Chapter 200
Even if she abandoned you in the end, she must have her reasons.
When the clock struck ten in the evening, the sound of closing time finally came from the studio.
Ling Suisui first took off his coat, then went to the fitting room to change into his own private clothes. After she came out, she chatted with Prada's director for China for a few minutes before leaving with her team members.
After getting on the bus, she and her team breathed a sigh of relief. After so much effort, this new set of autumn and winter photos has finally been completed.
Although the process is a bit tiring, she feels happy just thinking that in a few months, her huge space will become a check-in landmark for fans and passers-by all over the world.
Zhang Wen, who was sitting in the co-pilot seat, turned around and said to her, "Sui Sui, the Golden Dragon International Film Festival invites you to be a judge in the main competition unit. Do you want to go? It doesn't conflict with your schedule for now."
Golden dragon? This name is not unfamiliar to domestic entertainment artists.
Although it is not yet considered an "industry benchmark", its influence has been gradually increasing in recent years. It is considered to be a relatively influential event and award second only to the Huabiao Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards in the mainland.
"I'm not suitable." Ling Suisui smiled, "I don't have any awards to show for myself in the film industry."
Zhang Wen: "But you have a box office of 4 billion, and it ranks 10th on the mainland movie box office list."
Four billion is the second place in the box office rankings of Chinese female stars. Even if one zero is subtracted, four hundred million can still rank in the top 20 on the list. Counting further down, the fiftyth place on the list has a cumulative box office of only more than 20 million.
Ling Sui has indeed made few films, but it is not an exaggeration to say that she became a god with just one film.
However, Ling Suisui is not arrogant because of this. She knew that she only had a great advantage in the subject matter. After all, there were too many excellent actresses who served as foils for male actors on the movie screen.
Her teacher Tang Bing also came out this way.
Ling Suisui searched the Internet for information about the Golden Dragon Film Festival and was familiar with several of the names.
After the release of "Zhao Jiang", she also participated in some activities in the film industry. These people seemed friendly to her on the surface, but the arrogance unconsciously revealed in the details still made Ling Sui clearly realize that they looked down on her.
In fact, not to mention herself, even her teacher Tang Bing was subject to their critical scrutiny.
Who says that in a circle where men hold most of the say, female directors and actresses can also make a name for themselves? Not following their habits and still achieving good results is the original sin.
So - since you think that the high box office of "Zhao Jiang" is just the result of marketing, just a coincidence of luck, that it is "bad money driving out good money" in commercial films, and that traffic stars are trampling and destroying the film market... why did you invite her to be a judge?
In the eyes of marketing accounts and industry bigwigs, she was accused of so many crimes that Ling Sui couldn't even count them all at once.
Since the release of "Zhao Jiang", Ling Suisui has never made another movie, and brainwash packages about her being "banned" by the film industry are flying all over the place. As for the Moon which is about to start filming, that certainly doesn't count. How can a commercial romance film be compared with "film art"?
Even if they heard about "The Great Warrior Without Worries", it is impossible for them to come and please her. On the one hand, the effect of the finished film is unknown, and on the other hand, Yingnian and Xia Tian are also in the circle.
"No."
Ling Suisui is only responsible for expressing his attitude, and Zhang Wen will communicate with the organizing committee.
Unexpectedly, the Golden Dragon Film Festival invited her for the second time, and this time Gu Size was also the lobbyist. He should also be one of the judges of the main competition unit.
Ling Suisui felt it was a bit strange at first. If she remembered correctly, she and Gu Size were just superficial friends who liked each other's posts on WeChat Moments. Even if they wanted to look for someone, they should look for Xia Tian.
Oh, Xia Tian has registered a work for the Golden Dragon Film Festival this year, so it is not convenient for her to show up. However, Gu Si is well-known in the industry for his good relationships and often helps others do this kind of thing.
The things he advised her about were nothing more than those things, qualifications, resources, connections... Ling Sui had to admit that every point he mentioned was feasible and he was not fooling her.
But she still didn't want to go, and her reasons were very straightforward. No one likes her, so why should she go? Is it her nature to like being treated coldly?
You have to know that awards are given by judges voting, following the principle of minority obeying the majority. If you want to isolate anyone, you can do so openly without even having to find a reason.
Ling Suisui even boldly speculated that they just wanted to take advantage of her traffic. It would be better to have more debates on "whether Ling Suisui is qualified to be a judge". Then the Golden Dragon Film Festival can continue to increase its popularity, surpass the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards as soon as possible, and become the mainstream of the industry.
--Don't think that film festivals and film awards are high and mighty and out of touch with the real world. Even if they try to attract a few bigwigs to promote themselves, brainwash their industry status, and flatter themselves, they still have to let the audience know that these things exist first.
