a question.

"It's okay, this look will be closer to the character."

Gu Bei nodded.

After concealing the girlishness

The Heavenly Fairy's attack style is quite fitting for the character's appearance.

Afterwards, they returned to the LED studio to prepare for the same two audition performances as before.

"Director Gu, how is it?"

Han Sanpin walked over and asked.

"We're only missing Liu Yifei. So far, Gong Li's performance is the best; her acting skills are truly impeccable." Gu Bei couldn't help but admire Gong Li's acting skills.

"Actually, I think Gong Li is quite good too. If the difference is too big, there's no need to hold a third round of auditions."

When Han Sanpin saw that the last one was Liu Yifei, he didn't have much hope. He didn't think Liu Yifei could be better than the other older actresses.

Even if only Gong Li is left
I also need to have her train at the space agency before she goes through a third round of auditions.

If it fails, you'll have to use the options you previously abandoned; there's no difference.

While directing the lighting technicians to adjust the lights, Gu Bei casually responded to Han Sanpin.

After a while,
everything's ready.

"Action!"

Gu Bei and Han Sanpin both looked at the monitor.

In the footage, Liu Yifei is intently focused on a certain spot, working diligently while responding to questions from other astronauts.

It looks normal.

But you can tell she's different at a glance.
Her seriousness was like mechanical work; her body was physically present but her mind wasn't. She was like the spacesuit she wore, creating a barrier between her and all her colleagues.

"I think...we have a second option!"

Gu Bei raised his head and looked confidently at Han Sanpin.

"This...this is actually Liu Yifei!"

Han Sanpin also showed a look of surprise.

Of the six candidates, Liu Yifei was the least attractive.
Because Liu Yifei is the youngest and has the fewest works.
Even Xu Jinglei, who relies on her connections in Beijing's elite circles, is clearly more competitive than Liu Yifei.

But now, Liu Yifei, whom he considered the least attractive, has truly surprised him!
Gu Bei looked at the monitor again.

Loneliness
This is the most striking quality Liu Yifei possesses at this moment.
This was also a pleasant surprise for Gu Bei!
One of the biggest conflicts with gravity,
It means being alone in space.

Humans are social animals, but in the story of Gravity, the female protagonist is forcibly isolated from the entire society and has to survive alone.

A lonely soul and the vast universe.

This natural contrast,
That's the biggest conflict in the Gravity storyline!
At this moment, Liu Yifei embodies a lonely soul, perfectly capturing the essence of such a person.

Gu Bei thought about Liu Yifei's future deeds.
I've been stalked by paparazzi for a year, and all I do every day is take out the trash and stay home alone. What glamorous female celebrity is like this?
To some extent,
At this moment, Liu Yifei was essentially playing herself.

Her soul seemed to always be lonely.

(End of this chapter)