This director lacks vision.

Chapter 194 Loneliness is a normal part of life

Jiang Yifeng assumed that Liu Yifei had experienced cyberbullying, so filming a story about cyberbullying would be a piece of cake for her.

But he was still too optimistic.

At 10 a.m., filming for "The Hunt" officially began.

As a result, they had to do seven consecutive NGs.

It's not that Liu Yifei acted badly; it's just that Jiang Yifeng, having acquired the talent for composition and representation, had a very clear and specific understanding of the images and feelings he wanted to create.

His standards are very high, no less so than those for a movie.

After meticulously focusing on the details, Liu Yifei's performance became less effective.

Jiang Yifeng said to Hu Qian, "Change the plan. Inform Wang Qian and the original crew that we will shoot the scene where the middle-aged man is framed by a little girl this afternoon."

The web series "Hunting" incorporates many classic cases.

Of course, the story of the original Danish film "The Hunt" will not be overlooked.

Jiang Yifeng participated in the audition for this hunting scene remotely via video while he was in Australia.

During the hunt, the middle-aged man "Wang Yuan," who is wrongly accused by the little girl, is very important and can be said to be one of the most emotionally compelling key characters in the entire series.

The character needed to appear somewhat cunning, but at his core, he was a good person, and Wang Qianyuan was ultimately chosen.

Wang Qianyuan just starred in the movie "The Piano in a Factory" last year, so his acting skills are definitely not a problem.

He won the most important award of his acting career—the Best Actor award at the Tokyo International Film Festival—this November, and his current salary is still very low.

After speaking with Hu Qian, Jiang Yifeng said to Liu Yifei, "You're a bit too hasty. Your performance is too forceful, and your emotions are too outward, which makes it lack inner tension."

Jiang Yifeng took out his phone, searched for a photo of Liu Yifei circulating online.

It was when she was a teenager, sitting in front of the computer looking at porn online, and she looked sad.

Jiang Yifeng said, "Try to recall how you felt when you took this photo. I need that natural feeling right now."

Liu Yifei nodded; she was still very serious about acting.

She asked, "I was really into it just now, and I showed my true feelings. I felt quite immersed in the role, but I kept getting cut. Was there something I didn't do well?"

Jiang Yifeng smiled, then suddenly flicked Liu Yifei's head with his finger.

This time, she used a bit of force, and Liu Yifei let out a yelp, rubbing her head and saying, "Why did you suddenly hit me?"

"We're filming on set right now, so don't get any funny ideas. We can play games tonight."

Jiang Yifeng: "..."

"Tell me, were you in pain just now?"

"It hurts, it still hurts."

"That howl you let out just now was an instinctive reaction to pain, just like your expression in this photo, real and natural."

Look at this photo. Although the expression is not much, it can evoke associations in the viewer and make them feel sorry for the person.

However, your performance just now, although you seemed to have put in the emotions, was still stiff and made people feel that you were acting, not delicate and natural enough.

In addition, your performance lacks design and you don't portray the character's layers.

Without any build-up or progression, it jumps straight into a strong emotion, making it feel hollow.

Liu Yifei hesitated for a moment and said, "Actually, I was afraid you would think my acting was bad, so I was a little anxious today."

Jiang Yifeng smiled and said, "No need to rush. Now that we're in the crew, we're a team, and everyone will help you."

My goal is not only to have you portray a good character, but also to make you look beautiful in the film.

Hearing Jiang Yifeng say that, Liu Yifei breathed a sigh of relief.

Before anyone knew it, Jiang Yifeng had become a renowned and authoritative director, putting a lot of pressure on people.

"Looks like you're really under pressure."

"Yes, I heard it from Mimi. She said you were very fierce on set and would replace someone if you didn't act well."

I don't want to be replaced; that would be too embarrassing.

At this time, Yang Mi and Liu Yifei had a good relationship and would chat occasionally.

Yang Mi embellished her experiences on the set of Dark Glory 2 and told Liu Yifei about them.

Jiang Yifeng was very harsh on Yang Mi at the time, and even gave her a strict order: if she didn't perform well in three days, she would be replaced.

In addition, Jiang Yifeng is indeed not very lenient when it comes to work, especially on set, which led Liu Yifei to overthink things.

