Chapter 229
Capital is more willing to cultivate new "Ling Suisui"
As the old saying goes, good fortune never comes alone, and misfortune never comes singly. This statement still makes sense today.
In the popular summer season of July, both TV dramas and movies have suffered major flops.
Although there are flopped dramas every year, it is not easy to have such a huge and well-known flop like these two.
Let’s talk about the TV series first. The “Peach Blossom Series” was a huge flop. As a historical drama with an overwhelming marketing matrix and co-branded advertisements that are omnipresent, it has been aired for seven days, and its highest popularity on Aoqi has not yet exceeded 9,000, so it can basically be taken away directly.
With this popularity, we have to take into account the fact that fans and the team worked hard to book the theater online and give away memberships, but unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of dollars spent were all wasted. Not to mention replicating the success of "Peach Blossom", a data blogger made a prediction table based on the seven-day playback volume, and it is estimated that the average playback volume of its popular episodes will not even reach a fraction of "Peach Blossom".
The most similar thing about it to Peach Blossom is probably that many viewers don’t remember its title and are more accustomed to calling it the “Peach Blossom Series”.
Bad news, this self-produced drama flopped and caused Aoqi to suffer heavy losses.
The worse news is that there is another drama in the "Peach Blossom Series" and the platform wants to make a "Peach Blossom Trilogy".
Currently, the third part is being filmed. Netizens all brought their stools to watch the fun, to see whether Aoqi would go ahead and shoot anyway, or cut his losses in time and stop midway.
Ling Sui also received an invitation from Aoqi to make a guest appearance, but of course she refused.
Not to mention that she really didn't have time, she didn't even go to the Magnolia Awards ceremony, so how could she possibly make time to make a guest appearance? Sorry, Ochi doesn't have that much face in front of her.
And they wanted her to come forward to stabilize the investors... It was just a dream. She hadn't even argued with Aoqi about their misuse of the Taohua IP and damage to Taohua's reputation! The series flopped miserably, and it was all Ochi's fault.
Although she would not cut off all contact with Ochi and never cooperate with him again, it did not mean that she would accept this matter without any reservations.
Let’s talk about movies - since Ling Suisui was currently filming a movie, she heard people around her discussing this matter more often.
After all, the word "box office" touches the sensitive nerves of many filmmakers. An epic flop like this, with production + marketing costs of nearly one billion and a predicted box office of just over 100 million, would give anyone a myocardial infarction!
That’s right, I’m talking about the work directed by Gu Size.
When Ling Sui was about to forget about this movie, it bravely chose to be released during the summer vacation when the schedule was popular and there were many competitors.
The producers probably thought that with so many big names gathered together, there should be some appeal, right? But in the face of a plot that cannot be saved, the audience will use practical actions to prove that these stars are not worth everyone's money for bad movies.
This failure directly cut off Gu Size's career as a film director. Ling Suisui really didn't expect that, after all, he is the "male protagonist", but he doesn't even have this little bit of halo? So how did he get to this position?
Ji Zhaoying added some gossip and speculation for her. Gu Size has always wanted to transform himself into a director. He used to be cautious, but the great success of "Zhao Jiang" gave him a great stimulus, making him a little impatient.
...Well, it turned out that I didn’t have a clear understanding of my own abilities and was still thinking “I can do it, too”, which led to such a tragic accident.
Although the subject matter is different, the reasons for Aoqi's failure are the same.
Ji Zhaoying: "The entire film and television industry has had a bad summer season this year. It's like it's been cursed. Many companies are not satisfied."
If Ling Sui said he was not satisfied with the movie, it was understandable. In July and August, there were no movies that grossed over 2 billion yuan. The best performing movie after the Spring Festival was "Only the Moon Passes By", which was released in late May. This made those who had previously shouted that "a mere 2.3 billion is not even up to the standard" very embarrassed.
But TV series... in her impression, aren't there several popular works?
"No one has become popular." Ji Zhaoying pointed out bluntly, "Several platforms have used their own newcomers in their main dramas. If they can create a new top star, the subsequent benefits will be very considerable. With your precedent, many brands are buying shares, but unfortunately they all failed."
