Unboxing, Director!

Chapter 157 It Can Seduce Souls~
A hotel in Xiandu, Lishui, Zhejiang.

Lai Shuiqing, the director of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber", watched the scenes involving Zhou Zhiruo again and felt a bit overwhelmed.

Filming for "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" has been underway for two weeks, with multiple crews shooting at the time.

Everything went smoothly overall. Although there were a few minor issues along the way, they were all minor and were resolved quickly.

However, there is one problem that remains unresolved concerning Gao Yuanyuan.

That is, Gao Yuanyuan's style is quite different from the rest of the crew.

Currently, all the actors in the "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" production team, even those who got in through connections, are basically from professional acting backgrounds, so their basic skills are guaranteed.

The veteran actors, needless to say, only argue about their acting styles, not about their basic acting skills.

The only exception is Gao Yuanyuan, the second female lead.

His acting skills were truly... indescribable.

Didn't they say she's already acted in several movies?

Why are you still so inexperienced?
Almost all the mistakes in her group were her fault.

Because of her, the filming schedule for her group is almost four days behind schedule!
If this continues, won't the entire filming process drag on for a month or two?
Lai Shuiqing couldn't help but look at his assistant: "Has Lu Jiang set off yet?"

"They should have already set off. I'll call and ask."

"Ah."

Lai Shuiqing nodded, his gaze returning to "Zhou Zhiruo".

Let Lu Jiang deal with this hot potato himself!

It took Lu Jiang almost a whole day to get from Beijing to Xiandu.

First, you need to fly from Beijing to Wenzhou, stay overnight, and then take a car from Wenzhou to Xiandu, which is 130 kilometers away, the next morning.

Xiandu is located in Lishui, Zhejiang, and is the place with the most mountains.

So just this 100-plus kilometers took almost half a day, and Lu Jiang's butt was sore from sitting for so long.

Actually, the production team didn't originally need to film in such a remote mountain area.

Setting up filming locations in film studios around Beijing would solve most of the location problems.

But who made Lu Jiang so popular?

As one of the most popular singers and actors right now.

His projects already possess inherent cultural and tourism value.

Therefore, the selection of filming locations was highly competitive and sought after by various parties.

Ultimately, Hengdian Group and Zhejiang Culture & Tourism offered the most generous terms.

Therefore, "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" will be filmed primarily in Hengdian, with filming also taking place in several counties and cities in Zhejiang.

For example, the ancient architectural complex in Xiandu, such as Dinghu Peak and Huangdi Temple, which perfectly match the artistic conception of a Taoist holy site, was used as the filming location for "Wudang Sect" and some interior scenes.

An island in Zhoushan is used as Ice and Fire Island.

Xianju in Taizhou, which later became the filming location for "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" and "The Return of the Condor Heroes", was also acquired in advance by "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" and used as part of the outdoor filming location.

The venue is free, and support is also provided, including food and lodging, advertising sponsorship, and even related tax breaks.

With such excellent conditions, a mere few hours of mountain road is nothing to worry about.

Of course, the production team also had to pay a price, but the price was very small. It was just to cooperate with the promotion of cultural tourism and related industries, and it only used the name of "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre", not Lu Jiang's.

Putting everything else aside, at the very least, because Xiandu was chosen as a filming location for "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre," many people across the country already knew about this place with its ethereal name as soon as it was announced before the Lunar New Year.

It must be said that people from Zhejiang are indeed good at doing business.

Hong Kong people are good at business, but they are quite superstitious.

For example, this time with "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre," they didn't hold a launch ceremony or any opening interviews.

It is said that Mr. Li, the general manager of Huanya, had someone calculate it.

They say the more low-key the start of filming, the more successful the movie will be.

So, two weeks after filming began, the public was largely unaware of the situation.

Shen Shen nagging.

But Lu Jiang didn't care.

People want peace of mind, so he naturally won't stop them.