Gu Size was silent for a moment. He couldn't guarantee to Ling Suisui that these things would not happen. In fact, he felt that her guess was correct. As someone in the entertainment industry, everyone would know that there is no gain without pain.
"But everyone will have this stage." He said helplessly, "You are luckier than me. You have the entry ticket when you were younger."
Ling Suisui's answer was: "I am indeed luckier than you, but not because I have their favor, but because my teacher is Tang Bing."
"She has suffered such injustice, so she has provided me with a higher starting point. Teacher Gu, thank you for your kindness, but I am not in a hurry to accumulate the number of film works for the time being. Whether it is a movie or a TV series, literary and artistic creators are all serving the audience, so why should we pay attention to genres and types?"
Gu Size sighed deeply on the other side of the phone.
Young people nowadays are really ruthless when it comes to exposing people’s scars.
Ling Sui was prepared for Gu Size's favorability towards her to drop to zero, but she didn't expect that when she looked at the list, it had risen to seventy.
He made her feel a little embarrassed.
But it was impossible to agree to him, Ling Sui's development goals were very clear.
The film market is so big, everyone has their own way, and everyone relies on their own abilities to succeed. She doesn't need their approval to follow Tang Bing, and they shouldn't think of putting her into a certain evaluation system and pointing fingers at her - do they really think they are the "big boss" in the novel who has a monopoly and can ban any star at will?
Fortunately, the Golden Dragon Film Festival does not intend to play the same trick with her: three visits to the thatched cottage and three refusal. After dealing with Gu Size, Ling Sui quickly put the matter behind her. She was very busy.
She will be heading to Hong Kong tomorrow, and the filming of "Only the Moon Passes By" will start the day after tomorrow.
For her, filming is the most tiring job. But Ling Suisui had a hunch that the very different role of Qiao Xintong would bring her a completely new experience.
Or, reveal another side of her? When studying the script before, the director kept telling her to act wildly and the bigger the contrast between her and previous roles, the better.
Ling Sui thought about it seriously. She has played many types of roles, but most of them are order-oriented and have their own principles and bottom line.
And Qiao Xintong - it cannot be said that she didn't have it, but it was not reflected in the limited length of the movie. After all, the side of her that she presents to the audience is one that's reckless and breaks the rules.
The director described it as, "You know she is not a good person, you will be disgusted and wary, but in the end you will fall hopelessly in love with her."
In short, this is a challenge and also an opportunity to break through the bottleneck.
**
It was the first time for Ling Sui to attend the opening ceremony of a Hong Kong movie. To be honest, there were more gods to worship than in the mainland, such as Lord Guan, Wong Tai Sin... too many to list.
After Xu Shiling’s explanation, Ling Suisui also understood why they should worship the “Camera God”.
This custom actually spread to the mainland from Hong Kong and Taiwan. In the early film era, if the camera had a "scratch" phenomenon, that is, the camera parts scratched the film, then the entire crew would have shot in vain.
Anyone who has ever filmed a movie knows what a horrible loss this is. However, in the past, technology was not advanced enough to completely prevent such incidents, so the crew would go through a "worshiping god" procedure, praying that no film scratching would occur during filming.
“I see.” Ling Suisui said with emotion, “The older generation of filmmakers had a harder time than us.”
She changed the subject: "So, how are your abs? Show me."
Xu Shiling: ...What is the causal relationship between them?
Even though he was complaining in his heart, he looked around, then turned around, carefully lifted up a little bit of his shirt, and quickly put it back down.
Ling Sui took a quick look and found that obvious lines could be seen.
"You can keep practicing." She encouraged him, "I was thinking a few days ago that it's a bit of a waste for you to work so hard just to show up in movies."
"We will do more behind-the-scenes footage during the filming, such as a 'abs cutting vegetables' challenge. You should also keep up this figure until the release. Then there will be something to talk about during the promotion, and your fitness results can be maximized."
Xu Shiling was moved when he heard this. Sister Sui was really nice. Knowing that he wanted to develop in the domestic entertainment industry, she gave him some advice.
Ling Sui received his gaze and patted his shoulder gently.
There are so many body challenges in mainland China, such as A4 waist, cartoon legs, touching belly button with the back of the hand... It is normal to let male stars take the lead and market the abdominal muscles while cutting vegetables.
If he can drive the internal competition among male artists in the domestic entertainment industry, it will be a good deed for Xu Shiling.
Because Qiao Xintong's character is a wealthy girl, the crew specially borrowed a large villa in Hong Kong. At Ling Sui's suggestion, the director also arranged a special cloakroom.
As the camera scanned the area, most of the clothes inside were Prada and LV, and there were a few haute couture dresses on the mannequin display stand. The producer is very grateful to Ling Suisui, as it is all thanks to her that we were able to secure these sponsorships.
