Chapter 289: The Fourth and the Eighth

At the headquarters of Donghai Tangren Company, in a temporarily vacated audition room, the spring afternoon sun shines in, making the room exceptionally bright.

Liu Shishi was wearing an exquisite and capable black suit, looking heroic. Sitting next to Cai Yinong, the two looked like a pair of beautiful sisters in the workplace.

At this moment, an indescribable sense of surprise suddenly emerged in Yijie's heart. When she participated in auditions in the past, she always stood on the stage and accepted the scrutiny of the director and producer.

It was her first time sitting on the stage as an interviewer, and the change of identity made her a little nervous.

Cai Yinong lowered his head and glanced at the gold watch on his wrist. There was still some time before the audition officially began, so he started chatting with Yijie.

"Have you finished filming your scenes in Love Apartment 2?"

Yijie nodded slightly, recalling the relaxed and harmonious atmosphere on the set, and couldn't help but smile: "It's finished."

Thinking of the popularity of the first episode of "Love Apartment", Cai Yinong's face was a little unnatural. At that time, she was sure that the show would fail and Yijie would lose money on the investment, but she didn't expect it to be a big hit unexpectedly, and she was slapped in the face.

He coughed lightly to hide the embarrassment on his face, and then calmly asked, "Has the publicity and distribution team for this drama been decided?"

"It probably hasn't been decided yet. Yuanyuan and Director Wei are handling all the publicity and promotion matters. But Yuanyuan mentioned it to me last time.

She wanted to find Tengda Culture to promote the brand. After all, Yuanyuan originally came from Tengda’s publicity department and was familiar with that group of people.”

When Cai Yinong heard this, he couldn't help but have some thoughts. Although Liu Shishi Studio invested in "Love Apartment", the studio did not have the ability to promote it.

Tangren Film and Television and Tengda Culture have a close relationship. If they discuss it among themselves, the company should be able to get a share of the publicity and promotion work.

After making up his mind, Cai Yinong changed the subject: "Has Xu Jinglei responded?"

When it comes to guest appearance, Liu Shishi looks helpless: "I have already promised her. I will go there in a few days."

Li Guoli, who was sitting in the middle of the long interview table, had also heard about this and joined the discussion:

"The TV version of 'Go Lala Go Go' is a big hit, and Xu Jinglei invited Shishi to guest star in the movie version. It's obvious that she's trying to take advantage of the popularity and cash in on Shishi's super high popularity."

Liu Shishi supported her chin with both hands, looking weak: "Oh, so annoying. It was hard to refuse their kindness, and they asked Tong Dawei to mediate, so I softened my heart and agreed."

Cai Yinong patted Yijie on the shoulder and consoled her, "It will only take a day or two. We usually meet each other in the circle every day. Just think of it as giving face to your senior.

I'll arrange for someone to send out a few press releases to generate some buzz so that you don't make a wasted trip."

"This is the only way!" Liu Shishi muttered softly, still a little unhappy.

"By the way, Sister K, Director Li, please leave the role of the Ninth Prince to Sun Yizhou from my studio."

"No problem. Let him report directly to Hengdian after the crew starts filming." Cai Yinong agreed without hesitation. The Ninth Prince was just an insignificant supporting role, and since the First Sister had asked for his permission personally, there was no reason for him to refuse.

Li Guoli looked through the resumes of the male actors who were auditioning, and said in a gentle tone: "Shishi, the actors will come in for auditions later. If you have any ideas, you can also bring them up. After all, we are going to act with you, so we have to fully consider your opinions."

"Thank you, Director Li! I'm just here to join in the fun. The specific candidates still have to be decided by you." Liu Shishi said with a smile, appearing extremely humble.

Yijie is very clear-headed. She knows that the director is being polite because he is giving face to Mr. Song. She cannot be ungrateful. If she rashly interferes with the casting of the male lead, it will definitely make Director Li unhappy.

Li Guoli nodded slightly, extremely satisfied with Yijie's humble attitude.

At the other end of the long table, assistant director Lin Yufen had been listening quietly to the conversation between the few people. He was somewhat surprised at how much favor Yijie enjoyed in front of Cai Yinong and Li Guoli.

It was already beyond common sense for the leading actress to audition for the male lead, but what was even more surprising was that Director Li actually considered her opinion fully. It seemed that Liu Shishi's position in the company was as important as everyone had said.

"Yufen, although you and Shishi both work at Tangren, you don't see each other often. It's a rare opportunity to film "Startling by Each Step" together, so you should get closer in the future."

Lin Yufen was stunned when he heard this, then he turned sideways and stared at the teacher who brought him into the industry. He vaguely understood his intention of giving him some advice, and said respectfully and with a bit of gratitude: "I understand, teacher."

