Huayu: This celebrity doesn't follow the rules.

Chapter 88 The Company's Actors' Instructor (Seeking monthly votes at the beginning of the month)

Not far away, Sister Jingtian had just finished a shoot, and her assistant quickly draped a down jacket over her shoulders, but the cuffs of her cheongsam were still covered in mud.

Just now, Si Teng appeared aloof and cold on camera, but after turning around, she was rubbing her hands together from the cold, yet she still smiled and said to her assistant, "It's okay, just one more take will do."

Bailu knew that Sister Jingtian barely slept last night due to altitude sickness, but today she had to wear a cheongsam and act out an emotional scene in the cold wind without even uttering a sound of cold.

And then there's Teacher Li Xian. He accidentally scraped his arm on some gravel while filming the rolling scene. He just quickly applied some iodine and then smiled at Jiang Ye, saying, "Let's do another take. Your expression wasn't quite right just now."

As the egret watched, the grievances in its heart suddenly faded.

She recalled the grievances she felt when she was scolded, and then looked at the people in front of her.

Some people pulled the car repeatedly until their arms ached for a single shot; some endured freezing temperatures in thin clothing; some were injured but still worried about not getting the expression right…

Bai Lu suddenly remembered what the eldest brother had said to her before she set off this morning.

"The more glamorous you are on stage, the more hardship you have to endure behind the scenes. If you want to be remembered under the spotlight, you have to exhaust yourself in places where no one can see you."

"Don't always think about taking shortcuts. The audience has discerning eyes. Only by creating truly solid works can you stand firm and go far in this industry."

"That is the actor's strongest confidence and warmest support."

At the time, she was throwing a tantrum and felt wronged, so she didn't take her boss's words to heart.

Looking at the scene before her now, she suddenly understood.

Real film crews are never anyone's greenhouse, and professional actors don't rely on tears to gain sympathy.

What's the use of feeling wronged?

Being criticized proves that you still have shortcomings. Instead of hiding in a corner and crying, you should work harder.

The wind seemed less cold. Bai Lu took a deep breath, unfolded the script again, drew a circle next to the line that had just been criticized, and then carefully wrote it down next to it: "Practice it ten more times."

She looked up at Jiang Ye in front of the monitor and saw him staring at the screen with his brows furrowed. The sunlight shone on him, making him seem to glow!
The bitterness in my heart completely dissipated, turning into a surge of scalding heat.

"I definitely won't get scolded again next time."

She thought to herself, and unconsciously took a step forward, wanting to see more clearly.

She had never been so clear-headed as she was at this moment.

I want to become a real actor!

Filming on set has temporarily come to a halt. The staff are busy adjusting the equipment, and Jing Tian is pulled away by his assistant to touch up his makeup. The noisy cliffside has become unusually quiet.

Bai Lu clutched the script and spun around twice, glancing several times at Jiang Ye, who was talking to the assistant director by the monitor. Her fingers crumpled the edges of the script.

She took a deep breath and crept forward like a thief, following the shadows of the trees. She would take two steps and then stop, making sure no one was watching before quickly running behind Jiang Ye. She shuffled her toes along the ground, not daring to make a sound for a long time.

Jiang Ye had noticed the commotion behind him and turned around to find her with her head down and ears bright red. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is something wrong?"

The egret was startled, looked up sharply, and stammered, "Boss, I...I know I was wrong."

"My acting was terrible before, it slowed down the progress and embarrassed you..."

Jiang Ye deliberately put on a stern face: "Oh? What did I do wrong?"

Bai Lu was stunned, forgetting all the lines she had just rehearsed in her mind, and her eyes instantly reddened: "It's just that when we were acting... the blocking was wrong, and the emotions weren't right..."

She became more and more aggrieved as she spoke, and her voice even sounded like she was about to cry.

Seeing that she was about to burst into tears, Jiang Ye finally couldn't hold back his smile and softened his tone: "If you know how to cook, practice more. No one in this world is born knowing how to act."

He patted her head and said, "But since you've taken on the role of Shen Yindeng, you have to play her well. That's your duty as an actor."

The egret nodded quickly, holding back her tears, and obediently replied, "Yes! I remember!"

Seeing her like this, Jiang Ye softened his tone: "The crew has been busy lately, so I haven't had much energy to keep an eye on your acting. You should ask Li Xian for advice more often. He's one of our own people, a graduate of a film academy, and he'll teach you."

Bai Lu's eyes lit up, and she quickly said, "I understand, boss! I'll study hard!"

"By the way, I get along quite well with Sister Tiantian. She's been teaching me how to find my emotions lately when she has some free time!"

? ? ? ? ?

Holy crap, I see!
No wonder this girl's acting skills haven't improved lately and have become increasingly stiff; it turns out she hired Jing Tian as her teacher?

Jiang Ye hesitated for a long time before swallowing back the retort he was about to say. He carefully said, "Well... I've found you another teacher. If all goes well, he should be able to join the crew in the next few days. When he does, you should follow along and learn well, and don't slack off."

