Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 122, Section 121: If you have a dream, go for it.

The next day.

Sunday, March 16, 1997.

At 4:30 a.m., the night in Beijing had not yet completely faded, and the air was filled with the chill and silence before dawn.

Deep in the alleys of Beitaipingzhuang, Fan Xiaopang tiptoed and locked the door of his small south-facing room, which cost 300 yuan a month. He took a deep breath of the cool air, which smelled of coal smoke, tightened his slightly thin old coat, and headed towards the Beijing Film Studio.

In her hand, she tightly clutched a "resume" she had made from cardboard the night before, on which was neatly written: "Actor: Fan Xiaopang. Featured work: 'Strong Woman' (introduced by teacher Liu Xuehua)."

This is the only "qualification" she can think of that she can actually offer.

The post-production of "Strong Woman" was not even finished yet, let alone broadcast, but in the capital city where she had no relatives or friends, it was her only source of confidence.

At five o'clock sharp, the iconic gate of the Beijing Film Studio was still shrouded in the gloom before dawn, but a large crowd had already gathered in the open space in front of the gate.

Men and women, young and old, some squatting, some standing, in groups of three or five, some talking in hushed tones, some smoking silently, all their eyes fixed on the direction of the factory gate, like a school of sardines waiting for the lead fish to guide them.

This is a microcosm of the grassroots entertainment industry in Beijing—the vast army of extras "waiting for work".

Fan Xiaopang's heart was pounding with excitement and nervousness.

Following others' example, she found an inconspicuous but still visible corner and timidly held up her sign.

A fifteen-year-old girl, with a pretty face but still clearly childish, stood out conspicuously among the group of mostly weathered-looking, plainly dressed extras, holding a sign that read "Acting in 'Strong Woman'".

Soon, whispers and strange looks began to focus on them.

"Hey, whose kid is this? He's not even fully grown yet and he's already working on a film set?" a middle-aged man with a cigarette dangling from his lips and a greasy face sneered.

"The Strong Woman? What show is that? Never heard of it. Liu Xuehua? Which Liu Xuehua? You're just bragging, aren't you?" A middle-aged woman in a floral cotton-padded jacket next to him curled her lips, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Fan Xiaopang to hear.

"Is it fake? Kids these days will put anything on signs just to get noticed." Another tall, thin man chimed in, his tone sarcastic.

Fan Xiaopang's face instantly turned bright red, as if it were on fire.

She can endure hardship and loneliness, but she cannot tolerate others questioning her efforts and her meager "qualifications".

"Who's bragging!"

Fan Xiaopang suddenly raised his head, his voice a little shrill with excitement, but his eyes met the questioning gazes without flinching: "It was Teacher Liu Xuehua who introduced me to 'Strong Woman'! The show has already finished filming! It just hasn't aired yet! Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist!"

Her retort was like a small bomb, silencing the surroundings for a moment. The woman in the floral cotton-padded jacket was taken aback, looked her up and down, and snorted: "Oh, you're quite something? Even if it's true, what qualifications do you have with an unreleased drama? In this area, you have to prove yourself! If you're so capable, why don't you get the assistant director to specifically ask for you?"

"Exactly! Who are you trying to fool with this baseless drama?" the tall, thin man continued to fan the flames. "I think you're just delusional, thinking you can get picked just by holding up a sign? Let me tell you, the place outside the Beijing Film Studio is full of dreamers!"

The sarcastic remarks grew increasingly harsh, piercing Fan Xiaopang's heart like needles.

She bit her lower lip tightly, trying her best to hold back her tears.

She knew that if she showed weakness here, she would only be devoured until nothing was left.

"What business is it of yours if I pursue my dreams?" Fan Xiaopang straightened his thin frame and retorted sharply, "Teacher Liu Xuehua recognized me, that's why she gave me this opportunity! What are you all good for besides gossiping? If you're so capable, why don't you go and act in a movie yourselves! Even if it's just an unknown one!"

Her words struck a nerve with some veteran extras.

They spend most of their time in this industry, mostly playing background roles without lines, and very few actually get named characters.

"Hey! You little brat..." The greasy-looking man stepped forward, seemingly trying to scare her.

"What are you doing?" Although Fan Xiaopang was scared, he stubbornly glared back without showing any weakness: "Trying to bully me? I'm calling for help! The security department is over there!"

Perhaps it was her imposing presence that had an effect, or perhaps she was afraid of really getting into trouble, but the man retreated dejectedly, muttering rudely under his breath.

The onlookers gradually dispersed, but the invisible sense of rejection and disdain still lingered in the air.

Fan Xiaopang won this little verbal battle, but he felt no joy at all.

She held up the sign again and stood stubbornly in place, like a small grass growing tenaciously in the chilly spring.

As dawn broke, the gates of the Beijing Film Studio opened, and staff and vehicles began to enter and exit. Every now and then, people who appeared to be film crews would emerge, causing a stir among the crowd, who would swarm forward.

"We need five men, around forty years old, to play extras!"

"We need a few female members of the public, they can wear their own clothes, twenty yuan a day!"

……

Every shout-out is accompanied by fierce competition and rapid selection.

