Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 632 Explosive Popularity, Occupational Hazard Warning
The launch event had barely ended when a storm swept across the entire internet.

Before noon that day, the entertainment headlines on major portal websites were all replaced with the explosive news about "The Warmest Thirty Days of My Life".

If a report is half an hour late, everyone feels like they've been abandoned by the entire industry.

Exclusive Breaking News! Wu Chen's new film "The Warmest Thirty Days of My Life" unveils its mystery, marking his directorial debut and starring role!

"An eight-year-old promise! Wu Chen fulfills his promise with his debut film, reuniting the original cast and crew of 'The Dark Side' at the new film's press conference!"

Wu Chen and Liu Yifei team up on the big screen! They will co-star in a sci-fi romance film!

"."

As if by prior arrangement, major media outlets provided comprehensive interpretations and bombarded the press conference with all its highlights from different angles.

The industry was in an uproar.

You must know, this is Wu Chen!
This was his first time directing and starring in a film.

The significance of this news is enough to make anyone, whether connected or unconnected, take notice.

Shanghai, the film crew of "The Golden Era".

"My goodness! This lineup!" Huang Bo exclaimed, looking at the news report on his phone.

He subconsciously glanced at Ning Hao, who was sitting to the side with his legs crossed, looking relaxed and carefree;

Seeing that the other person looked calm and even had a smug smile as they surveyed the scene, they immediately moved closer:

"Director, did you already know?"

“Isn’t that obvious?” Ning Hao said smugly, shaking his leg. “I’m even playing an important supporting role in it.”

Filming for "The Golden Era" will wrap up in a week, and with the filming schedule not too heavy, he has time to chat.

"Come on, you're just a supporting actor." Xing Aina couldn't help but complain as she looked at Ning Hao's expression. "If you didn't know better, you'd think you were the male lead."

As soon as he finished speaking, Huang Bo, Yue Xiaojun, and the others couldn't help but laugh.

On Weibo, the discussions among movie fans and followers have already reached a fever pitch.

"Holy crap! What am I seeing?! Director Wu is going to play the male lead himself?! This is a once-in-a-lifetime event! I've already booked the tickets!"

"Count me in! Wu Chen + Liu Yifei, what an amazing combination! I could watch them standing together doing nothing a hundred times!"

"Only I noticed that eight years ago, there wasn't a single reporter at the opening ceremony, but now all the media in Beijing are happily present."

"A sci-fi romance! I knew Director Wu wouldn't take the usual path! I'm really looking forward to seeing how he'll direct it. I feel like it will be very romantic and profound, like 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'!"

The online frenzy reflects the complex emotions of countless actors in the industry.

As they looked at the reports, they sighed, yet a strange sense of relief rose within them.

Since neither I nor anyone else was chosen, this outcome is fine. As for Liu Yifei, can this even be called a selection?
"Wu Chen himself is playing the role. Nobody expected that. But it's good that it wasn't given to someone else."

"It's still better to work with Wu Chen before. Look at the group of people in 'The Dark Side', Director Wu really cherishes old friendships. If there's a suitable role, he'll definitely call you up."

"envious."

Amidst the envy from those in the industry, Yang Mi's mindset was somewhat different.

Inside the van, her agent, Zeng Jia, watched her calmly scrolling through the news. Thinking she would be as dejected as before, she couldn't help but offer some words of comfort:
"Mimi, nobody expected this. Wu Chen is going to do it himself, so the female lead can only be Liu Yifei."

She had indeed helped Yang Mi gather information before.

Of course, the result was self-evident: it vanished without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea.

Upon hearing this, Yang Mi simply smiled, turned off her phone, and rested her head against the cold car window.

She looked out the window at the rapidly receding street scene, her voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of weariness and resentment.

She didn't have any other thoughts; she was just too envious.

What she envied was not that Liu Yifei could become Wu Chen's leading lady;
It is Liu Yifei's "confidence" that allows her to choose the movies she truly wants to make at the peak of her career, and even film them with her boyfriend.

Instead of being like herself, pushed along by the tide of capital and the market, constantly taking on roles one after another, and overdrawing her potential with one fast-food production after another.
She knew that she was still far from that kind of freedom.

At the Huairou base, Wu Chen had just finished directing the film crew on location scouting when he received a congratulatory call from Han Sanping.

"I knew you might be planning to take it yourself!" On the other end of the phone, Han Sanping was quite pleased with his accurate guess. "At the premiere of 'The Warring States,' seeing how cryptic you were, I knew something was up!"

"I thought I did a good job keeping it a secret. You really are a cunning old fox," Wu Chen teased with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Han Sanping immediately became displeased and said irritably:
"How can you not know how to speak properly! That's called strategic planning and foresight!"