"Although the Peach Blossom series flopped so badly, it was originally intended to be a hit. I took some time to watch their group variety show, and the selling of CP was written all over their faces."
In previous years, the summer season has always been a good time to create stars. But judging from this year’s performance...the few new traffic stars who have emerged with great difficulty will still have to continue to endure.
After all, it was Ling Sui's achievements that raised investors' expectations too high. They would naturally think, if she can do it, why can't others?
Rather than trying to find her to act and watching her influence expand and her voice increase, capital would rather cultivate a new "Ling Suisui".
As for the failure, of course, the reason is attributed to the metaphysical factor of "small fame depends on promotion, great fame depends on fate".
After all, it is much easier to blame God for being biased than to accept one's own incompetence. To this day, the most common rhetoric used by black fans is still "good luck" and "bonus of the times", as if she is the only star of her generation.
Ling Suisui: ...
Once again, people are on the set, but the blame comes from the sky? Fortunately, she had gotten used to it a long time ago.
After three months of filming, the production of "Heroes Without Worries" was postponed as expected. With the confidence from Ling Suisui, Pei Xuehai's attention to detail exploded and he prepared to shoot for another half a month.
Ling Suisui had no objection to this arrangement, as Hollywood blockbusters often have reshoots after filming was completed. She just hoped that Director Pei could get it right the first time and not call her back to the crew over and over again, because the role of Wuyou was not so easy to find.
Pei Xuehai: "Don't worry, we will definitely finish filming by mid-September. I plan to send it to Cannes next year, listen to other people's feedback, consider whether it needs to be adjusted, and then decide on the release date in China and other regions."
Ling Sui had an idea in mind. Cannes is usually in May. According to Director Pei, if there are no major changes, it will be released in June or July. If there are major changes, it is hard to say.
She sincerely hopes that "The Great Warrior Without Worries" will be the former.
Ling Suisui originally thought that the filming in the last half month would be relatively easy, as it was all about filling in the gaps and making some patches for the past three months. It was not until Pei Xuehai discussed it with the screenwriter that he suddenly decided to add a sword dance scene for her.
"Sword dance?" she repeated in surprise, "But I can't dance it."
Director Pei, this was not taught during martial arts training!
Pei Xuehai said calmly: "What I want is that you can't dance, because Wuyou can't dance either."
Sword dance has a long history and was most popular during the Han and Tang dynasties. "The Worry-Free Hero" is about a fictional dynasty, and Pei Xuehai also created a secondary setting about sword dance.
In the world view of this movie, the style of sword dance at the beginning of the dynasty was full of combat and resembled martial arts. Later, it gradually developed in a slow and elegant direction. Although the posture was more graceful, it also lost its practicality.
In the eyes of the literati, the graceful sword dance is a symbol of a prosperous dynasty. In the film's plot design, it is a metaphor and satire on the court's emphasis on culture and suppression of military power, as well as the relaxation of military preparedness.
Pei Xuehai: "Wuyou did not respond to any of the solicitations from either side, so the Third Prince's men suggested that she dance. This was to intimidate her and also to test her. They wanted to know if she was really stupid or just pretending, and what her bottom line was."
"There will be a teacher who will teach you the moves later. You can't dance well because Wuyou has never learned it. She is just imitating others. They will make fun of your moves, and you will get impatient and turn the sword dance into a sword dance."
"Oh, right, we need to add a special effect to this scene—Wuyou throws the sword high up, and the tip of the sword falls from the air towards the direction of the Third Prince. You turn sideways and hold the scabbard to receive the sword, and the sword must be inserted into the scabbard accurately.[1]"
In Director Pei's vision, this is a very powerful fixed-point action. How close is the scabbard in Wuyou's hand to the third prince? Just five centimeters in front of the tip of his nose.
Based on Wuyou's superficial personality, she could say that she was teasing the third prince, but at that moment, she did have the intention to kill.
——The following content came from Ling Sui’s idea. Seeing that she had started thinking, Pei Xuehai quietly stepped aside.
He was happy to give guidance to the actors, but Ling Sui's personal ability was too strong, and too much intervention would affect her full performance. After three months of filming, Director Pei has established a tacit understanding and trust with Ling Suisui, and they both understand how the other wants to shoot.