"Boss, who is it? Is it a very powerful senior?"
"You'll see when you get here; I guarantee you'll benefit greatly from it."

We need to find a reliable person to correct this girl's acting style. If Jing Tian continues to lead her down this path, Shen Yindeng might end up being portrayed as a naive and innocent character.

……

Nortel
The early spring sunlight streamed through the blinds, making the office feel warm and cozy.

Qi Shilong was brewing a pot of pre-Qingming Longjing tea when a gentle knock came at the office door.

"Excuse me, Director." Wang Chui, the head of the Directing Department, walked in carrying a file bag and bowed slightly.

"Sit down." Qi Shilong waved his hand with a smile. "You've been retired for so many years, why bother with these formalities?"

He started teaching at the Beijing Film Academy in 1978 and became the head of the acting department in 97. His students are spread throughout most of the entertainment industry.

The first class of students he taught as a homeroom teacher in 78 were Zhang Fengyi, Zhou Lijing, and Fang Shu!
In addition, there are Wang Zhiwen, Huang Lei, Jiang Wenli, Xu Qing, Xu Jinglei, Jiang Wu, Hai Qing...

Although he has now stepped down from his leading position, the college still employs him as an honorary professor and he still gives a few lectures every week.

Wang Chui sat down opposite him, and when he took the teacup, he still subconsciously held it with both hands: "Etiquette cannot be ignored."

After several rounds of tea, Wang Chui asked casually, "How has your student decided?"

Qi Shilong frowned: "Director Wang, didn't we just talk on the phone yesterday? The kid said he needed to think about it some more."

He blew away the tea froth, his expression meaningful. "That's quite unusual. What kind of student could make you so concerned?"

"Sigh, it's all because of that brat Jiang Ye." Wang Chui smiled bitterly. "He calls me five times a day, my phone is practically his personal hotline."

"Jiang Ye?" Qi Shilong said thoughtfully. "I've been hearing that name quite often lately. The other day, Old Zhou from the acting department was complaining that this kid should have come to the acting department, and that sending him to your directing department is a waste of his talent!"

Why do you all value this child so much?

? ? ? ? ?

That old scoundrel Zhou, he's trying to poach my wife?
Wang Chui secretly made a mental note of it and explained, "His drama, 'Princess Promotion,' has 28 billion views."

"From the director to the lead actors, as well as the cinematographer and art director, most of them are students from our school, which really brought honor to the school. Now, when Vice Principal Weng goes out to meetings, he can't stop talking about Jiang Ye from our Beijing Film Academy, using the boy's story as a role model."

"Moreover, this kid is only a freshman in college, and he's already involved in the multi-million dollar film 'Si Teng,' with the fine arts and photography departments vying to send people to his production team."

"The whole school is watching closely now, hoping he can produce another great piece." "Things are different now; it's getting harder and harder for these kids to stand out! It's been so long since we've seen such a promising young talent still in school!"

A wisp of white steam rose from the spout of the teapot.

Qi Shilong gently swirled his cup: "No wonder. I also heard that most of the people his company has been hiring recently are graduates from our school?"

“That’s right.” Wang Chui’s expression softened. “Last year, the film and television industry was in a downturn, and many students were unemployed after graduation. But this kid was lucky; he signed dozens of contracts in one go, even taking two students from the drama department as screenwriters.”

He stroked the rim of his glass. "We teach our whole lives, isn't it all for the sake of ensuring that the children have food to eat?"

The sounds of students laughing and joking could be heard outside the window.

Qi Shilong looked at the young faces on the playground and suddenly chuckled: "Alright, I'll call that kid again tonight."

"Thank you, Director." Wang Chui was about to get up when he was pressed down again.

“Tell Jiang Ye,” Qi Shilong took out a brown paper bag from the drawer, his fingertips stroking the yellowed cover, “this is my character analysis notes that I compiled when I was leading students to stage ‘Teahouse’ and ‘Thunderstorm’ in my early years. I even marked the emotional layers of each look.”

"Tell him to look at it more often when he has free time."

Wang Chui paused for a moment, then chuckled, "Then I'll thank you on his behalf, sir!"

A spring breeze swept across the windowsill, stirring the lesson plan spread out on the table. The words "character arc" and "emotional blank space" circled in red pen on it faintly revealed the seriousness and enthusiasm of this leading figure in performance education in his classroom back then.

……

In March, the temperature in the bungalows outside Yanjing was several degrees lower than in the city.

Zhang Songwen squatted in the yard, using an iron rod to tap the frozen and cracked water pipes.

Ice shards splashed on my face, stinging painfully.

The sound of agent Zhao Yude coughing came from inside the house; the coal stove had gone out again, and they couldn't bear to buy new coal.

"Old Zhao, stop fussing, wear something warmer."

Zhang Songwen entered the room, his breath steaming in the air, and saw Zhao Yude frowning at his laptop.

"The producers of 'The Disguiser' have responded, saying that your temperament is too somber and not suitable for the role of Mingcheng. The investors prefer to find someone younger..."

Zhang Songwen didn't look up, his fingertips rubbing against his frozen knees.

