Huayu: Serious director, who's eavesdropping on your thoughts?

Tianjin.

On the set of the TV series "The Story of a Noble Family".

Behind the monitor, director Li Dawei frowned. He glanced up at Liu Yifei, who was sitting in a daze not far away, and sighed.

"This scene is going to be difficult!"

The assistant director standing to the side smiled wryly:

"Director Li, how about... we revise the script? How about changing this silent crying scene into an angry scene where he throws things?"

According to the original script, after Bai Xiuzhu learns that Jin Yanxi has changed his mind, she should show a kind of despair that is greater than death, a silent but powerful expression through her eyes.

But this requires a lot of acting skills.

If it were a seasoned actress, such as Jiang Qinqin or Zhou Xun, her gaze would definitely be spot on.

But Liu Yifei...

She's still too inexperienced. She's never even been in a relationship. Asking her to portray that kind of emptiness, a feeling of utter despair, is just asking too much of her.

The two understood this principle, but there was nothing they could do; Liu Yifei had to act in this scene.

Li Dawei scratched his head in frustration: "Rewrite the script? The investors are keeping a close eye on this. President Chen specifically called and said there's no budget limit. As long as his goddaughter is portrayed well, preferably surpassing the female lead, they'll burn as much film as they want. If we change the inner monologue into a tantrum, wouldn't that be a bit...?"

"Director Li, you're so foolish!"

The assistant director leaned closer and whispered, "Mr. Chen is rich and speaks eloquently, but we, as the executives, need to be sensible."

Think about it, asking her to act with her eyes is like forcing a duck onto a shelf; if she can't do it, she simply can't.

If we have to do a hundred or eighty takes, the whole crew will be working all night, and a huge amount of film will be wasted.

The final cut still looked like wood; that would truly be a slap in the face for Mr. Chen.

Li Dawei pinched his chin, looking thoughtful.

The assistant director continued, "It'll be different if we change it to smashing things. It'll make a loud noise and create a lively atmosphere!"

As long as she smashes the vase on the ground and shouts a couple of times, the audience's attention will be diverted.

Who's still staring at her eyes? It saves on film, makes the shoot easier, and in the end, the budget saved...we..."

He rubbed his fingers together and gave Li Dawei a knowing look.

Li Dawei remained silent, but finally nodded helplessly.

Art must also compromise with reality, and can only sacrifice the depth of its characters.

"Alright, go tell her to call the props team and get some cheap vases so she can smash them as much as she wants."

..

Rest area.

Liu Yifei, wrapped in a cloak, sat on a small stool with an ice pack on his forehead.

"How could you be so careless?" Liu Xiaoli stood to the side, holding freshly peeled grapes in her hand, her eyes full of heartache, but her mouth kept complaining.

"Look at you! I told you to take three days off to go back to school and rest, how did you manage to bump your head? Tell me the truth, were you bullied at school? I'm calling your school right now to ask!"

"Oh my god, can you please stop calling the school all the time? What will they think of me?"

"Nobody bullied me. I just tripped and fell while going down the stairs." Liu Yifei said somewhat guiltily.

Just then, the assistant director walked over with a fake smile on his face.

"Sisi, I have something to tell you. The directing team just discussed it and felt that the scene in the original script where she sits quietly and cries was too dull and didn't fit Bai Xiuzhu's spoiled young lady temperament."

"So let's make some changes." The assistant director pointed to the vases that had just been placed in the center of the set.

"Once filming starts, after Chen Kun finishes his lines, you immediately explode. Grab the vase on the table and smash it on the ground as loudly as possible. You have to vent all your anger, understand?"

Liu Yifei was stunned.

Although she is young and her acting skills are poor, at least she has read the original work.

Bai Xiuzhu was heartbroken at this moment, not acting like a shrew.

"But director, I think it's better to leave it as is in the original script, where the characters don't speak and only use their eyes to express themselves."

"Oh my goodness, what kind of person can pull off such expressive eye acting? We're just hiding our true abilities, understand? Just listen to the director, okay? Just go for it."

After saying that, the assistant director turned and left to call the lighting crew.

Liu Yifei pursed his lips, clearly unhappy.

She's being treated like a pretty face again! She's being told she's no good! She doesn't like this!

Chen Kun walked over from not far away. He had already finished his makeup and had obviously heard what had just happened. His tone was somewhat irritated:

"If I tell you to smash it, then just smash it. It's easy to get the emotions out of your head, and the audience can understand it. If your acting is bad and you still don't listen, what are you trying to do?"

Nobody believed I could act well.

Liu Yifei lowered his head, a strong sense of frustration at being a burden welling up inside him.

She suddenly remembered that guy.

He never seemed to say he couldn't do it; on the contrary, he always affirmed himself.

That guy...

"The world of the blind is without sight, like a stagnant pool... a stagnant pool..."

"When you are in utter despair, your world is essentially blind. You can't see the people around you; all you can hear is the voice of your own heart."

Liu Yifei murmured softly, pondering deeply.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then suddenly opened them.

A miracle happened!

Her once bright and lively eyes suddenly became unfocused and lost their sparkle. Her mother beside her, the busy staff walking back and forth, and the noisy film set all seemed to blur in her vision.

