Change the world with entertainment with Yokai Girl

Section 139, Chapter 72: Filming in Progress

After that, when Qin Jing arrived at the film crew, she saw smiling faces with kind eyes.

"We, Jingyue, are still newcomers, so please be kind to us." The little panda Daidai said nice things to the staff everywhere.

"Of course! It would be our honor to have your help."

"We are so happy to be able to see the real-life Seymour and Ciel together up close."

For some reason, the other party was very enthusiastic, and they all expressed their warm welcome to Qin Jing and her group.

Qin Jing had initially expected to face harsh treatment, but to her surprise, the care she received on set was several times better than what she had experienced on the set of "Legal High." Whenever she asked a question, she was patiently answered.

Qin Jing noticed that no matter where he went, the older women and aunties all looked at him with the same loving gaze, while the older men on the periphery, who were obviously from the lowest rungs of the gang, looked at him with a hint of pity.

Especially when he was with Mr. Kuroba, who played the role of Black Butler, everyone's eyes seemed to be shining, and even the domineering Sister Fu, who was wearing sunglasses, would occasionally smile and look in their direction.

Kuroba was a tall, handsome man with a uniquely feminine temperament and black, slanted bangs. He had changed into a black uniform and his voice was elegant and magnetic. He had willow-leaf eyebrows, phoenix eyes, long eyelashes, and a slender figure.

He was tall and thin, but lacked masculinity, instead possessing a feminine charm. If his voice were higher-pitched, he would be a eunuch. Of course, few would doubt that he was a woman, but he was indeed the type that was very popular with women these days.

However, one should not judge a person's character by their appearance, whether they are human or monster.

Qin Jing had already learned a profound lesson about this from Su Jiu, whales, and all sorts of monsters at the Monster Academy.

The man in front of them was one of the few monster entertainers from Penglai Company who had established themselves in the entertainment industry.

According to Qin Jing, Penglai Company has produced many artists who spread rumors and mislead the public. Among them, Hei Yu's appearance can only be considered average. Perhaps due to customs or perhaps due to his personality, the other artists have all acted recklessly and violated the rules, and have all been brought back to Penglai.

On the contrary, Kuroba, who was not particularly outstanding at the beginning, has made it to where he is today through steady and hard work. Although he can't be called an outstanding figure, he frequently appears in TV dramas and movies and variety shows, and he is already a big star whose name can be heard and who can cause a stir when he walks on the street.

"Long time no see, Black Fox, Dai Dai." Black Feather greeted them with a smile, as if they were already quite familiar with each other.

"Black Feather is probably the easiest guy to talk to around here. Young Master Qin, if you have any questions, just ask him," Black Fox said in a low voice.

"Please take care of me, Qin... no, I should call her 'Jingyue' here. As a senior in every sense of the word, please don't hesitate to ask me any questions." Hei Yu said with a gentle smile. Although he had become indifferent to the demons from Penglai, he still had high hopes for Qin Jing, whom he felt quite good about.

He is a true crow demon, with dark eyes that give him a mysterious air. He seems to know a lot but doesn't say it. He smiles with his eyes narrowed and every move he makes is gentlemanly. Even his usual mannerisms fit the character of the demon butler in the show.

“Jingyue, I graduated from the academy several years ago. It’s a real shame I couldn’t be with my classmates,” Kuroba said with a smile, his eyes narrowed.

"No, thank you for your guidance, Senior Kuroba," Qin Jing said.

After meeting with Director Sister Fu and other leaders, Qin Jing observed and learned the filmmaking process from the sidelines. During Hei Yu's free time, she received careful guidance from this monster senior.

The next day, Qin Jing's first scene was about to begin, and the production crew was explaining the filming process to the actors.

The location was afternoon tea on the lawn outside the villa. The surveillance cameras were set up in two places, one on and one in standby.

The staff were laying out the shooting tracks, while the photographer and lighting technician were discussing how to adjust the lighting.