This is the third piece of bad news this month. A while ago, Zhao Yude fought for him to get the role of Yan Yujin in "Nirvana in Fire," spending half a month on it, but in the end, he still lost to a newcomer with a lot of popularity. He knew that Old Zhao had run his legs off, but seeing the other's nose red from the cold, he swallowed back the words of hardship that were on the tip of his tongue.

"It's okay, I'm used to it."

Silence fell in the room.

The glow of the kerosene lamp danced on the wall, illuminating his disappointed face.

He glanced at a photo of himself in a movie when he was young, fresh out of college from Beijing Film Academy. His eyes were full of light. Who would have thought that he would be almost forty years old and living in a rented room in the rural suburbs, where he couldn't even afford heating?

“Old Zhao,” he suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse, “I might have to change careers.”

"What do you mean?"

“My teacher, Qi Shilong, has been calling me these past two days,” Zhang Songwen said, head down. “He said a student from the Beijing Film Academy has started a film and television company and is short of an acting coach. You know, the kind of position that involves mentoring actors and helping them refine their roles.”

"Acting coach?" Zhao Yude frowned. "You want to go? Give up your acting career for this?"

“The teacher said that the other party promised that the company would give me priority if there were suitable roles.” Zhang Songwen’s voice grew softer and softer. “It doesn’t necessarily mean giving up, it just means… I should find something to do first.”

"You believe this too?"

Zhao Yude slammed his hand on the table. "How big can a company run by students be? What decent projects can they have? Have you forgotten those startups from a couple of years ago that went bankrupt right after they were listed?"

He leaned forward, his tone becoming urgent, "Songwen, you've endured almost twenty years! From graduating from the Beijing Film Academy until now, running around to auditions, being picked and chosen, you've always gritted your teeth and persevered through it all. Now you're willing to be a teacher to some greenhorn?"

Zhang Songwen gave a bitter smile, raised his hand to wipe his face, and found his palm to be ice-cold.

He got up and walked to the window, pointing to the bare vegetable garden outside the courtyard wall: "What can I do even if I'm willing? Old Zhao, look at where I live now. I moved from the city center to outside the Fifth Ring Road, and I still don't have money for next month's rent. If this continues, I won't even be able to afford vegetables."

When he turned around, the light in his eyes was as dim as a candle flame about to go out. "I still have to make a living. I've already promised the teacher, so I'll just take a short job for now, and we'll talk about the rest later."

Zhao Yude opened her mouth as if to say something, her gaze sweeping over the scene inside the room.

The peeling paint on the wardrobe, the cracked floor, the half-eaten bag of pickled vegetables on the table—all the words stuck in my throat.

He knew Zhang Songwen's personality; he seemed gentle but was actually stubborn, and would never give in unless he was truly desperate.

"It would be good to work there for a while." He finally relented, his voice tinged with helplessness. "At least... I can afford the rent for now."

The snow was still falling outside the window, and it was so quiet inside that we could hear each other breathing.

Zhao Yude watched as Zhang Songwen sat back down on the sofa, his back hunched over in the dim light. Suddenly, he pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Zhang: "This is my savings for this month. Take it and pay the rent. Don't let that student think you're too broke."

Zhang Songwen held the thin envelope in his hand, feeling the warmth of the banknotes on his fingertips, and his eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

He didn't speak, but nodded heavily.

Winter nights are long, but there's always someone willing to wait with you for the next spring.

Their story is both complex and simple.

Zhao Yude is a veteran agent in Hong Kong who has made artists such as Shu Qi and Zhang Jiahui famous.

In 09, he took the initiative to sign Zhang Songwen, who was then unknown, and became his agent.

As a professionally trained actor who graduated from the acting program at Beijing Film Academy, Zhang Songwen adheres to the "method acting" approach, emphasizing a deep dive into the details of the character's life.

However, the current film and television industry tends to focus on traffic and fast-paced production, making it difficult for his meticulous approach to find opportunities.

This ideological conflict led him into a vicious cycle where he could teach acting but had no roles to play, and was even ridiculed by his peers as the most skilled unemployed actor to teach acting.

The two went through the most difficult days together until September 2016, when Zhao Yude passed away at Zhang Songwen's home due to a myocardial infarction...

"I'll buy the tickets tomorrow," Zhang Songwen said softly. "Do you want to come with me?"

Zhao Yude did not answer.

The north wind howled outside, much like the sound of the southbound train whistle at the train station when they left Guangdong years ago.

……

London Heathrow Airport
In the international arrivals hall, the English announcements over the loudspeaker mingled with the rumble of suitcase wheels, and the air was filled with the aroma of coffee and a faint scent of perfume.

The staff of "Divas Hit the Road 2" are bending over to do a final check.

The camera lens was discreetly mounted behind a pillar, the microphone boom was covered by a black coat, and several directors huddled on a bench in the corner, repeatedly confirming names and flight information on the process sheet in their hands.

(PS: Please stop scolding me, I'm starting with 8000 words today, 8300 words!)
(End of this chapter)