Huayu: The young actress is heavily dependent on me

September 25, 2014, Huairou Film and Television Base, Beijing.

The final scene is Tan Song and Huang Chengzi saying goodbye in the hallway.

"All departments, get ready—" Chen Li called out to start the camera, moved into position, and entered the frame himself.

The cat, Tree, stared at the monitor, capturing his final performance entirely in the viewfinder.

"The last shot of 'So Cute Us'—Cut!"

The scene was quiet for a few seconds.

Tian Xiwei was the first to break down, grabbing Bai Mengyan's sleeve and starting to wipe away her tears.

Meng Ziyi bit her lip, stuffed the script into her bag, held her chin high, and her eyes were clearly red.

The young men from the props team scattered the last remaining paper flowers into the air, and the stagehands hugged each other, laughing and crying.

Chen Li stood in front of the monitor, looking at the group of people she had spent more than two months with.

They wore pilling sweaters and looked exhausted from not being able to take leave for two months. The crew was so poor that they even had to limit the amount of meat in their boxed lunches.

But this group of people managed to capture the youth of a generation by using equipment they borrowed from the Beijing Film Academy and their own skills.

He took a deep breath and clapped his hands:

"Quiet! I know you've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

More than a dozen pairs of eyes were staring at him.

"These past two months," he thought, going over the names of several production assistants in his mind.

"We used equipment rented from the school, wore old school uniforms rummaged through the clothing warehouse, and didn't have enough budget for boxed lunches, so we only had one meat dish per meal."

Scattered laughter rose from below.

"But we made our first TV series!"

"The old residential buildings weren't a studio set; it was a real set. Sometimes the motion-activated lights in the stairwells would go out halfway through filming, but none of you called for a stop. When the final footage came out, we had to manually refine every single detail."

He saw Lao Zhou, who was in charge of lighting, take off his glasses and wipe them, while the script supervisor bit her lip.

"I've booked the wrap party tonight—" Chen Li paused, glanced around at everyone, and a smile played on his lips.

"That food stall at the street corner!"

"Tch~" the crowd grumbled.

Meng Ziyi threw the script at me: "So you're saving money for your last meal, huh?!"

Chen Li caught the script, smiling as she raised her hands:

"I said, we'll finish filming within budget—the wrap party also needs to be budgeted."

He took a few pages of paper from Bai Mengyan's hand and waved them around.

"However, I've made detailed plans for every aspect, including post-production editing, music selection, and subtitles. If the final product achieves good results on the platform, I guarantee..."

Everyone looked at him expectantly.

"I'll give you a raise for the next film!"

"Haha, that's it?"

"Director Chen, you must invite me next time!"

"Waaaaah, I'll miss everyone so much..."

Amidst laughter and playful banter, Cat Tree led the applause.

The stagehands pulled him over and tossed him into the air. He almost missed, and the group nearly fell over laughing.

As night falls, steam rises from the plastic awnings of the food stalls.

Chen Li, holding a beer, went from table to table offering toasts.

He sat down at the photography team's table and poured a beer for Lao Zhou, the team leader.

Old Zhou has worked at Fan Bingbing's studio for almost ten years. He was among the first batch of people personally recruited by Mu Xiaoguang from the cinematography department of the Beijing Film Academy, and is recognized as a veteran in the industry.

When Sister Fan transferred me here to help, I initially thought it was just to help students with their homework, but I ended up staying for two months.

"Brother Zhou, thank you so much for your hard work this time." Chen Li clinked glasses with him, then downed his own glass first as a sign of respect.

"That long shot that followed us from the first floor to the fifth floor was handheld the whole time without any cuts or shakiness. The quality of the footage is absolutely unparalleled in web dramas."

"I know you could have stayed at the company and worked on the post-production of 'The Empress of China,' where the pay was high and the production cycle was long. Instead, you came here and worked with the Steadicam for two months, and the bruises on your shoulders still haven't faded."

Old Zhou's rough fingers rubbed against his wine glass as he chuckled, "Hey, it's all the same where you're working."

