Chapter 22
A beautiful, romantic and nice kiss scene
Ling Suisui sat in the lounge until the afternoon without taking a lunch break.
Although her assistant Zheng Wenjun was able to get a folding bed, Ling Suisui didn't dare use it because lying down would flatten her hair.
She and Ying Nian were filming opposite each other, and all arrangements of the crew revolved around Ying Nian. If she was suddenly called over and her hair hadn't had time to recover, the director would definitely get angry.
Sleeping on the table is not an option either, because she doesn’t have a table.
Also, it will remove your makeup. If the makeup is ruined by the pillow or her arm, then it is not a touch-up before going on camera, but a re-apply.
Apart from reading scripts, Ling Sui spends the rest of her time reading books and watching movies. If other actors ask her to play flying chess, she will occasionally join in a few games.
It's just that her luck is really bad. Other people's planes are almost reaching the destination, but she is still waiting for a six at the starting point.
Others joked: "It seems you've used up all your luck in the lottery."
"Probably." Ling Sui shrugged. "My luck is like energy, both are conserved."
This is very good, as it means that hard work pays off.
It was unknown how long she waited before Zheng Wenjun finally informed her that she could come over.
When they arrived at the scene, they didn't start filming right away. Ling Suisui had to find a place to sit with Ying Nian's Guangdi first to make it easier for the camera teachers to adjust the angle. After everything was in place, an assistant came with an umbrella and escorted Ying Nian out of the RV.
In the courtyard, Ling Suisui and Yingnian were sitting on mats.
The makeup artist came forward to adjust the actor's makeup, and Ying Nian asked her, "Are you okay? I heard that you hit the back of your head on the table yesterday."
"I went to the hospital for a checkup and nothing happened."
Ling Suisui paused and said, "I thought about it and this should be called a lucky draw. It's a good thing."
Ying Nian was amused by her. She was very optimistic and even started to play with puns.
Seeing that she was not under any pressure, Ying Nian also relaxed.
To be honest, Ying Nian was a little nervous about filming a kissing scene with an actress he had only met once and was not very familiar with.
However, although Ling Suisui had little experience, he was not at all stage-frightened. In this respect, he was better than him.
The director came over and explained the scene: "This is a farewell scene. The enemy is harassing the north of the Kingdom of Li, and you, Zhao Yan, have been sent to fight."
"You are willing to serve the Kingdom of Li, but you have a bad feeling about this war. After all, the Kingdom of Li is too weak and the emperor is not ambitious. You are worried about the future of this country."
"Qin Xian, you were leaning on Zhao Yan's arms the whole time. After you saw Zhao Yan's concerns, you comforted him according to the script. Your emotions here are more complicated. You are reluctant to leave your husband, but you also understand the importance of his going to the battle. So later you have to act like you want to cry, but you are forcing yourself to hold back your tears."
"Then Zhao Jing held your face and kissed you. He was trying to comfort you, but he also couldn't help himself. He loved you so much and loved you so much. This kiss scene was very innocent and beautiful. You two must kiss nicely."
Yingnian said yes, and Ling Suisui also agreed.
But, when she heard Director Ge Kun ask them to "kiss more beautifully", she always felt that things were not that simple.
In the first half of the scene, Ling Suisui was just a tool in Ying Nian's arms.
The director shot a shot of her leaning on him, and then cut to a close-up of Ying Nian, capturing the sadness and worry on his face when he was talking to Qin Xian. Ling Sui's face was pressed against his chest, and the only part that could be seen was probably the bun on his head.
Oh, the camera would occasionally give a medium shot, capturing Ying Nian's hand stroking her prop long hair.
When Yingnian held her, there were three lines in total, 94 words not counting punctuation.
Don't ask Ling Sui how he knew that - Ying Nian forgot the lines twice, laughed once, had to NG four times because his emotions were not right, was interrupted three times by small accidents on the set, and the director kept switching shots, so these three sentences were shot a total of twenty-one times.
By the ninth take, she had memorized her lines. I also counted the words because I was bored.
During the filming, Ling Suisui leaned peacefully in his arms and hardly moved.