Jiang Yifeng thought for a moment and then said directly, "In my opinion, the biggest thing that Anxi's character has in common with you is loneliness."

Whether it was the isolation and helplessness she felt when facing false accusations and cyberbullying at the beginning, or the solitary journey she took after growing up, it was difficult to dispel the loneliness in her heart.

In particular, Anxi learned to use internet public opinion and began to be either praised or criticized online.

After a grand internet frenzy, the glitz and glamour faded, leaving behind an inescapable loneliness.

The more lively the online world is, the lonelier the real world is.

That's why Anxi wanted to find a group of people who had also been hurt, to work together to achieve a goal.

She wants to make friends.

If you grasp the core of loneliness and express that feeling, everything becomes simple.

Liu Yifei retorted, "Anxi is lonely, but I'm not lonely at all. Haven't you seen how happy and cheerful I am every day?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yifeng snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "Excellent, that's exactly the feeling!"

People who are truly lonely inside often appear happy on the outside.

You're always cheerful and like to be the one having fun; these are actually outward manifestations of loneliness.

So I said you didn't act well today. You acted too sadly, which made it unmoving.

A truly lonely person is one who deliberately hides their sadness, appearing happy on the surface while negative emotions accumulate until they suddenly erupt out of control over something very small.

This contrast and tension is what's most touching.

Just like the classic scene in "Comrades: Almost a Love Story", Zhang Manyu saw Brother Leopard die. It was supposed to be a crying scene, but she laughed instead.

This laughter born from profound sorrow creates a striking contrast and emotional tension, forging a classic in film history.

Jiang Yifeng then pointed to the psychology books that Liu Yifei carried with her and said, "Most people don't read these books. If you don't have negative emotions inside, you won't keep reading psychology books."

Despite everything we've done, I've never been able to reach your heart.

You suspect I'll replace the female lead and kick you out of the production.

You are suspicious, you are insecure, you are lonely, and you don't even trust your mother.

These past experiences have shaped you into the lonely and insecure person you are today.

Liu Yifei remained silent.

Jiang Yifeng's analysis of her was very accurate.

That's definitely her current mental state.

But Jiang Yifeng continued, "Suppose the female lead experiences cyberbullying, there are two ways to perform."

The first type is heart-wrenching sobs, expressing one's pain;
Another type is to pretend nothing's wrong, appearing cheerful and happy every day, but from then on, her schoolbag is filled with many psychology books.

Think about it yourself, which performance style moves you more?

The role of Anxi is tailor-made for you; think about it carefully.

After giving Liu Yifei his instructions, Jiang Yifeng went to set up the filming location for the afternoon.

Wang Qianyuan was in Yanjing, and immediately rushed to the film crew after receiving the notification.

Accompanying him was the actress Jiang Yiyi, who played the little girl.

Jiang Yiyi is only 10 years old this year, but she has already starred in many films and television dramas and has a wealth of acting experience.

This person was a child star, and was indeed quite cute when they were young, but unfortunately they became less attractive as they grew up.

Wang Qianyuan's acting skills are indeed very good, but even so, Jiang Yifeng still had to do NGs from time to time.

As Jiang Yifeng's directing talent improves, his standards will also rise.

This is also normal.

Moreover, today is the first day of filming for "The Hunt," and the director and actors need to communicate and work together to gradually develop a tacit understanding.

Jiang Yifeng was ready to leave work at 7 p.m.

Wang Qianyuan walked over and said, "Director Jiang, I happen to have some free time these days. I have nothing to do at home, so why don't I stay on set and study?"

According to the filming schedule, Wang Qianyuan will not have any scenes for the next few days.

However, he attaches great importance to the drama "Hunting", after all, it is Jiang Yifeng's drama. Dark Glory was a huge hit and made Zhang Songwen and others famous.

Wang Qianyuan has been struggling in the entertainment industry for many years and also wants to become famous.

Moreover, he really enjoys hunting scenarios.

Therefore, after accepting the role, Wang Qianyuan prepared very thoroughly, actively preparing for the scene at home. Whenever the crew called him, he came immediately, and now he's prepared to be with the crew the entire time.

"Then I'll have to trouble you. Our filming has just started, so there will definitely be some last-minute changes, but things will be fine later."

"Director Jiang, you're too kind. I can definitely feel your artistic pursuits. With your high standards, our drama will definitely be a hit."