After hanging up Han Sanping's call, Wu Chen was about to have Park Song-il bring his men to capture a few more backup shots when he saw Liu Yifei pulling Zhou Yang under the shade of a tree not far away, seemingly talking about something.
He seemed quite anxious, gesturing with his hands constantly.

Wu Chen walked over curiously.

"What's wrong?" Liu Yifei was relieved to see Wu Chen arrive, as if she had seen a savior. She quickly pulled him over and said directly, "Junior brother, please help me persuade Yangyang!"

After Liu Yifei's urgent explanation, Wu Chen finally understood what the two were talking about.

Plastic surgery!

Wu Chen immediately recalled the fleeting, worried look on Zhou Yang's face when he looked at the group photo, and he instantly understood.

"I just don't think I'm good-looking." Seeing that the two of them were looking at him, Zhou Yang's voice carried a hint of grievance and confusion as he finally voiced his inner turmoil.

"Some time ago, I auditioned for a role, and the producer said that my face was a bit square and not photogenic, and suggested that I get my jawbone shaved."

I was thinking, should I really make some changes? Lots of people in the industry are doing that now.”

"Is he blind? What's wrong with him? He's beautiful!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei became anxious and spoke with righteous indignation.

She couldn't understand why Zhou Yang, who was so beautiful, would think she wasn't good-looking.

Wu Chen understood immediately.

This is actually a kind of "occupational hazard" that actors are very prone to develop.
Appearance anxiety disorder.

This anxiety doesn't stem from any real flaws in oneself, but rather from the extreme lack of self-confidence in one's appearance caused by being constantly scrutinized and judged by others in an industry environment that heavily relies on appearance.

They tend to amplify even a casual, unprofessional comment from the outside world, eventually falling into a vicious cycle where they feel compelled to change their appearance to alleviate their anxiety.

Wu Chen pondered for a moment, looked at Zhou Yang who was in a state of confusion and vulnerability, and slowly spoke, his tone serious.

"Senior Sister Zhou Yang, you know that we film directors hate faces that have been surgically altered the most, because such faces lose even the most subtle muscle control."
Secondly, your face is now recognizable. This recognizability is the most valuable thing for an actor.”

Wu Chen paused, then continued, "Right now, you're simply in a state of extreme anxiety. But will you choose to believe that producer who knows nothing, or will you choose to believe me and Yifei?"

Zhou Yang did not hesitate at all when he heard these words.

How can a producer be compared to Wu Chen, a two-time Oscar-winning director?
Hesitation for even a second indicates a lack of trust in Wu Chen's professionalism.

"In that case, give up on this idea, and go back to see a psychologist for counseling."

After she finished speaking, Shu Chang came over, and Wu Chen took the opportunity to give her a half-joking, half-serious warning.

Shu Chang retorted, "How could that be! I wouldn't do that. I'm very confident in myself, right, Qianqian?"

Liu Yifei was both amused and exasperated: "Singing to remind you to be more careful is never a bad thing."

"Alright then." Shu Chang reluctantly nodded, then turned to Zhou Yang and said casually, "Yangyang, you're already so pretty, why would you get plastic surgery? What if you end up looking worse?"

Wu Chen walked to the photography area and began to explain the key points of the later shooting to Park Song-il.

Having a well-coordinated photography team can indeed save a lot of trouble for a director, allowing them to relax and not have to do everything themselves.

After giving his instructions, he turned around and saw Liu Yifei, Shu Chang, and Zhou Yang still discussing something.

Wu Chen sighed softly.

He has already given all the necessary reminders.

He couldn't forcefully stop Zhou Yang from doing what he would ultimately do.
He hoped that the other party could truly listen to his and Liu Yifei's opinions and stop messing around with that face.

The crew of "The Warmest Thirty Days of My Life" only stayed in Huairou for two days.

On the third day, the main force turned towards Shanghai.

Some of the actors who needed to film scenes there went along, while others left the day after attending the press conference.

Because everyone joined the group at different times.

The buzz surrounding the film crew hasn't died down yet, and various topics are still trending high on Weibo's trending topics list.

The news that the film crew had relocated to Shanghai spread quickly.

[The film "The Warmest 30 Days of My Life" moves to Shanghai.]

[Exclusive Coverage: Wu Chen and Liu Yifei Spotted at Hongqiao Airport]

Upon arriving in Shanghai, Wu Chen immediately began filming without any delay.

The first filming location he chose was the office building of a top law firm in Lujiazui.

The film crew booked an entire floor of viewing rooms, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Oriental Pearl Tower and Jin Mao Tower.

Wu Chen is going to film here the male lead Shen Shi'an, an elite lawyer, and his seemingly glamorous yet incredibly tiring daily life filled with work and pressure before he "time-travels".

Meanwhile, the long-awaited film "The Warring States" was finally officially released in theaters across the country.
(End of this chapter)