The Fleeting Years of Chinese Entertainment

As the morning light bathes the earth and all things revive, the beauty of the morning is not only a visual feast but also a spiritual cleansing.

After having breakfast, Lin Mo arrived at the film set and looked around at the groups of actors and crew members.

As expected... the entertainment industry is a place where big circles contain smaller circles, and the formation of circles is inevitable at any time.

"Good morning, Director Lin!"

"Hello, Director Lin."

"Director Lin..."

On his way to the filming location, Lin Mo greeted all the actors and staff members of the crew.

Inside the dressing room…

"Hehe... Brother Hua, I feel like you don't even need to wear makeup, you can go on stage with a bare face."

Lin Mo walked up to Andy Lau, who was putting on makeup, and carefully looked at his face, which seemed to grow more handsome with age.

"Hehe... Director Lin, please stop teasing me. You're much more handsome than me." Andy Lau said, a little embarrassed by Lin Mo's teasing.

"No, no, I wouldn't dare compare myself to you. You're the universally acknowledged ageless male god. I reckon only Leon Lai can rival you in terms of looks."

"Hehe... Boss is right, Hua-ge, you're the dream lover of many female students at Beijing Film Academy!" Huang Bo chimed in at the opportune moment.

"Haha...you Huang Bo..."

The atmosphere in the men's restroom was very pleasant, while the women's restroom...

"Teacher Zhang, I heard you're going to the Oscars next month? I really envy you; you're so young and already an international star." Li Xiaoran said with admiration in her eyes.

Zhang Ziyi's career development in recent years has indeed become a role model for many female artists in China.

Since 1998, when Zhang Ziyi was studying at the Central Academy of Drama, she was selected by Zhang Yimou to star in the film "The Road Home", playing the role of "Zhao Di".

She won the Best Actress award at the Golden Rooster Awards in China for this film, and also won the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, thus officially entering the film industry.

In 2000, she rose to international fame for her role as "Yu Jiaolong" in Ann Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". The film grossed $2.13 million worldwide, setting a record for Chinese-language films and making her a focus of attention in Hollywood.

After 2001, Zhang Ziyi starred in Zhang Yimou's films "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers", which solidified her position in the international film industry.

As a result, her salary for the recently completed film "Memoirs of a Geisha" increased to $500 million, making her the highest-paid actress in the country.

"Yeah, it's just luck."

Zhang Ziyi remained rather indifferent to Li Xiaoran's compliments. After all, she had grown tired of hearing similar words in recent years, and naturally, she was not moved at all.

"Hey...Mr. Zhang, how many times did you audition for Director Lin's movie? I auditioned three times!"

"once."

"Just once? That's amazing! You truly are exceptional..."

"Hehe...you flatter me..."

Listening to Zhang Ziyi's consistently nonchalant answers, even if Li Xiaoran was naive, she would understand that Zhang Ziyi didn't want to have too much interaction with her, so she gradually gave up the idea of ​​trying to "build a relationship" with her.

Although I feel a little sad, I've gotten used to it.

After all, she has heard a lot of ridicule and sarcasm since she entered the entertainment industry, let alone being treated coldly like this now.

Moreover, she debuted two years earlier than Zhang Ziyi. In 1996, she starred in her first TV series, "The Bodyguard: The Jade Doll".

In 2000, she starred in the period drama "Like Fog, Like Rain, Like Wind", gaining attention for her role as An Qi.

In 2001, she starred in her first film, "Angels Are Not Lonely," and was nominated for Best Actress at the 25th Hundred Flowers Awards for her performance.

In 2004, she won the "Top Ten Actors Award" at the 4th China TV Art Double Ten Awards and the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 14th Chunyan Awards for her role in the emotional drama "Goodbye Vancouver".

Speaking of which, Li Xiaoran is currently at the height of her fame, but... the circle in which she is at the height of her fame is still somewhat insignificant compared to the international film circle in which Zhang Ziyi is.

……

Lin Mo is filming today... the scene where Andy Lau plays the male lead and Zhang Ziyi plays the female lead, their first meeting.

"Brother Hua, are you ready? You're going to get soaked in a minute."

While checking the preparations of various departments in the production crew, Lin Mo also took the opportunity to tease Andy Lau again.

"Hehe... I was actually complaining that the pool was too shallow! How about... we add some more water?" Andy Lau replied very "professionally."

Lin Mo glanced at the pool that was well up to his ankles, then looked at Andy Lau, who was eager to jump in.

It seems... Andy Lau really wasn't joking!

"Hehe... let's forget about it! Brother Hua, I know you're dedicated, but we can't just force ourselves to endure hardship!"

While the two were talking, all the preparations of the crew were also in place.

"Director Lin, the photography is OK..."

"Lights OK..."

"Recording OK..."

……

Andy Lau walked into the filming location, and Lin Mo sat in his designated spot.

"The stage manager strikes the clapperboard, number ten... begin!"

With Lin Mo issuing the order to begin filming, all departments of the crew began to operate smoothly under his command.

The crowd waiting to watch from the sidelines held their breath, ready to enjoy Andy Lau's performance.

Lin Mo watched as Andy Lau, carrying several boxes of medicine and a fruit basket, walked towards a bus stop on the director's monitor.

Unlike the original film, which started shooting around November, the weather is noticeably colder now.

As Andy Lau approached the bus stop, Lin Mo picked up the walkie-talkie and whispered:

"Sister Zhang, get ready to enter!"

As Andy Lau walked to the bus stop, he glanced at his reflection in the pool and then looked up to feel the warmth of the sunlight.

Ugh…

Zhang Ziyi drove by, and Andy Lau was dubbed a "drenched chicken".

Seeing Andy Lau's bewildered expression on the screen, Lin Mo couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

As the camera panned, Zhang Ziyi's somewhat awkward figure after getting out of the car gradually appeared on the director's monitor in front of Lin Mo.

"Cut! That take is good... Wah Gor acted well."

After Lin Mo called for a stop, he walked up to Andy Lau and looked at his makeup and styling.

"Just wipe Brother Hua's face lightly later, don't dry him out too much..."

"The makeup artist is here to touch up my makeup..."

"The crew is preparing to film the next scene..."

While Andy Lau was touching up his makeup, Lin Mo arranged for Zhang Ziyi to park the car at the designated location.

The scene where the male and female leads chat in the car couldn't just be filmed on the road. Instead, the car was left stationary, and special effects were added later after filming.