After chatting with Wang Qianyuan for a few minutes, Jiang Yifeng took Liu Yifei to the Round Building Recording Studio near the photography studio.

Fengxing Media's variety shows are mostly filmed here.

However, tonight's event is not for recording a program, but rather for contestants of "The Big Band" to familiarize themselves with the venue.

This is both to familiarize the band with the performance venue and to optimize the design of the live stage.

This year's "The Big Band" program is sponsored by two big bosses, Ma Yun and Zhang Chaoyang, and with Fengxing Media's strong ability to attract investment, the budget is very sufficient.

The sound team on site was led by Jin Shaogang, the sound engineer for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. The stage lighting and set design were also heavily invested in, striving to make it a top-notch live house.

To create a better atmosphere for the band's performance, a fan-shaped audience area was added to the recording studio this time.

It can accommodate more than 300 audience members to interact closely with the live band and enhance the band's performance experience.

Mu Di was already waiting when Jiang Yifeng entered the recording studio.

She handed over a document and said, "These are the 27 bands we invited."

Jiang Yifeng looked at the band list and recognized some familiar names, such as Escape Plan, New Pants, Painkiller, Reflector, Mr. Turtle, and Zhao Lei's Fist Band.

Other bands like Han Yuefu, Haze, Secret Action, JUKATOR, and Hai Shi Chen Lou came from various cities, including Hong Kong Island, but Jiang Yifeng didn't remember them.

He didn't know much about the band either.

Jiang Yifeng entered the restaurant's private room and ate while listening to Mu Di introduce the program's preparations.

"For this program, I plan to record 12 episodes, plus the live broadcast of the final, for a total of 25 videos. The judging panel consists of Wang Feng, Tian Zhen, Liu Huan, Li Jian, and Xu Wei."

To allow everyone to deliver an even more spectacular performance, we will first have these bands train intensively for a period of time.

The program is scheduled to begin filming in early April.

After her appearance on "Sisters Who Make Waves," Tian Zhen did indeed experience a successful comeback, with her hit songs "Persistence" and "The Clanging Rose" becoming popular again.

The person who suffered the most in this situation was Na-young.

Tian Zhen was also invited to be a judge on this year's "The Big Band" program.

Tian Zhen and Xu Wei are good friends, and Xu Wei's current collaborating band "Haishi Chenlou" also participated in this competition.

In the past two years, Xu Wei has also frequently participated in performances at various music festivals.

So, under the show's enthusiastic invitation (and financial incentives), Xu Wei finally agreed to be a judge.

Wang Feng and Liu Huan, on the other hand, have enough fame and status.

However, in 2011, Li Jian's popularity was relatively low.

Although the song "You'll Be With Me All My Life" was very popular, people remember Shui Mu Nian Hua.

It wasn't until Wang Fei's cover of "Legend" became a hit last year that Li Jian began to receive widespread attention. He then released songs like "By the Lake Baikal," and his career finally took off.

Jiang Yifeng finished his meal and was about to speak when he saw Zhang Chaoyang walk in.

He wore a leather suit and had a ribbon tied around his head, creating a very unique look.

When Jiang Yifeng saw this, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Goose! Goose! Goose~~~"

Liu Yifei was even more exaggerated than Jiang Yifeng, laughing so hard she made a goose-like sound.

Zhang Chaoyang didn't care. Instead, he said smugly, "How about it? Does my look give off a very angry feeling?"

Angry, roaring, Rocker!!!

Jiang Yifeng gave a thumbs up and exclaimed, "It really does have that flavor."

Zhang Chaoyang laughed heartily and urged, "Didn't you say you wrote a song for me? Hurry up and bring it out. This time, my performance must be better than Ma Yun's."

Jiang Yifeng said, "Okay, let's go practice on stage."

Jiang Yifeng came over tonight to help Zhang Chaoyang rehearse his performance songs for "The Big Band".

Upon seeing Jiang Yifeng walk onto the stage, the bands that had been discussing things backstage quickly gathered around him.

Everyone is looking forward to Jiang Yifeng's performance, after all, Jiang Yifeng is also a "musician" who has written many good songs.

