Huayu: Starting with Xiang Yu, the Hegemon of Western Chu

The day after Liang Guanhua watched Chen Mo's brief scene, another newcomer joined the crew.

His name is Jingming, he is thirty-five years old, and he plays Zhu Gaoxu.

The assistant director sent out a notice in the group chat the night before.

This announcement caused a slight stir within the production crew.

At the dinner table, lighting technician Lao Li muttered to the makeup artist next to him, "Isn't this Jingming the one who used to act in idol dramas?"

The makeup artist nodded: "That's the one. A couple of years ago he was in some kind of campus romance, but last year he switched to serious dramas. I heard his acting is pretty good."

Old Li didn't say anything, but picked up a piece of shredded potato with his chopsticks.

The word "not bad" carries a particularly strong connotation in this film crew.

In a production crew with veteran actors like Wang Xueqi and Liang Guanhua, "okay" basically means "good enough, but not outstanding".

Jingming arrived at the camp at 2 p.m. that day.

He arrived with a small entourage; he drove up in a black Audi Q7, and when he got out, he was wearing a black cashmere coat over a turtleneck sweater, looking quite capable.

The assistant director and two other people greeted them at the door.

"Teacher Jing."

"Hello, assistant director."

"You must be tired from your journey. Your room has been prepared for you. Would you like to rest for a bit?"

"OK."

Jingming followed the assistant director into the accommodation, sweeping the area as they went.

He scanned the area twice and found that the overall atmosphere of this film crew was different from the ones he had worked on before.

It's too quiet.

The staff were all busy with their own things, and there was no atmosphere where a newcomer would take the initiative to greet them.

Jingming thought to himself, "This film crew is a bit different."

However, he didn't think much of it.

After he put his luggage in the room, the assistant director asked him if he wanted to meet Director Luo.

"Director Luo is in the monitoring studio right now, directing Teacher Chen to film a transition scene. If you're not tired, you can go and take a look."

When Jingming heard the words "Teacher Chen", his eyes flickered.

He was familiar with the name Chen Mo.

He watched a few episodes of the drama about Xiang Yu.

To be honest, he admitted that Chen Mo acted well, but he had a judgment in his heart that he never said out loud.

Chen Mo's popularity was due to catching the right trend.

How did you manage to catch up?

There was a "foundation general" before, who was criticized online for a year or two. Chen Mo played Xiang Yu with a bare face at that time. Just standing there was a contrast. In addition, the character of Xiang Yu himself has a solid foundation, so anyone who plays him can stand out.

These two things together became a hit.

The actors' performances were all pretty much the same.

Technical skills require a solid foundation. Once you have that foundation, whether you become successful or not depends on luck.

He's been in this industry for over a decade and has acting skills. The reason he hasn't received any serious roles in the past year or so isn't because he lacks skill, but because his luck hasn't come yet.

As for Chen Mo's reputation for "good acting skills," Jingming had a rather unsavory suspicion in his mind.

The male lead in the drama about Xiang Yu was played by actor Chen Daomin.

Teacher Chen has been acting for decades and has a very high seniority in the industry.

Chen Mo was a newcomer at that time, and he acted opposite Teacher Chen for most of the play.

If Teacher Chen gives him some pointers in private, that essence will naturally come out.

So Jingming actually had a question in his mind about Chen Mo's true abilities.

Hearing that Chen Mo was filming, he wanted to see for himself whether this kid was the real deal.

Jingming followed the assistant director to the monitoring booth.

The curtains of the surveillance tent were drawn, and the lights were on inside.

When the assistant director lifted the curtain, Jingming originally intended to go straight in and say hello.

But he paused at the door.

Inside the monitoring booth, people were talking.

The sound wasn't loud.

Luo Yifeng, Wang Xueqi, and Liang Guanhua were all inside, the three of them surrounding the monitor, watching something.

Liang Guanhua spoke first: "Old Wang, look at this shoulder."

Wang Xueqi: "I've seen it."