Seeing that his disciple understood his intention, Li Guoli felt relieved and sighed softly. He has not been as energetic as before in the past two years, so he plans to work for a few more years before retiring.

But before retiring, he had to settle the people who followed him from Hong Kong to the north. As for the others, he didn't care whether they stayed to wait until Tangren went public or left to find better jobs.

The only thing that worries him is this female disciple who has followed him for twelve years. After all, the entertainment industry has always been dominated by male directors, and a female director does not have many good directing opportunities.

Now Liu Shishi Studio has started to operate artist management business and will inevitably get involved in film and television production in the future.

After careful consideration, Li Guoli intended to let Lin Yufen switch to the team of the first sister, so he specifically reminded her at this time.

After a while, it was exactly two o'clock in the afternoon. Cai Yinong instructed the assistant outside the door to invite the male actors who came for the interview to enter in order according to the numbers distributed in advance.

Soon, seven or eight male actors came in one after another.

However, Li Guoli was not satisfied. He took a sip of the strong tea in the cup to refresh himself, and then asked the sister sitting next to him: "Shishi, what do you think of the performances of the actors just now?"

Liu Shishi recalled the interview process of several people in her mind, with a serious expression. After all, she was one of the interviewers. "It's not very good. Even I think it's not suitable. I don't think it will meet your eyes."

"Yes, I am not satisfied with the performance of the few people just now." Li Guoli slightly turned his head to glance at Lin Yufen, and explained loudly: "For casting, the suitability of the roles is the core priority.

First of all, the character's physical characteristics, namely age, appearance, body shape, etc., must be consistent with the script settings. For example, characters in historical dramas need to have a classical temperament, and characters in workplace dramas need to highlight their shrewdness and competence.

Furthermore, actors must have a certain temperament and presence, which means that they must show the core of the character through micro-expressions and body language.

For example, a stoic villain needs to be able to control his eyes, and a single look can send chills down people's spines, while a sunny man needs to be approachable, and a smile can dispel the gloom."

Li Guoli spoke eloquently, showing a high level of professionalism. These words were not only directed to Liu Shishi, but also to Lin Yufen, sharing his many years of directing experience.

Liu Shishi kept what Director Li said in mind. This is not only a factor in the director's casting, but also a key point that actors need to grasp when auditioning.

After giving the two some time to digest the situation, Li Guoli continued, "Once the above conditions are met, we can basically select the candidate.

But this is just some basic satisfaction, which some excellent actors can do.

At the next level, the director will comprehensively consider the actor’s dialogue skills, emotional range, and even improvisation ability.”

"The audition is so complicated. When I participated in auditions before, I felt that there were not so many requirements." The sister opened her mouth slightly, looking very surprised.

Cai Yinong couldn't help but roll her eyes when she heard that. As there were other people present, she didn't want to embarrass Sister Yi.

I can only complain in my heart, you are a well-connected person, and you are almost always chosen for auditions, how could the director make things difficult for you!

Seeing Lin Yufen busy taking notes and writing down his experiences in a notebook, Li Guoli smiled with relief, thinking that it is a good thing to remember more and think more.

In the past, Lin Yufen had always served as his deputy, but from now on he would have to take on the main responsibility himself.

"Call the next one."

Steady footsteps came closer and closer, and soon a person pushed the door open and walked in. When Li Guoli and Cai Yinong saw the person coming, they couldn't help but look at each other, and they saw a hint of caution in each other's eyes.

The visitor had an outstanding temperament and gave people a free and unrestrained feeling. When his eyes fell on the number one sister of Tangren on the stage, although he was extremely surprised in his heart, he did not show it on his face and controlled his emotions very well.

"Director Li, Producer Cai, Director Lin, Teacher Liu, hello! I'm Nie Yuan, auditioning for the role of Emperor Yongzheng."

Li Guoli watched Nie Yuan's every move after he entered the room and nodded secretly in his heart.

The other party's graceful and elegant temperament, including the calmness when seeing Sister Yi sitting on the stage, were all superior to the performances of the previous actors.

Moreover, the other party said from the moment he opened his mouth that he was here to audition for the role of Yongzheng and not the Fourth Prince, and it was obvious that he was very confident in his appearance as an emperor.

Liu Shishi was also looking at Nie Yuan carefully. As soon as he entered the room, she felt that he was one of the strongest contenders for the male lead. Whether in terms of his image and demeanor, or his neither humble nor arrogant attitude, his level was obviously much higher than the previous ones.

Li Guoli quickly scanned the resume in his hand and went straight to the point: "Hello, Nie Yuan, I am very satisfied with your appearance. I saw that you played Emperor Qianlong in "The World's Granary".

