Reborn in the Entertainment Industry: This Top Star Has Real Achievements

The crew did not lose their rhythm on the second day despite Li Xiang's absence; everything proceeded smoothly as usual.

After all, Li Xiang has never delayed the production since joining the crew, and his scenes have always progressed according to plan. Losing two days of his time will not have a significant impact.

On the contrary, the little yellow duck is having a particularly tough time.

Because Director Zhang scheduled all of her scenes with actress Xi Meijuan for these two days—

Originally, the plan was to take care of her and help her gradually get into character, but now that the script has been changed, everything has changed.

After the mother and daughter of the little yellow duck left last night, Zhang Yimou didn't linger. He immediately called over several lead actors and core creative staff and distributed the revised script on the spot.

When everyone received the script, they understood the reason and immediately expressed their approval.

After all, the pain of acting alongside completely newcomers is something only those who have done it truly understand...

Not only can they not exert their own strength and have to hold back in their performance, but they also have to pay attention to the other person's state at all times, for fear that if they miss a line or a movement, they will have to reshoot.

The effort required to multitask while maintaining a high standard is something that people who haven't experienced it simply can't understand.

Now that the script has been revised, the highlight scenes have mostly fallen on the male lead, and the scenes with his co-stars have become much smoother, which has put everyone at ease.

Not to mention, yesterday's "good acting is wrong" drama involving the little yellow duck had already left the lead actors feeling quite uncomfortable—

After all, if acting well is a crime, then these people are truly heinous criminals.

Moreover, few good actors dislike using dramatic, demanding scenes to showcase their talent.

Otherwise, where do all those highlight moments on camera come from? Did the other actors take pity on them and give them up?

So, what Little Yellow Duck said yesterday offended all the actors. No one will stand up for her.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Zhang Yimou didn't say much. He only gave a few instructions on filming precautions before letting everyone disperse.

That's how the crew looked the next day: lighting was being set up, lines were being rehearsed, and everyone was busy but in an orderly manner.

Only when it's the little yellow duck's turn to appear does a subtle quietness fill the air—

Of course, Ms. Xi Meijuan is still professional, but her eyes seem to have lost some of the patience she had for mentoring newcomers.

As for the staff on the sidelines, they were just following the procedures and no longer being as cautious as before.

The little yellow duck stood in front of the camera, clutching the script in its hand, its fingertips turning white.

At the same time, she knew that from today onwards, no one in the crew would treat her as a newcomer who needed to be protected anymore.

Because she really isn't the Jingqiu from the film...

At this point, Zhang Weiping, who had been rushing all the way, finally arrived at the filming location.

Just as the noise outside the film set suddenly rose, Zhang Yimou was watching the playback behind the monitor.

He looked up and saw Zhang Weiping, wearing a bright-colored jacket and accompanied by two assistants, striding briskly through the backdrop and heading straight for him.

That presence was like having its own spotlight, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"Hey, Yimou, busy?" Zhang Weiping's loud voice rang out from afar, and when he reached the monitor, he patted Zhang Yimou on the shoulder.

"Let me see where we've filmed today."

Zhang Yimou pressed the pause button, then stood up and said to him, "We just finished filming Teacher Xi's scene, so we'll take a break."

He winked at the script supervisor, who immediately called out to all departments to temporarily halt work.

Everyone tactfully dispersed, some to get water, others to move further away, leaving the central space for the two big shots.

Zhang Weiping then glanced at the little yellow duck touching up its makeup not far away, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly. He then turned to Zhang Yimou and said, "Come on, let's take a stroll."

The two walked slowly side by side along the cement road at the edge of the film set, and their assistants behind them also tactfully did not follow.

"I heard things weren't going so well on set yesterday?" Zhang Weiping finally spoke first, his tone unreadable, but his hands remained in his pockets.

"I hope my signed artist hasn't caused you any major trouble, Yimou?"

"He's just a kid at heart, he made a little fool of himself." Zhang Yimou said calmly, his gaze fixed on the trees in the distance. "We've already talked it out, it won't affect filming."

"It's good that we've talked it out." Zhang Weiping smiled, but there was a hint of sarcasm in his words.

"You personally chose Little Yellow Duck and signed her to the company. She's young and doesn't know any better, so please be understanding. But speaking of which, that kid Li Xiang..."

"What's wrong with Li Xiang? I think this kid is pretty good. He's been on point since he joined the crew, he's got the talent, and most importantly, he's steady. Plus, he's never slowed down the production schedule."

Zhang Weiping smiled and said slowly, "Stability is a good thing. But I heard that he had a conflict with the little yellow duck yesterday?"

