Chapter 186
"Under the Wave" script study
After drawing a few more clips, Ling Sui still declined Ying Nian.
"In fact, your acting skills have been improving, but unfortunately, this role is really not suitable for you."
In addition to the live-action performances, the temperaments of the actors and characters are also not well matched.
Yingnian has lived a wealthy life since childhood and only needed to follow the smooth road paved by his elders. Even if he wants to take a break on the road, or turn a corner or take a longer detour, it will not affect his continued accumulation of qualifications. When he gets older, he will naturally become "respected and respected".
Chen Hai is different. In addition to a mentality of giving up, he also has the confusion about the future that young people have in a specific historical context.
At that time, China was in the early stages of reform and opening up, and discussions about the market economy were still very conservative. No one knew where the future would go.
Therefore, Li Xiang is an entrepreneur who bravely took the first step. Her control group includes not only Yan Xuejun, who is conservative and determined to work in a factory, but also Chen Hai, who does not know what will happen to him in the future and avoids thinking about the future.
The fundamental reason why Chen Hai hangs out on the street is that he can’t find a job. Tens of thousands of educated youth returned to the cities, and there were not enough jobs available locally.
Li Xiang, Chen Hai and Yan Xuejun are all educated youth who returned to the city. The different choices they made in the face of real difficulties are actually a microcosm of the entire era.
The temperament an actor exudes can certainly be changed through acting, but Ying Nian's acting skills have obviously not yet improved to this level.
After Ling Suisui finished talking to him, Ying Nian, who was unwilling to give in, finally gave in.
He thought he had analyzed the character well enough, but he didn't think about it more deeply. Film and television appreciation is a basic course in acting. He has also written some high-sounding papers, but he forgot about them when it was his turn to practice.
Ling Suisui comforted him: "It's okay, after all, you are reading a novel, and the novel only talks about how the heroine makes money. And it's more difficult to analyze characters outside the main perspective."
For the protagonist, the novel will describe his/her psychological changes in detail, but supporting characters rarely receive such treatment. Therefore, actors who can play supporting roles well usually have strong imagination and logical thinking abilities, so that they can complete the character information outside the main narrative.
She also gave him some advice, suggesting that he should have the opportunity to visit small towns more often and experience the most authentic life.
It is difficult for a star who is out of touch with reality and has no idea about the lives of ordinary people to become a good actor.
Ling Sui's film viewing list includes not only excellent film and television works from various countries each year, but also documentaries that reflect social realities. No matter how busy she is, she will always take time to surf the Internet and learn about the latest social hot spots.
Some actors will create a character of "2G network" or "turn a deaf ear to the outside world" for themselves, as if this makes them appear more advanced. But in an era when the Internet is sweeping the world, will this kind of closed-door development really produce good results? Not necessarily.
Yingnian accepted her proposal, but was still disappointed.
Even though he could understand why Ling Suisui didn't choose him, he still asked unwillingly: "If I follow your instructions now, do I still have a chance?"
"... There's not enough time." Ling Suisui said truthfully, "It's October now, and Chen Hai's actor will be decided in the next few days. I can't wait until the day before filming starts to choose someone."
Ying Nian's last hope was shattered. He didn't even remember what he said afterwards or how he hung up the phone.
He was very sad and felt that all his previous efforts for Chen Hai were in vain. He was so miserable that he wasn't even in the mood to eat dinner.
The nanny told the elders in his family about this. After learning about it, his father wanted to talk to Tong Xiaoman but was stopped by Pei Xuehai.
Pei Xuehai questioned him: "How do you want him to get along with Ling Suisui in the future? How will the industry view him? You have no shame, but I still have some."
"What are you thinking? I just want to discuss some cooperation with Fengshou. I'm sure I can offer conditions that will please everyone..."
He is not stupid. If he forces the crew to bow their heads, how can they shoot the film well?
"That won't work either." Pei Xuehai snorted coldly, "It's because you two spoiled him too much that he became like this! He's already so old, and he still needs his parents' support to get a role. I think he has never experienced what an audition is since he entered the industry."
