Rebirth of Chinese Entertainment, the Diary of a 95 Flower

"She's available, Director. We can talk about this after we finish work and have dinner. Ziyi's performance isn't over yet."

Hear the words.

Guo Jianyong was stunned.

He immediately understood Jiang Yang's meaning: "Your performance of teaching Ziyi was a one-time thing, where you performed all the subsequent scenes?"

"Yes."

"Good good."

Guo Jianyong took a deep breath.

Seeing the assistant director holding up a megaphone to yell "Cut!", he immediately picked up his walkie-talkie: "Don't cut! Let Ziyi continue acting. Ziyi's performance isn't over. Ziyi is still in character. Get the soldiers outside moving and start the next scene right away!"

The executive director immediately realized what was happening.

He stepped back out of the camera's field of view and directed, "Next scene, the two soldiers who are playing special roles, go straight up and act as we rehearsed! Take advantage of Shi Yan's good performance while he's in character, he'll get screen time!"

Two extras dressed as soldiers pushed through the crowd, their swords clattering at their waists.

The leading soldier kicked over a vegetable stall by the roadside.

Vegetables were scattered all over the ground, and the stall owner dared not speak out in anger, but could only crawl on the ground to pick them up.

These were all rehearsed once during the previous play rehearsals.

The camera only briefly mentions it; there's no need for particularly good acting skills.

A soldier rushed into the pharmacy, staring at the bag in Meng Ziyi's arms.

"Sir, this is the money I need to pay for my mother's medicine."

"Oh, this young lady is quite filial, even thinking of getting medicine for her mother? In this day and age, people can't even save their own lives, how can they care about their mothers?"

Meng Ziyi shrank back, taking half a step back, clutching the cloth bundle to his chest, and burying his head even lower: "Sir, I just want to get some medicine for my mother, please..."

The soldier stepped forward and reached out to snatch the cloth bag.

Mencius held on tightly and wouldn't let go.

The cameraman immediately followed them inside.

The monitor screen in front of Guo Jianyong showed a close-up view of the pharmacy.

The sound of coarse cloth being torn was particularly jarring amidst the noise.

A few strings of coins rolled to the ground and were trampled underfoot by a soldier.

Next, close-up shots of Meng Ziyi were filmed.

The crisp sound of the copper coins rolling was like a tap on the heart of the stone inkstone, played by Meng Ziyi.

The whole place fell silent.

Because it's clear that this scene is likely to be filmed in one take.

Often, when people say "one take" on set, it doesn't mean there were no shots edited out, nor does it specifically refer to a particular actor.

Take this scene, for example.

The term "one take" refers to the cooperation between all the actors.

Vendors, soldiers, pharmacy owners, and vagrants on the streets—all these ordinary extras, featured actors, and foreground actors, as well as Meng Ziyi, must not make any mistakes.

One person made a mistake, or their performance wasn't up to par.

Everything has to start all over again.

The extras on the street fell silent instantly.

The old man selling steamed buns stopped calling out.

The refugees raised their heads, but no one dared to step forward.

People just watched, their eyes filled with sympathy, fear, and mostly numbness.

Everyone was drawn into the emotions expressed by Meng Ziyi.

The expressions they displayed were telling the audience that this was the most common form of bullying in chaotic times, and no one found it strange.

got used to.

Isn't that true for everyone?

"Very good, very good, keep it up," Guo Jianyong muttered, staring at the monitor.

What was supposed to be an hour-long shoot was completed in just two minutes.

It can be included in the final cut.

On a film set, time is money.

This is essentially a way of saving the production team money.

"By the way, Jiang Yang... Teacher Jiang."

Guo Jianyong changed how he addressed Jiang Yang, no longer calling him by his name, but instead calling him "teacher": "Are you sure you've also properly trained Ziyi for the later scenes?"

"Shh, director, keep your voice down."

"okay."

Guo Jianyong peeked out, lowered his voice, and was about to ask again in a whisper.

I sensed something was wrong.

Jiang Yang wanted him to keep his voice down?
He's the director of this group. Unless the production company is present, he has the most power. Even the producer can't interfere with the filming process!
Jiang Yang is an unofficial staff member; why should he speak softly?

Go against Tiangang!

Unfortunately, at this critical juncture, he had no choice but to do as Jiang Yang said, because Jiang Yang's words would allow him to smoothly implement the upcoming filming arrangements, saving a lot of manpower, resources, and money.

When Zhong Shujia talked to him privately about Jiang Yang, what he said was indeed true.

Jiang Yang, on the surface, is very polite and knows how to get along with people.

Sometimes it's intentional to create a situation that involves favors or obligations.

They often make jokes that are disrespectful to elders.

I don't know who I learned it from.

The girl Jiangyang Company signed, Yang Chaoyue, is so polite. She seems like a good girl who does whatever the boss says and doesn't cause him any trouble.

Why doesn't Jiang Yang learn from Chao Yue?

Guo Jianyong lowered his voice, speaking in a breathy tone, but his tone was somewhat sharp: "Speak."

"Director, over there at Chaoyue..."