In the afternoon, Lu Jiang finally arrived at the hotel.

Not many people greeted him.

The director is Lai Shuiqing, along with several producers and a few actors.

The actresses playing Zhu Jiuzhen are Zhan Xiaonan, Wu Qingying is Liu Sitong, and the fake Golden Lion King is Dong Ziwu, among others.

These are all actors from the Red Plum Manor storyline in the drama, and they are all wearing makeup now.

Besides that, there was also someone in modern clothes, who was none other than Chen Zihan, the actress who played Yin Li.

It is said that Guo Feili was supposed to be there today, but due to a flight delay, she will arrive two or three hours later.

Upon meeting, everyone greeted Lu Jiang first.

Liu Sitong was the most enthusiastic among them.

A sweet "Hello, senior brother" made the men present go weak in the knees.

Lu Jiang politely replied, "Senior? You're from the Central Academy of Drama?"

"Yes, I'm from the class of '99."

"Oh, you're an alumnus! Here, have a little something to give you."

Lu Jiang smiled and told his assistant Baoqiang to start giving gifts.

"Thank you, senior!"

Liu Sitong was quite flattered, but she soon realized that she had been overthinking it, because everyone received a gift.

"Everyone here looks like they're good at lying, so I hope you'll be honest and not try to fool me."

Lu Jiang used a reference from "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," which made a group of beautiful women giggle.

The male actors, including Dong Ziwu, weren't jealous at all, since Lu Jiang was so generous.

Everyone received a gift box; I wonder what's inside, but it probably won't be cheap.

Even if it's not expensive, the fact that a superstar like Lu Jiang would give a gift upon meeting someone and be so friendly is enough to earn everyone's goodwill.

After a brief meeting, Lu Jiang graciously took photos with Liu Sitong and the enthusiastic hotel staff.

Lu Jiang then immediately began applying makeup.

He and Lai Shuiqing had already discussed the filming schedule, and they had decided to start filming as soon as they arrived today.

They join the crew, shoot, and leave immediately, without affecting the quality. This kind of thing is perfectly normal in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Lu Jiang didn't want to make an exception. After all, it didn't take much effort, and he had plenty of energy, so time was money.

Moreover, the production team of "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" is not only filming scenes about him at the moment.

Currently, the entire crew has been divided into several groups by Lai Shuiqing and is being filmed in various parts of Xiandu.

Group A, which is the part personally directed by Lai Shui-ching, is responsible for the main characters' scenes.

Group B is filming scenes featuring Yang Xiao and Ji Xiaofu.

Group C is filming scenes depicting the internal affairs of Wudang, specifically the daily dialogue scenes of Zhang Sanfeng and his disciples.

Group D was filming the scenes of young Zhang Wuji, which is Shi Xiaolong's part. This was the first group to start filming.

There's also an outdoor filming crew shooting natural scenery.

After filming in Xiandu is finished, the crew will be reorganized and reassigned to a different location.

The overall storyboard and script breakdown are very mature, clear and concise, much more compact and refreshing than any mainland production crew Lu Jiang has ever seen.

However, Lu Jiang still felt it wasn't as good as his own plan, since he had a cheat code to help him. But he didn't say much; it was only a difference of one or two weeks, so there was no need to ask for adjustments.

That being said, since Group A now includes Lu Jiang, Liu Sitong, Chen Zihan, and Guo Feili who is about to arrive, it means that Lu Jiang will need to switch between Zhang Cuishan, Zhang Wuji, and Zeng Aniu during this filming location.

According to today's filming schedule.

There are a total of three scenes from afternoon to evening: one daytime scene and two nighttime scenes. The first scene is Zhang Wuji's literary scene at Hongmei Manor, the second scene is the nighttime scene of uncovering the conspiracy, and the third scene is Zhang Cuishan, who meets Yin Susu for the first time and heals her wounds.

The rapid change in identity is a test of both acting skills and physical strength.