Ying Nian's father didn't dare to say anything. He had definitely gone through the process, but to say that he had seriously fought for it, that was the first time for the crew of "Under the Wave".
Moreover—Ying Nian himself didn’t know that this was his first real audition.
For Pei Xuehai, Ying Nian's rejection this time was actually a good thing. He didn't allow anyone in his family to communicate with the Inspur crew, after all, this opportunity was too rare.
After all, in the domestic entertainment industry, apart from Ling Suisui, who else can ignore the aura of his background?
Ling Suisui didn't know what Pei Xuehai was planning, but she could feel Yingnian's mood. After all, his favorability towards her has fluctuated greatly in the past few days, and the system reports it frequently, making it difficult for her to ignore it.
But... although Ying Nian's favorability towards her fluctuates, it won't be long before it returns to one hundred. Not to mention Ling Suisui, even the system that had anxiously reminded her at first didn't take it seriously later on.
When Ying Nian's favorability stabilized and no longer fluctuated, Ling Sui knew that he had come to terms with it and accepted reality.
I heard from Xia Tian that he recently has a very mysterious travel plan, so mysterious that he even hid the destination from his agent and didn't let anyone know where he was going. A few days later, everyone found out that he went to the train station with his luggage, bought a ticket for an upcoming departure, and got off the train depending on his mood.
His family members complained about his willfulness, but they still let it go. Anyway, considering the security situation in the country, he won't be in any danger.
To be honest, Ling Sui was a little envious of the freedom to go wherever she wanted. She even had the urge to do the same for a moment.
But she quickly calmed down - Yingnian could do this kind of thing, but she couldn't. Because he has been very low-key in recent years, and she is a popular star.
Ling Suisui is not worried about the "price of fame". As someone who has enjoyed the benefits of being a top star, it would be a bit hypocritical for him to express such a sentiment.
The role of Chen Hai was finally chosen by Huang Rui, who graduated from the Performance Department of the Central Academy of Drama and was one of the best in image and acting skills among the 1995 graduates. Although the traffic is not in the first tier, the drama has Ling Sui, so it does not need anyone else to divert traffic, so this can be ignored.
Ling Sui was quite satisfied with Huang Rui. Although he thinks highly of himself, she doesn't care what he does as long as he doesn't act silly in front of Ling Suisui.
In fact, she also considered Bian Yuanzhou, but finally gave up. He has appeared in too many variety shows in the past two years, and the audience wants to laugh when they see his face.
As a comedian, Bian Yuanzhou's choice is also correct. It’s a pity that Ling Suisui has no plans to delve deeper into the comedy industry, so the two will have few opportunities to work together again in the future, unless it’s in a drama promotion variety show.
After the four main actors were decided, the list of supporting actors was also released. Ling Suisui glanced over and saw that all of them were frequent guests on TV series and golden supporting actors in period dramas.
Some of them were approached by the director, some were found by Tong Xiaoman, and some were recommended by the actors themselves.
Regardless of whether you go the traffic route or not, you will have more opportunities in the entertainment industry only if you are famous. Who says veteran actors don’t need popularity? It’s not that you will automatically become a respected senior once you reach a certain age. You won’t be treated this way until you become famous.
In mid-October, the crew of "Under the Wave" held an offline script reading session.
Among the four leading actors, Li Yuanqing arrived the earliest, and Huang Rui arrived a little later than him. Ling Suisui and Song Lingshan came together. After entering, they greeted their senior brother first and then introduced them to each other.
Li Yuanqing felt deeply moved when he saw Ling Suisui again.
In fact, he had been in contact with Ling Suisui over the years, but the scene that left the deepest impression on him was when they first met.
Eight years have passed, and the little junior sister who needed his care at the beginning has become a big star who can organize parties and take care of him in return.
Ling Sui, who will only be 25 years old at the end of the year, is obviously not yet at the stage where she likes to reminisce about the past. Among the leading actors, the one she has the least contact with and pays the most attention to is Huang Rui.
This was not the first time she and Huang Rui had met, but their previous encounters had all taken place at award ceremonies or platform annual meetings, and they had only chatted briefly at most.
Ling Suisui thought that this was the first time when she was filming a TV series that the love interest in the play was not the "male lead" identified by the system.
She asked the system tentatively, and the system said it was because he was average looking.
Ling Suisui: ...
No one was wearing makeup at this script seminar. Ling Sui glanced at Huang Rui's appearance.
According to her standards, anyone who can graduate from the Central Academy of Drama must not be ugly. But to say that he is handsome is a bit against my will.
...Thinking from another angle, Huang Rui was able to get to where he is today entirely because of his strength.
Anyway, The Inspur is not an idol drama, so it’s not a big problem.
Although everyone had read the script, Editor Tang still led them through the plot first.
At the beginning of the story, Li Xiang played by Ling Suisui, Chen Hai played by Huang Rui, and Yan Xuejun played by Li Yuanqing are all educated young people who return to the city.
Among them, Li Xiang and Yan Xuejun were assigned to the same village. They got married in the countryside and returned to the city together. During the period of going to the countryside, Chen Hai has nothing to do with them and will not appear until the fifth episode.
After all, this is a drama with a female lead, and the plot revolves around Li Xiang. Even though Chen Hai is the male lead, he will not be given too much attention.
The first four episodes describe the predicament that Li Xiang and Yan Xuejun faced after returning to the city. The two people who had shared hardships in the countryside thought that the storm had finally passed, but reality gave them a heavy blow again.
People did come back, but the city had no jobs to offer them. Without a job, there is no income. Li Xiang and Yan Xuejun's families were not well-off to begin with, and neither of them wanted to feed two more mouths.
The saying “A poor couple has many sorrows” is deeply reflected in Li Xiang and Yan Xuejun. Her husband cannot earn money and still needs his family to support him in preparing for the college entrance examination. Li Xiang has been looked down upon many times in the Yan family, but Yan Xuejun would only tell her to be patient and always say "everything will be fine after I get into college."
But can I really pass the exam? Li Xiang and he had taken the college entrance examination before, but both of them failed.
When Li wanted to go back to the Li family, her brother and sister-in-law would not give her a good look. Only her sister Li Li secretly gave her the pocket money she had saved. Li Xiang was very touched, but this little money could not really solve her dilemma.
She decided to set up a stall. Having money would give her the confidence to do anything, but this was strongly opposed by the Yan family.
Although the country has decided to reform and open up, the social concept has not changed so quickly, and the policies regarding "individual business owners" in various places are also wavering.
Setting up a stall requires purchasing costs, not to mention whether the goods can be sold. There is no clear statement from the higher-ups on whether stalls can be set up. What if you get caught by the government, your goods are confiscated, and you lose all your money, or even go to jail?
Li wanted to reason with him and talk about policies, but Yan Xuejun was still hesitant. He was worried that one day he would change back to his original state, so it would be safer to work for the government.
Having said that, editor Tang also explained to the actors in detail what the crime of "speculation and profiteering" is. This term has a strong planned economy flavor and was not completely abolished until 1997. Therefore, it is normal for people living in that era to have doubts about individual transactions.
Yan Xuejun is conservative, but Li Xiang is very courageous. She was fed up with the poverty and financial life and insisted on giving it a try. She also said that if Yan Xuejun was worried that she would go to jail and affect his college entrance examination, then they could divorce first and remarry when they were sure that everything was fine.
This sentence became the fuse for the conflict between the two of them, and also caused them to divorce out of spite. However, Yan Xuejun was the only one who regretted it later, and Li Xiang started a new chapter in his life.
The above is based on the content of the original work, with a particularly high degree of restoration. When adapting the story, editor Tang hesitated whether to change some details to make Li Xiang's decision to set up a stall seem more "forced by life"?
Ling Sui rejected her idea and told her to follow the original novel.
She understood what editor Tang meant. After all, Li Xiang's decision to set up a stall was too subjective, which made her appear to be "materialistic". Some viewers would definitely blame her for the breakdown of her marriage. Why did things between husband and wife become so strained? Yan Xuejun is already working hard to get into college, can't she wait a little longer?
There is no way around it. Female characters are more likely to be judged in film and television works, but Ling Suisui is not afraid of this.
She wanted to portray Li Xiang as just that kind of person - it is human instinct to pursue a better life, so what's wrong with her? Does she have to live in poverty? The brother who has loved her since childhood will change after marrying his sister-in-law. Who can guarantee that her husband's feelings for her will remain the same after he is admitted to university?
The male educated youth who went to the countryside with them were willing to abandon their wives and children in order to return to the city. With a ready-made case in front of him, Li Xiang couldn't help but think about it.
Li Yuanqing took notes while listening: "Yan Xuejun should have noticed Li Xiang's thoughts, so the conflict between the two became even greater. He has an old-fashioned concept and thinks that after marriage, each person is the most important person to the other. But Li Xiang first proposed a fake divorce and then was defensive against him. He felt that he was looked down upon."
"That's your perspective." Ling Suisui nodded and said, "But in Li Xiang's opinion, Yan Xuejun only needs to read books and study every day, but she has to do all the housework of the Yan family, take care of the nephews and nieces at home, and please her parents-in-law, brother and sister-in-law, and younger sister-in-law, otherwise they will have no place to live."
"Despite this, they could only sleep on a very crowded floor, and would be looked down upon if they ate one more bite at the table. Neither of them had a job, and their only source of income was making matchboxes. Li Xiang had to earn money and take care of the whole family, and she was completely exhausted. Yan Xuejun only made promises to her, and never showed any concern for her."
Although she was talking about the role, Li Yuanqing couldn't help blushing because she felt involved in the role.
He explained: "Yan Xuejun is really bad at this, but he thinks it is more important to review more. Only after he is admitted to university can the couple escape from the current situation..."
Under Ling Sui's smiling gaze, Li Yuanqing coughed:
"Of course, his behavior is still very selfish, which is equivalent to making a choice in advance."
If realistic conditions allow only one person to concentrate on preparing for the exam, then why can't that person be Li Xiang? It is human nature to seek benefits and avoid harm. Even if Yan Xuejun has never thought about it, he knows subconsciously that those who are admitted to university are the ones who hold the initiative.
Yan Xuejun did swear in his heart that he would make Li Xiang live a good life in the future, but Li Xiang did not have a God's perspective, so how could she know when the "good days" would come?
However, Ling Suisui also agreed with what Li Yuanqing had just said. Yan Xuejun did have thousands of shortcomings, but he had never thought of being a heartless man. After the divorce, he gave all his savings to Li Xiang. After she was admitted to university, he saved part of his subsidy and sent it to her, but Li Xiang refused.
Whether it is the original work or the script, it is difficult to summarize his character creation with a single label. Li Yuanqing said that it was not anyone's fault that Li Xiang and Yan Xuejun separated, it was a marriage tragedy caused by their incompatibility of personalities.
Ling Suisui actually doesn’t think so - what kind of personality is needed to be a wife suitable for Yan Xuejun? A "virtuous wife" who is gentle, considerate, understanding, hardworking, and willing to give unconditionally to her husband?
The two of them will eventually separate, and the fundamental reason is economic conflict. If they had a house and didn't have to live under the Yan family's roof, and Li Xiang also had a job with a stable income, the above problems would not have occurred.
Similarly, Ling Suisui believed that the fundamental reason why both the Yan family and the Li family were harsh towards them was that they had no money. Everyone was so poor in that era that having one more person’s food ration became a luxury. Otherwise, why would blood relatives come to this?
The script adaptation also follows this line of thought. No character is born a "top-notch" or "villain" who must oppose the protagonist. Behind the relatives' penny-pinching and reluctance to give an inch is the shadow of poverty that hovers over the two families and is difficult to dispel.
When Ling Suisui and Li Yuanqing were discussing the early plot, Song Lingshan would occasionally interject, but Huang Rui remained silent, after all, it was not yet Chen Hai's turn to appear.
However, Ling Suisui noticed that although he did not speak, he never stopped taking notes, and he nodded while taking notes, as if he was particularly satisfied with their speeches.
Huang Rui’s inner thought was indeed: I finally met a reliable crew that really studies the script!
You have to know that in his last drama, the leading actress barely read the script and memorizing her lines was almost like memorizing a text; the drama with two male protagonists before that was even more exaggerated, when the male actor was reading the script, he even needed an assistant to mark some words with pinyin for him! Otherwise he wouldn’t know him!
The problem is that they were not filming a costume drama, and he didn't remember any particularly profound wording or sentence usage. How could the actor be so illiterate!
Fortunately, God helped him to get a good project. Huang Rui cheered up and decided to shoot this drama well.
Although this drama is not an idol drama, but with Ling Sui's fan base and appeal, "Under the Wave" is likely to be a hit, and with luck it might even become a small hit. Judging from the actors and the team, there is a good chance of winning awards.
Therefore, he must seize this opportunity. As long as he can ascend, he will never work with those traffic stars again! They really lowered his style!
Although Ling Suisui didn't know what Huang Rui was thinking, she felt relieved when she saw his excited and high-spirited state.
Song Lingshan had previously contacted the Propaganda Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, and the filming of Inspur received strong support from the local government, so the plot of the original work was slightly changed in the script.
In the novel, the heroine made her first fortune by setting up a stall in H Province. This plot was adapted into a film and television adaptation in Yiwu, Zhejiang, which corresponds exactly to the discussion on the small commodity market in Yiwu in 1982. The screenwriter linked the heroine's career with the local economic development, which is more in line with the theme of the work "Under the Tide of the Times".
Director: "Actors, please note that with the help of the local government, Editor Tang has found more detailed information, such as salary levels and price information. There are some minor adjustments, so please refer to the latest version of the script."
"Because we are doing synchronous sound, in order to avoid troubling the teachers to make up for the sound later, we should try not to make any mistakes."
Several actors nodded. Synchronous sound is recorded while filming, which sounds very convenient, but it may not be easier than direct dubbing.
The script talks about the part where Li wants to start a business, and finally Chen Hai appears, and it's time for Huang Rui to speak.
Ling Suisui focused on listening to his analysis and understanding of the role, which can be said to be well-detailed and very comprehensive. Huang Rui also unravelled some of the parts that Yingnian mentioned but did not go into detail about, and analysed them at a deeper level.
Moreover, Ling Suisui also heard angles that she had never imagined before.
Huang Rui: "Chen Hai - or rather the three of us who returned to the city as educated youth, we should still have some resentment in our hearts."
"After all, we are educated youth who have attended middle school. But those years in the countryside were almost a waste of time. Returning to the city seems to be out of touch with the original life. Seeing that former friends and partners have been promoted and married in the city, unlike us who are unemployed all day long, you must have some thoughts in your heart, right?"
Huang Rui thought for a moment and said, "It seems that resentment is not suitable to be expressed directly in the play... It would not be positive enough. But since our play is tolerant of the shortcomings of the characters and shows the complexity of human nature, it would not be realistic without the dark side."
Ling Sui held his forehead with his hand: "I understand what you mean, but we still have to consider the positive guiding role of film and television works, and this drama's focus is not on this."
The theme of "Under the Wave" is hard work and creating a better life. This is a project endorsed by government departments, so don't test the bottom line of the review!
Fortunately, Huang Rui listened to the advice. This topic was quickly skipped and they talked about the changes in Li Xiang and Chen Hai's attitudes towards each other.
Ling Suisui: "Li Xiang was polite to Chen Hai at first. She really didn't want to have anything to do with this street urchin. Later, he kept getting close to her. At least before the tenth episode, Li Xiang hated him more. After all, she was here to do business and make money. She just wanted Chen Hai to stay away from her."
Huang Rui said: "Chen Hai noticed Li Xiang's aloofness. He was stubborn at that time. The more you ignored him, the more he wanted to get close to me. As a result, he became addicted to the battle of wits and courage. He was too idle at that time. Later, I felt that Chen Hai also wanted to set up a stall, and he had a secret comparison in his heart."
"Comparison?" Ling Sui raised his eyebrows.
"Yes." Huang Rui continued, "He probably thought that if Li Xiang, a woman, could make money by setting up a stall, then he could do it too."
Ling Sui's expression was a little subtle.
Holding more script reading sessions is indeed beneficial. A male perspective like this...she would never have thought of it normally.
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