"It's different." Chen Li put down the bottle, looked into Old Zhou's eyes, and spoke calmly.

"Brother Zhou, the soft lighting effect you create using natural light, combined with your steady control over handheld shooting, is a skill that is unique in the online drama industry."

"In my next film, I might try combining real-life lighting and handheld shooting, and I'll need a seasoned cameraman. If you're willing, I'll contact you first."

He stopped there, without urging Lao Zhou to make a statement.

Someone like Lao Zhou, who has been with Fan Bingbing's studio for ten years, won't easily switch employers.

But Chen Li wasn't in a hurry; he just needed to keep his sincerity hidden.

Moving to the table where the makeup team was, several girls were fighting over the last few skewers of roasted lamb.

Li Jie, the head of the makeup team, took the beer from Chen Li, tucked a stray hair behind her ear, and didn't speak immediately.

She oversees the makeup and styling coordination for several artists in Fan Bingbing's studio; she is highly experienced and has a wide network of connections.

This time, Chen Li's production team had a limited budget, so Sister Li still lent the newcomers several sets of professional brushes that she had kept privately, but she never mentioned these on set.

"Sister Li, your group had the toughest time this time." Chen Li handed over a paper bag containing a soft wool scarf.

Sister Li was taken aback when she saw this, and her face was full of emotion.

During a previous location shoot, he noticed that Sister Li's scarf was pilling and casually suggested, "Why don't you get a new one?" Sister Li just laughed it off, but he held a grudge for two months.

Women care about these details the most, and Sister Li couldn't be happier now.

"With a limited budget, you had to source all the cosmetics from the company warehouse. The actors in the crew all had different skin conditions, and you tried on every shade until your wrists were almost worn out."

"I've already discussed the next project with the producer. The makeup budget has been raised to the industry standard, so you won't have to pay for your own foundation anymore."

"If I start my own team in the future, I'll reserve the top spot for you in the makeup department."

Sister Li happily touched the scarf, picked up her cup, and clinked it against Chen Li's:

"Sure, if there are any openings in your schedule, I'll have my assistant schedule it in advance."

Her tone was neither too loud nor too soft, but "having her assistant schedule the appointment" was the biggest promise she could make.

Finally, Chen Li sat down at the art department's table. Art director Lao Sun was holding a cup, calmly watching the group of young people making a ruckus.

He has been working at Fan Bingbing's studio for over ten years, starting with the film "Apple". People in the industry call him "Old Man Sun" because he always says that "the set design of current film crews has no soul".

"Teacher Sun." Chen Li poured herself a glass, holding it with both hands.

"To be honest, the art design you did for this old residential building is even better than what I wrote in the project proposal."

"Those yellowed electricity bills in the stairwell, the different colored anti-slip mats in front of each household's door—these details weren't in the script; you added them all yourself."

Old Sun slowly turned his face towards Chen Li and remained silent for a moment.

Indeed, no one instructed him to do those trivial yet real details; he simply felt that "this building should look like this."

For the past two months, no one had brought up the matter, and he assumed that no one would notice these little actions.

"I want a stronger sense of real life in the next drama," Chen Li said, pushing her cup towards him.

"If you are willing to continue the collaboration, I will formally launch the project and entrust you with full responsibility for the art direction."

"Well done! You're a promising young man!" Old Sun laughed heartily, patted him on the shoulder, and downed his drink in one gulp.

Finally, Chen Li stood in front of everyone and raised his glass.

"Everyone, thank you for your hard work these past two months!"

Everyone looked over, and the noise gradually subsided.

"I know our production team is on a tight budget, and many people are working on it out of passion, paying out of their own pockets." Chen Li's gaze slowly swept over each face.

"From now on, I'll call you guys whenever I have a role. It's not just politeness; I really need your continued help."

He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

There was a half-second silence, followed by an explosion of applause and cheers.

Old Sun slammed his hand on the table twice, and Old Zhou stood up to clink glasses with him.

What Chen Li needs to do now is to accumulate more outstanding talents and a team before starting his own business, paving the way for the future...