Lai Shuiqing currently sees acting skills as her biggest concern.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Lu Jiang, but Gao Yuanyuan had already traumatized him, so he had to re-evaluate not only Lu Jiang, but everyone who would join the group next.

Fortunately, Lu Jiang never disappoints.

The makeup and styling were completed in a little over an hour.

Zhang Wuji appeared before everyone.

Junior high school student Liu Sitong immediately commented, "So handsome."

The others also flattered him.

Lu Jiang accepted with pleasure.

After his physique was enhanced by the Golden Finger, his body proportions are now perfect, and his face is much more refined than before.

Especially her eyes, which greatly enhanced her overall charm.

In addition, Lu Jiang's head shape is very suitable for long hair in period dramas.

Her eyebrows were trimmed again, making her look even more refined.

Therefore, their current overall image is almost on par with that of Bai Gu Yang Guo, each with its own merits.

Everyone was flattering him.

Lai Shuiqing, however, still had a slight frown on his brow.

Gao Yuanyuan also has a very good image.

But if you don't have the acting skills, or if you act wrong, it's all for nothing.

So he didn't waste any more words and went straight into the filming process.

The script had already been shown to Lu Jiang.

Therefore, many things don't need to be said; everyone assumes that Lu Jiang knows them.

This is also the norm in this era.

Lu Jiang is also very efficient and doesn't put on airs at all. Now that he's an actor, he has to be dedicated to his work.

Soon, the first scene began.

This scene is mainly a dialogue scene, and it focuses on the inner thoughts of the characters.

This scene depicts Zhang Wuji, who has lived alone in the mountains for many years, venturing out for the first time to Hongmei Manor, where he is deceived and loses his trust by Zhu Jiuzhen and her father, Zhu Changling.

At this time, Zhu Changling's sworn brother, Yao Qingquan, returned from the Central Plains, claiming that his benefactors were Zhang Cuishan and his wife. Zhang Wuji overheard the conversation in the room and believed the "benefactor" claim, deciding to reveal his true identity when the opportunity arose. This part consists of only one line: "I."

The rest of the emotions must be expressed through the eyes.

It is challenging; if it were the old Lu Jiang, it would probably take him half a day to adjust his state.

But that won't stump Lu Jiang now; he has a cheat code.

With the sound of "Start" ringing out.

Lu Jiang's expression immediately changed.

From Lu Jiang's original calm and relaxed demeanor, there was a slight sense of pressure and a hint of alienation when they looked at each other.

He instantly became gentle, hesitant, and innocent, exuding a youthful charm.

As Yao Qingquan outside loudly expressed his remembrance of his benefactor Zhang Wuxia, tears began to well up in Lu Jiang's eyes along with those heartwarming words.

It was a mixture of joy at finding someone trustworthy, longing for parents, guilt for concealing her identity, and even a hint of hatred for her enemies.
Within seconds, the emotional transition was smooth and seamless, its infectiousness overflowing the screen.

But it's not over yet.

When Zhang Wuji's emotions reached their peak, he could no longer hold back and flung open the door.

The sound of the door opening interrupted the conversation between Zhu Jiuzhen and the others outside.

Lu Jiang almost blurted out the words to reveal his identity.

"I"

However, at the last moment, he ultimately swallowed it back.

He worried that if he had intentionally concealed it before, and now, after hearing the other person's conversation, he would jump out and admit it, the other person wouldn't believe him.

In that instant, all emotions were revealed in those eyes.

Naïve, worried, and even more approachable.

Of course, to those who know the plot, this look is a bit silly and cute, making Zhang Wuji seem rather foolish.
Lai Shuiqing, who had been staring at the monitor, couldn't help but slap his thigh: "Incredible!"

This infectiousness is so real!
The pitiful worry in my heart completely disappeared.

This is no different from Gao Yuanyuan.

He's clearly a potential TV King!

No, this is a potential movie star coming to the TV series "Fish Frying"!