Ling Suisui was still joking with the sword dance teacher. Director Pei only came to inform her now. Was it also part of "Wuyou being forced to do something"? The surprise of being called in at short notice and the unhappiness of having to work overtime are truly a true reflection of his character.
Although Director Pei’s requirements were only a few words, they were actually very difficult to shoot. They would make fun of Wuyou's actions, but the audience couldn't find them funny, and if she turned it into a comedy, the play would be a complete failure.
Ling Suisui analyzed in his mind that Wuyou had been practicing sword for many years, so her body must be very flexible, and it would not be difficult for her to imitate the "form", but what was lacking was the spirit and rhythm.
Director Pei had great trust in Ling Sui and only gave her half a day to practice. During the actual filming, Ling Suisui did not disappoint Pei Xuehai.
She remembered the sword dance movements very well, but the effect she presented was very different from that of a professional dancer. She couldn't keep up with the beat, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Others danced like cranes, but she danced like an ape.
Just looking at the movements, this performance makes people want to laugh. But if you pair that with her expression that shows she's ready to turn hostile at any moment, it'd probably make people feel cold and it wouldn't be so easy to laugh.
Moreover, her expression did not change significantly. Close-up and full-body shots can capture Ling Suisui's impatient eyes and the half-smile on her lips, but given the distance between the banquet guests' seats and the center of the stage, it is reasonable that they cannot be observed.
"It's really creepy." After the dance was finished, Pei Xuehai said to his assistant, "I even suspected that she was going to beat me up after work."
Ling Sui just learned sword dancing, and sword dancing is her comfort zone. The action in this scene is more difficult than the previous ones, but the shooting speed is much faster than the previous ones.
In the last action, the camera was placed behind the actor playing the third prince, and his ears were also captured in the frame, using the language of the lens to express that this was the third prince's perspective.
The effect presented in the film is very thrilling, and prop swords must have been used during the actual filming. The male actor didn't feel much pressure. After the director shouted "start", he acted like a prince with his head slightly raised.
At this point, he didn't know what would happen next.
The prop sword was inserted into the scabbard, and Ling Suisui stared at him coldly. Her eyes were filled with scrutiny, disgust, and a strong hatred that wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.
At this moment, the actor seemed to be frozen. His hair stood on end, his back felt cold, and although there was nothing on his neck, he inexplicably felt a chill. Every part of his body ached, as if it had been pierced by thousands of swords.
Every cell in his body was sending out danger alarms. His brain was conveying the command to "run away quickly", but his body was nailed to the spot and his legs couldn't stop shaking.
Only then did he understand - it turns out that in many movies and TV shows, the behavior of the characters not running away when encountering danger but standing there stupidly is not the screenwriter's stupidity, but a realistic performance.
When a person is too frightened, the brain literally loses control of the body.
If the director hadn't called for stop, if there hadn't been so many cameras set up around, if Ling Suisui hadn't returned to her gentle and kind appearance... the male actor couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't have fled the scene like a madman.
He thought that he had a relatively high psychological endurance, but the look in her eyes just now was really scary! He was still thinking frantically at this time, Ling Sui should be acting, right? They get along very well off-screen, so there's definitely no conflict between them, right? She couldn't possibly have sincerely intended to kill him, could she?
Ling Suisui: ...
She tried to smile more gently: "Teacher Sun, are you okay?"
No way, is she that scary?
The male actor first shook his head, then quickly nodded, indicating that he was fine and would be fine after a while.
No wonder he was in a trance and couldn't tell the difference between the play and reality. Others at least have a screen between them, so who can feel the same strong impact as him?
Fortunately, his instinctive behavior just now was very consistent with what a third prince should be like. After the scene ended, Pei Xuehai was very satisfied. He also believed that this was one of the top three best shots in the entire film, and that Ling Sui was worthy of the role.
Director Pei also praised the actor who played the third prince. After all, it's understandable that Ling Suisui acted well. He really performed beyond his expectations. Not bad. Sure enough, being with better actors can inspire one’s potential.
Actor: ...
To be honest, this part is purely natural, no acting!
The author has something to say:
[1]The action design is based on Pei Min’s sword dance from the Tang Dynasty.
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