Chinese entertainment: Top stars have no holidays

Chapter 116: The Child and the Princess, Filming Begins for "The Thunder"

The black business sedan drove smoothly into the exclusive VIP channel of Beijing Capital International Airport.

It was nearly midnight, but the airport was still bustling with people and brightly lit.

Red-eye flights are still popular, mainly because they are cheaper.

Under the watchful eyes of the security personnel, Jiang Bai smoothly passed through security and check-in, boarding his flight to Guangzhou just in time.

With a slight tremor, the aircraft slowly lifted off the ground, broke through the clouds, and climbed to a cruising altitude of 10,000 meters.

The cabin was quiet and comfortable, and the constant temperature made one feel drowsy without realizing it.

The accompanying staff were resting in economy class, while Xu Xu and Jiang Bai sat side by side in business class.

Jiang Bai, who had just attended the Weibo Night event, was a little tired. He leaned back lazily in the soft airline seat, propping his chin up with one hand, and looked somewhat drowsy.

However, now is not the time to sleep.

Taking advantage of a break during the flight, Xu Xu took out a tablet computer from his briefcase, unlocked the screen, and pushed it in front of Jiang Bai, saying, "Since we have some free time now, why don't you take a look at this list and finalize it?"

"This contains information on new actresses who have recently volunteered to audition for the female lead in our album's music video."

"I have already done an initial screening and filtered out candidates whose appearance is not suitable."

"Most of the remaining students are current students from the three major universities. They are all professionally trained talents and are basically newcomers who are preparing to officially enter the entertainment industry in the next two years."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai patted his cheeks, forcing himself to wake up, and looked down at the tablet screen.

The screen displays a neatly organized electronic document.

The document includes headshots, full-body photos, basic information, art exam rankings, school grades, and simple self-evaluations of dozens of female students, all clearly organized and easy to understand.

As early as when Jiang Bai finalized the MV shooting plan, Xu Xu, as instructed, conducted a large-scale open recruitment to top art colleges in China.

However, to avoid unnecessary trouble and to prevent the leak of information about Jiang Bai's new album, the specific details of the recruitment process were not disclosed at the time.

They only publicly claimed it was a recruitment of female leads for the music videos of top-tier singers' album tracks.

Despite the ambiguity of the information, this public recruitment event still caused quite a stir among the three major art schools and other art colleges.

It's important to understand that being able to direct music videos for top-tier singers' albums and singles is a rare opportunity for someone who hasn't officially entered the industry and has no resources.

For students currently enrolled in art schools, this is an extremely rare and valuable opportunity.

Appearing in music videos not only builds a formal resume of work within the industry, but also helps gain recognition from the general public by leveraging the popularity of the song.

If they're lucky, they might even be noticed by major talent agencies and film and television production teams, and get debut opportunities directly.

The ultimate goal of the vast majority of students who apply to art schools is to enter the entertainment industry and achieve fame and fortune under the spotlight.

Faced with this shortcut that established artists in the industry look down upon but newcomers who haven't debuted yet can't reach, no one is willing to easily miss it.

As a result, Xu Xu received hundreds of applications in just a few days.

Its coverage includes the three major art schools, as well as most well-known local art colleges.

Jiang Bai casually flipped through the thick list of candidates, his fingertips lightly sliding across the screen.

It must be said that the candidates who stood out from hundreds of resumes and were selected by Xu Xu were truly outstanding.

Girls who can get into the top three art colleges must have good looks, a great figure, and a great temperament. Each of them has a unique appearance and style.

There are pure and innocent types, cool and aloof types, sweet and girl-next-door types, and niche looks with a broken vibe.

The aesthetic range is incredibly broad; any man looking at this list will find something he likes and is attracted to.

type.

Jiang Bai flipped through the pages and soon spotted several familiar faces from deep within his memory among the unfamiliar ones.

The document at the top of the list is from a student at the Beijing Film Academy, class of 17. She debuted as a child star and played many supporting roles in film and television dramas in her early years. She has a lively and playful appearance and a strong sense of girlishness.

Her name is Su Xiaotong.

Upon seeing this name, Jiang Bai immediately thought of the dark horse historical detective drama, "Young Blood".

Below Su Xiaotong's profile, right next to her is Zhang Jingyi, another freshman from the 17 class at Beijing Film Academy and Su Xiaotong's classmate.

Upon seeing that youthful yet highly recognizable face, Jiang Bai's eyes flickered slightly.

She is also a frequent face in future art-house films in the entertainment industry.

At the time, her agency heavily marketed her, saying that Zhang Jingyi was the female protagonist of a youth angst novel.

She is described as having a cool and unique temperament, and being highly versatile, capable of performing well in both idol dramas and art films, making her a unique newcomer in this field.