The prop master stepped forward to check the arrangement. On a small, white, round table with beautiful patterns, there was black tea and a sweet cake as a dessert.

The sound engineer set up the recording equipment in an inconspicuous spot on the lawn.

The director was watching the monitor while communicating with the heads of various departments via radio, while the assistant director sat behind him, ready to follow instructions at any time.

After understanding the filming process, Qin Jing returned to the dressing room in the van, where she was sitting in a chair being manipulated at will by the makeup artist, a chameleon-like monster.

The protagonist he will be playing, Ciel, is a twelve-year-old boy who wears an eyepatch and has a purple magic circle contract mark hidden in his eyes. His left eye is a deep sapphire-like pupil. He is proud yet strong and has wisdom that rivals any adult.

Xi Sema helped Qin Jing apply powder, and then said, "Young Master Qin Jing, let me help you put on your colored contact lenses."

"Ah, that's not necessary either," Qin Jing said. He had received the blessings of the Golden Hairstylist and his seven children, giving him a certain degree of control over his hair and color. The Hairstylist was a god who controlled color and hair, so changing his own eye color would be more effective than using colored contact lenses.

As she spoke, Qin Jing activated her internal energy, and a brilliant blue light flashed in her left eye, her deep pupils concealing a kind of sorrow.

After donning that elegant Western-style suit, he revealed an aloof and arrogant gaze, looking down at his surroundings, perfectly embodying the image of a proud and reserved young British nobleman.

As mentioned in the script, perhaps the director wanted the actors to become addicted to changing clothes, Qin Jing had to change into at least twenty different Western-style outfits in different scenes in this movie.

Director Sister Fu grabbed the loudspeaker and shouted, "Everyone, take your positions!"

Following the filming procedure explained by the production assistant, Qin Jing walked to his designated spot within the filming track. He would sit in a chair and wait for the butler to serve him, pouring him a cup of fragrant black tea and offering him sweet pastries.

Qin Jing, who was making his first film, tried his best to relax, and this scene was easy for him to film.

Just be careful not to look directly at the camera; you can just sit and act while reciting your lines.

But it's not so simple for Kuroba. First, he has to push the food cart from a distance. To show the elegance of the black butler, there will be a long shot of a long distance, then a medium shot, and finally a close-up of the butler interacting with his master.

When actors are acting, especially in complex film performances, they need to understand the positions of the camera and lighting, and know from which angle they will be captured by the camera. They can only walk on the pre-set camera tracks.

To capture different shots, the camera was divided into handheld shots that followed the actors' movements and camera movements that rotated along a track. Actors had to avoid blocking the camera or appearing in inappropriate places that would create awkward compositions.

It is also important to avoid interfering with the performances of other actors.

Many things here are done without the actors being able to see or watch.

These are the very foundations of performance, and they are also the things that the staff and Kuroba taught him beforehand.

After laying these foundations, Qin Jing also had to learn how to better communicate with the camera, how to express herself through the camera, how to communicate with the director and the audience behind the scenes, and how to cooperate with other actors in the same shot.

With different shots and angles, the performance style must also change as the shot changes from long shot to medium shot to close-up. You must move when you should move, but you must stop when you should stop.

According to the script, the Black Butler had an argument with his master, Ciel, here.

The boy wearing the eye patch frowned and commanded, "Shut up, just do as I say!"

“Yes, my lord,” Sebastian, the black-clad butler, bowed.

The butler said with elegance and confidence, "As a butler of the Phantomhive family, it's unacceptable that I can't even handle such a small matter."

"Cut! That's a wrap! Everyone take a 15-minute break before filming the next scene."

Qin Jing got up from the chair and stood up, preparing to go back to the changing room to rest.

Section 140, Chapter 73: The Novel Experience of Filming

Filming a movie is a very complicated process. Some directors will wait a whole day just to find the right angle for the sunlight. If the weather changes and it rains or is cloudy, the filming schedule for that day has to be canceled.