As the guitar and drum intro began, everyone focused intently. The melody, though simple, was quite pleasant to listen to, carrying a subtle sense of sadness.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Yifeng began to sing: "There are some things I've forgotten, but I still remember one night when my mother asked me why I was unhappy today..."

Everyone was stunned. What kind of song is this?

It seems to be neither fish nor fowl, or a hodgepodge.

Moreover, Jiang Yifeng deliberately sang this song with a strange Mandarin accent, and the rhythm was all wrong.

The lyrics are so simple they're like a diary entry; it's just the story of someone wanting to buy a pair of skateboard shoes.

“A month later, I went to a second city, which people called the City of Charm… Just as I was about to leave, I saw a specialty store, and that was the skateboard shoes I wanted.”

My skateboard shoes, so stylish, so incredibly stylish! On my way home, I couldn't help but rub them together! Rub them on this smooth surface!

When Jiang Yifeng sang the line "friction, friction," Zhang Chaoyang was completely numb.

He didn't quite understand what kind of lousy song this was, and why Jiang Yifeng would write such a song for him.

It can only be said that Zhang Chaoyang had never met Pang Mailang and did not understand Jiang Yifeng's perverse sense of humor.

"One step, two steps, one step, two steps, each step like claws and fangs, the devil's steps, the devil's steps, the devil's steps!"
Friction, friction!
Friction, friction…

When Jiang Yifeng finished singing "My Skateboard Shoes," Zhang Chaoyang couldn't help but want to criticize and question it.

But then I saw a bunch of musicians playing in bands clapping excitedly!

"This is amazing! This song is full of postmodern style!"

"The music scene these days is too monotonous. Folk music is all about girls, and rock is all about shouting. There's really nothing new. President Jiang is still the best!"

"The off-beat in this song was also intentional. Jiang Yifeng used the deliberate off-beat and non-standard Mandarin pronunciation to create the effect of someone who can't sing."

This song authentically portrays an ordinary person with little talent who strives to pursue their dreams.

"This is the most evocative song I've ever heard, but I disagree with the idea of ​​chasing dreams."

I heard a deep loneliness in this song, a loneliness etched into my soul.

Like a lonely patient, dancing wildly on a skateboard in the street, oblivious to everyone around them, in a state of utter madness born of loneliness!

……

Upon hearing these comments from professional musicians, Zhang Chaoyang swallowed his complaints, while Liu Yifei seemed lost in thought.

Jiang Yifeng was also very surprised. He was just playing around and imitated Pang Mailang's style by singing "My Skateboard Shoes".

Unexpectedly, it received such high praise.

It just goes to show that when someone is successful, even their farts smell good.

But it can't be said that these band members are just flattering him.

In their view, Jiang Yifeng is a musician who has written songs such as "Hill" and "Wake," and has long proven his musical talent.

Now Jiang Yifeng has written a very strange song. Of course, people don't think he lacks talent; instead, they believe that everything has a deeper meaning and was deliberately arranged by Jiang Yifeng.

So-called abstraction has also become postmodern art.

Moreover, the song "My Skateboard Shoes" does have its merits.

This song sounds abstract at first, but after listening to it a few times, it really gets to you.

The lyrics describe a young man from a small town who comes to a big city, buys a pair of nice skateboard shoes, and is very happy, rubbing them repeatedly under the moonlight.

This may seem comical, but it actually highlights the inferiority complex and struggles of young people in small towns.

They can't integrate into life in big cities and will always just be passersby; it's a kind of desperate loneliness.

Furthermore, skateboard shoes can also symbolize many things, such as dreams, money, beautiful women, or so-called success, and so on.

Pang Mailang certainly didn't have this many ideas when he was writing the song.

But once a song is completed, like other works of art, it no longer belongs solely to its creator.

Everyone will have different feelings.

Therefore, Jia Zhangke said that he cried when he heard "My Skateboard Shoes" and he considered the song to be a masterpiece.

This song doesn't really feel like Pang Mailang when sung by other people, but Jiang Yifeng thinks it suits Zhang Chaoyang quite well.

It's not just that Zhang Chaoyang and Pang Mailang look alike, but their singing tone and rhythm are also very similar.

Moreover, Zhang Chaoyang has experienced depression and anxiety, and understands that loneliness is a normal part of life. Having him sing "My Skateboard Shoes" is both quirky and somewhat reasonable.

(End of this chapter)