I think you have some experience with Qing Dynasty palace dramas. Please first talk about your understanding of the role of Yongzheng in the play and how it differs from the role of Qianlong you played before."

"Although I have played a Qing emperor once, I personally feel that the personalities of Yongzheng and Qianlong are worlds apart. Yongzheng is sinister and resolute..."

Nie Yuan was obviously well prepared and had a thorough understanding of the character in the play. There was a gleam of confidence in his eyes and he exuded a professional quality.

He talked endlessly about Yongzheng's personality, his philosophy of governing the country, and his emotional entanglements.

Li Guoli listened to Nie Yuan's opinions very carefully, nodding slightly from time to time. Some of the ideas gave him a refreshing feeling and made him see a different interpretation of this role.

Afterwards, Nie Yuan was asked to improvise two scenes. He handled the situation well and his acting skills were excellent, allowing him to handle the interview with ease.

"Mr. Cai, what do you think?"

Cai Yinong did not rush to answer, but cast his eyes on Sister Yi: "Shishi, if a director chooses a role, he only needs to consider it from an artistic perspective, while a producer needs to consider more."

Liu Shishi was a little surprised. How could a good audition become a lecture by the director and producer? Although she was puzzled, she still listened patiently to see what different views K had from the perspective of a producer.

“Producers need to consider the smoothness of the entire process of film and television projects from preparation to broadcast, so casting is also an important part.

If something happens to the male lead during filming, it will hinder the progress, or if the male lead is banned after filming, the TV series cannot be broadcast. These are all things that the producer must consider from the beginning. "

Cai Yinong paused for a moment, and seeing that Yijie seemed to be thinking about something, he continued, "So the producer will not blindly hire people, he must at least have a basic understanding of the leading actors.

In addition to promoting someone regardless of the consequences, one must also consider the actor's popularity, the investor's recognition, etc."

Li Guoli coughed lightly, interrupting the enthusiastic Cai Yinong and reminding her that she was in a hurry and that there would be plenty of opportunities to teach Sister Yi later.

Cai Yinong came back to his senses and laughed awkwardly: "Nie Yuan performed well, so he is temporarily ranked first. If there is no one better than him, he can be the No. 1 male role."

The auditions continued, and after interviewing several more people, another heavyweight came in.

Yu Bo looked at the interviewers behind the long table with mixed feelings. He never expected that he, the top star of Zhouyi, would one day come to Tangren for an audition.

Back then, Tangren and Zhouyi were both leaders in ancient costume dramas, and they almost divided the market into two. Unfortunately, the company fell into trouble due to a falling out between the boss and the boss's wife, and it went from bad to worse, so I had to go out and find resources on my own.

Cai Yinong looked at the eldest brother of her old rival coming to the company for an interview and felt that life was unpredictable. She also heard about Zhou Yi's problems. Rumor has it that Zhou Yi can't hold on any longer and may go bankrupt and liquidate at any time.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at Sister Yi who was sitting upright, and felt grateful for Tangren and his own luck.

If it weren't for the generous donation from Yijie at that time, Tangren would have ceased to exist during the time of Hu Ge's car accident.

In the drama "Startling by Each Step", Li Guoli and Cai Yinong were very fair in choosing the male lead and did not give Yu Bo any special treatment just because he was Zhou Yi's top brother.

After going through a very standardized audition process, Li Guoli lowered his head in thought, comparing Yu Bo's performance with Nie Yuan's previous performance.

Seeing that the director didn't say anything, Yu Bo stood quietly in the middle of the audition room, feeling a sense of anticipation and uneasiness in his heart, as if he was back to the scene of his first audition when he first entered the industry.

“Yu Bo, to be honest, your acting is fine, but your temperament and image are more gentle. I personally think you are not suitable for the sinister and cunning Fourth Prince.

On the contrary, it is more suitable for the courteous, gentle and elegant Eighth Prince. Although the Eighth Prince is the second male lead in the play "Startling by Each Step", he has a lot of scenes. I hope you will carefully consider whether you can accept the role of the Eighth Prince."

Li Guoli spoke out to persuade the Eighth Prince because he saw that Yu Bo's gentle temperament was very suitable for him.

Yu Bo was hesitant for a moment. He could feel the director's sincerity, but was still unwilling to play the second male lead. However, he also heard the director's implied meaning, anyway, he had no chance of playing the first male lead.

Things will be smoothed over slowly. Yu Bo thought about it and decided to postpone it for a while: "Director Li, thank you for your interest, but I am not prepared to play the role of the Eighth Prince. Please allow me to think about it carefully and give you an answer."

"No problem, contact me after you've thought it over." Li Guoli nodded. An actor who fits the role very well is worth waiting for.

(End of this chapter)