While this may be an exaggeration, various phenomena suggest that a talented actor often possesses a profound understanding of life, enabling them to apply their life experiences to their acting and replicate them to a certain extent.

Without a doubt, Liu Yifei is this kind of person.

"All departments, take your positions! Actors, enter!" the script supervisor shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Three, two, one! Action!" The clapperboard sounded.

Chen Kun quickly got into character, reciting his lines with a guilty expression: "Xiuzhu, let's... let's just call it quits. I'm not worth it."

As requested by the assistant director.

At this moment, Bai Xiuzhu should jump up, grab the vase on the table, and smash it hard on the ground.

All the staff were waiting to hear the sound.

But Liu Yifei remained seated and did not move.

She sat quietly on the sofa, her body ramrod straight, as if she were trying her best to maintain the last vestiges of dignity of a noble lady.

She didn't touch the vase.

Bai Xiuzhu raised her head slightly, her eyes fixed on Jin Yanxi.

"Why aren't you smashing it? Did you forget as soon as I said it?" the assistant director said anxiously.

Li Dawei waved his hand abruptly, "Don't make a sound."

Filming continues.

Bai Xiuzhu, played by Liu Yifei, is clearly looking at Jin Yanxi, but it's as if she's looking at thin air.

This kind of gaze was taught to her by Zhao Huaiyuan to portray a blind person, but now she is using it to play a woman whose heart has died.

Because the heart is dead, there is naturally no light in the eyes; because of despair, one can no longer see the one they love.

Chen Kun's prepared mood for taking on the role was immediately disrupted.

He felt a chill run through him, even in broad daylight, as Liu Yifei stared at him with empty eyes.

A wave of guilt washed over him, and he swallowed unconsciously, completely forgetting his lines.

"You..." Chen Kun forced himself to continue acting.

But he hadn't said a word yet.

Bai Xiuzhu tilted her head slightly, as if to confirm the cruel truth she had just heard, and her lips twitched very slightly.

A single tear.

Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes.

These aren't tears that are deliberately induced; they're more like a natural bodily reaction. They come naturally when you're truly immersed in the role and feel the character's emotions.

quiet!

Deathly silence!

Behind the monitor, Li Dawei didn't even notice the cigarette ash falling onto his pants.

this...

He has been directing for many years and has seen this kind of acting in some veteran actors.

It's incredible; the actor and the role become one.

But how could a 15-year-old girl possibly act out this kind of scene?

"Cut!" Li Dawei shouted abruptly, his voice trembling slightly.

Liu Yifei blinked, her eyes refocused, and she regained her composure. She stood up, took the cloak handed to her by her assistant, and wrapped it around herself.

next second.

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted on set.

"Awesome! You acted so well!" The cameraman peeked out from behind the camera and gave Liu Yifei a thumbs up.

Chen Kun looked at her with a strange expression, somewhat incredulous. Had she improved so quickly? He almost couldn't keep up with the performance!

Li Dawei excitedly rushed onto the field and grabbed Liu Xiaoli, who was still in a daze:

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing! Sisi's finally figured it out! That look she gave just now was absolutely brilliant! This is the real Bai Xiuzhu! One take!"

Liu Xiaoli was somewhat bewildered by the reactions of the crowd.

What's going on?

She didn't quite understand. She originally thought it would take many takes like before, but she didn't expect it to be so easy to pass.

She glanced at her daughter not far away, and for a moment she was also a little confused.

This child...

What exactly happened during my three days back at school?

First, he hit his head and broke it open. After he came back, his acting skills underwent such a complete transformation. Could it be that he was really in a relationship, then got dumped, and then got beaten up?

Liu Xiaoli's mind was filled with doubt.

No, I have to call the school teacher later to ask who Qianqian has been with these past few days.

..

Meanwhile, at the Beijing Film Academy campus, hundreds of kilometers away from the film crew.

Banners about the screenings were posted all over the campus.

The preliminary review is over. Although the official list has not yet been announced, all sorts of rumors have already spread like wildfire across various university forums.

There is a general sense of phobia towards foreigners.

In particular, on the most popular forum, Tianxia, ​​a post titled "Will Chinese students be shaving their heads again at this year's ISFVF?" was once a hot topic among netizens all over the country.

The post first belittled the domestic films submitted to the competition, accusing them of being stagnant and making no progress.

Then the conversation shifted again, showering foreign works with praise.

The post concluded with a sense of utter despair and resentment, stating bluntly that it was exhausting, advocating for destruction, and openly calling on everyone to only watch films in the international section.

The poster also claimed that anyone who spends time in domestic film screenings is a complete idiot and is simply wasting their life.

The replies below were filled with lamentations:

"We were utterly humiliated last year, and now it's happening again this year?"

"I agree with the original poster. I went to see a screening last year, and wow, I almost slept through the whole theater. It was all those long, drawn-out takes that looked like you were holding your pee, just pointless whining, so boring!"

"I heard Korean movies are really good these days. Are we still going to stick to the same old formula?"

"Chinese films are dead. If you need anything, burn some paper money."

However, amidst the chorus of lamentations, an ID named "Sunny Day" suddenly popped up and replied: