Inside the carriage, Zhang Qiurui, Situ Zhaodun and Zhang Huijun excitedly discussed the plot and shooting plan of "Hidden in the Smoke and Dust".
"Huijun, after the Chinese New Year next year, please take Teacher You and Teacher Wu to experience rural life and learn the local dialect in advance.
Experiencing rural life isn't just about watching; you need to get your hands dirty and do the work. It'll temper you, get a little tan, and get some calluses and roughness on your hands. Then you won't need makeup anymore. "On the train, Zhang Qiurui told Zhang Huijun," he said.
Originally, Zhang Qiurui wanted to bring Tian Zhuangzhuang, Cheng Kaige, Lian Jie, Miao Miao and others to shoot "Hidden in the Smoke" and let them be assistant directors or something, but they have already formed a crew and will shoot a movie next year, and the arrangements have been made. In desperation, Zhang Qiurui had to pull Zhang Huijun over to be his photographer.
“Okay, leave these to me.
"Qiu Rui, in addition to the male and female protagonists, Hidden in the Mist also features important characters like the village chief, Ma Youtong and his son, and so on. I see you haven't cast any, and the acting students don't quite fit the roles. Do you have any ideas?" Zhang Huijun, who was also very familiar with the script for Hidden in the Mist, raised his own questions.
“I have another task for you.
In addition to the male and female protagonists, you need to select other characters with roles in the script from the group of people who have experienced life. You just need to choose according to the image and temperament that matches the character in the script, and you don’t have to stick to professional background.
Those who truly live in the countryside, with their simple faces and genuine emotions, can often more accurately interpret the soul of the character. What I want is that unadorned authenticity, a simple performance that allows the audience to see through the character's inner world at a glance.
When you get there, get acquainted with the villagers first, understand their living habits, speech and behavior, and then find those who fit the roles in the script, and then choose those people.
"Also, for this shoot, I wanted to preserve the original flavor of the countryside as much as possible, not just in the set design but also in the characters' language and behavior patterns," Zhang Qiurui instructed Zhang Huijun.
"Student Zhang Qiurui is right. What makes a real actor does not depend on whether they are professional actors or not, but on whether they can completely immerse themselves in the role and truly present every detail of their life in front of the camera." Situ Zhaodun, who was standing by, heard Zhang Qiurui's explanation of the casting concept and nodded in agreement.
Situ Zhaodun thought to himself, "It seems that Zhang Qiurui and his classmates have really gained something from studying film shooting in Hong Kong. Their understanding of film and casting is much deeper than that of ordinary directors."
Her approach of focusing on the authenticity of life can indeed make the work closer to the audience and touch their hearts.'
"Huijun, I marked the filming scenes in this script with a red pen, and I let you film them.
There aren't many scenes to shoot, and they're not very important. Most of them are set in the spring." Then, Zhang Qiurui handed the script with his marked scenes to Zhang Huijun.
"Well... okay, leave it to me." Zhang Huijun was excited but also a little hesitant when he heard this. He knew that this film was a task assigned by the leadership above, and he even had high hopes of winning awards at the three major film festivals.
He was afraid that if he didn't shoot it well, there would be flaws that would ruin the good situation of the film.
But looking at Zhang Qiurui's trusting eyes, he secretly made up his mind to go all out and live up to the trust.
..........
After taking a train for a day and a night, they arrived in Shanxi at around eight in the morning. The three of them took the address and asked for directions in circles, and finally found the theater where Wu Yanshu was.
When Zhang Qiurui and his group appeared at the door of the drama troupe and explained their purpose, the security guard went to inform Wu Yanshu.
After a short while, a woman who looked to be in her thirties, with a slim figure, very dignified and beautiful appearance, hurried over. There was a sense of literature and art between her eyebrows.
"You must be Comrade Wu Yanshu!
Hello! My name is Situ Zhaodun, and I'm the head teacher of the directing department, class of 1978, at the Yenching Film Academy. Here's my teaching certificate, a letter of introduction from us, and the filming permit for "Hidden in the Dust." Although Situ Zhaodun didn't know Wu Yanshu, the newcomer's demeanor gave him a boost of confidence.
While introducing himself, he handed over various documents, fearing that he would be mistaken for a liar again.
Wu Yanshu took the ID, looked at it carefully, and a hint of surprise and joy flashed in her eyes.
"Are you really here to film a movie with me? Are you Director Zhang Qiurui?
I've seen your film "The Fault in Our Stars", it's really well made. Although Li Xin and Lin Hao didn't end up together, their love deeply moved me.
It's truly my honor to meet you, Director Zhang, today." Wu Yanshu shook hands with Zhang Qiurui enthusiastically.
"Teacher Wu Yanshu, are you sure we want to talk about things here?" Zhang Qiurui said with a smile.
"Oh! Look at my memory. I was just busy having fun. Please come in, please come in!" Wu Yanshu quickly moved aside and led them into the drama troupe.
The drama troupe's building looks a bit old-fashioned, but the interior is neatly arranged and exudes an artistic atmosphere everywhere.
They were led to a reception room with several potted plants and several oil paintings depicting theatrical scenes hanging on the walls, which looked both elegant and rich in cultural heritage.
After they sat down, Wu Yanshu personally brewed a pot of Shanxi specialty tea for them. The aroma of tea rose in the air, filling the air with fragrance.
Zhang Qiurui took the teacup, took a sip, and then slowly put it down and said, "Teacher Wu, next year I plan to shoot a movie called "Hidden in the Smoke" that reflects rural life and the brilliance of human nature.
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