"Add more scenes, add more lines for your leap!"

"That outrageous salary..."

"Give Chaoyue an extra 500! So the kids at Chaoyue's hometown elementary school can have a few more pairs of shoes. Don't be all smiles, I'm about to punch you! Tell me now, Teacher Jiang!"

Jiang Yang then said slowly, "I taught Ziyi all the scenes up to the last one, where the special guest actor in white comes to save Shi Yan."

In the pharmacy.

Meng Ziyi looked at the few strings of copper coins that had been trampled on, her lips trembling, tears welling up in her eyes.

She bit her lower lip hard to keep the tears from falling.

Mencius bent down to pick it up, but a soldier kicked him in the knee, causing him to fall heavily to his knees, his knees hitting the floor with a dull thud.

The soldier spat, "You're asking for it! These days, it's a favor for a soldier to take something from you, and you dare to resist?"

Meng Ziyi lay on the ground, his hands supporting him on the ground, his knuckles turning white from the effort.

She lowered her head, her long hair obscuring her face, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

By watching Meng Ziyi's close-up on the monitor, viewers can sense that Meng Ziyi is suppressing his emotions.

This is the emotion that Shi Yan needs to convey to the audience in this scene.

The camera zoomed in on the soldier over his shoulder, then shifted its gaze to the extras outside the street as the soldier drew his sword.

The surrounding extras all turned their faces away.

Some people sighed softly, while others continued with their own business; no one dared to meddle.

After a few seconds of silence, Meng Ziyi suddenly raised his head.

Tears finally broke free, sliding down her dust-covered cheeks, yet her eyes burned with a resolute determination to perish together with the enemy.

Mencius crawled a few steps on his knees, grabbed the soldier's leg, tears streaming down his face, his voice hoarse: "Why?!"

This question was filled with long-suppressed grievances and anger.

The streets fell silent instantly.

The extras were all stunned.

There was a deliberately staged reaction.

At this moment, however, it was more of an instinctive reaction.

The emotions that Meng Ziyi unleashed captivated these extras who had never learned acting skills, making them feel as if they were truly like Shi Yan, struggling to survive in a chaotic world.

The old man selling steamed buns dropped one of his buns on the ground.

The refugees stared at her intently.

Meng Ziyi's chest heaved violently, tears mingling with sweat and dust streaming down his face. He roared at the soldiers and the numb crowd around him, "My father was a righteous man who protected the sword. He was beaten to death by you all for preventing the Qinggang Sword from falling into the hands of thieves! My mother is seriously ill. I just wanted to get some medicine to keep her alive. Is that wrong?!"

She kowtowed once, her forehead striking the bluestone slab with a dull thud, blood seeping from her temple: "You steal my money, trample on my hope, and watch people suffer while you stand by indifferently. Is this how this chaotic world is supposed to be?!" She kowtowed again.

Her voice was choked with sobs, yet every word was firm and resolute: "My father said that even in the most chaotic times, there should be justice! But where is justice?! My mother is dying, and all I want is for her to live. Are you going to take even that last thought away from her?!"

The tears flowed more and more fiercely.

From suppressed sobs to heart-wrenching cries.

She knelt on the ground, her shoulders trembling violently, still staring intently at the soldiers: "You can rob me, you can beat me, but you can't let everyone accept their fate! You can't let everyone think that suffering is their due!"

Guo Jianyong watched intently.

I noticed the performances of the extras in the market; many of their emotions were not in the original script.

These people are just background figures.

But at this moment, whether it was because they were emotionally moved by Meng Ziyi's portrayal of Shi Yan, or something else, several of them gave outstanding performances.

In this situation, we need to add more lenses.

That is, to change the play.

Guo Jianyong held the walkie-talkie, confirmed that it was on channel one, and quietly gave a few instructions to the camera crew.

They deliberately gave close-up shots to several extras who performed well and were suitable for the scene.

As the camera moves.

The extras in the market were deeply moved by Meng Ziyi's outburst of emotion and became immersed in the story.

Someone was quietly wiping away tears.

Some people clenched their fists.

Emotions are easily contagious.

The soldiers were so intimidated by Meng Ziyi's imposing manner that they were speechless for a moment.

The sound of horse hooves could be heard in the distance.

A martial arts performer dressed in white rode a white horse galloping down the street. Upon seeing this scene, he followed the script he had rehearsed several times before, his eyes darkening as he drew his sword.

Meng Ziyi remained kneeling on the ground, kowtowing, before finally collapsing. Tears blurred her vision, yet she continued to murmur, "I don't want to accept my fate... My mother doesn't want to either..."

"Okay, that's good, you've passed!"

Guo Jianyong said something into the walkie-talkie, and immediately the executive director shouted through a megaphone: "Cut! That's a good shot! Everyone worked hard, it was perfect! You've all done a great job, now we're changing scenes. Oh, by the way, there were a few extras who performed exceptionally well and were on camera, so please find the team leader inside and register their names."

The assistant director pointed out the extra who had just been in close-up shots to the team leader.