Of course, those who can be so capricious are either established art directors or pioneering directors making low-budget experimental films.

Sister Fu's filming method is to move smoothly from scene to scene. For example, after filming the interaction of drinking tea in the courtyard, she would continue filming other scenes of other characters in the courtyard. This process would continue until all scenes were filmed, and then move on to the next scene, and so on.

After finishing her scenes, Qin Jing went offstage to return to the dressing room to prepare her costume for the next scene. It's unclear who decided that the character of Charles in this movie would have to change into different outfits for different scenes; Qin Jing changed three times that morning alone.

Compared to other movies where the main characters wear the same clothes from beginning to end, this movie is truly a gem.

"Xiao Jingyue, Xiao Jingyue." At this moment, several female staff members ran up to her.

"Jingyue-kun, could you say that line to your lover Sebastian one more time? In a sadistic tone, pfft pfft," the production assistant shouted, her breathing becoming heavier.

"Auntie, what are you talking about? I don't understand? Charles's lover is his fiancée Elizabeth, right?" Qin Jing asked, looking at all the staff present with innocent eyes.

"That smile is too glaring!"

"Ah...it feels like my corrupt soul has been purified!"

The staff members all covered their eyes.

Qin Jing quickly seized the opportunity to slip away and ran into the dressing room. Only when no one else was watching did she complain, "This is too exaggerated. I feel like I've been running around all the time lately."

"That's because you're too worried, little brother. It's not like it's a monster that's going to eat you, so why are you running away?" Ya Zi asked curiously from the side.

"Thank you for your hard work, Lady Qin Jing. Here, wipe your hands." The makeup artist offered a hot towel with a solicitous expression.

“No, Sister Yazi, I’ve recently started to think that humans are scarier than monsters. Thank you, Sister Xise.” Qin Jing said as she took the towel and dried her hands.

"Actually, the people in this crew aren't bad; they're just a bit eccentric in their pursuit of interests. Xiaojing, you should adapt to it as soon as possible." Kuroba, who was sitting here for a while since he didn't have any scenes to film yet, advised him with a smile, speaking from experience.

Hearing Hei Yu's words, Qin Jing nodded. Indeed, many artists are eccentric.

So-called art is often inseparable from the extreme, the unique, and the unconventional. To bring a shock to people's minds, it must not be something that can be seen everywhere or something that is the same everywhere.

There's a saying that goes, "Being one step ahead is madness, being half a step ahead is genius."

Kafka, for example, never gained recognition from the world even after his death, and he even asked a friend to burn his unfinished manuscript.

If his friend hadn't understood the brilliance of his writing and published it, many people in the world would never have known about the writer Kafka.

For example, Thoreau, who only published two works in his lifetime, and Van Gogh, who only sold one painting in his lifetime;

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and someone outside called out, "Excuse me, is Kuroba here?"

"Yes, I'm here. Is there anything I can help you with?" Kuroba replied.

"Pfft, pfft..." The person outside said, breathing heavily, "It's alright, please enjoy! We'll keep watch for you, yay!"

"Kuroba is really with Shizutsu! Yay!"

Hearing the screams coming from outside, Qin Jing frowned and looked at Hei Yu in silence, but her eyes seemed to ask, "Although artists pursue individuality... are these people really pursuing art?"

Focused on filming, and after resting, I focused on studying again; time flew by. When it was lunchtime, the production crew brought in a food cart with other staff.

There are actually big hotels at the base, but the Black Butler crew, including the director, all eat boxed lunches. They can choose between two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a soup. At noon, they get an extra chicken leg, and rice is unlimited. In the evening, they also get alcohol.

The dishes are made by a professional chef from the neighborhood, so the taste is guaranteed. No one is allowed to offer any opinions. If you don't like it, you can go out and cook for yourself.

Qin Jing and her group walked outside, letting the other staff members choose first.

