Entertainment: The Path to Best Actor for Talented Actors

Upon hearing that the assistant director had chosen Zhang Ze, the other extras dispersed in disappointment.

Zhang Ze was left alone there.

The assistant director pushed up his glasses and said in a somewhat hurried tone.

"Actually, your lines are very simple, just a few sentences. Take a look at them and try saying them."

Zhang Ze glanced at it; it was just three sentences and about twenty words.

Fortunately, I was young, and after trying to memorize it twice, I had almost mastered it.

After going over the lines with the assistant director twice, the assistant director nodded and said...

"Okay, that's how you'll act later! Remember, your role is that of an assistant to the factory manager of a factory that's about to go bankrupt and is being acquired."

The assistant director was very busy; after saying a few words, he went off to rehearse with the other actors.

Zhang Ze assessed his own condition and kept muttering his lines.

He was very excited to be reciting lines on his first day of filming.

"Tiexi Renjia, Scene 48, 7th shot, second time hitting the clapperboard."

After the stagehands clapped the clapperboard, the actors began rehearsing their lines at the director's command of "Action."

Zhang Ze was like a puppet; when it was time to enter the scene, he was pushed into the shot by the assistant director and had to say his lines.

We had to shoot this scene twice before it was approved.

Throughout the afternoon, Zhang Ze appeared in three shots and spoke a total of several dozen words.

After the performance ended in the evening, the extras lined up to receive their pay.

When it was Zhang Ze's turn, the group leader handed him three 3-yuan bills.

"I've helped you out today, so I won't take your commission. This is your appearance fee for today."

Hearing the other extras call the group leader "Brother Qiang," Zhang Ze also said, "Thanks, Brother Qiang!"

Zhang Ze was in a good mood after receiving the money.

On his first day as an extra, he not only got to say his lines, but he also got paid more than he expected, which made him very happy.

"Hey bro, how's it going!"

"You got to say your lines on your very first day of filming? You're really lucky! I've been filming for so long and haven't even said a few lines!"

At this moment, the extra who introduced Zhang Ze yesterday walked up from behind and spoke in a friendly manner.

Seeing that the man was an acquaintance, Zhang Ze wanted to inquire more about the filming, so he warmly invited the man to stay and took him out for dinner.

The man thought Zhang Ze was just being polite, but little did he know that Zhang Ze genuinely wanted to know more information.

I insisted on having a meal with him to thank him for introducing me to the industry.

Finally, the two sat down at a hot pot fish restaurant by the roadside.

I learned this while we were eating.

The man's name is Lü Jun. He is from Beijing and was originally a chef. He is 35 years old and still unmarried. He is a single person with no family to worry about. He has been working full-time as an extra for half a year.

Although he didn't do very well, he visited most of the film crews in Beijing.

"Do you think that earning a few hundred dollars on your first day, after only reciting lines, is easy money?"

Lu Jun took a sip of beer and asked earnestly.

Although Zhang Ze didn't want to admit it, he was still optimistic. He nodded silently and looked at Lü Jun.

He was signaled to continue.

"Actually, filming is very tough, especially for extras."

"Although we agreed to start at eight o'clock every morning, Beijing is too big, and it takes one or two hours just to take the subway."

"I leave home at six in the morning and get back around eight in the evening, and I only earn one hundred yuan a day."

"If it weren't for the fact that my family is local and I have a dream to hold onto, I would have given up long ago."

Hearing Lü Jun's words, Zhang Ze nodded thoughtfully.

Thinking about how I have to pay a thousand yuan in rent every month, plus the cost of food every day, and other daily expenses, I feel a pang of sadness.

Even if I film every day for a month, I won't have much money left in the end.

Being an extra is definitely a dead-end job!

But if it's a special contract, then there's no problem.

He aspires to be a featured actor; acting is a viable career path for him.

He doesn't aspire to instant fame or become a big star. He'd be perfectly content as long as he could earn ten or twenty thousand a month.

Thinking about this further solidified his resolve.

"From now on, don't even think about saying any more lines in the Tiexi Renjia film crew."

At this moment, Lü Jun lit a cigarette and said.

"Are you really that clueless, or are you just pretending?"

"Today, you said so many lines, and there were shots of your face on camera."

"If they ask you to say lines again in the future, showing your face directly would give them away!"

"Does that mean I can't work as an extra in the Tiexi film crew anymore?"

Zhang Ze was dumbfounded.

He had only been an extra for one day, and he couldn't go to the film crew anymore. How could he not be worried?

"Being an extra is fine for making up the numbers, but you have no hope of getting a featured role with a clear shot and lines. You'll have to look for opportunities in other productions."

Hearing this, Zhang Ze was relieved.

He thought that as long as he could still film, he wasn't worried about whether he had any lines or not.

If you want to enter any industry, you have to master it for a few months first.

Haste makes waste; take it slow, and everything will be alright.

The two ate for about an hour and became acquainted.

After returning home, Zhang Ze called his supervisor and resigned.

He used to work as a real estate agent at a real estate company, so quitting was easy.

For the next few days, Zhang Ze followed Lü Jun around.

Lü Jun, as expected of a local native.

He's eloquent and has many friends who are extras.

There are quite a few group leaders, and I can say a few words to them.

After spending a week as a background character on the set of the Tiexi Renjia film crew.

Finally, a second announcement from the film crew appeared in the group chat.

"Tomorrow, a modern drama scene. Participants need to bring their own suits. Ten men are required to be at least 170cm tall and have a good appearance and demeanor. If you're interested, please message me to register."

Zhang Ze immediately messaged the group leader, Brother Qiang, privately.

"Damn, they require a certain image and demeanor, and you even have to wear a suit."

"It's not going to be a scene in a bar, is it? Then we're in for a treat tomorrow. There are lots of beautiful women in bars, and they're dressed very scantily."

A background actor nearby muttered something rather lewd.

Lu Jun and he had a good relationship, and Lu Jun jokingly said, "How can you be so lecherous? You have no self-respect! You've seen countless actresses who are just extras, how can you still be interested in those escorts who make money by showing off?"

"No matter how beautiful female celebrities are, we can only look at them and never touch them. But if it's a scene in a bar, we have the chance to hug these beauties."

"Let's not hang out with this old lecher; he's got no integrity whatsoever."

Lü Jun pulled Zhang Ze and walked outside.

This is their seventh day of filming at Shougang.

The filming for this scene was mostly finished, and the two agreed to go to the second film set together the next day before parting ways.

evening.

Zhang Ze did not go straight home.

He went to the bookstore and bought a copy of "An Actor Prepares".

This week, his experience as an extra made him fall in love with acting.

Whenever there are actors filming on set.

While the other extras gathered together chatting and joking, he quietly watched the actors, observing how they acted.

After a week of discovery, he felt that he might have a talent for acting.

I can't quite describe the feeling.

It's that feeling of "I could do it too."

So he decided to buy a book to enrich himself.

You should love what you do. If you want to be an actor, then you need to hone your acting skills.

Opportunities are for those who are prepared.

Not only acting skills, but also the ability to deliver lines is another key area he will focus on improving.

He's started practicing rhymes and mouth exercises too!