Even though Ying Nian's whole body was shaking when he laughed, she was not affected at all.
As an actor, the most important thing is a sense of belief.
When adjusting in the middle, Ying Nian did not let go of the hand that was holding her. This is not to take advantage of her, but many directors would ask actors to do this.
Every time when shooting such an affectionate scene, the actors would try to find the feeling and develop a rapport outside the camera. Some of the behind-the-scenes footage looks very sweet, like love scenes, but most of them are just practice sessions for the actors to get into their roles.
Or, there seems to be nothing wrong with understanding these as part of the drama.
After the twenty-one shots were completed and the makeup artist came up to touch up her makeup, Ling Sui was able to get out of his arms, stand up and stretch her body.
She turned her neck, gathering her emotions. The director's requirements were very clear. Tears should well up in the eyes, but the actress should not cry out. She should have tearful eyes that make people feel pity for her.
Ying Nian's emotions were connected to the drama, and his eyes were a little red. He reached out and hugged Ling Sui's waist, and this time he leaned against her arms.
Ling Suisui didn't want to pay attention to him at first, but when she saw a behind-the-scenes camera approaching, she touched his head.
"Okay, stop crying." Ling Suisui said to him in a coaxing tone, "You will win the battle."
——It doesn’t matter what she says, the camera won’t shoot her face anyway.
What they filmed was the scene where Ying Nian was so immersed in the role that he hugged his co-actor. When this footage is released in the future, it will be used by the team to market their beloved characters.
...To put it simply, on and off the stage, she is his tool.
After the camera position and aperture were adjusted, Ling Suisui and Ying Nian sat back in their seats and repeated the actions.
This time, the camera finally captured her face.
The director shouted "start", and the surroundings suddenly became extremely quiet. She raised her head and looked into Yingnian's eyes.
The close-up shot zooms in, and Ling Sui's eyes are filled with worry and reluctance. She called him "Your Highness" softly and tried to smile, but her smile was shaky, reluctant and fragile.
Director: "Cut - Qin Xian, keep this position, we will shoot another medium shot. After she calls you, Zhao Yan, you have to hold her face."
This is the daily life of an actor. The same scene has to be shot again, or even several times, and no one knows what angle or footage will be used for the final presentation.
Ling Suisui leaned back into Yingnian's arms and repeated the performance just now.
The movements must be restored, the lines and tone must be restored, even the degree of the smile at the corner of the mouth must be exactly the same, preferably as if copied and pasted.
However--
When shooting, a mosquito flew by and affected the picture, so we had to start over.
When Ying Nian held her face, her expression was wrong, so he did it again.
The director felt that Ling Suisui's emotions were not strong enough this time, so he started over.
Ying Nian's movements were a beat slow, not the rhythm the director wanted, so he tried again.
…
Ling Sui called her "Your Highness" for the seventh time, and Ying Nian held her face affectionately for the sixth time. This medium shot passed.
"Okay, this part is fine. Let's keep it and do it again!"
Ling Sui was calm inside, as they passed it after eight takes, the efficiency of the crew was already quite high.
Ying Nian admired her very much: "You were only stopped once."
What Ling Sui was thinking in her heart was that she was actually stopped once.
How could she go wrong with such a simple scene? It seems that my skills are still not deep enough. I get tired after just a few tries.
Of course, she would say to Ying Nian: "Because Teacher Ying is very close to Zhao Jing, I can get into the role quickly."
Ying Nian said "You just say nice things", but he was actually very happy in his heart because his favorability towards her increased a little bit.
Ling Suisui: ...
Haha, you actually believe it when I just give you a few compliments.
She muted the system in her mind to prevent it from popping up prompts and affecting her state.
The camera was in place, and the two of them recreated Ying Nian's action of holding half of her face.
This time it was a close-up shot, Ying Nian's thumb gently brushed across her face. At this moment, the reluctance in Ling Suisui's eyes prevailed, but she made up her mind after hesitation and entanglement.
"Cut to a close-up."
The director didn't expect this to go so smoothly. You know, this kind of eye contact acting is the most difficult. He thought Ling Suisui was a newcomer and it would take a long time to hone her skills.