"What's wrong, director? Is there a problem?"

At that moment, Lu Jiang's voice rang out.

Lai Shuiqing then realized that his shout of "Amazing!" had been a bit too loud and had interfered with the performance.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself, haha, I just couldn't help myself."

Filming continued, and Lu Jiang's first scene of the day quickly came to an end.

Liu Sitong was the first to offer flattery: "Senior brother, you're amazing!" "Senior brother, please have a seat." "Senior brother."

They called each other "senior brother" so affectionately, as if they had known each other for a long time.

This also drew some dissatisfaction from Zhan Xiaonan.

She then flattered him, and with even more reason and evidence: "Brother Lu's eyes were really amazing just now. When we made eye contact, wow, I still feel so bad. How could I have fooled Zhang Wuji so badly!"

These are heartfelt words. The power of the cheat system is just like that, but Liu Sitong is unaware of it for the time being because she wasn't there during the scene just now and was just observing. So, unsurprisingly, she rolled her eyes at Zhan Xiaonan.

Lu Jiang had no interest in participating in the rivalry between the two. He simply left with the words, "You acted quite well too," before being sent away by the sensible Baoqiang.

In the next scene, Zhu Jiuzhen took advantage of Zhang Wuji's sleep to press five major acupoints on him.

Suspicious, Zhang Wuji broke through his own acupoints and followed Zhu Jiuzhen, eventually uncovering her conspiracy.

It's another example of acting without dialogue, relying entirely on the eyes to convey inner emotions.

From doubt to surprise to anger, then to despair, until finally, feeling utterly hopeless, he decided to jump off a cliff.

It has to be said that Zhang Wuji's inner world is truly rich!

After finishing the performance in one go, Lai Shuiqing called on everyone to applaud.

A moment later, Lai Shuiqing answered the phone and then told Lu Jiang with a smile, "Lu Jiang, Miss Guo Feili has arrived."

Sure enough, Guo Feili, dressed in pink, soon appeared before us; she had already put on makeup.

The hairstyle is the same as the one in the show, with several wire rings on the head, which is very unique.

She is indeed very beautiful, but her philtrum is deeper than I imagined, which makes her mouth look even sexier.

"Hello, Peony Fairy."

Lu Jiang greeted him politely.

Guo Feili smiled and said, "Young Master Zhang has mistaken me for someone else. I am Yin Susu."

So you're already getting into character?
Lu Jiang then clasped his hands in a fist salute and replied in a very formal tone, using Zhang Cuishan's manner, "I apologize for my presumption."

Guo Feili chuckled, then extended her hand formally and said, "Let me formally introduce myself. I am Guo Feili. Please take care of me from now on."

Lu Jiang also extended his hand: "I wouldn't dare to offer guidance; let's improve together."

Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu finally completed their first meeting.

Unfortunately, there was no treasure chest.

After meeting, the crew resumed filming.

In the next scene, Lu Jiang plays Zhang Cuishan.

Zhang Cuishan and his third senior brother Yu Daiyan rescued Yin Susu and then healed her wounds in a thatched hut.

Yin Susu was unable to heal herself, so Zhang Cuishan helped her by circulating his internal energy to heal her, but she remained unconscious. Zhang Cuishan used a reed to feed her water, and when they woke up and looked at each other, their hearts began to beat in unison.
Before filming began, the costumes needed to be changed. Lu Jiang's Zhang Wuji and Zhang Cuishan's hairstyles remained basically the same; they only needed to change their clothes to Wudang white outfits.

About ten minutes later, the brand-new Lu Jiang appeared.

This time, it attracted even more "handsome" people.

There's no way around it, clothes make the man and a saddle makes the horse. Zhang Wuji was dressed in coarse linen clothes just now, how could he look as handsome as he does in his Wudang uniform now?

So now, if people didn't know that Lu Jiang was playing Zhang Cuishan, they would definitely mistake him for a dashing young swordsman.