Now that you have ready-made clothes, you can't forget about jewelry, and filling up the closet with brand-name bags is even more basic. Needless to say, most of the brands are endorsed by Ling Suisui, including the women's watch on Qiao Xintong's hand, which is also from Hublot, which has recently been discussing cooperation with her team.
Hublot was very generous and lent her a watch from the Big Bang series 455.jx.0120, with a 43mm sapphire crystal and a market value of nearly one million.
When Ling Suisui was filming while wearing a watch, the staff around her didn't dare to touch her hand. Such an expensive watch, what would you do if it got bumped or scratched?
Xu Shiling often looked at her left hand with envy. With his understanding of superstars, he could never imagine that luxury brands like Hublot would discuss cooperation with artists. Do they really need spokespersons?
It is indeed impossible to put it on other people. Top luxury brands always give people the impression of being very cold, unless you are Ling Suisui.
After joining the crew, the stylist also messed with Ling Sui's hair. The big waves must be permed, and Qiao Xintong's hair color also took the makeup team a long time to study.
A bright red would easily look cheap, and a brown-red that is too close to the color of everyday life would not be enough to highlight Qiao Xintong's flamboyant personality... The psychological suggestion effect of color on the big screen will be magnified several times. Fortunately, Ling Suisui has a good temper and cooperated well after repeated coloring.
Doing this is actually very damaging to the hair, so everyone in the crew had a very good impression of Ling Sui, and believed that she was definitely not the kind of star who would act like a big shot after becoming famous, unlike other people in the entertainment industry.
Well... Ling Sui is indeed one of them, but the reason why she dares to let the stylist try boldly is because she has a system to support her. Help her take care of her hair, improve her hair quality, etc., just redeem points, the system is now very sensible.
When filming just started, the director arranged daily scenes for Ling Sui. This was an adaptation process for her, allowing the actor to gradually resonate with the role.
For example, she puts on makeup in front of the mirror, goes for a morning run on the greenway, sweats profusely in the gym, processes documents at her desk, and dumps her ex-boyfriend in a hotel room.
Well, the last one is also Qiao Xintong’s daily life.
Regarding the previous content, Ling Suisui performed particularly well. The physique that was carefully selected for the art exam was not exaggerated. In addition, when she was filming Peach Blossom, she even sought out a teacher to learn the etiquette of noble ladies. With just a few practices, she was able to play the role of a wealthy princess with ease.
As for the career content, it is even more out of Ling Suisui's comfort zone. Her last drama was "Under the Wave", in which she played the successful Li Xiang, and the aura of a strong woman was right there.
The director was also worried that a phone call entirely in English would be difficult for her, which actually played into Ling Suisui's hands.
It has to be said that after all these years of studying English, this was the first time she used it during filming. Even though there are some unfamiliar professional words in this dialogue, it is not a problem at all as long as you have practiced it beforehand.
The difficulties anticipated by the director were not a problem at all for Ling Suisui. Even if she did not have ten years of hard work, she had at least eight or nine years. If she could not amaze on stage for even one minute, then all her previous efforts would have been in vain.
However, she still encountered some difficulties during the filming of this movie.
The camera was in place, and the neatly dressed Ling Sui was sitting on the edge of the bed. The male actor wrapped in a bathrobe hugged her waist from behind and asked her intimately and affectionately when their next date would be.
Ling Suisui kissed him on the cheek, then pushed him away and stood up.
"There won't be a next time. Your performance was just average."
There was a lazy upward ending to her voice, and after meeting the shocked and disappointed gaze of the male actor, she looked down meaningfully.
This look is very important. The director said that he wanted to highlight the flirting before the breakup, and after taking it several times, he asked Ling Suisui to relax a little.
Ling Suisui really had no experience in this area, and once he accidentally used too much force. When she went to the monitor to watch the video, she was almost overwhelmed by herself.
The director said, "You are not relaxed enough. Although you are acting casual, we can feel that you are taking this matter too seriously."
Ling Suisui frowned, and during the actual performance, she realized the problem.
Perhaps she doesn't have the talent for being cool when it comes to joking about sex. So what does she need to achieve the effect the director has in mind?
Perhaps it is some "self-confidence", a kind of arrogance that takes the other person's body as a tool for pleasure, a kind of condescending attitude that teases others.
In this movie, how do the male director and screenwriter create the emotional high position of the female protagonist? It’s a very simple method, just use male thinking to change the gender and replace a few key words.
"Director, this is not relaxation." She shrugged, "It's precaution."
Although they all speak Cantonese, Hong Kong people prefer to mix in English when they speak. Ling Suisui gradually adapted to the role when studying the script.