All new comers have the same problems, like being nervous in front of the camera, making small movements involuntarily, etc... Ling Suisui doesn't have any of those.
Close-up shots are least likely to be disturbed, and as long as she performs well, she can get it right in one go.
If you hadn't read her resume, who would have believed that this was the first crew she joined?
After the close-up, the close-up will be performed again, and this time Ling Suisui has to speak the lines.
She looked up and said, "The border defense line is in danger. Your Highness is going to the battlefield at this time to be loyal to the country and to be filial to your father and share his worries."
"Although I am stupid, I also know what is the righteousness of the country. How can I blame Your Highness?"
Ling Suisui held his hand and said, "If love lasts forever, why would it matter if we were together day and night? [1] I will guard the rear, and the Qin family will guard the court. I only hope that Your Highness will have a prosperous military career and return victorious."
Well, these are all the lines she had to say during today's filming.
She performed well, only taking two close-up shots, one of which was saved.
The director sitting in front of the monitor was particularly satisfied. There was a lot of drama in Ling Sui's eyes when he was reciting his lines.
Her eyes are very lively and she doesn't look around. She looked at Ying Nian intently, the admiration and love in her eyes almost overflowing.
Ying Nian was also drawn into the play by her, and the look in his eyes when he looked at her was particularly gentle, so this close-up shot was very efficient and was passed in two takes.
Ge Kun was extremely relieved. He really wanted to laugh out loud. This time he was finally not the kind of actor who acted with his mouth!
God knows how painful it is for him to direct that kind of play. That kind of actors are harder to teach than a blank sheet of paper. And they are all big names. You can't say anything about them. It makes people upset just by mentioning them.
But... Ling Suisui is not the heroine, she is just a supporting actress and will leave after filming for a few days.
The main actors in this drama may still have the above problems.
Thinking of this, Ge Kun wanted to sigh again.
He couldn't help but pray for Ling Sui, hoping that she would become famous soon, so that when he shoots other projects in the future, he can nominate her to the investors as the female lead.
Ling Sui has good looks and good acting skills, the only thing he lacks is works and popularity.
In fact, Ling Suisui felt that her lines in the previous scene could have been better, but the director was already preparing to cut to a close-up shot of her tearful eyes.
...Well, Ding Fengbo doesn’t have synchronous sound recording, so her tone and rhythm are not that important, as long as her lip movements and expressions are correct.
The makeup artist came on stage again to touch up Ling Suisui's makeup, and a lot of foundation on her left cheek was rubbed off. She closed her eyes to find her state and felt someone staring at her.
She knew it was Yingnian. Forget it, she shouldn't move and just cooperate with his behind-the-scenes footage.
"Teacher Ying, please turn your face around."
It was not until the makeup artist reminded her that Ying Nian looked away. His face was a little red, and the makeup artist had to apply several more layers of powder to get his facial condition to match the scene.
Really...staring at female artists and still feeling shy?
But it is understandable, after all, Ling Suisui’s eye acting just now was so good.
Even from a bystander's perspective, the makeup artist felt a little overwhelmed. It was normal for Ying Nian to be unable to resist her admiration when they looked into each other's eyes at close range.
Tsk, man.
After the makeup was touched up, a close-up shot was cut over.
Ling Suisui fully mobilized his imagination to feel Qin Xian's inner world.
She loved the man in front of her deeply and didn't want him to leave her sight and go to the battlefield of swords and sabers, but she couldn't stop him.
Once the enemy army advances from the north, the State of Li will be in danger. No eggs will be left unbroken when the nest is overturned; without a country, there is no home.
She was worried about his safety, but she also needed him to win this battle. Her heart was full of contradictions, and the emotions she revealed should be dependence, fear, reluctance and earnest anticipation.
Ling Sui looked at him, with only him in her heart and eyes. She showed her vulnerability by looking up, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Her current condition is so good that the director was reluctant to call a stop.
Ying Nian, who was face to face with her, was deeply moved by Ling Suisui. His heart was filled with infinite pity, and without caring what could be captured from this angle, he held her face and kissed her.