The team leader went to find people and registered their names.

These are all extras that need to be added to the call sheet, and they will give extra pay to the extras.

That's how it is on film sets; staying up all night is common, but you never lose a penny in pay, especially on larger productions.

You have to pay extra for screen time, and you have to pay extra for lines.

Even when they're not filming, they get extra pay just for waiting, or even for sleeping or playing on their phones.

In short, everything costs money.

Directors would absolutely adore someone like Jiang Yang, who can significantly reduce the efficiency of filming.

While it may have saved the production team money, the accounts reported to the investors will still be substantial.

Where did the extra money go?

I earned it through my own abilities, so who cares where I spend it?

Therefore, Zhong Shujia did not hesitate at all to pay Jiang Yang a salary of one million yuan when he was appointed as the nominal art director.

Because Jiang Yang can help him earn more.

Jiang Yang didn't talk to Guo Jianyong much.

Making empty promises without contributing a single penny is pointless.

Mencius still needs to be kept in check.

After all, it was he who helped Meng Ziyi get into character.

"Ziyi, are you alright?"

Jiang Yang arrived at the pharmacy. The actor playing the shopkeeper had already left, and the art department was dismantling the set. All the medicinal herbs in the medicine cabinet were taken out.

This shooting area will no longer be needed.

Therefore, all items must be cleared out.

The camera is being disassembled from its sliding rails, preparing to be loaded into the van and head to the next scene.

Meng Ziyi was still kneeling on the ground, staring blankly at the ground.

The staff coming and going seemed invisible.

Still immersed in the character of Shi Yan.

Meng Ziyi's assistant, who was assigned to the set, wanted to chat with Meng Ziyi for a bit and pulled her up, but as soon as she went over, the executive director pulled her back, saying, "Why are you going to join in the fun?"

"I'm Teacher Ziyi's assistant. Teacher Ziyi isn't feeling well right now."

"The director said Jiang Yang should go. You're new here, aren't you? Don't you want to finish work earlier in the future?"

"Yes I do!"

"That depends on whether Jiang Yang knows or not. Today is the day Jiang Yang will be training Meng Ziyi's acting skills for half an hour. If we finish work early, we'll have at least six hours to go, and we definitely won't have to stay up late tonight. We can all get a good night's sleep."

Hear the words.

The young girl who was Meng Ziyi's assistant on set had her eyes light up.

I haven't been in the industry for very long.

I was initially worried that Meng Ziyi would have a bad temper after being assigned to be Meng Ziyi's assistant on set.

Upon receiving the letter, I found that Meng Ziyi was quite easy to get along with.

Sometimes she talks in a way that leaves her confused, sometimes she talks in a really funny way, and sometimes she'll whisper a few words to the director behind his back. This morning I heard that Meng Ziyi brought over the acting director from the set of "Fighter of the Destiny" next door.

I didn't expect it to be true.

To her surprise, Jiang Yang was able to help her get a good night's sleep.

In this line of work, who can resist the temptation of a good night's sleep, especially when the project is still ongoing?

She no longer approached Meng Ziyi.

Jiang Yang was eager to get closer to Meng Ziyi so that Meng Ziyi would bring him to the film set more often.

"Ziyi, how are you?" Jiang Yang called out to Meng Ziyi again when Meng Ziyi didn't respond to his first call and was still lying on the ground.

Looking back.

That's strange, where is Meng Ziyi's assistant on set?

Logically, this situation should occur when the film crew's assistants are working.

Guo Jianyong is really stingy; he didn't even provide Meng Ziyi with an assistant on set.

wrong.

That shouldn't be the reason.

Jiang Yang looked towards the executive director and saw a little girl looking in their direction, holding a parasol belonging to Meng Ziyi.

Understood.

It's all routines.

They want to trap him here, but they won't pay him.

That depends on what Mencius meant; not using a condom is something we can consider.

“Jiang Yang…”

Meng Ziyi snapped out of his daze, raised the back of his hand, and wiped his cheek.

My hands were already dirty, and then I wiped them with dust.

The tears on her face made her look even dirtier.

"Are you out of character, Ziyi?"

"I'm already out of character. I graduated from a professional acting school, and my acting classes used to teach these things... cough, sigh, my voice just won't come back to normal."

Hear the words.

Jiang Yang breathed a sigh of relief.

It is evident that Meng Ziyi clearly distinguished the thin yet incredibly resilient boundary between his role and his true self.

When Yang Chaoyue first got into character last year, it wasn't easy for her to come out of character.

Meng Ziyi's tone was still tinged with sobs.

Even though she tried her best to pronounce clearly, she still couldn't control this physiological reaction.

She sobbed rapidly, took a deep breath, swallowed to steady her breathing, and looked up at Jiang Yang: "Um, Jiang Yang, how was my acting just now?"

"Very good, the director is very satisfied."

"What about you?"

Meng Ziyi met Jiang Yang's eyes, glanced down at the ground, then forced herself to look up at the student waiting for the teacher's grade: "I want to know, are you satisfied, Teacher Jiang?" (End of Chapter)