Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 190 Little Hamster

The bearded man, wrapped in a thick military overcoat, paced anxiously back and forth on set.

He kept looking up at the sky, his eyes filled with anxiety and resentment. They had just finished preparing to start filming when the snowflakes that had been falling heavily began to thin out.

He couldn't help but sigh, thinking to himself, "Am I about to witness another tragic story of a hero dying before achieving his goal, leaving behind only tears of sorrow?"

His eyebrows furrowed into two hills, and he muttered under his breath, "How come the snow suddenly stopped falling like that?!"

As he spoke, he suddenly stopped and shouted at the stage manager, Xiao Li, "Do you have any snowmaking equipment? If so, bring it all over here, quick!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a snowflake landed on the tip of his nose. He impatiently wiped it away with his hand, leaving a faint water stain.

Production assistant Xiao Li looked at the director Yu Minjie with a helpless expression, as if to say, "We have snowmaking equipment? How about... we conjure one up for him?"

Yu Minjie stood behind the monitor, tapping the equipment lightly with his fingertips, a look of worry on his face.

He crossed his arms, looked at the bearded man's anxious expression, then glanced at the busy crew members, and shook his head slightly.

He had been following the bearded man for a long time; the two were both teacher and friend, and he understood the bearded man's personality very well.

Therefore, he knew very well that even if they didn't manage to film a snow scene this time, as long as it snowed again later, the bearded man would definitely ask them to reshoot a snow scene.

Yu Minjie knew that the snow situation was urgent, and if things continued to drag on like this, the filming plan would probably be ruined again.

This is the second time, but he hopes it will be the last.

To avoid future troubles, he quickly walked to the bearded man's side, raised his hand to wipe his face, which was stinging from the cold wind, and comforted him, "Bearded man, we can't keep wasting time like this."

The bearded man frowned, then irritably flung his hand away: "So what do you suggest we do? Judging by this weather, the snow will stop in half an hour at most. How can we possibly make it in time?"

Yu Minjie took a deep breath, looked firmly at Hu Xiaobei who was chatting with An Xiaoqian, and said resolutely, "Let Hu Xiaobei take over the filming!"

Upon hearing this, the bearded man turned his head with a suspicious look, sizing up Yu Minjie, and asked, "Him? Can he do it in such a short time?"

Yu Minjie patted his chest and said confidently, "Absolutely no problem! Don't let his youth fool you, he's incredibly fast and good at filming."

When filming before, he could finish shooting even the most complicated scenes ahead of time, and the effect was excellent. Didn't you see the quality of that music video?

"Let him handle this snow scene. Knowing his filming speed, he'll definitely finish it before the snow stops, saving us a lot of trouble."

The bearded man was skeptical, his gaze shifting back and forth between Hu Xiaobei and Yu Minjie. After hesitating for less than two seconds, he agreed, "Alright, let him give it a try. It doesn't matter if he messes it up."

Yu Minjie nodded hurriedly: "Don't worry, there won't be any problems! I'll go talk to him."

After saying that, he quickly walked up to Hu Xiaobei, greeted him, and said, "Xiaobei, look at the situation, the snow will probably stop in half an hour at most. According to the usual filming schedule, it's definitely too late."

"You're known for filming quickly and well. Both Big Beard and I think that if we really wanted to film this snow scene, you'd be the perfect choice." As he said this, his eyes were full of sincerity and anticipation.

Hu Xiaobei frowned slightly, looked at the snow in the sky that was gradually lessening, and then looked at An Xiaoqian and Huang Xiaoming who were ready on the roof.

Although he didn't care whether or not these snow scenes were filmed, he genuinely didn't want An Xiaoqian to suffer any more injustice.

A fleeting hesitation crossed his eyes, but it quickly hardened. He nodded and said, "Okay, I can give it a try, but I can't guarantee it will work."

I need to adjust the equipment first, adjust the lighting angles, and…”

As he spoke, Hu Xiaobei took a deep breath and quickly activated his spiritual perception ability, scanning the surrounding filming environment with piercing eyes.

His brows were slightly furrowed, his eyes focused, as if he were capturing every minute detail.

A moment later, he walked quickly to the eaves, looked up, a gentle smile on his face, and said in a soft but firm tone: "Xixi, move a little more freely later, don't worry about your footing."

When you turn around, your eyes should convey a sense of both liveliness and determination, showcasing Xiaolongnu's ethereal grace without reservation, captivating the audience at first glance..."

An Xiaoqian nodded slightly, breathed a sigh of relief, but then subconsciously tightened her costume.

Then, he suddenly turned to look at Huang Xiaoming, his eyes sharp as an eagle, his voice rising a few decibels, full of vigor: "Xiaoming, the sword in your hand is your confidence!"
The movements must be powerful and vigorous, each swing of the sword must be forceful and powerful, completely igniting the tense and exciting atmosphere of the battle.

When working with Sisi, you need to maintain a good rhythm, and the interaction between you two should be full of tension…

Huang Xiaoming nodded vigorously, gripping the prop sword tightly in his hand, as if he were already in the play.