At this moment, Qin Jing saw several women in their mid-twenties or early thirties. They took an extra portion and walked out of the crowd, heading towards the few men who were usually quiet and carrying heavy loads and waiting on the outer perimeter.

Two of them were aunties who had specifically pulled her aside earlier to have her recite the lines for them again; they had rather unusual interests.

“Those people are all married couples,” Hei Yu explained, noticing Qin Jing’s gaze.

"Ah, I see." Qin Jing nodded in understanding.

Seeing the woman chatting with her husband about everyday matters, and naturally serving him food.

Qin Jing felt relieved seeing this. Now, even if he knew he was being used as the object of someone else's fantasies, he could probably be more tolerant. Of course, the premise was that he wouldn't hear the content.

After all, everyone has their own unique preferences. Does someone who doesn't seem glamorous really have no flaws? Impossible. They just hide them well.

Everyone has the right to pursue freedom, as long as it does not affect or harm others.

Perhaps the women here are a little too enthusiastic about this hobby, but now it seems that apart from that enthusiasm, they are no different from anyone else. They work, earn money, get married, live ordinary lives, and have friends and families.

"As expected, everyone here is just an ordinary person," Qin Jing remarked with a sigh.

"What nonsense! It's because their love was too weak! They couldn't resist temptation! Of course, I won't force my sisters to choose, but for Lord Lucifer's truth, I myself will absolutely not compromise!"

"Whoa...!" Qin Jing was startled when a sound suddenly came from behind.

"Sister Fu, when did you get here?" Hei Yu asked the director who had appeared behind him at some point. When did human directors become so powerful that they could even deceive his senses with their aura?

"While you were staring blankly over there! Here, how can we let you eat! If I don't bring you food, you'll only be able to eat what's left over!" With that, Sister Fu handed over a plastic bag of boxed lunches and distributed them to Qin Jing, Hei Yu, and the rest of the team.

Everyone thanked the director, found empty seats, and sat down.

"Thank you, Sister Fu!" Qin Jing took her share, opened the steaming transparent plastic lid, and found braised eggplant, cabbage, chicken, and pig's ears inside, along with a bowl of thick soup.

"Don't be so formal! You need to eat well to have the energy to film!" Sister Fu said with a hearty laugh.

"Eh... green pepper." Kuroba opened his lunchbox and casually remarked when he saw his own dish.

"Black Feather, then I'll trade with you. I quite like green peppers," Qin Jing said.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the mature and composed Kuroba had such a picky eating side.

"Is it okay?" Kuroba seemed to really dislike green peppers, and said happily.

"Here you go, I haven't touched my chopsticks yet."

Qin Jing simply put her uneaten food container into Hei Yu's hand, and then took the food container that Hei Yu had originally taken.

"Thank you, Jingyue." Heiyu smiled at Qin Jing, thinking to himself that this child from Penglai was indeed different from those other reckless monsters. He was glad that the time and energy he had spent patiently teaching her had not been wasted on such a strange person.

"It's me who's been teaching me acting. Thank you so much, Hei Yu," Qin Jing replied with a smile. Although she had been brought out to film this time by Su Jiu and felt awkward and uncomfortable in many ways, she had also met several great seniors.

Thanks to the presence of human teachers like Sakai and Yui, and the yokai Kuroba before her, Qin Jing was able to grasp the key techniques and experience the joy of acting.

The two smiled at each other affectionately. This small matter seemed to have deepened the friendship between the nineteen or twenty-year-old Hei Yu and the teenage Qin Jing.

…………

.........

……

After a while, Qin Jing and Hei Yu noticed the unusual atmosphere around them and looked strangely at the environment that had become completely silent for some reason.

The staff members holding the lunch boxes stopped what they were doing and stared intently at them, including Sister Fu, though her sunglasses perfectly concealed the wolf-like glint in her eyes.

Qin Jing and Hei Yu sensed something was wrong and tacitly turned around and slipped back to the dressing room.