Fan Xiaopang pushed her way forward, holding her sign high and shouting, "Me! Me! Me! I can act!" But her age, gender, and her overly beautiful yet unremarkable face became a disadvantage in this low-end extras market that required a specific image. Either they thought she was too young, or they felt she was too conspicuous and unsuitable as a background figure.

Disappointment after disappointment.

The sun rose higher and higher, dispelling the morning mist and drying the stubborn dampness in Fan Xiaopang's eyes.

She stood from dawn until late morning, her legs aching and her stomach rumbling, but she didn't even get the smallest role.

People around me were constantly being picked and taken away, following the film crew into the factory with expressions of satisfaction or numbness.

Others, like her, waited all morning in vain, leaving grumbling or dejected, planning to come back tomorrow.

As Fan Xiaopang watched the departing figures and then looked at the imposing gates of the Beijing Film Studio, a profound sense of loss and bewilderment welled up within him.

"Could it be... really not working?" For the first time, she began to doubt herself.

But the next moment, she shook her head vigorously, shaking off that weak thought.

"No! Fan Xiaopang, you can't give up like this!" she shouted to herself in her heart. "It's only the first day! Wang Sheng is such a capable person, he must have suffered a lot too! I can definitely do it!"

She cheered herself up, rubbed her stiff face, and decided to fill her stomach first, and think of another way in the afternoon.

……

As evening fell, the setting sun bathed the streets of Beitaipingzhuang in a warm golden glow.

Exhausted, Fan Xiaopang waited outside the Beijing Film Studio for another afternoon, but still came up empty-handed.

Hunger burned like fire in her stomach.

She walked up to a roadside stall and spent 1.5 yuan to buy a bowl of cold noodles that was almost oily and only contained bean sprouts and cucumber shreds.

Squatting on the curb, Fan Xiaopang wolfed down the bland cold noodles. She felt it was the most delicious yet heartbreaking meal she had ever eaten.

After finishing her meal, she saw a newly published copy of the "Beijing Evening News" at the newsstand. After hesitating for a moment, she spent another 50 cents to buy a copy.

She needs to understand this circle, she needs to know what's going on, even if it's just from the newspapers.

Back in her tiny room of only seven or eight square meters, Fan Xiaopang turned on the dim light and eagerly opened the newspaper.

On the front page of the culture and lifestyle section, she saw a report:
"Wedding Dress" Makes a Heartwarming Debut; Shengying Media Launches "Golden Wedding Anniversary" Commemorative Service

The report states that the TV movie "Wedding Dress" will be broadcast tonight at 8 PM on the Beijing TV Arts Channel's "Movie Appointment" program.

Directed by Huo Zhuang, a senior director under the Film Studio Alliance, the film tells a heartwarming story of an old tailor who makes a wedding dress by hand for his wife of fifty years.

The film is emotionally resonant and focuses on the emotional world of the elderly, making it highly anticipated.

The report then shifted its focus, mentioning that the film's producer and co-producer, "Shengying Media," took the opportunity of the film's release to officially launch a special "Golden Wedding Anniversary" commemorative service for couples celebrating their golden and silver wedding anniversaries.

The report quoted a person in charge of Shengying Media as saying that the core of the service is to "hold a wedding ceremony with the characteristics of the times" for middle-aged and elderly couples, and use professional film equipment and technology to shoot and produce a "wedding movie" level commemorative video for them, aiming to make up for the regret of many couples who could not hold a formal wedding in that special era and preserve precious memories.

The report also mentioned that this service represents a further deepening and segmentation of Shengying Media's wedding videography business after successfully expanding into the young wedding market, and is expected to be welcomed by specific groups.

Fan Xiaopang read it word by word, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

"Hold a wedding ceremony...take a commemorative video..." she murmured to herself, and Wang Sheng's image instantly appeared in her mind.

This ingenious idea of ​​combining film and television content with physical commercial services, this keen sense of capturing the emotional needs of specific groups and turning them into market opportunities... who else could it be but Wang Sheng, who was described as a legend in the newspapers?

Why is he so amazing?

The immense disparity made her feel suffocated with powerlessness.

But then, an even stronger desire rose from the bottom of my heart.

She wants to become that kind of person too!
At least, we need to get closer and closer to that radiant world!
"Wang Sheng... Shengying Media..."

Fan Xiaopang clenched his little fists, a stubborn flame rekindling in his eyes: "You wait, I, Fan Xiaopang, will definitely show you!"

She turned back to her desk, carefully smoothed out the copy of the Beijing Evening News, and meticulously cut out the articles about "Wedding Dress" and "Golden Wedding Anniversary," pasting them onto the mottled wall above her bed.

That was more than just entertainment news; it was the first glimmer of light projected onto her dream, and a clear signpost beside the peak she was determined to climb.

That night, Fan Xiaopang slept soundly, his head resting on endless daydreams about the future and his rumbling stomach.

Because she knew that the sun would rise as usual tomorrow, and she would still be at the entrance of the Beijing Film Studio, holding that sign that might still be ridiculed, waiting for an unknown opportunity that she had to fight for.

(End of this chapter)