Huayu Entertainment: The Birth of a Succubus Top Star

In mid-August, filming for "Give Me Your Light" wrapped up successfully.

After the wrap party, Gu Zhiyan took Da Tiantian and Zhong Yating straight home.

Yang Mi and Bao Shangen left a few days ago to attend to work.

Back home, there were all the big and small sisters, including Fairy Sister, Tang Yan, Liu Shishi, Dilraba, Nini, Xin Zhilei, Jin Cheng, Zhou Ye, Zhang Jingyi, Song Qian, and Liu Haochun. They had come to attend the W Annual Light and Shadow Awards.

Originally, all the older and younger female friends wanted to visit him on set as soon as they arrived in Beijing, but Gu Zhiyan stopped them. Too many people would be too conspicuous, and besides, he was going to finish filming in the next couple of days, so there was no need to make a fuss.

After spending a few days at home with her older and younger sisters, Gu Zhiyan went to Shantou, Guangdong Province, to officially join the film crew of "Love Letter to Grandma".

This is a healing art film centered on Chaoshan overseas remittances, nostalgia for Southeast Asia, and the lifelong trust between strangers.

The story mainly tells the tale of Zheng Musheng, a young man from Chaoshan, who left his hometown in the 1970s and 80s to make a living in Thailand and Southeast Asia. He originally intended to earn enough money to return home, get married, and live a stable life, but unfortunately, he contracted an illness and died suddenly upon arriving in a foreign land.

To prevent his fiancée Ye Shurou, who was far away in Chaoshan, from living in despair and the collapse of longing, Xie Nanzhi, a young overseas Chinese girl who was a complete stranger to him and also wandered in Southeast Asia, chose to conceal the news of his death and wrote letters to his family and sent money to support the family for forty years in Zheng Musheng's name.

Letters that crossed mountains and seas, and countless silent acts of kindness, fulfilled an old woman's lifelong wish and also revealed Xie Nanzhi's quiet, selfless, and righteous spirit.

The entire film lacks intense and dramatic conflicts, relying entirely on subtle emotions, ambiguous gazes, and restrained acting skills to support the characters and the story, which is extremely demanding on the actors' emotional depth and inner acting skills.

The entire film crew filmed on location in Shantou, including the century-old arcade buildings in Xiaogongyuan, the old alleys with blue bricks, and the old houses in Sidianjin. The evening breeze carried the moist and gentle atmosphere of Chaoshan, and the whole set was quiet, simple, and full of artistic atmosphere.

This film employs a large number of local Chaoshan amateur and new actors. Most of the actors on set are down-to-earth and simple newcomers who have never been involved in filming large-scale productions.

The moment Gu Zhiyan officially joined the group, the entire audience fell silent for a moment, then quietly erupted in whispers of amazement.

The amateur actors were both surprised and reserved. Some quietly took a half step back to observe silently, while others couldn't help but lower their heads and chuckle, exchanging glances and whispering their feelings. Some even secretly took out their phones and lowered the angle to record, instantly turning the whole scene into a live fan meeting.

Li Sitong, who plays Xie Nanzhi, the female lead in the film, instantly transformed into an openly devoted fan.

She is a fan of Gu Zhiyan herself, and a long-time fan of the character.

She is a complete novice and is currently a student majoring in financial engineering at Guangdong University of Finance and Economics.

Upon seeing Xiao Yan standing in front of her in person, Li Sitong's eyes instantly lit up, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she couldn't hide her excitement and sincerity: "Xiao Yan, I'm your longtime fan, and even more so, a student who admires you. I always looked up to you when I was in school. I've watched every single one of your dramas. To be able to work with you as the female lead this time feels like a dream come true."

During breaks on set, while other actors relaxed and chatted, Li Sitong remained focused, quietly observing Gu Zhiyan's acting and rehearsals, while also carefully studying her own character. She even mustered the courage to approach Gu Zhiyan and ask for advice on her acting challenges.

She knew very well that Xie Nanzhi was the most difficult character to play in the entire play, one that required the most emotional depth.