It's normal for young people to be competitive, but this is ultimately an investment by our company. We can't let an outsider bully our own artists..."

Without needing to guess, Zhang Yimou immediately concluded that it was the mother and daughter of the Little Yellow Duck who complained to Zhang Weiping. Otherwise, where would the claim of outsiders bullying their own artists come from?

He was so angry he laughed. He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Zhang Weiping:

"Weiping, you've been in this industry for so many years, how could you not find out who's bullying whom on set?"

Then, pointing to the scattered staff members around him, he said, "With so many eyes watching and the surveillance cameras recording, are you sure you want to distort the truth with me here?"

Zhang Weiping's smile faded slightly. He took out his cigarette case and tapped it, but didn't take out a cigarette: "I was just asking casually."

After all, they're artists from their own company, so it's normal to protect them a bit—everyone loves their own child, right?

He changed the subject and looked at Zhang Yimou, "But Yimou, if it were you, you would probably side with your own people, right?"

"I only stand by the facts." Zhang Yimou said this in a very calm tone, and he was not afraid of Zhang Weiping's sarcastic remarks.

"Yes or no. Even your own people can't insult the male lead in front of everyone on set! He's here to act, not to suffer here."

"You dare to publicly accuse someone of using connections and flattery? If that gets out, New Picture will become a laughing stock in the industry. Do you think you'll be so proud as the boss?"

Zhang Weiping stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed out loud: "Okay, okay, that's how I talk to you, always trying to intimidate me with logic. Let's not talk about this anymore."

But, as you know, Little Yellow Duck is the female lead in this movie, and all the publicity is done for her. If there are any changes to her role...

"Yes, the script has been slightly revised," Zhang Yimou added directly.

"There were some scenes that Little Yellow Duck couldn't handle, and too many takes were too time-consuming, so I asked the screenwriter to revise them, simplifying her difficult scenes and adding some scenes for the male lead."

As you know, the daily expenses for a film crew are fixed; they simply can't afford to keep going like this.

"Fine-tuning?" Zhang Weiping stopped and turned to stare at Zhang Yimou, the smile in his eyes fading.

"Director Zhang, we've been working together for so many years, and you know I've always supported your creative work."

But Little Yellow Duck is a key artist promoted by New Pictures. If this film ends up being a one-man show for the male lead, how will the company explain it?

"I know," Zhang Yimou interrupted him, "but ultimately, a film has to face the audience. The audience won't forgive her mistakes just because she's someone New Pictures promotes."

I have to be responsible for this show, and I also have to be responsible for the money you invested. I can't just ruin the whole show to promote someone, can I?

"That's not what I meant." Zhang Weiping took out a lighter, clicked it on, and then clicked it off.

"I mean, could we think of another way? Like... could we get Li Xiang to be more accommodating?"

After all, the little yellow duck is the female lead; if her screen time is too weak, the audience won't accept it.

"Audiences buy into good shows, not a contrived female lead." Zhang Yimou looked at him.

"Weiping, we're not doing charity when we make movies. If we want to see a return on the money we invest, we have to follow the rules."

If you think my revised script isn't suitable, I'll have the screenwriter send you a copy of the revised version so you can review it yourself.

These words were a mix of soft and hard—saying it was to get him to review the script, but actually it was to make him focus on the overall interests of the drama, rather than just the female lead.

Zhang Weiping stared at him for a few seconds and then suddenly laughed: "Fine, I'll never win an argument with you when it comes to art."

Okay, you're the director, you call the shots. Just don't disappoint me, and most importantly, don't let all that money go down the drain.

"Also, give me some face. Little Yellow Duck is still an artist of the company, so her role can't be too bad."

"Of course, I can't let the whole play become unbalanced."

The two walked a little further when Zhang Weiping suddenly brought up another topic: "By the way, when do you expect to wrap up filming?"

"It'll take another two months. The little yellow duck's scenes have always been a challenge; even with script revisions, the amount of screen time is still the largest, and there's still a lot of work to be done..."

However, I will try my best to control the progress and avoid exceeding the budget.

Zhang Weiping patted Zhang Yimou on the shoulder: "Alright, I'll have to rely on you for help."

"I'll go check on Little Yellow Duck first and give her a few instructions. How about we treat each other to drinks tonight?"

"No, I have to oversee post-production tonight," Zhang Yimou declined. "You go ahead with your work, I need to speed things up here, every little bit helps."

Someone wanted to save him money, and Zhang Weiping naturally had no objection to that, since it was all his money.