Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

That day, more than ten people sat in the studio. The handsome man with a buzz cut was screenwriter Yang Che; director Cheng Er sat to his right; and actor Xiao Pang sat to his left. Yang and Pang were reading a scroll together. Yang Che held one end of the scroll in his right hand and patted Pang's shoulder with his right hand, while Xiao Pang held the other end of the scroll in his left hand and pointed at it with his right hand, as if he were saying something...

"Brother, how's my writing?"

Yang Che quietly removed his right hand from her rounded shoulder: "Why are you showing it to me? During the break, you can read a passage in front of the camera and let those who question your lack of effort see that you were writing biographical sketches back in the 20th century..."

Fan Bingbing felt that Yang Che was mocking her, but she had no evidence.

So what is a script reading? It's exactly what it sounds like: a group of people reading a script together.

Before filming begins, the director selects a time and place, and together with the main cast and crew, selects important lines to read aloud.

There are three main functions. First and foremost, it saves the director the time of talking to each person individually. Actors and crew members can ask questions, get explanations or make revisions, and then finalize the script for filming.

Imagine if the director had to give the same instructions to the actors, the lighting crew, the cinematographer, and the makeup artist...

Secondly, it helps to bridge the gap between the main creators of the production team in a short period of time, and at the same time, it allows actors and crew members with better acting skills or technical skills to mentor those with less skill. This is something that must be done to make a good film, otherwise it will be very disjointed and contradictory.

After all, this is just a play, and everyone is sharing the same resources.

As for expecting actors to have a deep understanding of a character through a reading aloud, that's unrealistic. Just reading from the script is enough. It's sufficient for them to understand the external and internal characteristics of the character they're playing, as well as their role in the story.

"As you all know, the storyline and plot of 'My Sassy Girl' revolve around the male and female leads, so the only actors participating in the script reading are Fan Bingbing, who plays Xingxing, and Huang Haibo, who plays Niu Geng. For the next month or so, we'll be brothers and sisters sharing the same pot, so let's give them a round of applause."

Following Yang Che's words, Fan Bingbing was the first to smile and clap her hands.

Then came a series of "slap slap slap".

Yang Che gestured for Yang to stop: "The next segment will be hosted by Director Cheng."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Er waved his hand and said, "Over the past month or so, thanks to the communication and efforts of the directing team and various departments, as well as on-site test shoots, the entire film's shooting script has been completed. But a script is still just a script, so I hope that during the upcoming script reading, everyone can fill in any gaps and raise any questions. Everyone here has the right to call a halt at any time."

Regarding the script reading, I'll read the narration, and Che Ge and Wu Shixian will share the other supporting characters' lines. Before that, Huang Haibo and Fan Bingbing, could you two first share your understanding of your characters?

Everyone looked at the two of them, who exchanged a glance, and then Huang Haibo nodded and said:

"Hello everyone, my name is Huang Haibo. I play Niu Geng in this film. I think the character of Niu Geng is kind and compassionate."

If you grasp this underlying principle, then all his actions become logically consistent: he pities the drunken star for his hard work and is tolerant and healing of the pain behind the star's barbaric behavior.

Niu Geng appears weak and somewhat dull, but through his inner thoughts and monologues, one can discern that he is wise beyond his years. He is acutely aware that he is a substitute, but out of kindness, he still chooses to commit, willingly enduring beatings, scoldings, and humiliation, such as being forced to wear high heels and jump into a lake, all so that she can be happy.

However, he was not giving without limits, nor was he a masochist. He had dignity and principles. After Xingxing's condition improved, he believed that he was still a substitute and decisively and dignifiedly chose to let go.

I am very fortunate to have met a character like Niu Geng who has obvious growth potential, from a timid college student to a mature man who is willing to work hard for love and change himself.

This is my understanding of the character Niu Geng. Thank you, Che Ge, for writing this character, and thank you, director, for choosing me to play this role.

Yang Che smiled. The young Haibo was quite eloquent; this was clearly a prepared speech, which was good.

This is what was mentioned earlier as "understanding the external and internal qualities of the character you are playing, and your role in the story".

His character descriptions in the script were drawn as tables.

Personality traits: kind, patient, and capable of growth.

Emotional motivation: To actively heal the other person

Character arc: obvious (from cowardice to maturity)

The essence of relationships: Healing love

Huang Haibo's summary is clearly more accurate.

Just as people were nodding in approval of Huang Haibo's speech, Fan Bingbing was a little confused, feeling as if she had heard, "We agreed to slack off together, so why did you secretly take extra classes?"

As everyone's gaze gradually shifted to her face, Fan Bingbing subconsciously lowered her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yang Che, whose eyes held a gentle smile. So she slowly raised her head again and playfully stuck out her tongue.

"Hello everyone, I'm Bingbing, and I play Xingxing. Um... my understanding of Xingxing is that she has a strong sense of justice and will take action, which means she's a bit nosy. She asks young people to give up their seats to the elderly on the subway, she will stop people from soliciting sex services, and she will stop people from littering cigarette butts in the park."

She is intelligent and multi-talented; she plays tennis, piano, violin, and dances.

She is very devoted in love and has a sensitive heart. She always hides her sadness and only reveals it when she is drunk or alone.

She has a strong personality and acts wildly and violently, like, like a female knight-errant, yes, a female knight-errant.

By the end, Fan Bingbing was quite excited. Yang Che knew that she had gained deeper insights while racking her brains to summarize the characters.

Yang Che looked at her and thought to himself, "So you can also feel the joy of artistic creation. If only you could stay like this forever, simply and single-mindedly focused on creating, far away from the complicated entertainment industry."

Unlike Yang Che's surprise and approval, Cheng Er was clearly not satisfied with Fan Bingbing's statement.

Indeed, Cheng Er felt that Fan Bingbing had simply recounted the character descriptions and some plot points from the beginning of the script.

Actually, it's just that Huang Haibo's work set a high bar, and there's a bit of arrogance from the academic school.

However, when Wu Shixian clapped immediately, Cheng Er, like everyone else present, also clapped.

"Okay, thank you both for your remarks, they were very insightful. Now let's officially begin the script reading. As always, please raise your hand if you have any questions or opinions."

Unlike the literary scripts that the two actors received, the scripts that Zhao Xiaoding, Lin Mu, Dong Dabao, and Jin Xiaoman received were different.

Film is a reflection of the socialized lives of ordinary people, including scenery, color, lighting, clothing, food, home, street scenes, business, nostalgia, characters' psychology, and even their physical appearance and physical ailments. It is the overall beauty of life.

And they are part of it.

(The plot will not be described here)