There are no explosive crying scenes, no highlight lines, and no dramatic plots. The whole performance is one of restraint, self-control, hidden love, and silent sacrifice. All emotions are suppressed in the heart, which can easily lead to a "blank and bland" performance or an overly deliberate attempt to evoke emotion.

Holding the script, Li Sitong earnestly sought advice from Gu Zhiyan: "Brother Xiaoyan, I've never been able to quite grasp Xie Nanzhi's character. For forty years, she lived in anonymity, writing letters and fulfilling responsibilities for others. She has kindness, gentleness, and compassion, but she also has her own loneliness and regrets."

When I'm acting, I tend to go to two extremes: either I act too subtly, and the audience can't see the restraint; or I act too bitterly, and it seems like I'm deliberately trying to gain sympathy. I can't quite grasp how to ground the gentleness within her restraint, and the heaviness within her gentleness.

After listening, Gu Zhiyan nodded slightly and patiently looked through the script she had marked with dense annotations. Instead of offering perfunctory comfort, he precisely and meticulously broke down the character's logic for her: "Xie Nanzhi's core performance skill is to conceal emotions without losing them."

She did good deeds her whole life, not to impress anyone, but because of her kind nature. So don't try to portray her as "great" or "sacrificing".

Remember these three points throughout: First, keep your eyes closed.

When writing letters, sending money, or reading overseas remittances, one's eyes should be gentle, but not bright; they should be calm. This reflects the empathy of a wanderer, not deep affection, and certainly not self-pity.

Second, emotions are delayed.

Don't show all your heartache, loneliness, and regrets on your face. Keep them all inside. Let others not see them. Only when you are alone should you let a slight hint of them show. The pain of restraint is more poignant than the pain of crying out loud.

Third, naturalistic performance.

She has done the same good deed day after day for forty years. It's no longer a momentary impulse, but a habit. Her movements are slow, steady, and gentle, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. This is the most authentic essence of her character.

Finally, Gu Zhiyan softly concluded, "This character doesn't win through explosive power, but through subtlety, restraint, and a down-to-earth quality. If you can maintain composure and relaxation, you'll be a perfect Xie Nanzhi."

In just a few words, he offered insightful, sophisticated, and incisive advice.

Li Sitong suddenly understood, her eyes lighting up instantly. She quickly lowered her head to diligently jot down notes on the side of the script, nodding repeatedly: "I get it! I've been overacting before, always trying to portray a tragic feel, but it turns out it's about being 'subtle and profound'! Thank you, Brother Xiaoyan, for pointing out the problem that's been bothering me for so long!"

From then on, Li Sitong on set completely embarked on a star-struck mode of honing her acting skills.

After each scene was filmed, she would immediately look at Gu Zhiyan, waiting for his eye contact.

Every movement, every micro-expression, and every monologue was meticulously adjusted according to his guidance on "acting with blank spaces."

He privately pondered the characters' inner thoughts repeatedly, and his progress was rapid and visible.

The amateur actors and crew members, seeing this, jokingly remarked, "This is the first time I've seen someone improve their acting skills by following their idol. Li Sitong is truly chasing the light and becoming the light herself."

After joining the cast, Gu Zhiyan quickly calmed down and completely shed the spotlight she had received in her previous hit dramas.

He shed Shen Haoming's forbearance and stubbornness, Shen Qingci's gentle and scholarly demeanor, and Feng Dajiao's rustic and rough character, and fully embraced the simplicity, naivety, resilience, and helplessness of Zheng Musheng, an overseas Chinese from that era.

In Shantou, the evening breeze is gentle on the arcade buildings, and the light and shadows are dappled on the ancient houses.

On one hand, newcomers and juniors are sincerely chasing stars and humbly seeking knowledge;

On one hand, top-tier seniors gently mentor and patiently teach them.

The gentleness and kindness of the entire film "Love Letter to Grandma" are not only present in the plot, but also quietly permeate every moment of the filming set.