The director obviously did not understand Ling Suisui's meaning, and he did not agree with the revision suggestions proposed by Ling Suisui at this time.
She said to delete the part where she was looking down, and change it to patting his face or touching his head.
The director disagreed with this change. This doesn't look like flirting at all, it's clearly coaxing a child! But after he cooperated with Ling Suisui to try one, he immediately stopped talking.
In the shot just now, she caressed the actor so gently. The director asked her to deal with it casually, but she insisted on showing love and care, as if she was protecting some rare treasure.
It’s still the same lines, the same tone, coupled with different body language and interactions, which, based on the portrayal of the characters’ personalities, is simply fascinating.
——If the male actor has an inner thought, it should be: Does she have her own difficulties? She may love me very much. Even if she abandons me, she must have her reasons.
This is Qiao Xintong’s charm trap. Anyone who is deceived by her gentleness and kindness and unfortunately believes that he is her true love will soon be manipulated by her.
But looking at her appearance, looking at the look in her eyes when she is in love, who would not firmly believe that he can definitely make the "prodigal son" return and become her last love?
The director thought that Ling Suisui seemed to have subverted Qiao Xintong's character, but also seemed not to have.
She still quickly and decisively dumped her ex-boyfriend who had lost his freshness. Every movement she made when she left the room, even the arc of the swing of her hair, exuded a casual and free-spirited temperament. Her steps would not linger for any man.
If the director had to describe her, he could only evaluate Ling Sui truthfully with pride and a little awkwardness.
The stereotyped character settings in the script, the slightly floating charmer, and the shaky underlying logic all got better after meeting Ling Suisui. She took the repair tools and knocked here and hammered there, making all the unreasonable things reasonable.
It was her performance that made Qiao Xintong, who was only represented by a few lines of words, grow flesh and blood into reality. She may not be what they originally intended, but they have lost the ability to control her.
The right to interpret her words had long been handed over to Ling Suisui. She is Qiao Xintong.
After this scene, in the director's perspective, Ling Suisui seemed to have his Ren and Du meridians opened.
Her acting has always been good, but now it is even better and more suitable for the role of Qiao Xintong. Sometimes when she was not filming and just sitting on a chair playing with her phone, the director would think it was Qiao Xintong.
Directors sometimes wonder whether this fusion of actor and role is because Ling Sui brought the character’s state outside the play, or because she used her own performance to cover the “Qiao Xintong” in their minds?
Regardless, all he could say was, “What a great actor.”
The director couldn't help but think of the gossip he heard a few days ago. Someone said that Ling Suisui was "banned" by the mainland film industry and had to come to Hong Kong to make movies. It was so hilarious.
He certainly didn't believe this was true, but he kind of hoped it was true. Ling Sui-sui is excellent in both literary and fighting scenes. She is just the right person to come to Hong Kong to shoot a kung fu movie!
The director had a good idea, but there were too many film companies that wanted Ling Sui.
During the filming of "Only the Moon Passes By", senior executives from Yumi Video came to visit the set. The director also chatted with them for a few words. I heard that they were waiting for Ling Suisui's schedule, and that Ling Suisui had to set the time before they could decide when to start filming.
The director was shocked. Yueliang had set a time before notifying Ling Suisui. There were no problems on her team's side, and the director also thought that this was the way it should be. But in mainland China, is Ling Sui so popular and such a big star?
Oh, the director found out later. It wasn’t because Ling Sui wanted to act like a big shot, but because the crew had to sign a contract with her to make sure that she would come 100%, and then the investors and advertisers would give them the money.
In this case, the entire crew revolves around Ling Suisui. If she doesn't come, there will be no play, so it's normal to wait for her.
After seeing off the senior executives of Yumi Video who came to visit and say hello, Pei Xuehai’s studio also sent people.
The director was shocked again. Although Director Pei did not have to wait for Ling Suisui's nod before starting the project, he still came to discuss the schedule half a year in advance. He heard that they were going to arrange two months of customized training for Ling Suisui, and a large team of people including martial arts instructors, swordsmanship teachers, nutritionists, etc. would be serving her alone.
director:……
It’s amazing, people in mainland China are really willing to spend money on making movies. I heard that the subject matter is not so commercial, can you make the money back?
However, with Director Pei's ability, recovering the cost should not only be through the mainland box office alone. Moreover, Ling Sui's action movies can be sold all over the world. "Zhao Jiang" is the best proof of this, and this does not include global streaming media.
So...are those who spread the rumor that she was "banned" by the film industry mentally ill?
I’m afraid that in a few years, it’s not that others don’t want to play with her, but that she is far ahead and leaves everyone behind.
The author has something to say:
*The “Golden Dragon Film Festival” that appears in this chapter is fictional. Any coincidence is purely coincidental.
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