Then the track was taken over by Ultraman Seven's human form.

She is the true master of pain relief, and has no rivals in this arena.

As a result, Zhang Jingyi's agency stopped marketing her as a female protagonist in angst-filled youth literature.

In addition, the list also includes Zhang Xueying, a veteran child star from the Central Academy of Drama's 16 class.

Ding Xiaoying and Dai Luwa, both from the 15 class of the Central Academy of Drama, are expected to become famous for their roles in period dramas.

Liu Meitong, a student from the 15 class of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, is the actress who played Zhan Doudou in "Joy of Life".

These girls are currently unknown and are all still students.

Either they are child stars who urgently need to transform their careers, or they haven't signed with a company yet and don't have many resources.

But Jiang Bai, who was well aware of the future, knew that these young girls would all have a place in the entertainment industry in the future.

They have become an indispensable backbone among the new generation of young actresses.

Aside from these familiar faces who were famous in their previous lives.

The document actually contains a larger number of art school girls who are equally beautiful and have excellent temperament; each of them is a top-notch talent selected from thousands.

However, none of these people were able to successfully enter the entertainment industry in the future; they were all just unknown cannon fodder.

Looking through the dazzling array of high-value candidates in front of him, Jiang Bai had the illusion that he was choosing a concubine.

Dozens of beautiful young women with different temperaments actively submitted their resumes, allowing him to choose and evaluate them.

The power of choice is entirely in his own hands; this ultimate sense of control and preferential treatment is undeniably alluring.

At this moment, Jiang Bai finally understood why Chris Wu had gradually lost himself and made irreparable, fatal mistakes.

When you are young and have top-tier popularity and wealth, everyone around you will flatter and fawn over you.

Every day, countless attractive members of the opposite sex throw themselves at you and approach you without any guard.

Ordinary people's willpower simply cannot withstand the erosion and testing day after day.

It's no wonder that male celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry have had their careers ruined because of their crotches.

Jiang Bai sighed inwardly, then quickly suppressed his distracting thoughts.

Although he prides himself on not being a saint who can remain unmoved by temptation, his self-control is quite good now because he had a lot of experience in the financial world in his previous life.

When it comes to career and making money, he will never let desire cloud his judgment and repeat the mistakes of people like Chris Wu.

After calming himself down, Jiang Bai continued to scroll through the remaining candidate profiles.

He originally just had the mindset of choosing randomly.

But when the page refreshed and two remarkably familiar headshots appeared, Jiang Bai's fingers, which were swiping the screen, suddenly paused, and a clear look of astonishment appeared in his eyes.

The basic information at the top of the page is clearly marked: Liu Haocun and Ren Min, Class of 2016, Beijing Dance Academy.

He frowned slightly, pointed a finger at the ID photo on the screen—a photo of a girl with an innocent, youthful appearance—and turned to look at Xu Xu beside him: "How come she's here?"

"As far as I know, wasn't this girl already selected by director Zhang Yimou and brought under his wing for intensive training?"

"How come you have free time to audition for the female lead in our music video?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Xu immediately leaned closer to the screen, carefully examining Liu Haocun's photo and information. A look of doubt crossed his face, and he shook his head: "Is that so?"

"The application materials I received were all collected and screened through a unified channel, and the staff member in charge of the process did not make any notes about this information."

"This is the first time I've heard that Zhang Yimou has taken a liking to students from the Beijing Dance Academy."

As a professional agent, Xu Xu believes he is well-informed about the activities of all kinds of celebrities and directors in the industry.

But he was completely unaware that Zhang Yimou was secretly recruiting new talent and training actors.

Jiang Bai nodded and said with certainty, "That's true. When director Zhang Yimou was preparing his film 'Shadow,' the role that Guan Xiaotong was originally cast for Liu Haocun."

"However, when the production team reviewed the casting process later, Zhang Yimou felt that she looked too young and that her temperament was not suitable for the role. After repeated consideration, they finally replaced her with Guan Xiaotong."

"Although the role has changed, Zhang Yimou himself is very optimistic about Liu Haocun's talent and has been keeping her by his side to cultivate her. He even had the idea of ​​signing her."

"It's highly likely that Zhang Yimou will give her a role in his new movie."

"This girl is the one who was originally chosen by Zhang Yimou."

The movie "Shadow" started filming in March 2017 and was completed long ago; this is no secret within the industry.

After hearing Jiang Bai's detailed explanation, Xu Xu was even more confused and subconsciously asked, "How did you know?"

"Even I, a broker who deals with resources every day, have never heard of it."

Jiang Bai casually came up with a perfect excuse: "When I met Zhou Dongyu at the Star Awards, she mentioned this to me briefly."