Ying Nian had just touched Ling Sui's lips when the director called for a stop.
"Too hasty." The director was not satisfied. "This is not the pure love I want. Zhao Yan, you need to kiss her more innocently, not rushing to pounce on her, understand?"
Everyone around the director tried hard to cover their mouths and not laugh out loud.
Ying Nian let go of Ling Sui awkwardly. She was just blushing, but now it was almost spreading to her ears and neck.
On the other hand, although Ling Suisui was still immersed in Qin Xian's emotions, his eyes had regained clarity, and even his heartbeat did not speed up.
Frankly speaking, she also felt that Ying Nian was a terrible kisser.
Is that called a peck? She felt like he wanted to bump into her. She was able to complete the filming of this scene thanks to her professionalism and her ability to control her body in time so that she did not lean back.
Director: "We've already shot a close-up of Qin Xian's eyes. The last one was very good. Zhao Ling, adjust your posture. The next one will be a close-up of the kiss scene, shot from an angle with your back to the camera."
Very good, Ling Sui doesn’t have to move anymore.
She just kept the same posture, with Ying Nian holding her face, waiting for him to kiss her. The focus of the camera is on his kissing action, so there is no need for Ling Suisui to give any feedback.
This angle does not require showing the face, so even if Yingnian’s blush has not yet subsided, you can continue shooting.
He himself looked a little embarrassed, and even apologized to Ling Suisui, and promised: "I will try to pass it next time."
Ling Suisui winked at him: "It's okay, we have to be more professional in front of the camera."
What this means is that kissing is just work, you should not think too much about it, let alone mix in personal feelings.
Year: ...
Understand, he understands everything. He just didn't want Ling Sui to think that he was taking advantage of her on purpose.
Wait, it seems like he cares a little too much about what Ling Suisui thinks of him.
Ling Suisui shrugged: "After this shot, we need to shoot close-ups from other angles, maybe close-ups, mid-shots, and panoramas."
In short, with Director Ge Kun's requirement of "kissing more beautifully", this rule cannot be easily passed.
Ling Sui's guess was indeed true. It was Ge Kun's request to change the kiss on the forehead to a kiss. This was the inspiration he came up with on the day of taking the final photos.
The reason is simple, it's just that Ling Sui's CP physique is too strong.
The photos of her and Ying Nian looking at each other in a reverse position looked very fateful, which made Ge Kun think that he could make the male protagonist's character more three-dimensional by highlighting Zhao Jing's love for Qin Xian.
As the battle for hegemony progresses, Zhao Jing's character becomes increasingly cold and hard. At this time, a few warm scenes are occasionally flashed back to remind the audience that he is not only a person in power, but also a flesh-and-blood person, which makes it easier to show Zhao Jing’s inner struggle and transformation.
Therefore, Ge Kun attached great importance to this kissing scene. Even if it was just the action of Yingnian kissing Ling Suisui with his back to the camera, he took three shots.
Sometimes he complained that Qin Xian was too hasty and not pure enough; sometimes he complained that Qin Xian was too slow to react, too hesitant to move forward, and not close enough with Qin Xian...
After going through so much trouble, Ying Nian was almost numb, but his test had just begun.
As expected, the angles of this kissing scene had to be changed. The next shot was a close-up of Ying Nian from the front, with Ling Suisui appearing from the back.
This time he was criticized for even more faults, and the scene had to be NGed several times, because Ge Kun complained that his eyes were not innocent enough and did not have that kind of pure love.
Especially in the latest shot, his eyes are actually avoiding! Is this reasonable?
Ying Nian sighed: "Director, please let me adjust my state and find the feeling before shooting again."
...Okay, the male protagonist has spoken, and Ge Kun can only agree to give him time.
Ying Nian winked, signaling his assistant to go over and talk to the director. We shot several kissing scenes, and it’s good enough if it’s almost there. Change the angle when necessary, and don’t stick to these few shots.
Ling Sui saw it all, but she didn't say anything.
Well...it doesn't matter whether she says it or not. Because this kissing scene was used to seduce the male lead, and she was just a tool being kissed and had no room to perform, let alone speak.