Afterwards, Hu Xiaobei quickly moved between the lighting and photography teams, his expression serious and his words clear and logical: "For the lighting team, keep the contrast within a reasonable range, and use side-backlighting to enhance the subject and highlight the texture and three-dimensionality of the snow."
The photography team used shallow depth of field, focusing on the actors' faces, and employed tracking shots to showcase the continuity of their movements.
The camera movements should be smooth and fluid, capturing every subtle change in their expressions and key actions.

The staff members busied themselves, adjusting the equipment in their hands as instructed.

Lighting technician Lao Ma muttered under his breath as he turned the dimming knob: "The angle of this light needs to be adjusted properly, so as not to affect the consultant's arrangements. Other directors might not be able to tell, but with the consultant, even if you're off by the slightest bit, he'll know who's at fault. Be very careful."

His assistant, Xiao Sun, nervously handed him tools, his eyes fixed on the lamp stand.

He would occasionally look up at the direction Hu Xiaobei was pointing and chime in, "Don't worry, it will definitely meet the requirements."

As he spoke, he quickly adjusted the position of the sunshade.

Photographer Lao Chen knelt on one knee, observing the scene through the viewfinder, and called out to his photography assistant Xiao Liu, "Xiao Liu, fine-tune the stabilizer again."

Xiao Liu quickly replied, "Okay, Brother Chen, I'll adjust it right away."

As he spoke, he carefully turned the adjustment knob on the stabilizer, his eyes never leaving the device in his hands.

Production assistant Xiao Li and several colleagues were busy moving props. While moving them, Xiao Li said with heavy breaths, "The efficiency is really different when this consultant comes. We have to keep up with the pace."

Another stagehand, Xiao Zhang, chimed in with a smile, "Of course! Maybe we can wrap up early and celebrate the New Year."

Upon hearing this, everyone sped up their work, and the set was filled with a bustling and energetic atmosphere.

With everything ready, Hu Xiaobei stood behind the monitor, his expression calm, and shouted loudly, "Attention all departments, action!"

The set fell silent instantly, with only the soft rustling of falling snowflakes.

An Xiaoqian and Huang Xiaoming quickly got into character, moving nimbly and gracefully on the rooftop.

While keeping an eye on the monitor, Hu Xiaobei also used his spiritual perception to observe the actors closely, and occasionally reminded them through the walkie-talkie: "Qianqian, pay attention to the angle of your turn! Xiaoming, make your sword movements more precise!"

The filming was completed smoothly in less than ten minutes.

Hu Xiaobei stood up, a relieved smile on his face, and said, "This shot is good, it's approved."

The bearded man, who had been standing to the side with some skepticism, widened his eyes in surprise and exclaimed, "They finished filming so quickly? This... should we keep another take as a backup, just in case?"

Hu Xiaobei nodded in acknowledgment and quickly organized everyone to film the second take.

Similarly, the filming was faster this time, everything went smoothly, and the second take was also a perfect success.

From the moment Hu Xiaobei took over to the moment the filming was officially completed, it only took a little over twenty minutes.

Looking at the footage on the monitor, the bearded man was overjoyed and exclaimed with a smile, "You're amazing! The effect is simply incredible, very close to what I envisioned."

Hu Xiaobei smiled modestly and said, "It's all thanks to everyone's good cooperation that things went so smoothly."

Having said that, he didn't care what the bearded man thought, and walked straight to the eaves of the inn.

An Xiaoqian had just finished filming and was still immersed in the emotions of the scene, falling from a height using a wire harness.

A hint of urgency flashed in Hu Xiaobei's eyes. He quickened his pace and rushed to An Xiaoqian's side. He gently and swiftly wrapped his arms around her waist and caught her from the height.

After straightening up, he turned his head slightly, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, and teased, "Oh~ our Little Dragon Girl, you've worked hard. After filming this snowy action scene, did you feel like you really became a fairy with superb lightness skills?"

An Xiaoqian's eyes were full of laughter. She gently patted his shoulder and said reproachfully, "You always tease me."

Do you want me to say that it was thanks to your strategic planning that I didn't embarrass myself by scrambling around on the roof?
"Great! The crew is having a get-together tonight, so I'll toast you a few more times as a reward. How about it?"

Hu Xiaobei raised his eyelids, glanced at her sideways, and a mischievous smile curled at the corner of his mouth. He deliberately dragged out his words and teased, "Well... of course! Tonight, I'll drink as much AD calcium milk as you want, I'll keep you company to the very end, I guarantee you'll drink your fill!"

"You're the one who's drinking..."

An Xiaoqian had just blurted it out when she suddenly remembered the AD calcium milk she had stocked up in her room.

If I blurt this out now, and Hu Xiaobei finds out later... he might laugh at me for a long time.

Her eyes darted around quickly, like rattles, and her expression changed accordingly, making her look exactly like a hamster whose food had been discovered, full of guilt.

However, she reacted quickly and immediately stopped talking.

She even raised her chin, pretending to be calm, and puffed out her chest, her tone carrying a hint of arrogance and pride.

"Who said I'm drinking AD calcium milk tonight? I'll be 18 after the New Year, and I can drink alcohol openly now!"

(End of this chapter)