"I'll just listen to it as gossip and casual conversation."

"So that's how it is."

Xu Xu didn't suspect anything, nodded, and said nonchalantly, "So what if she's a 'Zhang Yimou Girl'?"

"She hasn't officially debuted yet; she's still a student."

"Since they actively submitted their resumes and applied, it means they are willing to take on this job."

"If you think her image and temperament are suitable for the MV role, then I will contact her."

"If she really becomes a 'Zhang Yimou girl' in the future, then we'll have hit the jackpot."

Makes sense!

Jiang Bai's eyes lit up; he had to admit that Xu Xu was right.

He had thought of Liu Haocun a few days ago and wondered what Liu Haocun was doing at this stage.

Unexpectedly, the surprise came so suddenly, like a pillow being delivered to someone who was sleepy, the other party took the initiative to send their resume to me.

Putting aside the various controversies of later generations, in terms of acting talent and screen suitability alone, Liu Haocun was absolutely a prodigy.

He's blessed with natural talent, his acting is effortless, the camera seems to have a built-in filter, and he's incredibly versatile.

Otherwise, Zhang Yimou, with his keen eye for talent, wouldn't have shown such favoritism towards her, making her a key "Mou Girl" to be promoted after Gong Li.

Moreover, the short film MV "If I Could" itself requires a female actress with good acting skills to perform.

Among these newcomers who are still students and haven't debuted yet, no one is more suitable than Liu Haocun at this stage.

With this thought in mind, Jiang Bai no longer hesitated and immediately made his final decision.

He pointed to the profile pages of Zhang Jingyi and Liu Haocun, and said decisively, "Let's go with the two of them."

"Zhang Jingyi was chosen as the female lead for 'I Really Want to Love This World.' Her cool and artistic temperament is quite suitable for this song."

"Anyway, this music video doesn't require much acting skill; as long as the image and temperament are suitable, that's enough."

"Liu Haocun will be chosen as the female lead for the short film 'If I Could'."

"Actors chosen by Zhang Yimou, without a doubt, have the best acting skills among their peers."

Xu Xu quickly jotted down two names in his memo and nodded in response, "No problem."

"Once I land in Guangzhou, I will immediately contact these two people to discuss the filming schedule and remuneration."

"You will be filming 'The Thunder' in Guangdong for the next period of time. The subsequent music video filming will be done on location in Guangdong, which is nearby. I will discuss the specific arrangements with the production team, producer, and director."

"Four music videos, filmed separately, each should be able to be filmed in two days."

Jiang Bai doesn't get to act every day on set.

After all, in the drama "The Thunder", the other important supporting characters also have significant roles.

For example, Uncle Dong has a lot of solo scenes.

Tazhai is also an important location for the main storyline.

With a little coordination with the production team, we should be able to find eight days off from rehearsals.

With the important task of finalizing the female lead for the music video on his mind, Xu Xu had nothing else to do.

During the remaining flight time, Jiang Bai closed his eyes to rest and adjust his state, while also reviewing the complete plot of "The Thunder" and the character of the male protagonist, Li Fei, in his mind.

The two-hour flight passed in the blink of an eye.

At 3 a.m., the flight landed smoothly at Baiyun International Airport.

Winters in the south are completely different from those in the north.

Stepping out of the cabin, a cold wind carrying damp moisture greeted me.

Although it's still quite cold, the dampness feels much gentler than in the north.

The production crew had already arranged for a business vehicle to wait at the airport. The group walked out of the VIP exit and went directly to the five-star hotel booked by the production crew.

This hotel is also the unified accommodation location for all the main creators of the TV series "The Thunder".

Located just a ten-minute drive from the filming location, the hotel offers unparalleled privacy by booking the entire property, minimizing the risk of disturbance from paparazzi and obsessive fans.

After checking in, Jiang Bai quickly washed up and went to bed to rest.

I have to attend the opening ceremony tomorrow morning!

The next day, early in the morning.

Today in Guangzhou, the sky is clear and the sun is shining brightly, with a gentle breeze – a perfect day to start up your computer.

At 8:30 a.m., the official launch ceremony for "The Thunder" was held at the Zini Tang Film and Television Shooting Base.

Actually, not much of the filming took place in Guangzhou; most of the scenes were shot in neighboring Zhongshan.

But Guangzhou is a big city, so we'll start filming here first to make it easier for media from all over the country to participate.

It was originally conceived as a serious crime drama about drug enforcement.

From the preparation stage, the overall tone of "The Thunder" leaned towards seriousness, solemnity, and reverence.

Drug control and enforcement are inherently high-risk topics involving safeguarding social stability and combating illegal and criminal activities, and cannot be treated lightly or as a joke.