She looked at Yingnian and gave him a business smile.
Yingnian coughed, and the redness on his ears had not yet faded.
He didn't object to filming a kissing scene with Ling Suisui...but it was precisely because he didn't object that he felt that things didn't seem to be going well.
After the camera left, he didn't dare get too close to Ling Sui, for fear that she would hear his accelerating heartbeat.
Calm down, calm down, it's just a scene...
Yingnian looked at Ling Suisui, whose face was calm, and smiled bitterly in his heart. It was obvious that the other party was the newcomer, but he was the one who lost control of his emotions after filming the kissing scene.
His assistant did go to find Ge Kun, but Ge Kun firmly disagreed to let him go.
Just as Chen Yuening said, lens aesthetics is Director Ge’s final principle and bottom line.
He has decided to film the drama "Feng Bo", and he has to serve all the actors, endure the terrible acting skills of some of them, and listen to their random opinions... just like now.
Ge Kun refused to compromise. He just wanted to shoot a beautiful and romantic kissing scene, which does not require the actors to go swimming or do any difficult movements. It is unreasonable for him to refuse such a thing!
He believed that even if Ying Nian's agent came, he would stand on his side.
The assistant shook his head at Ying Nian, indicating that there was nothing he could do.
His eyes were also filled with confusion, and he felt that his boss was acting strangely today.
It's just a kiss to the actress, why wouldn't you want to film it? The actress didn't mind you doing it over and over again.
Ge Kun not only insisted on filming, but also suggested that they interact more to enhance their tacit understanding and feelings.
For example, clasping hands together, looking into each other's eyes for one minute, or even kissing for thirty seconds.
That’s right, these are the little tricks that film crews often use to cultivate relationships. It’s no wonder why many stars fall in love while filming.
The director doesn’t care whether the actors fall in love or not. To get over it afterwards, it all depends on the actors’ self-control and discernment.
Ling Suisui and Ying Nian held hands tightly, and as they looked at each other, she saw Ying Nian's face getting redder and redder.
She sighed: "Teacher Ying, you..."
Ying Nian explained guiltily: "I'm sorry, I've filmed three red-themed movies in a row, and I haven't filmed a romantic scene in a long time."
"I just... uh, Teacher Ling performed so well today that I got too deeply into the role."
Ling Suisui thought for a moment, then said, "It's no use for you to keep avoiding me. Director Ge is really persistent in his inspiration. We are all professional actors, and I believe in Teacher Ying's ability to enter and separate the characters."
"I won't misunderstand, nor will I think too much. Let's all put in a little effort and finish filming this scene seriously. What do you think?"
Hearing her say this, Ying Nian suddenly felt ashamed.
He is a senior, but he is so hesitant about a kissing scene. It is really inappropriate.
Yingnian held Ling Sui's face in his hands again. In order to help him get into the role, Ling Suisui no longer considered herself a tool. She brewed her emotions for a while and entered Qin Xian's state.
She looked at him, her eyes full of admiration and reluctance, and her eyes quickly filled with crystal tears.
"Your Highness." Ling Suisui called him softly, "Can you promise me that you will return safely?"
Her tears dripped onto Ying Nian's hand, and the cool touch made his whole body numb.
Ying Nian no longer restrained himself and kissed her instinctively driven by emotion.
His sweetheart was the most precious and fragile being in the world. He kissed her carefully, only daring to touch her soft lips lightly. After a brief taste, he pressed his hand against her forehead tenderly.
There was no one around to disturb him, and Ying Nian, who had found his feeling, hugged her and kissed her again.
He recalled the look Ling Suisui had given him just now, and felt his heart beating faster and faster, almost jumping out of his chest.
When he was about to deepen the kiss, Ling Suisui pushed him away.
"Are you ready?" she asked. "The director is waiting."
This is just the set of Ding Fengbo, nothing more.
The author has something to say:
Ling Suisui: I only want to work.jpg
[1] The poem is from the poem “Magpie Bridge Fairy: Fine Clouds Playing Tricks” by Qin Guan of the Song Dynasty.
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