Lu Jiang ignored him and simply raised the sword in his hand, asking Lai Shuiqing, "Director, I remember Zhang Cuishan didn't use a sword in the original novel, right?"

"Yes, in the original novel, Zhang Cuishan used a fine iron judge's pen, but considering the difficulty of the movements, it would be more appropriate to use a sword instead."

"You can try switching back; I learn things very quickly."

"Is that so? That's perfect. The judge's pen is ready. You can try learning it first. If it doesn't work, we can switch back."

"Can."

Soon, action director Li Zheng brought over the props and tried to teach the moves again.

With his improved physique, Lu Jiang's coordination is also at its peak, making learning a breeze.

In less than five minutes, he had wielded a large calligraphy brush with remarkable skill and elegance.

Then, unsurprisingly, it drew cheers from Liu Sitong and Zhan Xiaonan.

Chen Zihan, who hadn't participated in the flattery, still looked at the two girls with disdain, just like before.

But she herself never left the scene, watching Lu Jiang with equal fascination.

After playing around for a while, Guo Feili's battle-damaged outfit was also finished, mainly by painting her lips white to create the effect of serious injury.

Both of them are in position, so let's start filming.

The pace of Hong Kong and Taiwan production crews is indeed quite fast, with little buffer time, so it all depends on the actors to adjust themselves.

Guo Feili didn't seem to be in very good condition at first, probably because she had been traveling all day.

But what can she do when her co-star is someone who's incredibly talented?

Once you know the character you're playing and activate your eye-technique domain, all that's left is for others to watch as you and your opponent take off together.

So very quickly, with just one glance, Guo Feili was completely filled up. I'm talking about her state of mind.

"Click! Perfect!"

After more than two minutes, Lai Shuiqing called a halt.

A perfect performance.

Liu Sitong and others continued to offer their flattery immediately.

Guo Feili didn't speak, but glanced at Lu Jiang out of the corner of her eye. She felt that working with Lu Jiang was really special, a kind of magical comfort, especially his eyes, which seemed to have a captivating quality.
"That's fantastic, Lu Jiang! At this rate, we'll be back on schedule very soon!"

Lai Shuiqing approached with a hearty laugh and gave Lu Jiang another big thumbs up.

He barely paid any attention to Guo Feili; he was completely focused on Lu Jiang.

Lu Jiang just now was practically Zhang Cuishan himself.

His eyes were melancholy yet resolute.

There was absolutely no hesitation like Zhang Wuji's.

His words and actions were upright, efficient, and full of righteousness, and he even showed some restraint when facing Yin Susu.

He exudes the spirit of a Confucian knight-errant.

Lai Shuiqing felt that, apart from their similar facial features, these two characters were completely different.

Therefore, Lu Jiang truly delivered a perfect performance, playing two roles simultaneously.

This shaping ability is simply amazing!

Lai Shuiqing exhaled a breath of stale air.

Now the main character is not only guaranteed a spot, but will also have a great moment.

Jia Jingwen's portrayal of Zhao Min is also quite good.

The one left is Zhou Zhiruo.

If Zhou Zhiruo could also exceed expectations... no, let's not ask for too much.

He felt that as long as Zhou Zhiruo reached a reasonably high level, this version of "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" would likely be one of the best versions overall!
"What, it's only been half a month since filming started and the schedule is already delayed?"

Lu Jiang became curious after hearing this.

Lai Shuiqing realized he had misspoke; he shouldn't have said those words in public.

So he quickly stopped himself from speaking, leaned closer, and whispered, "I'll talk to you privately later."

He didn't say anything, but Lu Jiang already knew.

At this moment, a green treasure chest appeared above Lai Shuiqing's head:

Lai Shuiqing was very troubled by Gao Yuanyuan's performance and hoped that Lu Jiang could help him with the acting to try and improve the situation.

[Exceed the requirements and upgrade the treasure chest]

(End of this chapter)