Chapter 562 Trilateral Talks "cut!"

This scene, which nearly infuriated the director during test shooting, surprisingly didn't require any retakes.

Everyone in the studio looked at each other, frozen in place, not daring to move. No one was sure whether Director Shao was satisfied or not, or whether he would ask Ye Chu to do it again.

From everyone's perspective, Ye Chu performed quite well. In the art design book, the scene is set in a vast, endless wasteland, where two cold, minimalist old-fashioned robots ruthlessly take the mother away. Whether human or AI, they are but tiny specks in the gray and white world.

However, the actual filming was quite comical. Green screens surrounded them, and the ruins on the ground were made of plaster, foam, and painted wood; Yang Huanyi's hand was just a lump of silicone. The most ridiculous part was the two AI robots, played by stunt doubles in motion capture suits. The suits resembled zebra skin, and the two stunt doubles had to mimic the robots' movements. Two disguised zebras—the comedic effect was off the charts.

Before filming even started, everyone had already laughed several times. They were afraid that Ye Chu would also burst into laughter, making everyone's efforts pointless.

But once filming started, no one would think that way anymore.

At some point, almost involuntarily, everyone's gaze became focused.

Everyone knew how the plot would unfold, yet a strange anticipation still arose in their hearts. Rather than anticipating what Yang Huanyi would do, they were actually waiting to see how Ye Chu would react to Yang Huanyi's predicament!

gaze.

Someone came up with this word.

In Ye Chu's performance, they could easily feel the gaze.

As everyone gazed at Ye Chu, Ye Chu, in turn, used his identity as the Heavenly Emperor to gaze upon humanity. That cold, scrutinizing gaze evoked empathy in everyone, except that the one feeling this empathy was Yang Huanyi. Everyone desperately wanted Yang Huanyi to perform well, much better, well enough to impress the Heavenly Emperor. So that the Heavenly Emperor would choose humanity, the Emperor would choose his successor, and the jungle would select its king of beasts.

Having worked with Shao Guangji for so long, everyone had developed some experience. The moment Shao Guangji yelled "cut," many people realized that Director Shao must be satisfied with this scene.

Shao Guangji stood in front of the monitor, staring at the screen for a long time. From everyone's perspective, his expression was unclear. They could only see Director Shao occasionally raising his walkie-talkie to confirm something with the others.

Without the director's command, no one dared to move. After a long wait, Director Shao's familiar, solemn voice finally rang in their ears: "Cut. Camera three, get ready, zoom in on the face, and do a few more close-ups."

Ye Chu was still alright, and most of the people present breathed a sigh of relief for her. This scene, which had been plagued with problems during rehearsals, was actually filmed in one take on the actual shoot. It was as if a ghost had possessed her in broad daylight—no, a god had.

Director Shao was always strict with Ye Chu, never praising him when he performed well, but always showering him with sarcastic criticism when he performed poorly. Everyone thought today was going to be another fierce battle, but unexpectedly, Ye Chu performed exceptionally well, silencing his sharp tongue.

The atmosphere on set immediately relaxed, returning to the familiar ambiance everyone knew.

Shang Yechu filmed numerous takes, both close-up and distant, until her eyes were practically burning from the strain, before finally finishing. Yang Huanyi also posed with silicone props, adding a few more movements. During the subsequent filming, the two didn't interact at all.

After a busy morning, the familiar "That's it" call, like heavenly music to everyone's ears, finally rang out. Like wild horses, everyone galloped off to collect their lunchboxes.

Surrounded by his assistants, Shang Yechu stood in the center of the room, drenched in sweat and still in a daze. Every performance in "The Heavenly Emperor" was exhausting, and the respirator was too heavy, leaving his face both damp and painful from the pressure.

Caught off guard by someone suddenly approaching, Shang Yechu's heart skipped a beat, thinking it was Yang Huanyi. But upon closer inspection, it was Shao Guangji, and she immediately became quite nervous.

Aside from matters related to filming, Director Shao never initiates a single conversation with Shang Yechu. The fact that he's come knocking during lunchtime can only mean one thing…

Sure enough, the first question Shao Guangji asked after standing still was: "When you were portraying the Heavenly Emperor, did you follow any rules?"

The assistants immediately and tactfully dispersed, leaving the director and lead actor space to exchange ideas on art.

Shang Yechu was nearly strangled by the well-made mask and just wanted to escape as quickly as possible to free her face and the back of her head. Therefore, without much thought, she said, "Being with people makes me feel like a person, being with AI makes me feel like an AI."

What if AI and humans were both present?

Shang Yechu blurted out, "Just like a director."

Shao Guangji seemed surprised by her answer and stood there stunned for a long time, speechless.

After saying those four words, Shang Yechu immediately realized she had misspoke. Filming had been so exhausting that her brain was practically numb. To say she acted like a director in front of the director—wasn't that overstepping her bounds?

Of all the directors Shang Yechu had met, Shao Guangji was the most difficult to deal with. He was incredibly harsh in his speech and extremely persistent in his prejudices. He was also a bit petty.