The entire opening ceremony was minimalist in its setup, with no fancy support decorations, and none of the fan support food trucks, posters, banners, etc. commonly seen at the opening of idol dramas.

In the center of the spacious filming location, there was a simple altar.

On the table are offerings of roast suckling pig, fruit, wine, incense, candles, and other sacrificial items.

It symbolizes a smooth filming process, the safety of all crew members, and a huge ratings success.

The area was cordoned off, with designated zones for staff and media. Security personnel were on duty throughout, and the situation was orderly.

All the main cast members were dressed uniformly in black casual suits or dark-colored coats, their attire understated and composed, and their expressions serious.

No one wore heavy makeup, and no one deliberately dressed to steal the spotlight.

Jiang Bai was also dressed in a simple black stand-up collar jacket, paired with black casual trousers, and her hair was neat and tidy without any extra decorations.

However, his tall and slender figure, coupled with his cool and calm temperament, and his handsome face even without makeup, still makes him very eye-catching when he stands in a crowd.

Taking advantage of the break before the start of the opening ceremony, Jiang Bai finally met the entire main cast and crew of this year's hit crime drama.

Apart from Huang Jingyu, who originally played the male lead Li Fei, being replaced by Jiang Bai, all the other actors remained the same, with the same cast as the original version from the previous life. The lineup was ridiculously strong.

Among the main cast are well-known national first-class actors and veteran actors with superb acting skills who have been deeply involved in crime dramas.

With the addition of Jiang Bai, a rising young actor, the drama brings together actors from three generations: veteran, middle-aged, and young.

In the series, Wu Gang plays Li Weimin, the deputy director of the Narcotics Control Bureau of the Provincial Public Security Department. Li Weimin is a high-ranking and shrewd man who is also the mentor and backer of the protagonist, Li Fei.

Wang Jinsong plays Lin Yaodong, the mastermind behind Tazhai Village and the biggest villain in the entire series. He is ruthless, vicious, and cunning.

Simon Yam plays Zhao Jialiang, the male lead's biological father, a tragic undercover agent who walks the gray area.

Zhang Xilin plays Ma Yunbo, the deputy director of the Dongshan City Public Security Bureau, who is conflicted and torn between good and evil.

In addition, the female lead, Chen Ke, is played by Li Mozhi.

Although you might not recognize their names, you'll definitely recognize their faces – a whole cast of talented actors including Ma Yujie, Gong Lei, Tang Xu, Yang Zihua, and Zhao Xuan are all here.

Apart from Jiang Bai, this drama has no popular actors; it's a cast of all-star performers.

Looking at the entire film and television market in 2018, in terms of the quality of the leading cast and the minimum level of acting skills, there are very few dramas that can surpass "The Thunder".

Several veteran actors also noticed the biggest change in the production team immediately: the new male lead, Jiang Bai.

When I first learned that the production team had cast a top-tier celebrity to play the lead role in a serious anti-drug drama, I was shocked.

Wu Gang, Wang Jinsong, and others still had some concerns.

In their preconceived notions, most popular celebrities prioritize marketing over acting skills and cannot withstand the high-intensity filming pace of crime dramas.

His acting skills are also questionable, especially considering Wu Gang has worked with popular young actors before and knows how bad they are.

It can easily drag down the quality of the entire series.

However, after meeting Jiang Bai in person and exchanging a few words with him, most of their concerns quietly dissipated.

Compared to other popular young male celebrities, Jiang Bai has a calm personality and a humble and polite demeanor.

Lacking the arrogance and impetuosity common among today's top young celebrities, Tan Ye also has his own unique understanding of the script and the character.

This alone is enough to make a group of veteran actors put aside their prejudices and be willing to give young newcomers a chance to grow.

People actually have very low standards when it comes to so-called popular young male celebrities.

Regardless of your acting skills, as long as your attitude is sincere and earnest.

Then I'm willing to give you a chance. If all else fails, I can teach you how to act on the spot.

But the prerequisite is that you must be willing to learn!

Jiang Bai seems to possess these qualities and a humble attitude.

At 10:00 AM sharp, the auspicious time has arrived.

The two directors, Fu Dongyu and Liu Zhangmu, were the first to step forward to offer incense and pray for a smooth filming process.

Then Jiang Bai, along with Wu Gang, Wang Jinsong, Simon Yam, and other leading actors, stepped forward in turn to burn incense and pray for blessings.

After the worship ceremony, all the main creators moved in front of the camera, stood in neat rows according to their positions, and took a group photo in front of the cameras of dozens of official media outlets, capturing the historic moment of the start of filming for "The Thunder".

Numerous flashes of light illuminated the scene as the camera started up, capturing Jiang Bai's most radiant smile.

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