Liang Guanhua: "This kid is carrying something on him."

Wang Xueqi: "Hmm."

Luo Yifeng: "I was betting on the Northern Expedition part. I felt there was potential in this part from the beginning."

Liang Guanhua: "It's not just the Northern Expedition; I think the angle at which his shoulders are lowered suggests that something else is pressing down on him."

Wang Xueqi: "He's pressing down on his father."

Liang Guanhua: "Yes."

Jingming stood outside the curtain, remaining silent for a moment.

He was listening to three veteran actors discussing a play.

The actor in that play was Chen Mo.

He originally thought that this kind of discussion was just small talk, with veteran actors giving each other face by saying things like "this kid is not bad," which was standard practice.

But after listening for a few minutes, he realized something was wrong.

None of the three people said the word "not bad".

They are demolishing it.

They dismantled Chen Mo's shoulder.

They were removing something that was pressing on Chen Mo's shoulder.

The thing that was pressing on Chen Mo's shoulder was removed from which scene?

Jingming thought to himself, "Huh?"

He didn't go in immediately, but took half a step back and leaned against the curtain.

I want to listen a little longer.

Luo Yifeng spoke up: "Xiao Li, come and take a look too."

Upon hearing this sound, Jingming realized that there was another person standing in the monitoring tent.

It's Xiao Li, the executive director of the film crew.

Xiao Li leaned over to take a look for a while, then scratched his head: "Director Luo, I can't quite see it."

He spoke honestly; he didn't pretend to know anything in front of three veteran actors.

Luo Yifeng: "Look at Chen Mo's posture. In this scene, he is playing the sixteen-year-old Zhu Zhanji watching the snow under the eaves."

"Um."

"What's written in the script?"

Xiao Li pulled a page from the stack of scripts in his hand and handed it over.

Luo Yifeng took the page and glanced at it.

He laughed.

He turned that page over and showed it to Xiao Li.

"What does it say on this page?"

Xiao Li looked down:

"Zhu Zhanji. Under the eaves of the East Palace. Watching the snow."

Just this one line.

Luo Yifeng: "Then tell me, how do you act out this line of text?"

Xiao Li was stunned.

"Well... if I were to act, I'd probably just find a standing position and stare into the distance."

Luo Yifeng: "Is your stance the same as Chen Mo's?"

Xiao Li glanced at the screen again.

Chen Mo was still frozen in that frame on the screen.

Xiao Li scratched his head: "It's different."

"What's different?"

Xiao Li stared at the screen for a while, then stammered, "He... his shoulders seem to be leaning forward a little bit, and his weight seems to be on his right foot."

"Yes, and then?"

Xiao Li: "And then... I can't say."

Liang Guanhua chimed in, "It's normal that you can't say it. If you were asked to act it out, you wouldn't be able to."

Xiao Li smiled sheepishly and said, "Then can you tell me about it?"

Liang Guanhua then began to speak.

He said that the angle at which Chen Mo's shoulder was pointing forward was the angle that only someone who had been crushed by life would have.

He said that Chen Mo was bearing the weight on his right foot because Zhu Zhanji had injured his waist when he returned from the northern expedition when he was sixteen years old. The script did not mention that injury, but Chen Mo remembered it.

He said that Chen Mo's right hand, with its fingers loosely clenched, was a gesture of a thoughtful young man.

He said that Chen Mo's gaze wasn't looking at the snow, but rather looking through the snow at something in the distance.

He explained each point one by one.

He would point to the screen and show it to Xiao Li each time he explained something.

Xiao Li's eyes lit up more and more as he listened.

After a long pause, Xiao Li finally managed to say, "If I had received that line of text, I probably would have just walked over and stood there for a moment, and that would have been the end of it."

Liang Guanhua: "Yes, but the play you're in is not the same play that Chen Mo is in."

Luo Yifeng chimed in, "The audience can't tell the difference, but people in the industry can."

Leung Kwan-wah: "Not everyone in the industry can tell; only a minority can."